In this exhibit, the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections has selected items from their extensive collection of family papers and institutional records to pay tribute to students past and present. View Exhibit
Captain Samuel Hovey was born in Rochester, Massachusetts, on December 6, 1750. The son of the Reverend Ivory Hovey and Olive Jordan, Samuel lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and became a soldier in the Revolution, being at the evacuation of Boston on March 17, 1776, and at New York at the reading of the Declaration of Independence to the army, on July 9, 1776. Hovey first married Keturah Foster of Tisbury, Massachusetts, (int. March 30, 1777), who died in 1790, and married second, Cath ____. This letter to his father, dated July 10th 1776, describes the reading of the Declaration of Independence in New York, and includes his observations about army life, the Tories, and more. Hovey was alive and residing in Wells, Maine, as of 1806. This letter is part of the Ivory Hovey papers, 1732-1798 collection, which also includes the source material for "Marriages and Baptisms of the Rev. Ivory Hovey of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1775-1803" database on NewEnglandAncestors.org. This collection is kept in the R. Stanton Avery Collections at NEHGS, call number MSS 68.
The first transcription below is an exact interpretation of the original document. The second transcription corrects the many spelling errors and punctuation inconsistencies.
New York, July 10th 1776
Honnered farther & Mother ____
these Come With my Duty to you Hoping that these lins Will find you in Health as they leve me thro' the goodwill of God. Sir I receved your letter of June 27th I have Receved three letters from you sins I got to New York in which I find excelant advise - and which I return my genuine [?] & humble thanks for - hoping that you will send letters all the oppitun. that you have for I am always glad to receive letters from you & to heare of you Welfare - altho' the Difference is So great that I cant Come Home to Se you yet it is a great Comfort to heare from ones whom I so highly Respect - Sir yestarday was Read in the presants of our Bragad the Declaration of the Independent State of the Collanes after a long Spech from our Brigiderr Gennaral Heath Which had the Hope of all that heard it and after the Declaration was read We gave three Hosanas which made the Woods Ring in after that we Sang a Salm and one Chaplin pray with and made an excellent prair. Sir I can assure you that wee have got one of the finest Gennaral that is in the army - to our Brigad he is so pleasant and free with all officers and soders that there is not Wone but Whch loves him. I have Dined with him a grate may tims and he took great care of his Soliders and is Very Strict for all of them to attend metens. and Wont a low of any gaming We have Wone Lut. that Walks up and Down the tents all Day to se that thare is no gaming goin on and thar is a sar jant and 6 men that patrols two mils from the tents to see that the Soldiers Dont get out of the Camp to gamel. Sir We have got a Bout 6,000 men now in our army and we Expect mor in every Day. We have no want of men if it Wont for the tores But the torey are very Bold. We have got 6 Tores now confined and We find more or less Every Day now Devtd Sir. But you have heard of the plot that was laid by the toris to Distroy our powder House and kill our head man But thro' the goodness of God they were found out
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Honored Father & Mother
These come with my duty to you hoping that these lines will find you in health as they leave me through the goodwill of God. Sir I received your letter of June 27th. I have received three letters from you since I got to New York in which I find excellent advice - and which I return my genuine [?] and humble thanks for - hoping that you will send letters all the opportunities that you have for I am always glad to receive letters from you and to hear of your welfare. Although the difference is so great that I can't come home to see you yet, it is a great comfort to hear from ones whom I so highly respect. Sir yesterday was read in the presence of our brigade the Declaration of the Independent State of the Colonies after a long speech from our Brigadier General Heath which had the hope of all that heard it and after the declaration was read we gave three hosanas which made the woods ring in. After that we sang a psalm and one chaplin pray with and made an excellent prayer. Sir I can assure you that we have got one of the finest generals that is in the army - to our brigade he is so pleasant and free with all officers and soldiers that there is not one but which loves him. I have dined with him a great many times and he took great care of his soldiers and is very strict for all of them to attend meetings and won't allow of any gaming. We have one lieutenant that walks up and down the tents all day to see that there is no gaming going on and there is a sergeant and 6 men that patrols two miles from the tents to see that the soldiers don't get out of the camp to gamble. Sir we have got about 6,000 men now in our army and we expect more in every day. We have no want of men if it wont for the Tories, but the Tories are very bold. We have got 6 Tories now confined and we find more or less every day now devoted Sir. But you have heard of the plot that was laid by the Tories to destroy our powder house and kill our head man but through the goodness of God they were found out
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Samuel Hovey
Sir I wod have wrote mor But past time for my Duty in Navy band I havnt much time to write and now I havnt time to read what I wrote.
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and I see one of them executed in the presence of 20000 men. So there was a sale of French sloops got in to New York yesterday and brought now that there was 12 men of war that was on their passage for here. Last Monday week there was a fleet 60 sail got in here for we expect a battle every day but if our arms are attended with a blessing they can't start us for we have got it as strong a guess as it was a Roxbury. Our man are in high spirits. Sir please to remember my love to brother Bartlett and sister Bartlett and to Mary and to Mr. Blackman family and so I must conclude begging your prayer for me that if I am killed to this field of battle that I may play the man and so I rest your dutiful son until death.
Sir I would have wrote more but past time for my duty in Navy band I haven't much time to write and now I haven't time to read what I wrote.