The ledger book kept from 1769-1776 by Boston merchant and loyalist Gilbert Deblois records accounts with Boston residents and British Army and Naval officers for sundry goods, linen, fabric, and clothing. Of particular interest are accounts with British officers during the Siege of Boston. The ledger was discontinued in 1776 with the evacuation of Boston and Deblois's removal to Halifax, Canada. However, entries were made by an anonymous person as late as 1788 related to the collection of outstanding debts. Daily cash book entries record the amount of cash received, 1773-1776. Also included is a petty debt record kept by George Deblois, Jr., 1788-1792, documenting the sale of fabric, ribbon, sundry items, clothing and other goods to Boston residents, including James Bowdoin, Jabez Hatch, David Cobb, Joseph Barrell, Thomas Handasyd Perkins, and Christopher Gore, among others.

Orderly books of the First Battalion of the Royal Marines from 1775-1776 contain orders issued for troops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts.

The orderly book kept by Lt. John Waller, adjutant of the 1st Battalion, British Marines, before and after the Battle of Bunker Hill and during the siege of Boston, 25 March 1775-26 January 1776, contains orders concerning promotions, alarm procedures, the formation of Tory companies, winter patrols, fortification improvements, deployment of troops, courts-martial, and duty assignments. Orders mention Thomas Gage, Hugh Percy, Francis Smith, and John Pitcairn.

The published version of Gen. Sir William Howe's orderly book, 1775-1776, kept at Charlestown, Boston, and Halifax, 17 June 1775-26 May 1776, also contains an official abridgment of Howe's correspondence with the English government during the siege of Boston.

The personal narrative written in England by shopkeeper Jolley Allen, ca. 1782, recounts in diary form his daily sufferings as a loyalist in Massachusetts from 1772-1780. Allen described his life in Boston during the blockade, including conversations regarding the sale of tea and the boarding of British officers; his attempt to move to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with other loyalists and his subsequent capture in Cape Cod; confinement in Watertown and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; the death of his children and wife; escape from prison; and relocation to England. The narrative includes an index by Allen, as well as an introduction by George Ticknor written in 1845.

Photostat copies of the papers of British soldier Jeremy Lister during the Revolutionary War, 1771-1783, include letters written to his father James Lister and a narrative of his experiences in the 10th Regiment of Foot (Royal Lincolnshire Regiment). Letters describe the Battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charlestown, Massachusetts; the status of his injured arm; his promotion from ensign to lieutenant; and his financial concerns. The narrative includes detailed descriptions of his trip from England to the United States in 1771; his daily activities as a soldier; the Battle of Lexington and Concord; the injury to his arm; the Battle of Bunker Hill; and his trip back to England in 1776, among other subjects.

The microfilm of the diary of Dr. Peter Oliver, kept in Massachusetts and England, contains genealogical information pertaining to the Oliver family and a brief autobiographical sketch, including details of Oliver's childhood and his tenure at Harvard College. The sporadic, diary-like entries were written between July-21 August 1761, 21 March 1764-November 1772, and 1 June 1774-21 June 1821. In them, Oliver discusses events of the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Lexington, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and his family's flight from Boston to England in 1776.

Published sources include the diary of Lt. John Barker; the letters of Anne Hulton, sister of Henry Hulton, Commissioner of Customs at Boston, 1767-1776; the diary of Lt. Frederick Mackenzie of the Royal Welch Fusiliers; and the American journal of Ambrose Serle, secretary to Lord Howe.

The James Murray Robbins family papers contain correspondence written immediately before and during the Revolution pertaining to James's loyalist leanings; his exile to Halifax, Nova Scotia; and visits to New York and Newport, Rhode Island, to be near his family; as well as Elizabeth's attempts to defend her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the siege of Boston and her move to Brush Hill (Milton, Massachusetts) while her husband Ralph Inman was in Boston. Letters to Elizabeth from Archibald Campbell of the 71st Highlanders relate his experiences as an army officer imprisoned in Boston and at the Concord Prison.

