JOHN HANCOCK.  John Hancock (1737–1793) was a Massachusetts statesman and patriot who served as the President of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of MA.  He is best remembered for his large and stylish signature as the first Signer on the Declaration of Independence.

IMPORTANT REVOLUTIONARY WAR-DATED DOCUMENT DICTATED BY JOHN HANCOCK AS GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS DIRECTING THAT THE GUNPOWDER AND FOOD RATIONS IN MACHIAS BE USED ONLY FOR THE CONTINENTAL ARMY AND NOT THE INDIANS

Important Revolutionary War-dated document dictated by John Hancock as Governor of Massachusetts directing that the gunpowder and food rations in Machias be used only for the Continental Army and not the Indians.  Accompanied with a docket on the verso handwritten by Hancock: “Memo for Machias - Given a Memo to Mr. Devens -September 1781.”

ACCOMPANIED WITH A DOCKET ON THE VERSO HANDWRITTEN BY HANCOCK

Reads in full: “Memo of Sundrys Necessary to be sent to Machias: 200. .Powder, 15 bbls Beef, 10 bbls Pork, 20 bbls flour, 2 Tierces Rice, I Tierce Molasses.  The Commissary should be Directed not to Deliver any Provisions, only the Regular Rations to the Troops, otherwise the Provisions will be Draw’d from the Store for the Indians, and the Troops left without any, as has Generally been the case.”

“THE COMMISSARY SHOULD BE DIRECTED NOT TO DELIVER ANY PROVISIONS, ONLY THE REGULAR RATIONS TO THE TROOPS, OTHERWISE THE PROVISIONS WILL BE DRAW’D FROM THE STORE FOR THE INDIANS, AND THE TROOPS LEFT WITHOUT ANY, AS HAS GENERALLY BEEN THE CASE.”

Contains two pages on a single leaf; measures 9 by 7 inches; created in [Boston]; in very good condition with toning, soiling, and separations along the folds; originally from the Hancock-Chase Collection having been formerly housed at the National Museum of American History and with its original accounting numbered file folder from that collection’s archive handwritten in pencil on the verso; and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity from University Archives, the world’s leading historical documents and relics company.