Manuscript document signed by Connecticut politician Oliver Ellsworth (1745-1807). Hartford, Connecticut, 4 November 1 page, 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 inches. Numbered and docketed to verso, confirming receipt of payment, signed by voucher recipient Ebenezer Barnard, Jr., as well as a government auditor. 

This pay order, no. 5683, directs Connecticut Treasurer John Lawrence to pay Ebenezer Barnard, Jr. (1725-1799) the sum of seven shillings, three pence "for Hors[e] hire to a Continental Express." During the volatile autumn of 1776, Continental Express riders were integral to the American cause, racing across colonies to deliver urgent military directives, intelligence on British troop movements, and legislative summons.

While the specific objective of this Express mission remains unknown, the timing of its dispatch is of great historical significance. Just twelve days after Ellsworth signed this order, American forces suffered a staggering blow with the fall of Fort Washington on November 16, resulting in the capture of nearly 3,000 Continental soldiers. As Washington’s army began its desperate retreat through New Jersey, the reliance on rapid communication, fueled by horses provided by men like Barnard, became increasingly important for the burgeoning nation.

Pay recipient Ebenezer Barnard, Jr. was a prominent Hartford shipowner and merchant whose contributions were essential to the state's wartime economy. Beyond furnishing horses for the military’s courier system, Barnard was granted special permission in 1777 to import vital supplies—including wool, flax, and salt—from Massachusetts into Connecticut to sustain the local citizenry and militia.

At the time this signing, revolutionary politician Oliver Ellsworth had recently relocated from Windsor to Hartford and  continued to serve on the State general assembly and the Committee of the Pay Table. He would be appointed State attorney the following year and go on to serve as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the 3rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.