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Connecticut Pay Table Documents

 

The military finances for the colony of Connecticut were handled by the Pay-Table, also known as the Committee of Four, during the American Revolution. Pay-Table members rotated and included such notables as jurist Oliver Ellsworth, attorney Oliver Wolcott, Jr. (a future U.S. Secretary of the Treasury), Hezekiah Rogers (an aide de camp to General Jedidiah Huntington, who was also a member), William Moseley, Fenn Wadsworth, Eleazer Wales and General Samuel Wyllys, son of Governor George Wyllys. During the American Revolution, Samuel Wyllys (1739-1823) led a regiment in the siege of Boston. Fort Wyllys was named in his honor. William Moseley (1755-1824) later served in the Connecticut state senate (1822-1824).  

Financing the Revolution laid a heavy burden upon each colony, especially those which balked at levying taxes. In order to meet immediate needs, such as wages, the colonies relied upon wealthy revolutionists, foreign loans, and taxes and gifts from abroad. Connecticut issued promissory notes such as the ones below. Issuing paper money was only a temporary solution, and worthless without specie or gold and silver backing. The U.S. would establish its standard monetary system in 1791. Here are a few items from my collection.

This example is dated November 16th, 1781, to state Treasurer John Lawrence, Esq. "Pay Lieutenant Seth Smith, thirteen shillings, out of the Tax of Two Shillings and Six Pence. Seth Smith was part of the Connecticut 26th regiment, 6th brigade.

The next example is a Pay Table document dated June 23, 1785 issued to Sergeant Lothrop Davis, signed by:

Oliver Wolcott Jr. (January 11, 1760 – June 1, 1833),  Second U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1795 to 1800 for Presidents George Washington (he followed Alexander Hamilton) and for John Adams. He was also the 24th Governor of Connecticut from 1817 to 1827.  

Eleazer Wales (1732-1794), a Yale graduate and Presbyterian Minister. In addition to his public service on the Connecticut Pay-Table, he was for a time a Justice of the Peace in Hartford.

Samuel Wyllys (signed vertically) From 1777-1781, Colonel Wyllys commanded the 3rd CT Regiment in the Connecticut line, serving under General Samuel Parsons. He was later appointed Major General of the Connecticut Militia. Following the war, Wyllys served as a representative in the CT General assembly and as the Sec of the State of CT from 1796 to 1809. He was the third consecutive member of the Wyllys family to hold this office; both his father and grandfather had previously served, beginning in 1712.  He also led a regiment in the siege of Boston during the Revolutionary War. Fort Wyllys was named after him.


Another similar, but slightly different example. In addition to being signed by Pay Table members Moseley, Wadsworth and Wyllys, this document is issued to Ralph Pomeroy. Ralph Pomeroy served as a military paymaster, for wages, reimbursement for expenses or loss due to damages during the Revolutionary War.


Another variant on the above examples, this document is completely hand-written.








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