A Guide to the Virginia Office of the State Agent Records, 1775-1779, 1788, #159, 186, 22990, 53258, 53259, 53260, 53261

A Guide to the Virginia Office of the State Agent Records,1775-1779, 1788

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 159, 186, 22990, 53258, 53259, 53260, 53261

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Processed by: LVA Staff

Repository

The Library of Virginia

Accession Number

159, 186, 22990, 44248, 44788, 53258, 53259, 53260, 53261

Title

Virginia Office of the State Agent Records, 1775-1779, 1788

Extent

3.1 cu. ft. (4 boxes and 6 volumes)

Creator

Virginia. Office of the State Agent.

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia. Office of the State Agent. Records, 1775-1779, 1788. [cite specific dates and accession used]. State government records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23219.

Acquisition Information

Transferred at an unknown date.

Alternative Form Available

Use microfilm where available. Letterbooks, 1777-1779, use Misc. reel 366. Tobacco invoice book, 1776-1779, use Misc. reel 366. Correspondence, accounts, and receipts, 1775-1779, 1788, use Misc. reels 650-652.

Biographical Information

On August 21, 1775, the third revolutionary convention passed an ordinance establishing the office of state agent and commissary of stores to supervise the procurement, storage, and distribution of supplies needed by the army. William Aylett was appointed to the office. After he resigned in 1777 the office was divided, with Thomas Smith being appointed state agent and William Armistead commissary of stores. In 1776 assistant agents were appointed in Virginia, Europe, and the West Indies to oversee the shipping of supplies, and in 1778 a public store was established at Philadelphia to serve the Continental troops from Virginia. The office of state agent was abolished and was replaced by the Board of Trade by an act of the General Assembly in May 1779.

Scope and Content

Records, 1775-1779, including accounts, correspondence, daybooks, invoices, ledgers, letterbooks, receipts, and receipt books documenting the procurement of supplies for troops from Virginia. Each Series is cataloged separately but a finding aid was created to contain all the State Agent records in one finding aid.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into series by accession number.

Series I: Correspondence, accounts, and receipts, 1775-1779, 1788 [Accession 53258]. Series II: Daybook (Williamsburg), 1778 April 17-1779 March 2 [Accession 53259]. Series III: Ledger (Williamsburg), 1778 December 19-1780 April 7 [Accession 159]. Series IV: Letterbooks of Thomas Smith, 1777 December 22 - 1779 May 3. [Accession 53260, 53261]. Series V: Receipt Book (Williamsburg), 1777-1779 [Accession 22990]. Series VI: Tobacco Invoice Book, 1776-1779 [Accession 186]. Series VII: Invoice of J. Gruel and Co., 1777 September 10 [Accession 44248]. Series VIII: Letter of William Aylett transcript, 1777 February [Accession 44788].

Series I: Correspondence, accounts, and receipt , 1775-1779, 1788 [Accession 53258] .

Boxes

Extent: 1.6 cu. ft. [4 boxes]

Records, 1775-1779, 1788, including accounts, bills of lading, correspondence, receipts, and vouchers relating to the activities of State Agents, William Aylett and Thomas Smith, and assistant State Agents, Raleigh Colston and Archibald Richardson. Accounts and receipts document purchases of indigo, tobacco, bar iron, nails, sugar, bread, beef, corn, salt, and cloth, among others.

Correspondence is chiefly concerning shipments to and from the West Indies, using the ports of St. Eustatius, Netherland Antilles, and St. Pierre, Martinique, major sources of supplies during the 18th century, and Nantes, France. Some of the documents were written in French.

Often mentioned is the firm of Van Bibber and Harrison, colonial agents. Tobacco, pork, and corn were sent to the West Indies, and tobacco and wheat to Europe. In return, the state agents were provided with French guns with bayonets, tent cloth, thread, blankets, medicines, etc. Payrolls for the ships crews list names. An affidavit from June 25, 1788, lists "all of the vessels under the direction of Thomas Smith, late commercial agent." Also includes a letter, 1776 November 11, from Richard Henry Lee, Philadelphia, regarding gathering provisions for Virginia Battalions.

This collection is on microfilm [Misc. reels 650-652].

