CONNECTICUT REVOLUTIONARY WAR - PROMISSORY NOTE SIGNED 12/26/1781 CO-SIGNED BY: WILLIAM MOSELEY, FENN WADSWORTH, RALPH POMEROY, SAMUEL WYLLYS - HFSID 173570

CONNECTICUT NOTE. Partly Printed DS: "William Moseley" and "Fenn Wadsworth" as Members of the Committee, 1p, 6x3½, irregularly cut. State of Connecticut, Pay-Table Office, Hartford, 1781 December 26. To state Treasurer John Lawrence, Esq. In full: "Pay unto Ralph Pomeroy, Esq., D. Q. M. or Order, Three Pounds in Lawful Silver Money, out of the Tax of Two Shillings and Six Pence on the Pound, granted by the General Assembly in May last, and charge the State." Also signed: "Saml Wyllys" across the signatures of the other Committee members. This note was issued to RALPH POMEROY, who served as a Military Paymaster, for wages, reimbursement for expenses or loss due to damages during the Revolutionary War. 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 (1775-1783). Pay-Table members rotated during the lengthy confrontation with England, 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 that 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 this. 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. Lightly creased, horizontal fold at the "ml" of Saml. Slightly soiled. Upper left blank corner chipped away, lower right blank corner diagonally cut. Light show through of writing on verso (not windowed to show verso, which was endorsed by Pomeroy). Overall, fine condition. Framed in the Gallery of History style: 17¼x19½.