Published works include an account of the blockade of Boston by William Carter, correspondence of Gen. Thomas Gage, and letters of Hugh, Earl Percy.

The MHS holds a manuscript copy by Frederick L. Gay of George Gefferina's "The Conduct of Vice-Admiral Samuel Graves, considered during the period that he held the command of his Majesty's Naval Force, in North America, 1774-1776, taken for the most part from the Admiral's own dispatches." Gefferina, Samuel Graves's flag secretary in Boston, compiled his manuscript from extracts of Graves's journals, letters, and dispatches, written between 1 July 1774 and 2 February 1776 while on board the Preston in Boston Harbor. Journal entries note the movement of troops and vessels under Graves's command, local news and events, and the weather. Letters and dispatches include orders to officers under his command, updates on the progress of his campaign, and his letter of resignation, dated 1 February 1776. The manuscript was never published.

Official acts and proclamations published as single-sheet broadsides include: "An Act to Block Up Boston Harbour,"Gov. Gage's proclamation regarding the surrender of firearms, a commission from Thomas Gage to Crean Brush allowing him to seize property, and a permit issued to Margaret Jepson and her family to pass through British lines. Proclamations issued by Sir William Howe during the military occupation of Boston can be found by searching for "Howe, William Howe, Viscount, 1729-1814" as an author in ABIGAIL.

The Atlantic Neptune by Joseph F. W. Des Barres contains a comprehensive collection of maps, nautical charts, and views of North America in the 18th century, including several of Boston.

Loyalist Henry Pelham prepared his plan of Boston and environs during 1775 and 1776 and published it in England in 1777.

An unknown "Officer on the Spot" produced this plan of the battle on Bunker Hill. It was published in London later that year with a description of the action taken from a letter written by Gen. Burgoyne to his nephew Lord Stanley.

Sir Thomas Hyde Page produced two Revolutionary-era maps: "A Plan of the Town of Boston, with the Intrenchments &c. of His Majestys Forces in 1775" and a map of "Boston, Its Environs and Harbour" from his own observations.

The microfilm edition of Revolutionary War orderly books at the Massachusetts Historical Society contains approximately 45 books, including orders for the Continental Army, most by Massachusetts regiments, state militias, and a few by the British army. Individual persons, regiments, and locations represented on the microfilm are listed in the guide to the collection.

The following seven orderly books, available on the microfilm edition, include entries written during the siege of Boston:

Orderly book kept by Sgt. Samuel Frost of Framingham, Massachusetts, while serving in Capt. Thomas Drury's company, 5th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (Col. John Nixon's regiment), stationed at Prospect Hill, Winter Hill (Cambridge, Massachusetts), and their headquarters, 27 August-22 September 1775. Included are orders related to the building of defenses, picket duty, uniforms, prisoners, and complaints; issues regarding courts-martial, hospital care, and civilian interference; information about commissions to militia officers, 20 September 1775; and references to the formation of the attack on Québec under Benedict Arnold, 5 September 1775.

Orderly books kept for Capt. William Lee of John Glover's (later the 14th Continental) regiment in Winter Hill, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 23 June-December 1775 (with gaps from September-29 October), and New York, New York, 8 September-29 November 1776. Included are general and division orders given by Gen. Israel Putnam to Glover's regiment during the siege of Boston; general, brigade, and regimental orders given by Gen. John Sullivan and Col. John Nixon for Nixon's regiment (4th Continental) in Winter Hill during the siege of Boston; general, division, and brigade orders given by Gens. Nathaniel Greene, Charles R. Lee, and Samuel H. Parsons to Glover's regiment during the New York City campaign; and orders given by Washington's headquarters in Cambridge, New York, White Plains (New York), and Hackensack (New Jersey) to all the regiments. Orders pertain to plundering, care of the wounded, deployment, supplies, health and hygiene, discipline, recruiting, picketing, and guard and fatigue duties. Also included is an account of materials furnished to officers in the 23rd Regiment in 1777.

