Pennsylvania Receipt for Horse Acquired from a Quaker for Revolutionary War 1780

In August 1780, wagon master John Thompson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, gave this receipt to Quaker Thomas Smith in exchange for Smith's horse "for the Use of the United States." Smith later assigned the note to Daniel Thomas, and John McCalla received payment for Thomas on June 27, 1782.

[REVOLUTIONARY WAR.] John Thompson, Partially Printed Document Signed, Receipt to Thomas Smith, August 22, 1780. 2 pp., 7.75" x 8". Expected folds; some tears on edges; minor losses, not affecting text; general toning; very good.

Complete Transcript
Bucks CountyPensylvaniaNo 180
I DO hereby certify that Thomas Smith of the Township of Buckingham has furnished this State, for the Use of the United States, with a brown Horse 11 years old 14½ hands high which has been Appraised by two Freeholders, on Oath at the Sum of Thirty Six Pounds specie Exchange 40 for one and for which the State is now justly indebted to him in that Sum, with Interest. Given under my Hand, this 22d August A. D. 1780
John Thompson W. M. / Bucks County

[top margin:] Received June 27th 1782 of Col Jacob Morgan Junr Thirty Nine Pounds Nineteen Shillings and Nine Pence in full for Principal & Interest on this Certificate.
For Daniel Thomas / John M. Calla

[verso:]
I do hereby assighn all my Right of the Within Certificate to Daniel Thomas Witness my hand Thomas Smith

John Thompson (1726-1799) was born in Ireland and immigrated to Pennsylvania with his widowed mother and brothers around 1740. He became a miller, a successful businessman, and a large landholder. In 1762, he married Mary Huston (1738-1803), and they had nine children. Thompson served as sheriff of Bucks County from March 1777 to October 1779. He was appointed wagon master on January 9, 1778; sub-agent for purchasing flour for the French fleet on July 13, 1779; and collector of excise on October 20, 1783.

Thomas Smith may have been Thomas Smith (1720-1806) or his son Thomas Smith (1747-aft. 1820), both of whom were born in Buckingham Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Smiths were Quakers, and Thomas Smith was part of a committee appointed in 1778 by the Buckingham Meeting to advise and assist in "suffering cases." The committee declared "we cannot be instrumental in the setting up or pulling down of any government, but it becomes us to show forth a peaceable and meek behavior to all men, and to live a useful, sober and religious life, without joining ourselves with any party in war." In 1789, the father or son conveyed to the township a lot of land for a schoolhouse.

Jacob Morgan Jr. (1742-1802) was born in Pennsylvania and served in the French and Indian War first as an ensign at age sixteen and then as a lieutenant. He moved to Philadelphia, where he was a clerk before becoming a successful merchant. In December 1776, he was appointed Colonel of the 1st Battalion of Associators in the City of Philadelphia and Northern Liberties. He served as both Wagon Master General and Superintendent of Commissioner of Purchases for Pennsylvania from August 1780 to 1783. He married Barbara Jenkins with whom he had six children, the youngest three of whom died in the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793.

Daniel Thomas (1745-1810) served as a private in Captain William McCalla's company of Bucks County Associators in 1775. He served as sheriff of Bucks County from 1797 to 1801 and from 1807 to 1809.

John Moore McCalla (1759-1840) served as a private in his father Captain William McCalla's company of Bucks County Associators in 1776. William McCalla (1732-1815) had raised the company at his own expense. The elder McCalla became chief of the Forage Department and Commissioner of Purchases in 1778-1779 and held the office until 1781. William McCalla also had a brother named John McCalla, who could be the signer of this document.

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.

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