1721-1953
Guide to the Microfilm Edition
Microfilming and published guide supported by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Online finding aid sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.
Abstract
This collection consists of the personal and family correspondence, diary (1758), orderly book, official documents, accounts, receipts, and other papers of Artemas Ward of Shrewsbury, Mass., Revolutionary War general and member of the Continental Congress, together with personal and official papers of Nahum Ward concerning his duties in local offices of Shrewsbury, correspondence of the Perry and Dexter families, and genealogies and other records of the Ward family.
Biographical Sketches
Nahum Ward
Nahum Ward (1684-1754) was one of the founders of Shrewsbury, Mass., in 1717. Colonel Ward, as he was called, became a moderately prosperous farmer and a central personage in Shrewsbury local government for many years. He was the town's first selectman, its moderator, and its representative to the General Court. He later served as a justice of the peace for Worcester County and, for the last nine years of his life, as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
Artemas Ward
Artemas Ward was born on November 26, 1727, the fifth child and fourth son of Nahum and Martha Ward of Shrewsbury, Mass. After graduating from Harvard in 1748, he taught school briefly, married Sarah Trowbridge in 1750, and opened a small general store in Shrewsbury. Also in 1750, Ward was appointed adjutant major in the local militia. He became a justice of the peace the following year and was soon elected to various town offices. In 1757, he was chosen Shrewsbury's representative to the General Court, an office he would hold 15 more times. In 1762, he began his 30-year tenure as judge of the Worcester County Court of Common Pleas; from 1775, he was chief justice.
Ward had his first military experience in 1755 during the French and Indian War. In the summer of 1758, he participated in the Fort Edward expedition, which culminated in the defeat at Ticonderoga of British General James Abercrombie (1706-1781). He was promoted during the expedition to lieutenant colonel, but had little chance to exercise the responsibilities of command.
When he returned from military service to the General Court, Ward joined the Whig opposition to Royal Governor Francis Bernard (1712-1779). This opposition, spearheaded by James Otis, Jr. (1725-1783) and Samuel Adams (1722-1803), marked the beginning of an alliance between Ward and Adams that was to last for 20 years. Ward served on a committee to prepare a reply to Bernard's Stamp Act riot message. Because of his support for the patriot cause, Bernard revoked his military commission in 1766. However, Ward's strong stand made him popular with the Whigs, and two years later, with the help of his friend Adams, he was chosen for the Governor's Council over the loyalist Thomas Hutchinson (1711-1780). His election was vetoed by Bernard. A few months later, Ward was one of the "Glorious 92" who refused to rescind Adams' 1768 circular letter opposing taxation without representation and calling on colonists to unite against the British government. In 1769, Ward was elected to the Council a second time, but the governor again voided the election results. When Ward was elected for the third time the next year with only ten dissenting votes out of 125, acting governor Hutchinson yielded to pressure and allowed his election to stand.
Because of his popularity with the colonists, Ward was chosen to serve in the first three Provincial Congresses and reinstated to his former militia rank, second in command after Jedediah Preble (1707-1784) and before Seth Pomeroy (1706-1777). At that time, he was 47, a full 20 years younger than either of his fellow commanding officers. On April 19, 1775, the day of "the shot heard round the world," Ward was sick in bed, suffering from "the stone," a condition that would bother him for most of his adult life. Nevertheless, he rode to Cambridge the following day to take command of the American troops besieging Boston, and there he held the first war council of the Revolution. The would-be soldiers, however, were not yet officially enlisted and ranked, and discipline, salaries, supplies, food, uniforms, and hygiene were critical concerns. Furthermore, Ward was faced with a division in command. General John Thomas (1724-1776) had autonomy in Roxbury, and the Connecticut and Rhode Island forces were independent of Ward's command. In early May, the besieging lines were so distended that the Provincial Congress debated a retreat, but Ward held his ground and managed to keep his men together around Boston. When American intelligence learned that the British were planning to attack Bunker Hill, Ward gave the orders to fortify that position, setting the stage for the battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. However, James Warren (1726-1808) and others later criticized Ward for his slowness in reinforcing the American troops in that battle.
In the spring of 1776, according to John Adams, the majority of the delegates to the Continental Congress preferred Ward for the position of commander-in-chief. However, for the sake of national unity, George Washington--a Southerner--was chosen. As a result, Ward's relationship with Washington was never good. On March 22, due in part to ill health, Ward resigned, though he stayed on until a replacement could be found to head the Eastern Department. For the next year, the theater of war moved away from New England, and Ward's primary task was the fortification of Boston against a suspected British counterattack. On March 20, 1777, he was finally replaced by General William Heath (1737-1814).
Despite the end of his military career and his poor health, Ward continued in public service. In May 1776, he was elected once more to the Governor's Council, where he served for the next three years. For the majority of this time, he was president of the Council and therefore effectively the executive head of Massachusetts. When the new state constitution was adopted in September 1780, Ward supported James Bowdoin (1726-1790) for governor against John Hancock (1737-1793), with whom he had fought in late 1778 as a Harvard Overseer over treasurer Hancock's alleged mishandling of college funds. However, Hancock won the election easily.
Ward was chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress for the 1780 session. He was re-elected the next year, and again in 1782, but declined because of his health. In May 1782, he was elected to the Massachusetts House, where he served for four of the next five years (he declined election in 1783), and he was Speaker of the House at the time of Shays' Rebellion in 1786. This office and his position as chief justice of the Worcester Court put Ward right in the middle of the trouble. His harangue of the mob from the courthouse steps on September 5, 1786, is the most well-known incident of his lifetime.
