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Orderly Book of Capt. Ichabod Norton of Col. Mott’s Regiment of Connecticut Troops Destined for the Northern Campaign in 1776 at Skeensborough (Now Whitehall), Fort Ann and Ticonderoga, N. Y., and at Mount Independence, VT. Together With a Fac Simile of Captain Norton’s Map of Ticonderoga and Mount Independence.
Fort Edwards, NY: Press of Keating & Barnard, 1898. 8vo (9” x 5.875”), black cloth over boards, gilt title at spine. Title, 64 pp., foldout map, 10.5” x 8.75”. CONDITION: Very good, light wear to cover extremities, several white paint stains to covers and lower spine hinge. The first edition of this Revolutionary War orderly book kept by a Connecticut Captain serving at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, among other strategic northern locations, between July and November, 1776. Captain Ichabod Norton, of Mott’s Connecticut State Regiment, was ordered to march from Connecticut on July 26th, 1776, and spent August and early September stationed at the southern edge of Lake Champlain, at Skenesborough (now Whitehall), New York. His company then moved to Fort Ann, and then to Fort Ticonderoga, where, beginning on October 4th, they were assigned to General Enoch Poor’s Brigade and headquartered across the river at Mount Independence. By late October, three brigades were stationed at the Fort, and on October 27th—just over two weeks after the Battle of Valcour Island—it was ordered that, since “the enemy’s attack will more probily be suden, the genll. most Earnistly recomends it to every comisind officer of his Regt., part, poast or detachment, to be delebirate and cool in sufring his men to fire, never allowing them to throw away his shot in an unsolgier like maner.” Ultimately, however, the sight of the fortifications and some 12,000 troops at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence deterred a fully-fledged attack, preventing a British advance into the Hudson Valley in 1776. The final order included in the volume, dated November 25th by Lieut. Col. William Worthington, directed “The aminition in Col. Mott’s Regt.” be almost entirely returned, “As the men of this Regt. are required to do No more duty but as is necessary to prepare for their march. …The men are to wash up their cloathing as itt is not only condusive to their healthy but nesisary to Make a solgier like appearance that they be clean & neat.” Now a vivid window into the war experience of Continental soldiers, Revolutionary War orderly books were kept thanks to the instruction of General George Washington, who on January 1st, 1776, ordered: “His Excellency hopes that the importance of the great cause in which we are engaged will be deeply impressed upon every man’s mind; and wishes it to be considered that an Army without order, regularity and discipline is no better than a Commissioned Mob…. It is ordered and directed that not only every Regiment, but every Company, do keep an Orderly Book, to which frequent recourse is to be had, it being expected that all standing orders be rigidly obeyed” (“Orderly Books”). The volume offered here retains the original spelling, and includes a facsimile of the map in Norton’s orderly book of Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, with the addition of a key. Ichabod Norton (1736–1825) was born in Farmington, Connecticut, and served in the Seven Years War before entering the Revolutionary army as a captain in 1776. He then served “as a captain in the 15th Connecticut Regiment of Militia, likely doing active service at Peekskill during the 1777 campaign season and possibly being involved in the Saratoga Campaign, and was promoted to the rank of major in May 1779” (“Norton”). He was promoted to the rank of major in 1779. Following the war, Norton returned home to serve several terms in the state legislature and thirty-three years as Justice of the Peace in Hartford County. REFERENCES: “Orderly Books” at The American Revolution Institute of The Society of Cincinnati online; “Norton, Ichabod, 1736-1825” at Fort Ticonderoga online.
Item #9475
Price: $250.00
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