1755 to 1757-Dated French and Indian War Period Manuscript Militia Record Written and Signed “Mark How Lt.” titled, "An Account of Enlisted Soldiers 1755" detailing Massachusetts Militiamen being Enlisted for Expeditions to Albany and Crown Point during the French and Indian War, Very Fine.
A rare Manuscript Militia Record, 1 1/4 pages handwritten (one sheet face and back), on fine quality British Crown watermarked clean laid period paper, measuring about 10.25” x 7.5” titled, "An account of enlisted Soldiers 1755." Well written in rich brown ink and organized with individual statements being within horizontal dividing lines, well preserved with several light folds. This nicely organized record opens:

"An account of Soldiers under this Command of Left (Lieutenant) Mark How that have inlisted into his Majesties Service under Capt Herrick's Command in this Defence of this North America, Michael Holgate & Mark How Jur, this fifteenth day of March 1755." It continues recording several years of entries to 1757. It records tracking men enlisted or hired as substitutes under Captains Whipple of Ipswich, Isaac Smith, Israel Davis, and Israel Herrick for expeditions to Crown Point and also in August 1757, "to reinforce this army at Albany against this French army."

This record documents a common colonial practice of hiring substitutes to fulfill a militia obligation, noting for instance that, "Allen Perley Hired Nehemiah Abbot in his Room to go to Crown Point under Capt Isaac Smith, which shall go for Perley's turn." It record's a second portion, dated August 15 and 16, 1757, with details of impressment of privately owned firearms to arm soldiers who were lacking their own, recording that Mark How, (who was this record's writer and keeper), "prest Mr John Smiths gun for Jacob How Junior." That weapon then formally appraised, or "prized" in value by fellow militiamen, a practice repeated for guns belonging to Daniel Kimball and Nehemiah Abbot, each valued in pounds, shillings and pence by a panel of local men before being turned over for military service. This document is Signed, "Mark How Lt," at its close, being the same officer under whose command this record's earliest entries begin back in 1755.

An original well detailed, firsthand record of how a Massachusetts town actually filled its militia quotas and managed to equip its soldiers during the French and Indian War. This record preserving dozens of individual names, alongside the everyday mechanics of colonial military mobilization.
This document reads, in full:

“An account of Soldiers under the Command of Left (Lieutenant) Mark How that have inlisted into his Majesties Service under Capt Herrick's Command in the Defence of the North America: Michael Holgate & Mark How Jur [each of them a whole turn] the fifteenth day of March 1755 [each of them] half a turn, Mark Fisk, John Danick, Ebenezer Davie, Jere[miah] Setchel under the Command of Capt Whipple of Ipswich to Crown Point 1755, Each of them half a Turn ...

15 Sept 1755 Allen Perley Hired Nehemiah Abbot in his Room to go to Crown Point under Capt Isaac Smith, which shall go for Perleys Turn ...

1756 under the Command of Capt Israel Davis there has inlisted against Crown Point Daniel Chapman Jur [a full turn], Ebenezer Davis, Jere[miah] Setchel [a turn], Zechariah Durrell [a whole turn], Asa Holgate [was rec'd], & two Hampshire men on this parishes account, a Recruit allowed by Capt Davis : for a full Turn for two men, also Anthony Potter & Sam(uel) Potter a Turn ...

12 March 1757 Samuel Smith & Richard Epley Jur did Each of them half a turn in the present Expedition in defence of the north America

11 May 1757 Mark How Jur went into the Cuntrey Servis Eastward under Capt Israel Herrick in defence of the north America ...

15 August 1757 P[er] Isaac Davis, Jacob How Jur, Jonathan Chapman, Jabez Ross did a turn, Abr[aha]m How Jur by Hiring John Danels & Jonathan Foster by hiring [Francis] Setchel did Each one a Turn in going to reinforce the army at Albany against the french army

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On the Reverse Side it reads, in full:

“15 August 1757 I prest Mr John Smiths gun for Jacob How Junior & it was prized by Nehemiah Abbot, Israel Clark Jur & Jonathan Foster at one pound five shillings & Eight pence. -

16 August 1757 I imprest Daniel Kimballs gun for Francis Setchel & it was prized by Abraham How Jur, Nehe[miah] Abbot & Jonath[an] Chapman at one pound fourteen [shillings] & Eight pence.

and at the same time I imprest Nehemiah Abbots gun for Jonathan Chapman, prized by Abraham How Jur, per Isaac Davis & Jonathan Setchel at one pound six Shillings & Eight pence.

(Signed at the conclusion) Mark How Lt”

Docket reads, boldly written in full: “An account of inlisted Soldiers 1755”

(END)