Ward ran for the First Congress, but came in third behind his old classmate, the loyalist Timothy Paine, and the winner, Colonel Jonathan Grout. On his second attempt in November 1790, Ward defeated Grout in a runoff election. He served in both the Second and Third Congresses, despite frequent indispositions on account of his chronic ailments. A die-hard Federalist, he unfailingly supported the policies of the president and broke with his long-time friend Samuel Adams over the question of Franco-American relations. In 1795, he left public life and returned home to Shrewsbury, where he died on October 28, 1800, at the age of 73.
Sources
Martyn, Charles. The Life of Artemas Ward, the First Commander-in-Chief of the American Revolution. New York: A. Ward, 1921.
Martyn, Charles. The William Ward Genealogy: The History of the Descendants of William Ward of Sudbury, Mass., 1638-1925. New York: A. Ward, 1925.
Shipton, Clifford K. Sibley's Harvard Graduates. Vol. XII. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1962. 326-348.
Ward, Andrew H. History of the Town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Boston: S.G. Drake, 1847.
Wilder, Catharine K. "Artemas Ward and the Siege of Boston." Cambridge Historical Society Publications. Vol. 36. Cambridge: Cambridge Historical Society, 1957-1958. 45-63.
Collection Description
The bulk of the Ward family papers consists of the personal and family correspondence, official documents, accounts, receipts, and other papers of Artemas Ward, including a diary (1758) and an orderly book. Artemas Ward's papers relate to his participation in campaigns at Fort Edward and Fort Ticonderoga; the siege of Boston; his duties as head of the Eastern Department in the Continental Army, as a Shrewsbury official, and as Speaker of the Massachusetts House; his term as a member of the Harvard College Board of Overseers; his activities with the Continental Congress concerning political, state, and federal affairs; and Shays' Rebellion. Correspondents include Henry Dana Ward, Thomas W. Ward, Joseph Ward, James Bowdoin, General Horatio Gates, John Hancock, Robert H. Harrison, Benjamin Lincoln, James Warren, and George Washington.
This collection also contains the personal and official papers of Nahum Ward, correspondence of the Perry and Dexter families, and genealogies and other records of the Ward family.
For an alphabetical list of the correspondents in this collection, see the List of Correspondents below.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by gifts and purchases, 1924-1965. Donors include Mrs. Artemas Ward Lamson of Dedham, Mass., Florence Grosvenor Ward of Shrewsbury, Mass., and Catharine K. Wilder, of Cambridge, Mass.
Other Formats
Black and white digital images of this collection--produced from the microfilm edition--are available as part of History Vault: Revolutionary War and Early America, a digital resource from ProQuest. This resource is available at subscribing libraries; speak to your local librarian to determine if your library has access. The MHS also provides access onsite to the Society's contributions to this resource; see a reference librarian for more information.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Disbound volumes, 1721-1880
Arranged chronologically.
This series consists of volumes that have been disbound and rehoused in document boxes.
Disbound volume 1, 1721-1754
The bulk of the documents in this volume pertain to Nahum Ward, though Artemas Ward appears occasionally in his capacity as justice of the peace. Most of the documents fall into two categories: records of the personal business transactions of Nahum Ward, such as deeds, receipts, bills of sale, and surveys; and papers dealing with his many local governmental duties--as Shrewsbury clerk, selectman, moderator, and Worcester County justice of the peace. Significant items include an account of a Shrewsbury town meeting of November 16, 1741, at which Nahum Ward served as moderator; a letter dated June 11, 1750, from Nahum Ward to Reverend Job Cushing concerning the "subversive doctrines" of Dr. Joshua Smith; and Nahum Ward's will of February 21, 1754.
Disbound volume 2, 1754-1775
This volume covers the period from the death of Nahum Ward to the beginning of the American Revolution. The majority of the documents are similar to those in Volume 1, with Artemas Ward replacing his father in many of his official capacities. Receipts are numerous, including those to Ward as co-executor of his father's will, as a state-sanctioned trustee of the Indigenous community at Hassanamisco, and as a major in the local militia in its campaigns against the French, 1756-1760. The volume also contains a few muster lists from these expeditions; a series of petitions and counter-petitions regarding a town districting and taxation dispute between May and November 1766; letters to Ward from William Ships and Isaac Stone, dated May 10 and June 23, 1772, respectively, requesting personal favors; and Ward's copy of the famous "Powder Alarm" letter--a letter from loyalist William Brattle to General Thomas Gage, dated August 29, 1774, concerning the former's worries about rebellion within the colonial militia.
Disbound volume 3, 25 Apr. 1775-22 Apr. 1776
This volume consists of papers documenting Artemas Ward's military service in the American Revolution, including his assumption of command of the colonial troops gathered around Boston, his subordination to Washington, his reassumption of command of the Boston forces following the British evacuation, Washington's move to New York, and Ward's attempt at resignation. All of the letters in this volume--many of them exchanges between Ward and Washington, his aide Robert H. Harrison, or Adjutant General Horatio Gates--are included in the List of Correspondents.
Among the significant documents in this volume are a memo from Ward's aide Samuel Osgood, dated May 9, 1775, detailing Ward's strategy for the occupation of Dorchester Heights; a note from Ward to the Committee of Supplies on the day after Bunker Hill (June 18, 1775) complaining of the munitions shortage; the official notification, dated June 22 and signed by John Hancock, of Washington's appointment as commander-in-chief and Ward's commission as First Major General in the Continental Army; a circular letter of September 8 from Washington to his generals, in which he expresses his thoughts on how to drive the British from Boston; and a copy of an undated letter from turncoat Benjamin Church to Major Edward Kean at a time when the former still moved unsuspected in important colonial circles. Letters of March 3, 1776, from Washington and Harrison to Ward discuss the Dorchester Heights project. Correspondence between James Warren and Harrison and Ward in April 1776 concerns salary difficulties in the still-shaky organization of the Continental Army.