Orderly books kept for Col. Moses Little at Prospect Hill, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in New York City, New York. Included are division orders from Gen. Israel Putnam and Charles Lee, brigade orders from Gen. Nathaniel Greene, regimental orders from Col. Little, and general orders from George Washington's headquarters in White Plains, New York. Orders pertain to troop health, care of the wounded, deployment, supplies, health and hygiene, discipline, recruiting, picketing, and guard and fatigue duties. Also included are muster rolls, furloughs, discharges, desertions, accounts, and receipts for clothing, guns, and pay.

General, division, brigade, and regimental orders kept for Capt. John Russell, probably by Peter Bishop, of Jonathan Brewer's regiment. The orders were kept at Prospect Hill, Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 19 June-4 September 1775. The book contains general orders, including those closely following the Battle of Bunker Hill on 17 June, concerning the state of alert at Prospect Hill and other fortifications and the return of military gear picked up at Bunker Hill; division orders giving troop assignments for Prospect Hill (Somerville, Massachusetts); and a brigade order directing Brewer's regiment to serve picket duty at Plowed Hill.

Orderly book kept by Josiah Tomson for Theophilus Cotton's regiment in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Tomson served in Capt. [John] Bradford's company and recorded courts-martial, duty rosters, guard duty, camp rules, and sentry orders, among other assignments. The orderly book also includes a list of officers, non-commissioned personnel, and privates. Some of the assignments recorded by Tomson were copied from adjutant Joshua Thomas. The cover of the notebook was allegedly made from wallpaper taken from Gov. Thomas Hutchinson's home in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Orderly book kept by Bella Whipple, 5 June-18 November 1775. Whipple was the adjutant for Daniel Hitchcock's regiment (later the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment) and recorded orders from George Washington regarding troop organization; orders from Gen. Charles Lee regarding discipline; and orders from Gen. Nathanael Greene regarding duty assignments. Also included are orders from Gen. John Thomas and Maj. Israel Angell.

Orderly book kept by Benjamin Whipple, 29 June-9 July 1775. Whipple was the adjutant for Moses Little's regiment at Prospect Hill, Cambridge, and recorded orders from Gen. Artemas Ward and George Washington regarding sentry duties, as well as orders from Little regarding cleanliness.

The MHS also holds a ledger kept 19 April-2 August 1775 by John Pigeon, "Commissary of the Massachusetts Army," for New England regiments and their individual companies involved in the siege of Boston. Accounts billed "to Province" cover rations of food, and other accounts on "Ordnance and Barrack Utensils" range from musket balls to iron pots and tent poles. Also included is an agreement for the crew of the brig Jasper for a trip from New York to New Orleans in 1833. This ledger is not available on the microfilm edition.

Published orderly books include those by Joseph Spencer and Nathan Stow, the latter printed in Putnam's Monthly Historical Magazine.

The following journals and diaries document the experiences of individuals on the American side of the conflict:

Journal kept by Lt. Isaac Bangs of Harwich, Massachusetts, during his service in the Continental Army from January-16 July 1776. Bangs recounts his service in a militia regiment in Boston during the siege of Boston, January-March 1776, then describes military and social life while serving as an officer with Col. John Bailey's regiment in New York, 1 April-29 July 1776.

Diary kept by private Obadiah Brown while serving in Boston during the siege of Boston, 1776, and upstate New York, 1777. Entries describe skirmishes in Boston Harbor and New York, men killed, prisoners captured, and visits with relatives in Boston. The end pages of the diary were used by Brown as an account book. Also included is a loose page of accounting exercises, 1772-1777.

Diary kept by William Cheever in Boston from 19 May 1775-17 March 1776, containing brief remarks on the battles and skirmishes between British and American troops, the food shortage, and the British evacuation.

