A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 24646
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia 800 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000 USA Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference) Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference) Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives) URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
The Society of the Cincinnati was formed on 10-13 May 1783
by American Revolutionary Army officers who met at Mount
Gulian, the American Army's cantonment on the east bank of the
Hudson River. After resigning his post as General, George
Washington (1732-1799) accepted an invitation to become the
society's first president. Major General Henry Knox
(1750-1806) was the secretary and for years the guiding spirit
of the organization. Membership extended to those officers of
the Continental Army and Navy who had served to the end of the
war or had resigned with honor after three years of service
and to those who had been rendered supernumerary because of
regimental reorganization by Congress. In addition, the
institution provided that officers who had died in service
could be represented in the Society by their eldest male
descendants. The society was named in honor of Lucius Quintus
Cincinnatus, who after a distinguished military career in the
service of the Roman republic, had returned to civilian life.
The Society of the Cincinnati was the first patriotic society
organized in the United States. Today the Society is a
not-for-profit organization supporting educational, cultural,
and literary activities that promote the ideals of liberty and
constitutional government.
Papers, 1783-1861, of the Society of the Cincinnati
principally consisting of correspondence of society leaders,
state societies, the French chapter of the Society, and Pierre
Charles L'Enfant, the designer of the society insignia. There
are also two proceedings for meetings held by society members,
membership certificates, receipts, and minutes. These are the
papers of the general Society of the Cincinnati and not the
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia.
Series I-III and V arranged choronologically within the
series and Series IV arranged by state and then
chronologically.
Organization
The collection is organized in five series:
Series I. Proceedings, 1783, 1788.
Series II. Correspondence, 1783-1861.
Series III. Pierre Charles L'Enfant Papers,
1783-1790.
Series IV. State Societies' Papers, 1783-1812.
Series V. Society of the Cincinnati, French chapter,
Papers, 1783-1826.
Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia,
Records, 1783-1941 [bulk 1783-1848], Accession 26102
Henry Lee, Membership certificate, 10 October 1785,
Accession 20007a
Consists of proceedings, 10 May 1783 and 13 May 1783,
for the institution of the society and a circular
letter, 8 May 1788, to the state societies and the
president of the general society from Thomas Mifflin
(1744-1800) stating that a general meeting of the
society could not be held due to a lack of members
present.
Folder 1
1
Proceedings and institution of the Society
of the Cincinnati,
10-13 May 1783
Folder 1
2
Letter from Thomas Mifflin to the state
societies and the president of the general society,
8 May 1788
Principally contains letters and circular letters
exchanged between leaders and members concerning the
society. Consists of correspondence by, to, and
concerning George Washington (1732-1799), Henry Knox
(1750- 1806), and Alexander W. Johnston.
Folder 2
3
Return of the different promotions of the
officers of the division commanded by Ormand Marquis
de la Rouerie,
1 October 1783
Folder 2
4
Letter from George Washington to Henry
Knox,
16 October 1783
Folder 2
5
Partial letter from George Washington to
the state societies,
24 October 1783
Folder 2
6
Letter from George Washington to Henry
Knox,
3 November 1783
Folder 2
7
Letter from Segond to Henry Knox,
18 November 1783
Folder 2
8
Letter from De Brahm to Henry Knox,
14 December 1783
Folder 2
9
Partial letter from Henry Knox to
Alexander McDougall,
17 December 1783
Folder 2
10
Circular letter from George Washington to
the presidents of the state societies,
1 January 1784
Folder 3
11
Membership certificate issued to Claude
Antoine Villet de Marcellin,
20 March 1784
Folder 3
12
Letter from John Allison to George
Washington,
26 April 1784
Folder 3
13
Letter from Ormand Marquis de la Rouerie
to Henry Knox,
4 May 1784
Folder 3
14
Letter from George Washington to Henry
Knox,
27 April 1787
Folder 3
15
Letter from Thomas Mifflin to George
Washington,
8 May 1788
Folder 3
16
Letter from Turner to George Washington,
11 May 1788
Folder 3
17
Letter from Paul Bentalon to Henry Knox,
26 November 1789
Folder 3
18
Letter from George Washington to state
societies' general convention delegates,
May 1790
Folder 3
19
Letter from Thomas Mifflin to Henry Knox,
27 April 1791
Folder 3
20
Letter from Lear to Henry Knox,
10 July 1791
Folder 4
21
Letter from Henry Knox to General
McPherson,
6 November 1798
Folder 4
22
Letter from Alexander W. Johnston to
Charles Graham,
1 June 1822
Folder 4
23
Letter from James Glentworth to Alexander
W. Johnston,
13 November 1845
Folder 4
24
Letter from Charles S. Daveis to Alexander
W. Johnston,
15 October 1847
Folder 4
25
Letter from Edward P. Marcellin to
Alexander W. Johnston,
18 October 1847
Folder 4
26
Letter from H. A. DeSaussure to Thomas
McEuen,
9 May 1856
Folder 4
27
Letter from Fish to Thomas McEuen,
25 January 1861
Series III: Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Papers,
1783-1790
Folder 5-8
Contains certificates, letters, and receipts of and
concerning Pierre Charles L'Enfant. Correspondence is
principally exchanged with George Washington, Henry Knox
and state society leaders. Also contains the minutes of
L'Enfant's transactions in France, L'Enfant's membership
certificate, and a letter, 7 January 1786, from Thomas
Jefferson (1743-1826) to George Washington.