Disbound volume 4, 23 Apr. 1776-27 Oct. 1777
Papers in this volume document Artemas Ward's military service from his acceptance of command of the Eastern Department to his long-deferred resignation. All of the letters in this volume--many of them exchanges between Ward and Washington, his aide Robert H. Harrison, or Adjutant General Horatio Gates--are included in the List of Correspondents.
Letters of April 26, August 26, and November 8, 1776, from John Hancock, as president of the Continental Congress, trace the course of Ward's resignation and his agreement to serve until a replacement could be found. Several letters from Washington and Harrison to Ward express concern over the slow progress of the fortification of Boston. Other significant items in this volume include: letters between Ward and agent William Bartlett and between Washington and Ward, April-May 1776, discussing the future of two naval prizes; several exchanges in May regarding the intelligence from Captain Richard Derby, Jr., of the approach of a large British task force; correspondence from Colonel Asa Whitcomb to Ward on June 15, announcing the success of the general's plan to drive British ships away from Boston; a letter from Washington to Ward on August 26, detailing British troop movements around Long Island and Washington's decision to stand against them; an urgent request by General Schuyler on December 3 for reinforcement of his Saratoga forces; and a letter from Ward expressing his disapproval of the proposed exchange of prisoner Benjamin Church.
Disbound volume 5, 1778-1787
The bulk of this volume consists of personal accounts and receipts. Other documents include the exchange between Ward and Hancock over the latter's alleged mishandling of Harvard College funds, including Ward's ultimatum of November 30, 1778; a copy of an intercepted letter of November 21, 1780, discussing British "fifth-column" strategy; an unsigned letter to Ward, dated February 8, 1781, discussing important current events; and an undated draft of a letter from Ward to Samuel Adams expressing his gratitude for his re-election to the Congress, but refusing the post for health reasons. Most of the correspondence from Ward to his son Thomas Walter Ward during the 1781-1782 session of the Continental Congress is personal, but a letter of April 30, 1781, details the progress of the war. A letter of September 13, 1782, from Benjamin Lincoln to Ward at the Continental Congress discusses the problems of the federal debt and Massachusetts' role in financing the war and other continental projects.
This volume also contains significant papers concerning Shays' Rebellion, among them Governor James Bowdoin's letter of October 27, 1786, to the General Court informing them that Congress had decided to send troops to western Massachusetts to aid the state militia; another Bowdoin letter of December 3 to the justices of the Worcester Court warning them of the insurgents' plan to prevent their sitting; a letter of December 2 from deputy Secretary of State John Avery, Jr., to Ward warning that he and another judge had been targeted for retaliation; a letter from Bowdoin to Ward, dated December 14, asking his advice on suppressing the rebels; and, on the back of a December 1 letter from Jonathan Warner to Ward describing militia movements, a draft of a letter of December 16 from Ward to Bowdoin detailing the former's views on the situation. Also included in this volume is a March 10, 1787, petition from Silvanus Billings to Ward asking forgiveness for his part in the rebellion.
Disbound volume 6, 30 Mar. 1787-28 Oct. 1800
This volume begins with the proceedings before the Massachusetts House concerning Ward's alleged misuse of his Speaker's prerogative to silence Jonathan Grout. Also included is Grout's written accusation to Ward, dated October 26, 1786; a letter of June 5, 1788, informing the retired Ward of his election as honorary adviser to the governor; a letter, dated September 15, 1788, from Samuel Flagg to Ward apologizing for his bad language and his unnecessary travels on the Sabbath; and the final vote tabulation, dated November 26, 1790, of the Second Congressional election.
This volume also contains significant correspondence from Congressman Ward to his son Thomas Walter Ward. In one letter of January 23, 1792, Ward discusses matters currently before Congress and expresses his worries about his health. On February 22, Ward writes about the dangers involved in increasing the size of the House of Representatives, and a letter of March 1 expresses his growing impatience with political life. On December 28, 1792, he describes his views on the next presidential election and his support of John Adams against the Jeffersonian faction.
In a letter of January 5, 1795, to his son Henry Dana Ward in South Carolina, Ward encloses a sermon and expresses his hope that his son's politics will be informed by religion, as well as his worry that his son will be adversely affected by his time in the South. (Several similar letters can be found on Reel 5 of this collection.) This volume also contains a letter from Ward's successor in Congress, Dwight Foster, dated December 28, 1799, informing Ward of Congressional matters and analyzing the split in the Federalist party; a letter to Ward from Enoch Huntington, dated April 4, 1800, lamenting the passing of their generation; Ward's will of June 1, 1796; and a memorial to Artemas Ward, written by Dr. Joseph Sumner.
II. Diary, 1758-1805
This volume begins as a diary of the Fort Edward and Ticonderoga campaign, covering the period from May 30 to September 16, 1758. The rest of the book was then used by both Artemas and Thomas Ward to record various proceedings before them as justices of the peace--marriage lists, small claims and complaint records, etc. Artemas Ward's notations date from 1762 to 1792, and Thomas Wards' from 1800 to 1805.