Diaries of Congregational clergyman Samuel Cooper, minister of the Brattle Street Church in Boston, with entries for 1775-1776 describing events in Boston.

Journal of Sarah Winslow Deming, written ca. June 1775 as a letter to her niece Sally Coverly, giving a first-hand account of events in and around Boston between 15-26 April 1775. The journal describes the occupation of Boston by British troops; news of the battles at Lexington and Concord; Deming's escape, with others, to Providence, Rhode Island, during the siege of Boston; the actions of Gen. Thomas Gage; and Deming's fear for the safety of friends and family members.

Diary kept by Boston printer Peter Edes from 19 June-3 October 1775 recording his capture and imprisonment by the British during the siege of Boston. Entries discuss his treatment and fellow prisoners, many of whom were captured at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The volume also contains a list of prisoners taken at Bunker Hill.

Manuscript copy of the journal of minuteman Phineas Ingalls of Andover, Massachusetts, 1775-1776. Entries kept from 19 April-31 December 1775 note Ingalls's service in Col. James Frye's regiment of the Massachusetts Militia, including the regiment's response to the Lexington alarm and daily activities while encamped at Cambridge. Entries kept from 16 July-8 December 1776 describe Ingalls's service in Benjamin Farnum's company of Ebenezer Francis's regiment, including the regiment's march from Andover to Fort Ticonderoga, camp life at the fort, news of troop activities in the area, and Ingalls's return voyage to Andover. The journal also contains editing notes made by M. V. B. Perley.

Diary of John Leach detailing his 97-day stay in a Boston prison during the siege of Boston. Entries describe prison conditions, trips to the Court of Inquiry, and the arrival and departure of prisoners. This diary also describes the destruction of Leach's wharf and a schoolhouse by British troops in 1776.

Handwritten copy of a journal kept by Boston selectman Timothy Newell, 19 April 1775-17 March 1776, describing events during the siege of Boston. Newell details the number of men wounded and killed, the number of British and Continental troops, and confiscated livestock. Also included are copies of letters sent and received by Newell addressed to Gen. Howe, 8-9 March 1776.

Diary kept by Nathaniel Ober of Wenham, Massachusetts, during the siege of Boston from 15 May-3 September 1775. Ober was a member of John Mansfield's Massachusetts regiment. Entries describe the Battle of Bunker Hill, the arrival of Gen. Washington at Cambridge, the desertion of soldiers, and military punishments. The last pages of the diary, 1776-1781, include Ober's shoemaking accounts and other notes. The collection also includes one letter from Nathaniel's brother Josiah Ober, 23 September 1775, expressing concern about Nathaniel's safety during the siege.

Diaries kept by prominent Boston merchant John Rowe from 8 September 1764-18 July 1779, with gaps from 18 August 1765-10 April 1766, 1 June-24 December 1775, and 19 November 1776-12 August 1778. The extensive entries note his opinions on the Stamp Act and other tariffs; his involvement in merchant, town, and other committees protesting the treatment of the colonies by the British; his reactions to the Boston Tea Party; the outbreak and progress of the war; and the end of the siege of Boston and the evacuation by British troops. Also noted is his role in Boston society through his extensive involvement in public and private causes and his social life in the city, particularly before the Revolution. In addition to events and opinions, Rowe's diary includes references to most of the prominent Boston and Massachusetts personalities of the day.

Diaries kept by Henry Sewall of York, Maine, from 1776-1842. Diaries from 1776-1783 detail his service in several Massachusetts regiments and as an aide to William Heath, including time spent in Boston at the end of the siege, Ticonderoga, West Point, and other locations in the Hudson Highlands area of New York.

Diary kept by Rev. Hezekiah Smith, pastor of the Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts, describing his service as a regimental and brigade chaplain from 1775-1778, in particular with John Nixon's Massachusetts regiment (later the 4th Continental) at Cambridge during the siege of Boston. Included are notes about sermons delivered and the activities of the Continental Army.

Diary kept by Dr. John Warren of Boston during his service as a surgeon in the Continental Army, 19 April 1775-11 May 1776. Entries describe events of the war such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, siege of Boston, and troop movements. Bound with the diary is a photostatic copy of a statement written by Timothy Pickering recounting the Battle of Lexington, 26 June 1807, and two manuscript transcriptions of the diary.

Photostat of a journal kept by Simon Willard of Grafton, Massachusetts, 19 April-14 May 1775, while serving in Col. Artemas Ward's regiment of the Massachusetts Militia. Entries describe the regiment's response to the Lexington alarm and Willard's subsequent station at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Published journals and diaries include those by Benjamin Gilbert, Caleb Haskell, Amos Farnsworth, John Leach, Seth Pomeroy, Lemuel Lyon and Samuel Haws, and soldiers from Connecticut.

The Andrews-Eliot correspondence includes letters written by John Andrews, a lawyer in Boston, addressed to his brother-in-law, Philadelphia merchant William Barrell, 1772-1776. Letters discuss animosities between British soldiers and the colonists, especially the tea tax; the formation of the minutemen; murders; deserters; and military readiness. Patriots mentioned include John Hancock, George Washington, Henry Knox, and Samuel Adams. Also included is a letter about Benjamin Hitchborn's accidental shooting of John's brother Benjamin Andrews, 11 April 1776.

The correspondence between John Adams and John Winthrop contains news and opinions on the war, the siege of Boston, and politics in Philadelphia.

The Warren-Adams papers contain correspondence primarily between James and Mercy Otis Warren and John and Abigail Adams, 1767-1822. The bulk of the correspondence was written before, during, and after the Revolutionary War and documents the Warrens' and Adamses' role in shaping the new government. The letters detail events such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Lexington, and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Individual letters at the MHS pertaining to the siege of Boston include a letter from Peter Brown with an account of his participation in the Battle of Bunker Hill; a draft of a letter from Andrew Eliot discussing the unpleasant situation in Boston and the willingness of the colonists to fight British troops; a letter from Joseph Reed to Col. Loammi Baldwin; a letter from Gen. John Thomas at Roxbury to Gen. Artemas Ward at Cambridge explaining the source of cannon fire heard by Ward and describing fighting in Roxbury and the burning of the town; a letter to Artemas Ward regarding a smallpox outbreak; a letter to Loammi Baldwin about allowing families to have oxen and cows; a letter from Joseph Reed to Loammi Baldwin about Washington's plan for getting information from Boston; another letter to Loammi Baldwin about smallpox; a letter to Loammi Baldwin concerning the apprehension of a man named Smithwick; a letter from Andrew Eliot to Thomas B. Hollis about conditions in Boston at the beginning of the siege; and a letter to Charles Lee about signals in the event of enemy movements near Boston.

Published correspondence includes Letters Written at the Time of the Occupation of Boston by the British and An Express Just Arrived from General Washington.

The Adams family papers contain correspondence, letterbooks, diaries, literary manuscripts, speeches, legal and business papers, and other papers, primarily of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Charles Francis Adams. Also included are papers of Abigail Brooks Adams, Abigail Smith Adams, Brooks Adams, Charles Adams, Charles Francis Adams II, George Washington Adams, Henry Adams, John Adams II, John Quincy Adams II, Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, Thomas Boylston Adams, Abigail Adams Smith, and other members of the family, as well as a large file of incoming correspondence from hundreds of major and minor figures in America and Europe.

The Cary family papers III include correspondence of Cary family members, including Samuel Cary (1742-1812); his wife Sarah Gray Cary; his children Samuel (1773-1810), Henry, Lucius, Ann Montague, and Thomas Greaves Cary, Sr.; and his grandchildren Thomas Greaves Cary, Jr., Emma Forbes Cary, and Caroline Gardner Cary Curtis. Included is a series of letters from Mercy Otis Warren to Sarah Gray Cary, although most of the correspondence concerns family matters.

