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A Tory newspaper from the Revolutionary War... On Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga...



Item # 680364

March 07, 1778

THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET-DAY ADVERTISER, March 7, 1778 

* Surrender of general Burgoyne
* Battles of Saratoga - New York


This was a strongly Tory (supportive of the British cause) newspaper which began in 1775 and closed shop in May of 1778 when the British evacuated Philadelphia.
Most of the ftpg. is taken up with a: "...letter from Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Howe, to Mr. Stephens, dated on board his Majesty's ship Eagle in the River Delaware, Oct. 25, 1777" which has some great reading, portions of which can be seen in the photos. There are several references to Burgoyne's surrender to Gates at Saratoga--a major victory for the American cause--including a pg. 3 bit which notes: "...as soon as they received the news of Gen. Burgoyne's Convention, met & resolved to make an offer to his Majesty to raise him, at their own expense, 1000 men or more to be completed & ready for the American service in two months...".
Another item tell so the "direful" influences of John Hancock & Sam Adams in America. Also: "The account of General Burgoyne's treaty with Mr. Gates arrived when the two Houses of Parliament were sitting & in the warmth of high debate. You may imagine that the friends of Government were much confounded and staggered by such a shock...the King, God bless him...was greatly affected, but...he soon declared that such a cause could never be given up..." with more. 
Page 3 has more items concerning the Revolutionary War including an interesting little item which notes: "...that America was determined to be independent from the beginning. It was not the Acts that drove the colonies into rebellion, but they were passed in consequence of that spirit of turbulence & disobedience which had already appeared." Pg. 3 also has some debates in the "House of Lords" concerning the surrender of Burgoyne, one bit noting: "...The report was...that General Burgoyne & his army were surrounded & that they had been obliged to surrender themselves prisoners to the provincials...should argue upon it as a matter not to be controverted or disputed. He lamented the fate of Gen. Burgoyne in the most pathetic terms..." with much more carrying over to take all of pg. 4 as well (& continued in a future issue).
A great wealth on the shocking news of Burgoyne's surrender! 
Four pages, light damp stain to a lower corner, just a few pg. 3 numeric notations in margins next to ads (this was the editor's copy), generally very nice condition. Not surprisingly, being a Tory newspaper the masthead features an engraving of the Royal coat-of-arms.

Category: Revolutionary War