III. Orderly book, 20 Apr. 1775-3 Mar. 1777
This volume consists of Artemas Ward's orderly book covering the period of his military service around Boston in the Revolution. The first entry is a brief resume of the work of the first Council of War, dated April 20, 1775, and the last is a copy of a letter of March 3, 1777, two weeks before Ward's resignation. Most of the book consists of daily general orders: Ward's from Cambridge from the beginning of his command until Washington's arrival on July 2, 1775; Washington's from his Cambridge headquarters until his move to New York after the British evacuated Boston; and Ward's from Roxbury until his resumption of command in Boston on March 29, 1776, where they continue until his resignation. For the first several months, the orderly book clearly reveals the chaos of the American army--the need for discipline and the problems of enlistment and ranking, liquor, swearing, camp followers, fraternization with the enemy, insubordination, forged enlistments, corruption, and general camp squalor. Though the orders gradually deal less with disciplinary matters, they still describe the day-to-day concerns of the American army. The volume also contains a number of copies of letters from Ward between April 1776 and March 1777, written in the hand of Ward's secretary and distant cousin, Joseph Ward. The majority of them are addressed to Washington in New York and include reports on the state of the Boston fortifications, complaints of ill health, and requests for relief. All of these letters are included in the List of Correspondents.
IV. Letters of George Washington and his aides, 1775-1780
This series consists of a disbound volume of letters written by George Washington, Ward, and others. Preceding the correspondence is a short introduction by Moncure D. Conway. Items in this volume include: a copy of a letter from Ward to Washington of August 25, 1775, expressing his fear of a British attack and asking Washington's opinion of the Dorchester Heights project; a copy of Washington's letter to the Massachusetts Council on September 19, 1776, describing his defeat at Long Island and the famous retreat; a communication from General William Howe to Washington of December 21, 1775, concerning the treatment of prisoner of war Ethan Allen; correspondence from Gates to Ward during 1776 relaying orders from Washington; a letter from Washington to Ward, dated April 29, 1776, criticizing the slow progress on the fortification of Boston; Ward's undated reply; a letter from John Avery, Jr., to Ward on July 4, 1776, discussing the smallpox problem plaguing the American troops; and two drafts in Ward's handwriting, one of November 14, 1780, and the other undated, expressing his views of the current political scene.
V. Loose papers, 1747-1953
This series consists of an assortment of receipts, accounts, and other personal papers, as well as correspondence. Correspondence dealing with Artemas Ward falls into two categories: letters from the period 1761 to 1791, of which the majority concern military matters in 1776 and 1777; and letters from Ward to his son Henry Dana Ward in South Carolina from 1794 to 1796. Significant documents include a letter from Artemas to Henry Dana Ward on February 25, 1795, urging him to hold fast to "New England Politicks" and "New England Religion"; a letter dated March 3, 1795, announcing Ward's retirement from public life and again discussing religion and politics; and two letters written to Henry Dana Ward from Shrewsbury on February 1 and October 10, 1796, that articulate Ward's Federalist views and discuss the presidential candidacy of John Adams and Jay's Treaty.
The rest of the loose correspondence consists of miscellaneous personal correspondence, mostly among Ward's children. Representative Artemas Ward, Jr., expresses his objections to the War of 1812 and his dislike of Washington, D.C., in a letter to his brother Henry Dana Ward on May 26, 1813, who writes on the same subject on January 24, 1815. A letter of January 22, 1819, from Christopher Gore to Artemas Ward, Jr., concerns the relationship between Artemas Ward and George Washington. Also included in this series is some correspondence pertaining to the acquisition of the Artemas Ward papers by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
VI. Ward family correspondence, 1821-1890
This bulk of this disbound volume consists of personal correspondence from various Ward descendants to their relatives. Documents are not arranged in strict chronological order.
List of Correspondents
This list contains the names of all the correspondents in the Artemas Ward collection, arranged alphabetically. To the left of each name is the reel where correspondence with that individual is located. Wherever possible, each correspondent has been identified briefly according to the period, locale, or subject matter of his or her correspondence with Ward. Each correspondent's letters are listed chronologically after his or her name, and Ward is always the recipient, except where noted. Resolutions, returns, deeds, receipts, petitions from more than one person, and other similar documents have not been included.
Note: Reel 5 contains two series with two distinct chronological sequences. The reel begins with Series V, loose papers arranged chronologically (1747-1953), followed by Series VI, the disbound volume of Ward family correspondence (1821-1890). To distinguish between the two series, items located in Series VI (Ward family correspondence) have been identified with: "Reel 5 (Ward family)."
Avery, Jonathan, Jr. Mass. Deputy Secretary of State.
4 July 1776
[?] Nov. 1783
2 Dec. 1786
5 Jan. 1788
Baker, William, Jr. Of Boston, Mass.
1 Oct. 1783
Baldwin, Elizabeth. Thomas Walter Ward's daughter.
13 [?] Dec. 1882 [to Alfred P. Dix]
Bancroft, George W. Groton, Mass., farmer.
27 Dec. 1852 [to Thomas Walter Ward, Jr.]
Barber, Nathaniel, Jr. Commissary of Military Stores.
2 May 1781
Bartlett, William. Agent.
14 Apr. 1776
17 Apr. 1776
25 Apr. 1776
26 Apr. 1776
5 May 1776
25 May 1776
Bell, John. Of Londonderry, N.H.
10 May 1775 [with Matthew Thornton]
Billings, Silvanus. Petitioner.
10 Mar. 1787
Bissell, Ozias. Captain, U.S. Army.
8 Jan. 1776
1 Mar. 1776
Boutwell, George S. Member of Congress from Mass.
26 Jan. 1866 [to Benjamin P. Dix]
Bowdoin, James. Governor of Mass.
3 Feb. 1786 [to General Court]
27 Oct. 1786 [to General Court]
3 Dec. 1786 [to Justices of Worcester Court of Common Pleas]
14 Dec. 1786
Bradford, J.