The Dudley Colman papers include letters dated 1776-1779 from Lt. Col. Dudley Colman of the 12th Regiment of Foot, Continental Army, to his wife Mary (Jones) Colman in Newbury, Massachusetts. Letters relate to personal matters of clothing, provisions, and army activities and describe encounters with the British at Bennington, Vermont; Boston; Newport and Providence, Rhode Island; New York City, Ticonderoga, and Fort Stanwix, New York; Monmouth Court House, New Jersey; Philadelphia and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; and other places.

The Caleb Davis papers contain correspondence with Gen. William Heath and Dr. Barnabas Biddle, mostly about equipment and supplies during the Revolution.

The Henry Wilder Foote papers comprise manuscript copies of biographical and genealogical notes kept by Thomas Prince, historian, bibliophile, and minister of the Old South Church. Prince's notes focus on his father Samuel and his grandfather John, with information on other Prince family members. Also included is Henry W. Foote's correspondence relating to Rev. Andrew Eliot, as well as a typescript copy of Eliot's letter to Isaac Smith recounting the Battle of Bunker Hill and discussing the possible closing or relocation of Harvard University due to hostilities.

The Richard Frothingham papers consist of research notes and original documents collected for his History of Charlestown, Massachusetts (Boston: 1845), including lists of individuals infected or inoculated for smallpox (1730), papers and lists of damages sustained after the Battle of Bunker Hill, and town government documents. Other Revolutionary-era materials include records of the Cambridge Committee of Correspondence (1776-1779); records of the ship Intrepid in Boston (1802); and two diaries kept during the siege of Boston: one by Samuel Bixby, a private in Learned's regiment, in Roxbury, 4 May 1775-3 January 1776 (manuscript copy), and another by John Kettell, a private in Little's regiment, in Cambridge and Roxbury, 17 May-1 October 1775 (original). Correspondents in the collection include James Kettell and Richard Devens.

The Elbridge Gerry papers include letters to his brothers Thomas Gerry, Jr. and Samuel R. Gerry, as well as others, concerning shipments of supplies for the American forces; correspondence regarding the war with France and Gerry's diplomatic mission to France; letters from Mercy Otis Warren concerning her historical writings; and correspondence with various political figures regarding Massachusetts and national politics, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and the War of 1812.

The Benjamin Guild papers comprise the papers of Benjamin Guild, Congregational minister, bookseller, and Harvard tutor, including two sermons he wrote in 1775 and another unidentified sermon written during the early 18th century. Also included is a diary with scattered entries from 1 September-29 November 1774 and 26 April 1775-8 June 1776 in which Guild records the progress of the Revolutionary War, beginning with the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The William Heath papers cover his Revolutionary War service as field commander in the Continental Army (1776-1777) and as commander of the Eastern District (March 1777-June 1779) and the Lower Hudson (New York) District (June 1779-1783). The collection consists of loose papers, 1774-1814, including correspondence, accounts, warrants, reports, military returns, and orderly books (1776-1783, with gaps) containing general orders and Heath's orders to his commanding officers in the field. Frequent subjects include recruitment, troop movements, the appointment of officers, courts-martial, morale, pay, camp life, discipline and desertion, equipment and provisions, and British prisoners of war. Heath's diaries date from 1775-1804 (with gaps from December 1798-July 1801 and August 1802-February 1803). Wartime entries describe movements by the British, American troop movements and locations, courts-martial, prisoners of war, troop recruitment and enlistment, and casualties.

The King-Dearborn-Little papers include papers of Major-Gen. Henry Dearborn and an orderly book of Gen. Nathanael Greene's command of a brigade at Prospect Hill.

