Six Letters Written by Capt. Jonathan Birge

This segment of  Collections Corner features the Institute’s research services librarian, Rachel Nellis, sharing a remarkable series of six surviving letters written from New York in the summer and fall of 1776 by Capt. Jonathan Birge of Bolton, Connecticut, to his wife Priscilla. This series details Birge’s company’s activities, including descriptions of their supplies, sickness, and casualties. Additionally, modern readers experience the emotional toll of war through Birge’s love for his family and the loss of his friends.