[?] 1818 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Brattle, William. Boston merchant, loyalist.
29 Aug. 1774 [to General Thomas Gage] [copy]
Carter, John. Prisoner of war.
29 June 1775
Chase, Thomas. General John Thomas' aide-de-camp.
18 Jan. 1776
Cheever, Daniel. Committee of Supply.
9 June 1775 [to General John Thomas]
Cheever, Ezekiel. Commissary of Military Stores.
6 Feb. 1776 [to Major Pierce]
30 Mar. 1776
12 Apr. 1776
Chester, John. Captain, U.S. Army.
24 Aug. 1775
Choate, Rufus. Lawyer, senator from Mass.
17 June 1841 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Church, Benjamin. Physician, traitor.
Undated [to Major Edward Kean] [copy]
Collins, John. Chairman, Newport, R.I., Committee of Inspection.
26 Apr. 1775 [to General John Thomas]
Cooke, Nicholas. Governor of R.I.
6 Apr. 1776
27 June 1776
Cushing, Thomas. Speaker, Mass. House.
18 Mar. 1776
3 May 1776
Danielson, Timothy. Colonel, U.S. Army.
31 July 1775 [to George Washington]
Dashwood, Samuel. Petitioner.
1 Apr. 1776 [copy]
Davis, Joshua. Colonel, U.S. Army.
2 Sep. 1776
Derby, Richard, Jr. Salem merchant.
2 May 1776
23 June 1776 [enclosed in June 23 letter, Jonathan Glover to Artemas Ward]
Devens, Richard. Chairman, Committee of Safety.
11 May 1775 [to General John Thomas]
20 Apr. 1776
2 May 1776 [to Francis Abbott]
Dexter, Ichabod. Of Athol, Mass.
14 Mar. 1775
Dexter, Samuel. Of Dedham, Mass.
30 May 1774
Dinsmore, W.B.
28 Apr. 1880
5 June 1880
10 June 1880 [to Alfred P. Dix]
Dix, Caroline Ward. Thomas Walter Ward's daughter.
3 [?] Dec. 1848 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
4 Jan. 1852 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
Undated [to Alfred P. Dix]
Dodge, Moses. Merchant.
27 Jan. 1782
Drowne, Henry Russell.
2 May 1917 [to Henry Galbraith Ward]
Drury, John. Constituent.
24 June 1766
d'Estaing, Count Charles Hector. French admiral.
19 Sep. 1778
Flagg, Samuel. Constituent.
15 Sep. 1788
Foster, Dwight. Member of Congress from Mass.
28 Dec. 1799
Frazer, John G. Major, U.S. Army.
12 July 1775
1 May 1776
11 July 1776
Frye, Joseph. General, U.S. Army.
29 Apr. 1776
Gates, Horatio. General, U.S. Army.
19 Mar. 1775
10 Aug. 1775 [copy]
11 Aug. 1775
20 Aug. 1775
30 Aug. 1775
31 Aug. 1775
10 Sep. 1775
13 Sep. 1775 [2]
29 Sep. 1775
23 Nov. 1775
4 Dec. 1775
7 Dec. 1775
17 Dec. 1775
9 Jan. 1776
10 Jan. 1776
20 Jan. 1776
6 Feb. 1776
15 Feb. 1776
19 Feb. 1776
10 Mar. 1776
2 Apr. 1776 [2]
6 Apr. 1776
Gerry, Elbridge. Merchant, member of Mass. House.
24 July 1781 [to Samuel Adams [?]]
Gilbert, John.
3 June 1880 [to Alfred P. Dix]
Glover, Jonathan. Agent.
9 May 1776
8 June 1776 [2]
23 June 1776
5 July 1776
27 July 1776
Goldthwait, Thomas.
[?] June 1761
Gore, Christopher. Former governor of Mass.
22 Jan. 1819 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Greene, Nathanael. General, U.S. Army.
10 Sep. 1775 [to George Washington]
Grout, Jonathan. Member of Mass. House.
26 Oct. 1786
Hamilton, Alexander. Secretary of Treasury.
27 June 1791 [circular letter]
Hancock, John. President, Continental Congress.
22 June 1775 [2]
26 Apr. 1776
26 Aug. 1776
8 Nov. 1776
23 Oct. 1778 [to Samuel Langdon]
Harrison, Robert H. George Washington's aide-de-camp and secretary.
29 Nov. 1775
3 Dec. 1775
8 Dec. 1775
24 Dec. 1775
3 Jan. 1776
17 Jan. 1776
18 Jan. 1776
21 Jan. 1776
11 Feb. 1776
24 Feb. 1776
3 Mar. 1776
4 Mar. 1776
5 Mar. 1776
10 Mar. 1776
17 Mar. 1776
30 Mar. 1776
22 Apr. 1776
2 May 1776
10 May 1776
15 May 1776
16 May 1776
19 May 1776
7 June 1776
23 July 1776
Heath, William. General, U.S. Army.
1 Aug. 1775
8 Jan. 1776
Henshaw, William. Adjutant general, U.S. Army.
17 Jan. 1776
Heywood, B. Mass. Militia officer.
21 Mar. 1781
Heywood, Benjamin. Constituent.
12 Feb. 1794
Howe, William. General, British Army.
21 Dec. 1775 [to George Washington]
Huntington, Enoch. Of Middletown, Conn.
4 Apr. 1800
2 July 1800
Huntington, Joshua. Lieutenant, U.S. Army.
18 July 1776
Jewett, Dummer. Of Ipswich, Mass.
11 Nov. 1776
Kingsley, Nathaniel. Of Becket, Mass.
31 Jan. 1770
Langdon, John. Captain, U.S. Army.
17 Nov. 1776
Langdon, Samuel. President, Harvard College.
9 Oct. 1778
Leonard, Daniel. Taunton Committee Chairman.
22 June 1770
Lincoln, Benjamin. President, Committee of Supply. General, U.S. Army.
9 Aug. 1775
8 Apr. 1776
15 Apr. 1776
13 Sep. 1782
18 Feb. 1783
16 [?] May 1787
Livingston, Abraham. Captain, U.S. Army.
23 Feb. 1777 [with William Turnbull]
Lovell, James.
[?] Dec. 1786
Lovell, John, Jr. Officer, U.S. Army.
2 Apr. 1776
Martyn, Charles. Biographer of Artemas Ward.
6 Dec. 1927 [to Julius Tuttle]
2 Feb. 1928 [to Julius Tuttle]
11 Aug. 1928 [to Julius Tuttle]
Maynard, Stephen. Petitioner.
8 Nov. 1768
Medford Selectmen.
8 July 1776
12 July 1776
Mercer, Archibald. Petitioner.
12 Nov. 1776
Mifflin, Thomas. Major, U.S. Army.
30 July 1775
Morgan, John. Cambridge, Mass., physician.
23 Apr. 1776
Morton, Perez. Mass. Council Secretary.
24 Apr. 1776
Moylan, Stephen. George Washington's aide-de-camp.
18 Dec. 1775
19 Dec. 1775
13 Mar. 1776
6 Apr. 1776
7 [?] Apr. 1776
Murray, Daniel. Petitioner.
20 May 1776
Nixon, Jonathan. General, U.S. Army.
22 Oct. 1777
Norris, Abbott. Businessman.
16 Mar. 1953 [to Stephen T. Riley]
Orne, Joshua. Chairman, Marblehead Committee.
18 Apr. 1776
Osgood, Samuel. Artemas Ward's aide-de-camp.
5 Nov. 1775 [to Captain Peleg Wadsworth]
20 Jan. 1776 [to William Thompson]
13 Feb. 1776
Paine, Nathaniel. Constituent.
15 Dec. 1794
Palfrey, William. George Washington's aide-de-camp.
12 Mar. 1776
26 Mar. 1776
Parke, John. Major, U.S. Army.
14 Oct. 1775
6 Apr. 1776
Perkins, Elijah. Member of Congress.
15 May 1795
Peters, Richard. Secretary, Board of War.
26 July 1776
Pickering, Timothy. Colonel, U.S. Army, Quartermaster General.
25 Apr. 1775
2 May 1776 [to Provincial Congress]
2 Apr. 1781
Pierpont, Hannah.
3 Aug. 1781
Pitkin, George. Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army.
19 Aug. 1775 [enclosed in Aug. 20 letter, Horatio Gates to Artemas Ward]
Prescott, Lucretia.
24 Apr. 1822 [to Caroline Ward]
Providence, R.I., Naval Committee.
26 June 1776
Putnam, Rufus. Colonel, U.S. Army.
29 July 1775
6 Sep. 1775
Putnam, Sarah H. Thomas Walter Ward's daughter.
[?] Sep. 1846 [with Henry Dana Ward to Elizabeth Ward]
14 Dec. 1846 [to Caroline Ward Dix]
30 Dec. 1846 [to Caroline Ward Dix]
27 Mar. 1867 [to Emily (Mrs. A.P.) Dix]
24 Aug. 1868 [to Emily (Mrs. A.P.) Dix]
6 Nov. 1890 [to Emily (Mrs. A.P.) Dix]
Quincy, Josiah. President, Harvard College.
26 Apr. 1842 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Randolph, Edmund. George Washington's aide-de-camp.
25 Aug. 1775
Reed, Joseph. George Washington's secretary.
30 July 1775
11 Aug. 1775
25 Mar. 1776
Sargent, Winthrop. Agent.
18 May 1776
Schuyler, Thomas. General, U.S. Army.
3 Dec. 1776
Shaw, Robert G.
4 Apr. 1839 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Ships, William. Constituent.
10 May 1772
Shrewsbury Selectmen.
8 Mar. 1777 [to Mass. Council]
Skimmer, John. Captain, U.S. Army.
22 June 1776
Stearns, Jonas. Petitioner.
8 Nov. 1792
Stockbridge, Samuel. Captain of Guard.
18 Sep. 1775
Stone, Isaac. Shrewsbury, Mass., leader. Constituent.
8 Nov. 1755
6 Dec. 1761
23 June 1772
29 Oct. 1773
Story, William. Clerk, U.S. Army. Petitioner.
25 Apr. 1781
Sumner, Joseph. Of Shrewsbury, Mass.
1 June 1771
Thompson, William. Of Brookline, Mass. Petitioner.
7 Jan. 1776 [to George Washington]
Thornton, Matthew. Of Londonderry, N.H.
10 May 1775 [with John Bell]
Tracy, Ebenezer. Husband of Maria Tracy.
6 Oct. 1799
Tracy, Maria. Artemas Ward's daughter.
26 Aug. 1799
6 Oct. 1799
15 Aug. 1800
23 Mar. 1818 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Trowbridge, Hannah. Artemas Ward's mother-in law.
13 Dec. 1766
Trumbull, John. George Washington's aide-de-camp.
4 Aug. 1775
Trumbull, Joseph. Commissary General.
30 June 1776
Turnbull, William.
23 Feb. 1777 [with Abraham Livingston]
Tyng, William.
12 Aug. 1775 [to Robert Traill]
Wadsworth, Peleg. Captain, U.S. Army, aide-de-camp.