Box 1 Folder 1
Accounts, 1776
Box 1 Folder 2
Accounts, 1777
Box 1 Folder 3
Accounts, With the Commonwealth, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1777-1779
Box 1 Folder 4
Accounts, Misc., State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1777-1779
Box 1 Folder 5-6
Accounts, 1778
Box 1 Folder 7
Accounts, Current with State Agents, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1778
Box 1 Folder 8
Accounts, 1779
Box 1 Folder 9
Affidavit, 1788
Box 1 Folder 10
Bills of lading, 1778
Box 1 Folder 11
Correspondence, Council of Safety, 1776
Box 1 Folder 12
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1775
Box 1 Folder 13
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1776
Box 1 Folder 14
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 January
Box 1 Folder 15
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 February
Box 1 Folder 16
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 March
Box 4 Folder 1
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 April
Box 1 Folder 17
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 May
Box 4 Folder 2
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 June
Box 4 Folder 3
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 July
Box 4 Folder 4
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 August
Box 1 Folder 18
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 September
Box 1 Folder 19
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 October
Box 1 Folder 20
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 November
Box 1 Folder 21
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, 1777 December
Box 1 Folder 22
Correspondence, State Agent William Aylett, Undated
Box 2 Folder 1
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1777
Box 2 Folder 2
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 January
Box 2 Folder 3
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 February
Box 2 Folder 4
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 March
Box 4 Folder 5
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 April
Box 2 Folder 5
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 May
Box 2 Folder 6
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 June
Box 4 Folder 6
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 July
Box 2 Folder 7
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 August
Box 2 Folder 8
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 September
Box 2 Folder 9
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 October
Box 2 Folder 10
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 November
Box 2 Folder 11
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1778 December
Box 2 Folder 12
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1779 January
Box 3 Folder 1
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1779 February
Box 3 Folder 2
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1779 March
Box 3 Folder 3
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, 1779 May
Box 3 Folder 4
Correspondence, State Agent Thomas Smith, Undated
Box 3 Folder 5
Receipts, 1776
Box 3 Folder 6
Receipts, 1777
Box 3 Folder 7
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1777
Box 3 Folder 8
Receipts, 1778
Box 3 Folder 9
Receipts with Christopher Calvert, 1778-1779
Box 3 Folder 10
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 April
Box 3 Folder 11
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 May
Box 3 Folder 12
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 August
Box 3 Folder 13
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 September
Box 3 Folder 14
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 October
Box 3 Folder 15
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1778 November
Box 3 Folder 16
Receipts, 1779
Box 3 Folder 17
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1779 March-April
Box 3 Folder 18
Receipts, State Assistant Agent Archibald Richardson, 1779 December
Box 3 Folder 19
Settlement with Carter Braxton, 1779
Box 3 Folder 20
Tobacco accounts, 1777-1778
Box 3 Folder 21
Vouchers, Schooner Betsey, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1778
Box 3 Folder 22-23
Vouchers, Sloop Liberty, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1778
Box 3 Folder 24
Vouchers for Schooner Mayflower, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1778
Box 3 Folder 25
Vouchers for Schooner Molly, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1778
Box 3 Folder 26
Vouchers for Schooner Relief, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1788
Box 3 Folder 27
Vouchers for Schooner Speedwell, State Assistant Agent Raleigh Colston, 1777-1778
Box 3 Folder 28
Fragments, undated

Series II: Daybook (Williamsburg) , 1778 April 17-1779 March 2 [Accession 53259] .

Extent: 1 volume [94 pages]

This volume contains an accounting of disbursements from the public store in Williamsburg. Payments are made for goods and services, including tobacco, sundries, and a writing desk.

Daybook (Williamsburg), 1778 April 17-1779 March 2

Series III: Ledger (Williamsburg) , 1778 December 19-1780 April 7 [Accession 159] .

Extent: 1 volume [77 pages]

This record consists of the state agent's accounts with ships bringing supplies chiefly from the West Indies. The agent, Thomas Smith, operated from Williamsburg. There is one loose entry for a ship's account.

Ledger (Williamsburg), 1778 December 19-1780 April 7

Series IV: Letterbooks of Thomas Smith , 1777 December 22 - 1779 May 3 [Accession 53260, 53261] .

Extent: 2 volumes

These records contain recorded copies of the outgoing correspondence of Thomas Smith, State Agent, in Williamsburg, to ships captains and merchants regarding the purchase and outfitting of vessels with provisions, and the distribution of these goods.

The first volume (186 p.) covers the period December 22, 1777 - November 7, 1778, and includes a few letters of William Aylett after he resigned as state agent. Inverted and reversed are letters received by the office, 1777 Nov-1778 May. This volume also includes a copy of a Council order, November 29, 1777, appointing William Lee as State's Agent in France.

The second volume (78 p.) covers the period November 13, 1778 - May 3, 1779. There are copies of occasional incoming letters, as well as in frequent outgoing letters over signatures of other people. Date of initial letter is illegible and a final letter of August 15, 1779 is marked through.

This collection is on microfilm [Misc. reel 366].

Letterbook, Volume I [Accession 53260], 1777 December 22 - 1778 November 7
Letterbook, Volume II [Accession 53261], 1778 November 13 - 1779 May 3

Series V: Receipt Book (Williamsburg) , 1777 December 20 - 1779 March 17 [Accession 22990] .

Extent: 1 volume [238 pages]

This volume contains receipts for tobacco, sundries, and ships stores received by Thomas Smith, State Agent, at Williamsburg, and payment for services or wages. Entries include date, amount of money, and the use for which it is intended. Entries are then signed by the recipient. There are 23 records tipped in to the back of the volume that were issued in places other than Williamsburg.

Receipt Book (Williamsburg), 1777 December 20 - 1779 March 17

Series VI: Tobacco Invoice Book , 1776 November 20 - 1779 May 14 [Accession 186] .

Extent: 1 volume

This collection is on microfilm [Misc. reel 366].

Tobacco Invoice Book, 1776 November 20 - 1779 May 14

Series VII: Invoice of J. Gruel and Co. , 1777 September 10 [Accession 44248] .

Extent: 4 pages

Contains an invoice in French for diverse merchandise including arms, tents, hats, and other items sent from Nantes to Cape Francais in Santo Domingo on board the Ship La Chavigny by Capt. Etienne Fourneau on the order of William Aylett.

Invoice of J. Gruel and Co., 1777 September 10

Series VIII: Letter of William Aylett transcript , 1777 February [Accession 44788] .

Extent: 1 page

Contains a transcript of a letter from W[illiam] Aylett, [State Agent], to [John Rutledge], Governor of South Carolina, regarding eight tons of indigo which Governor [Henry] requested Governor Rutledge purchase. According to Aylett, the indigo is being shipped to St. Eustatia for the purpose of purchasing arms for the defence of the Commonwealth.

Letter of William Aylett transcript, 1777 February