Folder 5
28
Letter from L'Enfant to Friedrich William
Steuben,
10 June 1783
Folder 5
29
Letter from L'Enfant to Henry Knox,
27 September 1783
Folder 5
30
Letter from L'Enfant to Henry Knox,
1 October 1783
Folder 5
31
Certificate noting an appropriation of
society monies to L'Enfant,
15 October 1783
Folder 5
32
Letter from Henry Knox to George
Washington,
16 October 1783
Folder 6
33
Receipt noting an appropriation of society
monies to L'Enfant,
15 October 1783
Folder 6
34
Partial letter from Henry Knox to George
Washington,
29 October 1783
Folder 6
35
Membership certificate issued to L'Enfant,
1 November 1783
Folder 6
36
Letter from Henry Knox to George
Washington,
29 April 1784
Folder 6
37
Minutes of L'Enfant's transactions in
France,
May 1784
Folder 6
38
Letter from L'Enfant to George Washington
and the general society convention,
10 May 1784
Folder 6
39
Letter from L'Enfant to George Washington,
4 August 1784
Folder 6
40
Letter from Thomas Jefferson to George
Washington,
7 January 1786
Folder 7
41
Extract from L'Enfant's memorial,
17 October 1786
Folder 7
42
Envelope for L'Enfant's memorial,
1 December 1786
Folder 7
43
Letter from L'Enfant to Henry Knox,
2 May 1787
Folder 7
44
Letter from Turner to Henry Knox,
8 July 1787
Folder 7
45
Letter from Fenner to Henry Knox,
12 July 1787
Folder 7
46
Letter from George Weedon to Henry Knox,
16 November 1787
Folder 7
47
Letter from James Tilton to Henry Knox,
22 December 1787
Folder 8
48
Letter from L'Enfant to George Washington,
15 April 1788
Folder 8
49
Letter from George Washington to Henry
Knox,
28 April 1788
Folder 8
50
Letter from L'Enfant to Henry Knox,
3 May 1788
Folder 8
51
Letter from G. Turner to Bloomfield,
25 May 1788
Folder 8
52
Receipt noting payment from Henry Knox,
22 January 1790
Folder 8
53
Circular letter to the state societies
requesting payment of the their quotas,
4 June 1790
Folder 8
54
Accounts of the payments made to L'Enfant
by the state societies,
ca. July 1790
Folder 8
55
Letter from L'Enfant to Henry Knox,
11 September 1790
Includes papers for the state societies in New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, and
South Carolina. Principally consists of correspondence
exchanged between the state societies and the general
society leaders Henry Knox and Friedrich William Steuben
(1730-1794). Also contains an extract from the minutes
of a New Jersey society meeting and list of members and
establishment notice, 7 April 1784, for the South
Carolina society.
Folder 9
Subseries A: New York
Folder
9
56
Letter from Loomis to Richard Varick
12 September 1812
Folder 9
Subseries B: New Jersey
Folder
9
57
Extract from the minutes of the
society,
4 July 1795
Folder 9
Subseries C:
Pennsylvania
Folder
9
58
Minutes for a meeting of the society,
17 August 1790
Folder 9
Subseries D: Delaware
Folder
9
59
Letter from McKennon to Henry Knox,
6 November 1783
Folder
9
60
Circular letter to the other state
societies,
6 November 1783
Folder
10
Subseries E: North
Carolina
Folder
10
61
Letter from Adam Boyd to Friedrich
William Steuben,
20 November 1783
Folder 10 and
oversize
Subseries F: South
Carolina
Folder
10
62
Letter from William Moultrie to
Friedrich William Steuben,
13 October 1783
Oversize Box Folder: Oversize
box 105
63
List of members and establishment
notice for the state society,
7 April 1784
Folder
10
64
Letter from S. Drayton to Henry Knox,
20 July 1790
Series V: Society of the Cincinnati,
French chapter, Papers,
1783-1826
Folder
11-12
Consists of French officers' applications for
membership, a list of French officers, and
correspondence exchanged with general society leaders
Henry Knox and George Washington.
Folder
11
65
Partial letter from George Washington to
Marquis de Lafayette,
20 October 1783
Folder
11
66
Partial circular letter from George
Washington to the state societies,
29 October 1783
Folder
11
67
Letter from the Count of Rochambeau to
George Washington,
19 January 1784
Folder
11
68
Letter from the Count of Lilancour to
George Washington,
22 February 1784
Folder
11
69
Letter from the County of Lilancour to
George Washington,
20 February 1784
Folder
11
70
Partial letter from George Washington to
Baron Viomenil,
15 May 1784
Folder
11
71
Etat de service (in French),
1 May 1785
Folder
11
72
Letter from James Perkins to Henry Knox,
20 April 1787
Folder
11
73
Letter from an unidentified source to
Baron de la Voltiere,
11 June 1788
Folder
11
74
List of French officers who joined the
American Revolutionary Army and became members of the
Society,
1788
Folder
11
75
Order of the King of France (in French),
15 May 1785
Folder
12
76
Letter from Ormand Marquis de la Rouerie
to Henry Knox,
2 January 1790
Folder
12
77
Letter from W. Eustis to Henry Knox,
14 March 1790
Folder
12
78
List of diplomas to be sent to France,
November 1790
Folder
12
79
Letter from Ponteres Gien to Pinkney (in
French),
17 September 1816
Folder
12
80
Membership application of Leaumont (in
French),
20 October 1820
Folder
12
81
Letter from George De LaRoche to William
Jackson,
27 August 1826
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