16 Dec. 1775
30 July 1776 [to Boston Fortification Committee]
Ward, Andrew Henshaw. Thomas Walter Ward's son.
15 July 1833 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
15 May 1839 [to Elizabeth Ward]
8 June 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
28 July 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
7 Sep. 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
10 Sep. 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
20 Sep. 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
2 Nov. 1840 [to Elizabeth Ward]
5 Oct. 1841 [to Elizabeth Ward]
16 Nov. 1841 [to Elizabeth Ward]
6 Dec. 1844 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
25 Jan. 1845 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
21 Nov. 1845 [to Elizabeth Ward]
28 Oct. 1846 [to Elizabeth Ward]
13 May 1848 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
29 June 1853 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
31 Dec. 1855 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
31 Dec. 1857 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
19 Jan. 1858 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
22 Jan. 1859 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
16 June 1859 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
20 Apr. 1860 [to Sarah H. Putnam and Caroline Ward Dix]
27 Oct. 1860 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
1 Jan. 1861 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
3 Nov. 1862 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
30 Dec. 1862 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
29 June 1863 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
30 Dec. 1863 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
Ward, Artemas.
28 Nov. 1766 to Harrison Gray
3 Aug. 1768 to Jedediah Foster
8 Nov. 1768 to George Andrews and Cornelius Biglo
5 May 1775 to General John Thomas
17 May 1775 to General Thomas
28 May 1775 to General Thomas
18 June 1775 to Committee of Supplies
20 June 1775 [unaddressed]
25 Aug. 1775 to George Washington [2 letters]
17 Dec. 1775 to Major Parke
7 Apr. 1776 to Jonathan Glover
11 Apr. 1776 to George Washington
12 Apr. 1776 to George Washington
19 Apr. 1776 to George Washington
26 Apr. 1776 to Captain Fellows
26 Apr. 1776 to Commodore Manley
26 Apr. 1776 to William Bartlett
27 Apr. 1776 to George Washington
28 Apr. 1776 to George Washington [2 letters]
3 May 1776 to George Washington
4 May 1776 to George Washington
9 May 1776 to George Washington
12 May 1776 to George Washington
16 May 1776 to Winthrop Sargent
16 May 1776 to William Bartlett
18 May 1776 to George Washington [copy]
27 May 1776 to George Washington [incomplete]
30 May 1776 to George Washington
[?] May 1776 to George Washington [incomplete]
3 June 1776 to George Washington
6 June 1776 to George Washington
8 June 1776 to Concord, Mass., Committee of Correspondence
9 June 1776 to George Washington
20 June 1776 to George Washington
23 June 1776 to George Washington
30 June 1776 to George Washington
4 July 1776 to George Washington
8 July 1776 to George Washington
9 July 1776 to Board of War and Ordnance
11 July 1776 to George Washington
15 July 1776 to George Washington
22 July 1776 to George Washington
27 July 1776 to Andrew and Joshua Huntington
29 July 1776 to George Washington
4 Aug. 1776 to George Washington
4 Aug. 1776 to Board of War and Ordnance
8 Aug. 1776 to Richard Peters
8 Aug. 1776 to Joshua Huntington
12 Aug. 1776 to George Washington
15 Aug. 1776 to George Washington
19 Aug. 1776 to George Washington
22 Aug. 1776 to George Washington
21 Sep. 1776 to George Washington [draft]
26 Sep. 1776 to George Washington
26 Sep. 1776 to Hartford, Conn., Committee of Correspondence
26 Sep. 1776 to Stephen Hopkins
26 Sep. 1776 to N.H. Committee of Safety
29 Sep. 1776 to George Washington
3 Oct. 1776 to George Washington
5 Oct. 1776 to Board of War and Ordnance
6 Oct. 1776 to George Washington
14 Oct. 1776 to Benjamin Lincoln [?] [copy]
25 Oct. 1776 to George Washington
26 Oct. 1776 to Commanding Officer at Halifax
6 Nov. 1776 to Richard Peters
6 Nov. 1776 to George Washington
14 Nov. 1776 to George Washington
22 Nov. 1776 to John Hancock
22 Nov. 1776 to Meshech Weare
23 Nov. 1776 to Horatio Gates
26 Nov. 1776 to Mass. Council [copy]
14 Dec. 1776 to General Schuyler
22 Dec. 1776 to John Hancock
22 Dec. 1776 to John Adams
26 Dec. 1776 to Stephen Hopkins
6 Jan. 1777 to Board of War and Ordnance
9 Jan. 1777 to Meshech Weare
13 Jan. 1777 to General Schuyler
14 Jan. 1777 to Commanding Officer at Bennington
25 Jan. 1777 to George Washington
28 Jan. 1777 to John Hancock
30 Jan. 1777 to Colonel Long
7 Feb. 1777 to Colonel Francis
8 Feb. 1777 to Board of War and Ordnance
3 Mar. 1777 to General Massey
5 July 1777 [unaddressed]
11 Nov. 1778 to John Hancock
27 June 1780 to Thomas Walter Ward
4 Nov. 1780 to Jeduthan Baldwin [copy]
[?] Nov. 1780 to Dr. Gordon [draft]
14 Nov. [Dec. ?] 1780 [unaddressed] [incomplete draft]
[?] 1780 [unaddressed]
2 Feb. 1781 [unaddressed] [draft]
30 Apr. 1781 to Thomas Walter Ward
[?] Nov. 1781 to Samuel Adams
9 June 1786 to Thomas Walter Ward
[?] Aug. 1786 to Leicester Shaysites [draft]
6 Sep. 1786 to James Bowdoin
16 Dec. 1786 to James Bowdoin
31 Jan. 1789 to Thomas Walter Ward
19 June 1789 to Henry Dana Ward
5 Dec. 1789 to Henry Dana Ward
1 Nov. 1791 to Thomas Walter Ward
1 Dec. 1791 to Thomas Walter Ward
23 Jan. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
18 Feb. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
22 Feb. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
1 Mar. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
13 Nov. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
17 Nov. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
10 Dec. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
28 Dec. 1792 to Thomas Walter Ward
14 Jan. 1793 to Thomas Walter Ward
5 Feb. 1793 to Thomas Walter Ward
24 Apr. 1794 to Samuel Horton
7 July 1794 to Henry Dana Ward
26 Sep. 1794 to Henry Dana Ward
30 Dec. 1794 to Dr. Holton
[?] 1794 to President Willard
5 Jan. 1795 to Henry Dana Ward
25 Feb. 1795 to Henry Dana Ward
3 Mar. 1795 to Henry Dana Ward
1 Feb. 1796 to Henry Dana Ward
10 Oct. 1796 to Henry Dana Ward
Ward, Artemas, Jr. Artemas Ward's son.
1789 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
28 June 1790
26 May 1813 [to Henry Dana Ward]
Ward, Henry Dana. Artemas Ward's son.
20 Nov. 1789
9 Sep. 1791 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
6 Feb. 1794 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
30 June 1794 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
24 Aug. 1794 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
21 Dec. 1805 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
21 Dec. 1805 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
24 Jan. 1815 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
24 Aug. 1815 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
9 Dec. 1815 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
Ward, Henry Dana, II. Thomas Walter Ward's son.
27 Mar. 1825 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
1 June 1842 [to A.H. Ward]
1 June 1842 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
1 Jan. 1846 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
Ward, Elizabeth. Thomas Walter Ward's wife.
16 Dec. 1837 [to Caroline W. Dix]
[?] Dec. 1842 [to Caroline W. Dix]
Undated [unaddressed]
Ward, Ithamar. Colonel, U.S. Army.
29 July 1775
Ward, John M.
9 Mar. 1805 [?] [to Charles T. Ward]
Ward, Jonathan. Of Southborough, Mass.
28 Aug. 1772
19 May 1789 [to Thomas Walter Ward?]
Ward, Joseph. Artemas Ward's secretary.
6 Dec. 1775 [to Horatio Gates]
6 Jan. 1776
27 Jan. 1776
23 May 1776 [to Concord, Mass., Committee of Correspondence]
23 May 1776 [to Winthrop Sargent]
27 May 1776 [to William Bartlett]
10 June 1776 [to Concord Committee of Correspondence]
4 July 1776 [to Joshua Huntington]
28 [?] July 1776 [to Joshua Huntington]
5 Aug. 1776 [to Andrew and Joshua Huntington]
18 Aug. 1776 [to Joshua Davis]
18 Aug. 1776 [to Ensign Gould]
1 Sep. 1776
9 Jan. 1777 [to Ebenezer Thomas]
3 [?] Feb. 1777 [to Ebenezer Stearns]
17 July 1784 [to Lucy Morse]
19 Feb. [?] 1788 [to Thomas Walter Ward]
Ward, Joseph W. Thomas Walter Ward's son.
27 Feb. 1864 [to Sarah H. Putnam]
Ward, Nahum. Artemas Ward's father.
11 June 1750 [to Rev. Job Cushing]
Ward, Sarah H. Thomas Walter Ward's daughter-in-law.
24 Nov. 1830 [to Elizabeth Ward]
26 Oct. 1846 [to Elizabeth Ward]
Ward, Thomas Walter. Artemas Ward's son.
16 July 1780
28 Sep. 1780
18 Jan. 1781
24 Mar. 1818 [to Artemas Ward, Jr.]
2 Mar. 1821 [to Sarah H. Ward]
Ward, William. A.H. Ward's son.
12 Dec. 1844 [to Elizabeth Ward]
18 May 1853 [to Thomas Walter Ward, Jr.]
Ward, William Skinner. Thomas Walter Ward's grandson.
24 May 1871 [to Thomas Walter Ward, Jr.]
Warner, Jonathan. Of Worcester, Mass.
1 Dec. 1786
Warren, James. President, Provincial Congress.
22 June 1775
24 June 1775
11 Apr. 1776
18 Apr. 1776
5 May 1776
10 May 1776
Washington, George. Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army.
3 Mar. 1776
24 Mar. 1776
18 Apr. 1776
29 Apr. 1776
29 July 1776
13 Aug. 1776
26 Aug. 1776
8 Sep. 1776
19 Sep. 1776 [to Mass. Council]
Watson, William. Agent.
10 Apr. 1776
27 May 1776
Weare, Meshech. Chairman, N.H. Committee of Safety.
11 Apr. 1776
29 June 1776
14 July 1776
19 Nov. 1776
Webb, Samuel. George Washington's aide-de-camp.
19 Mar. 1776
18 July 1776
6 Oct. 1776
Weeks, Gertrude C.
18 Dec. [?] [unaddressed]
Weeks, John. Colonel, Mass. Militia.
27 Mar. 1760
Whitcomb, Asa. Colonel, U.S. Army.
15 June 1776
White, Moses. Captain, U.S. Army.
23 Oct. 1792
Willard, Joseph. President, Harvard College.
25 June 1783
Winslow, Joshua. Boston merchant.
10 Apr. 1755
Winthrop, John. Mass. Council Chairman.
6 Aug. 1776
Preferred Citation
Ward family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.