The microfilm edition of the Henry Knox papers includes family correspondence; correspondence with Revolutionary associates, government officials, land speculators, and friends; bills and receipts; ledgers; maps; military records and returns; a fragment of Knox's military diary; and papers of Knox's wife Lucy Flucker Knox and the Flucker family. Included are Waldo family papers dealing chiefly with Maine lands and two journals describing tours of the Waldo patent kept by E. Jennison and Jonathan Maynard. Correspondents represented in the collection include William Bingham, David Cobb, Nathanael Greene, William Heath, Henry Jackson, Benjamin Lincoln, and George Washington.

The Henry Knox papers II consist of volumes kept by Knox as a bookseller, Revolutionary War officer, and U.S. secretary of war, as well as some personal papers. Volumes kept as owner of his "London bookstore" in Boston include a wastebook (1771) and a letterbook (1774-1775). Revolutionary War materials include Knox's diary of a journey from Fort Ticonderoga, New York, with cannons obtained for the fortification of Dorchester Heights during the siege of Boston (20 November 1775-13 January 1776); three orderly books, two for Crane's (later the Third) Continental Artillery regiment (25 March-7 September 1777 and 9 August 1779-31 March 1780) and one for the Corps of Artillery (1 January-8 August 1781) kept in northern New Jersey and West Point, New York; and an undated volume of artillery exercises and experiments. One orderly book also contains orders for the 40th British Infantry Regiment kept from 6 October-24 November 1776 during the New York City campaign.

The Benjamin Lincoln papers pertain to his position as Hingham's town clerk; his military career as general in the Continental Army under George Washington during the Revolutionary War and Shays' Rebellion; and positions as secretary of war (1781-1783), lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (1787), United States Commissioner Plenipotentiary to the Southern Indians (1789), and first collector of the port of Boston (1789-1809). The collection includes military, professional, and personal correspondence, maps, orderly books, letterbooks, muster rolls, commissions, and reports of courts-martial.

The Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati records contain correspondence (1780-1947), financial records (1765-1982), minutes (1783-1990), and printed materials (1783-1953), as well as personal papers left to the society. Personal papers include a journal of Jeduthan Baldwin describing his service as a military engineer during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution; historical notes by Joseph P. Warren for lectures and publications; and member biographies and other material collected by Francis S. Drake for his Memorials of the Society of the Cincinnati of Massachusetts (Boston: 1873).

The Joel Parker papers include material related to his service as a lieutenant in the Continental Army at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The Timothy Pickering papers include historical notebooks collected for a proposed history of the United States during the Revolution, as well as political notebooks and journals and other materials related to the Revolution.

The John Thomas papers primarily date from 1747-1760 and 1775-1776 and contain materials pertaining to his military service as a surgeon and officer in the French and Indian War and the Revolution. Papers dating from 1759-1760 consist of letters, commissions, returns, etc. documenting his command of a regiment of Massachusetts Provincial Forces at Lunenburg and Halifax, Nova Scotia (1759), and Crown Point (1760), including three orderly books kept at these locations. Papers from 1775-1776, such as drafts of letters from Thomas to his wife Hannah, relate to his command of a brigade at Roxbury and Dorchester Heights during the siege of Boston and his move in March 1776 to Québec, where he died of smallpox.

The John Tudor papers include a transcript of a journal, 1732-1793, recording Tudor family births, deaths, and marriages; major events in Boston, such as an earthquake in 1755; deaths, burials, and other statistics of Boston; political events, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the progress of the Revolutionary War; and the weather.

The Tudor family papers comprise letters between William Tudor and Delia Jarvis during their courtship from 1773-1778 while he was judge advocate of the Continental Army under Washington. In addition to his personal feelings, often manifested as concern for her personal safety in Boston during the siege, Tudor commented on news from the field, particularly from New York in 1776 and from Washington's headquarters in New Jersey.

