Two Revolutionary War-date manuscript documents concerning the service and compensation of Sergeant Wyman Parker (1753–1821) of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment, commanded by Colonel Samuel Blachley Webb (1753–1807).

1. Manuscript Document Signed ("Saml B. Webb"), as Colonel of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment. Hartford, Connecticut, June 18, 1781. 1 page, 6 x 3.75 inches. Webb writes to the "Pay Table Committee at Hartford," certifying that Parker enlisted in 1777 and "has ever since continued as a faithfull [sic] good Soldier."

2. Partially Printed Receipt Signed ("Wyman Parker"), for pay received. Hartford, Connecticut, June 20, 1781. 1 page, 7.5 x 7 inches. Docketed on verso. Parker confirms receipt of full payment from the State Treasurer by order of the Pay Table Committee, totaling fifty-two pounds, fifteen shillings, and four pence.

Samuel Blachley Webb was a distinguished Continental Army officer and a close confidant of George Washington. His revolutionary career began in 1774 as an assistant to his stepfather, Silas Deane (1738–1789), a prominent Connecticut legislator and member of the Committee of Correspondence and Safety, disgraced later in his career with charges of financial impropriety. Through Deane, Webb gained firsthand experience in the logistical and political challenges of mobilizing colonial militias.

In 1776, Webb was appointed aide-de-camp to General George Washington, serving directly alongside the Commander-in-Chief during the arduous New York and New Jersey campaigns. Following his capture by the British, Webb remained a prisoner of war on parole for three years before returning to active duty as the commander of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment. Washington, who maintained a lifelong friendship with Webb, eventually promoted him to the rank of brigadier general in recognition of his meritorious service.

Wyman Parker first enlisted in 1775 at Hartford, serving two brief terms before joining Captain Edward Bulkley’s company in Colonel Webb’s regiment in 1777. Parker was later transferred to Captain Thomas Wooster’s company of grenadiers, where he attained the rank of sergeant. His service record is particularly notable for his tenure as a steward to General Nathanael Greene in the Southern Theater, where he was tasked with delivering dispatches directly to General Washington. Parker concluded his wartime service back under Webb’s command in the company of Captain Timothy Allen.

[American Revolutionary War, American Revolution, Founding Fathers, Declaration of Independence, Colonial America, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs]