Revolutionary War Just After Capture of Fort St. Jean, Quebec in 1775, the Correspondents Would Be Captured at Fort Washington in 1776 and held on One of the Notorious British Prison ShipsManuscript Document Signed, "Noble Benedict Capt," 1 page, 13.75" x 8.5", "Fort St. John," [Fort St. Jean, Quebec], November 19, 1775, appointing Jonah Benedict as a Sergeant in "the Fifth Regiment Raised by the Colony of Connecticut Commanded by David Waterbury Jur. Col." Rough separated folds reinforced with paper on verso, other marginal tears and a few small losses affecting a few words of text, light soiling, else good. Offered together with a manuscript copy of Jonah Benedict's affidavit attesting to his service and imprisonment by the British as well as the aforementioned appointment as Sergeant, 2 pages, 8" x 9.5", Westchester County, New York, August 26, 1839. Expected folds, light soiling, else very good.Captain Noble Benedict's company was part of the regiment commanded by Colonel David Waterbury organized in April 1775 in response to the Lexington Alarm. The regiment rendezvoused in Stamford. In June 1775, after the regiment was adopted into the Continental Army, it marched to New York City where it joined troops from that state on a northward march toward Canada, where they helped lay siege to Fort St. Jean on the Richelieu River led by General Richard Montgomery. The surrender of that fort forced Sir Guy Carleton to evacuate Montreal, which Continental troops entered, without opposition, on November 13, 1775. It would appear that Noble's company remained behind at Fort St. Jean to hold the post during the American operations in Canada. At the end of December 1775, the 5th Connecticut terms of enlistment expired and Noble and his company departed Canada for Connecticut.Soon after their return to Connecticut in January 1776, Noble Benedict formed another company, to join Philip Burr Bradley's Connecticut Regiment raised for the defense of New York. Jonah Benedict joined the company as a sergeant in April 1776. The company helped prepare for the defenses of the city and retreated to Fort Washington, the last American stronghold on the island of Manhattan, following the defeats at Long Island and White Plains. Half of Benedict's company was captured when the post's commander, surrounded on land and water, surrendered on November 16, 1776 (the other half was stationed at Fort Lee on the other side of the Hudson River).In a copy of his pension affidavit that he swore out in 1810, Jonah Benedict wrote that after he was captured at Fort Washington, he was "put aboard of the Prison Ship Gro[s]venor. Lay in the Wallabout [Bay]... Dr. [Saler] Pell was my Doctor; Mrs Greenslate was my nurse... I never been well since I was a prisoner..."According to his widow's 1838 pension application, Jonah (1741-1811) was eventually transferred to the sugar house on Liberty Street in New York "until he was permitted to depart or sent away, being then considered at the point of death..." in April 1777, Jonah "was carried home to Danbury ... in a horse Litter, he arrived home about two weeks before Danbury was burnt by the British, April 26, 1777, where he partially regained his health..." ("Jonah Benedict," Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, NARA M804) The physician that Jonah Benedict mentions was Saler Pell, who served as surgeon of Bradley's regiment to December 1776 and then as part of the 5th Connecticut until January 1777. (Heitman)Jonah's captain (and uncle), Noble Benedict (1735-1809) was also captured at Fort Washington but due to his rank, was probably not confined to the prison ships or the sugar house. High ranking officers were allowed to find their own quarters within New York City, while lower ranking line officers were paroled to various towns in Brooklyn, where they stayed with farm families until they were exchanged. We are unsure when Noble was exchanged, but his descendants claimed he served until the end of the war. ("Noble Benedict", Ibid)This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.