GENERAL HEMAN SWIFT (1733-1814). American Revolutionary War Hero, known as “General Washington's Colonel,” the Commander of the 7th Regiment of the Continental Army’s “Continental Line”, a close friend of George Washington, Wintered at Valley Forge, at Brandywine Swift aided the wounded General Lafayette off the Brandywine battlefield, appointed Brigadier-General in 1783, an Original Member of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati.
March 15th, 1777-Dated Revolutionary War, exceptional Partially-Printed Document Signed, (Later General) “Heman Swift” for “500 Pounds Encouragement for Raising a Connecticut Company of Soldiers for the Continental Army, in a Batalion to be Commanded by Heman Swift, Esqr. - (then) as Colonel,” and for Capt. Elizm Warner, Choice Very Fine. A Revolutionary War recruiting/bounty document connected to then Colonel Heman Swift's Regiment-raising efforts in 1777, offering a sum of money ("500 Pounds") as "Encouragement" for Raising a Company. Connecticut and the Continental Congress relied heavily on cash bounties paid to officers and recruiting agents to incentivize them to fill enlistment quotas for newly authorized regiments. The wording "in a Battalion to be Commanded by Heman Swift, Esqr. - Colonel" places it squarely in the formation of the 7th Connecticut Regiment, which Swift took command of on January 1, 1777, authorized under the Continental Army's expansion that fall and winter (the Regiment was fully authorized in September 1776). This document is signed by the colonel himself, authorizing payment to a captain or recruiting officer for raising men into his regiment. Docket on the blank reverse reads: “Capt. Elir. Warner Rect. L500 - March 15, 177”. This document is well printed in black typeset and completed with strong deep brown ink manuscript portions on clean fully margined laid period paper and has a magnificent bold signature “Heman Swift” measuring 2.25” long at its conclusion.
Heman Swift (1733-1814) was a Connecticut military officer often called "General Washington's favorite Colonel." He had military experience going back to the French and Indian War, enlisting as a private in 1755 and later being commissioned a lieutenant during Connecticut's wartime mobilizations of 1758-1760.

During the Revolutionary War in June 1776 the Connecticut Assembly made Swift Colonel of a State Regiment sent to reinforce the Northern Department at Fort Ticonderoga, and on January 1st, 1777 he became Colonel of the newly formed 7th Connecticut Regiment in the Continental Army, serving with the main army for the rest of the war.

He's also remembered as a hero for carrying the wounded Marquis de Lafayette off the Brandywine battlefield, and for taking the new United States “Oath of Allegiance” at Valley Forge Camp during the Winter of 1778. After the Revolutionary War he became an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1790 to 1802 and was brevetted Brigadier-General in September 1783, and is an Original Member of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati.
[American Revolution, Revolutionary War, Connecticut] [Heman Swift, Continental Army, Military Recruitment] [Manuscripts, Documents, Autographs]