[Siege of Boston Correspondence]
A Letter from General Lee, to General Burgoyne, dated June 7, 1775; Received at Boston, July 5. Printed from the New-York Gazetteer
Artifact IDTL 2026.1.20
Object Type
Temporary Loan
Date
July 6, 1775
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Medium
typographic broadside
DimensionsOverall H 17 1/4 in x W 14 1/4 in (43.8 cm x 36.2 cm )
Physical DescriptionA single-sheet printed broadside from July 1775 containing a dense, single-column letterpress text block on an elongated rectangular sheet of cream-colored rag paper. The layout begins with a bold typographic headline reading "A CORRESPONDENCE", followed by an italicized editorial introduction. The text is divided into three sections: an initial letter from American General Charles Lee to British General John Burgoyne dated June 7, 1773, Burgoyne's reply from Boston dated July 8, and Lee's final declination written from the Continental Army headquarters in Cambridge on July 11.
Printed during the 1775 Siege of Boston, this broadside captures a tense, final letter exchange between American General Charles Lee and British General John Burgoyne. Lee begs his former commander to avoid war, while Burgoyne defends royal sovereignty. Ultimately, Lee declines a face-to-face meeting, declaring that a compromise is impossible for a people struggling for their liberty.
Printed during the 1775 Siege of Boston, this broadside captures a tense, final letter exchange between American General Charles Lee and British General John Burgoyne. Lee begs his former commander to avoid war, while Burgoyne defends royal sovereignty. Ultimately, Lee declines a face-to-face meeting, declaring that a compromise is impossible for a people struggling for their liberty.
Historical NoteThe Siege of Boston in 1775 turned the battles into a war. Neither side could turn back. After chasing the British back to their garrisons, the Americans surrounded the city. Fighters from across New England joined, motivated by the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord and by ten years of Parliamentary tyranny. As word spread via newspapers and couriers, the militia ranks grew to 16,000. From Dorchester to Cambridge, a ring of camps, earthworks, and artillery hoped to contain the British long enough to force their surrender.
The eleven-month siege was a profound coalescing period for the colonial forces. As the first large-scale military engagement of the American Revolution, it served as the testing grounds for the newly formed Continental Army and its newly appointed commander in chief, George Washington. While the campaign exposed the vulnerabilities of the once seemingly invincible British Empire, it also revealed America’s deficiencies: a lack of
adequate training, a disjointed chain of command, poor pay, and shortages in weapons, gunpowder, uniforms, and provisions.
On May 25, 1775, a British ship docked in Boston carrying three generals. One, John Burgoyne, was a former commanding officer of Charles Lee, then was third in command of the Continental Army. In this broadside, which published their correspondence early in the siege, Lee lamented Burgoyne"s involvement: he had been “seduced into so impious and nefarious a service, by the artifice of a wicked, and insidious court and cabinet.” Burgoyne replied, “Is it then from relief of taxes, or from the control of Parliament [that] we are at war?”
Additional DetailsThe eleven-month siege was a profound coalescing period for the colonial forces. As the first large-scale military engagement of the American Revolution, it served as the testing grounds for the newly formed Continental Army and its newly appointed commander in chief, George Washington. While the campaign exposed the vulnerabilities of the once seemingly invincible British Empire, it also revealed America’s deficiencies: a lack of
adequate training, a disjointed chain of command, poor pay, and shortages in weapons, gunpowder, uniforms, and provisions.
On May 25, 1775, a British ship docked in Boston carrying three generals. One, John Burgoyne, was a former commanding officer of Charles Lee, then was third in command of the Continental Army. In this broadside, which published their correspondence early in the siege, Lee lamented Burgoyne"s involvement: he had been “seduced into so impious and nefarious a service, by the artifice of a wicked, and insidious court and cabinet.” Burgoyne replied, “Is it then from relief of taxes, or from the control of Parliament [that] we are at war?”
Credit LineCourtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Memorabilia (National Archives Identifier 1677287)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - FullyUse Restriction NoteThe use of this image and document information is fully restricted. Reproduction in any manner is not allowed.On view