The Ward family papers relate to Artemas Ward's participation in campaigns at Fort Edward and Fort Ticonderoga, the siege of Boston, and his service as head of the Eastern Department of the Continental Army; his duties as a Shrewsbury official and speaker of the Massachusetts House; his term as a member of the Board of Overseers at Harvard College; his activities with the Continental Congress and political, state and federal affairs; and Shays' Rebellion. An orderly book, 1775-1776, primarily consists of daily orders during the siege of Boston.

The Ward family papers II contain family correspondence between Artemas Ward, his wife Sarah, and their sons Ithamar and Thomas W. Ward. There are also a few items written to Ward as commander of the American forces in Boston, 1775-1776, including a letter from George Washington dated 16 June 1776.

The John Collins Warren papers contain personal and medical journals, including John Warren's diary, 19 April 1775-11 May 1776, which refers sporadically to events of the Revolution; account books; and Joseph Warren's oration delivered on the anniversary of the Boston Massacre, 6 March 1775.

The Winslow family memorial was written by Boston merchant Isaac Winslow from about 1837 and was continued after his death by his daughter Margaret Catharine Winslow. The memorial combines family history and genealogy, personal memoir, political commentary, and eyewitness accounts of historical events between ca. 1620-1839, including the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. The memorial contains excerpts transcribed from family correspondence, journals, and other papers; newspaper clippings; and revisions and annotations. Among the subjects are: early Massachusetts history, the causes of the American Revolution, the siege of Boston, and loyalist refugees.

The Philip Besom narrative recounts Besom's experiences during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as recorded by Amos Lawrence in 1841. Besom described his life as a sailor from 1771-1775; joining Daniel Hitchcock's regiment (later the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment) in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1775; various privateering expeditions, 1777-1783, in the privateer Satisfaction, brig Fanny, and ships Aurora, Brandywine, Freemason, and Monmouth; capturing British ships; and his own capture and imprisonment in Jamaica.

Published memoirs include those of Amos Barrett at Concord, John Greenwood at Boston and New York, Major-Gen. William Heath, James Thacher, Gen. John Stark, and Col. Ebenezer Bancroft.

The Boston Overseers of the Poor records include administrative records, almshouse records, temporary home records, and some miscellaneous and unidentified material. Administrative records, 1738-1916, include financial records, warning-out books, memoranda, correspondence, and casebooks. Almshouse records, 1735-1911, consist of admission and discharge registers, lists of inmates, deaths, indentures, accounts, and memoranda.

The Noddles Island papers relate to claims for damages to Henry Howell Williams's property on Noddles Island in Boston Harbor as a result of the Continental Army's burning of his property and the removal of his livestock. The papers contain testimonies by members of the Continental Army and others regarding Williams's property and its eventual destruction, as well as a schedule of his furniture, stores, and stock with their monetary values. Correspondents in the collection include Artemas Ward, Israel Putnam, Moses Gill, and Jonathan Williams.

The minutes of a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of Boston record the town leaders' concerns for the safety of citizens who remained in town during the siege.

Published records include a broadside explaining how to account for damages sustained during the siege, instructions regarding the removal of Bostonians to the country during the siege, and permission for previously detained persons to leave Boston.

The MHS holds many Revolutionary-era newspapers, most of which are available only in their original format or on microfilm in the library. Newspapers are listed in our online catalog ABIGAIL.

The annotated newspapers of Harbottle Dorr were annotated and indexed by merchant and patriot Harbottle Dorr, Jr. The annotations refer to political figures, especially colonial Massachusetts governor Thomas Hutchinson, and political events in the years before and at the start of the American Revolution. Digital images of the Harbottle Dorr annotated newspapers are available at our website.

Important maps and prints related to the siege of Boston include Exact Plan of General Gage's Lines on Boston Neck in America, Christian Remick's Perspective View of the Blockad of Boston Harbour, The Town of Boston in New-England and Brittish Ships of War Landing their Troops, and a manuscript plan of Boston and Boston Harbor, 1776.