Two receipts recently added to the collection indicate how towns in Connecticut supported the Revolutionary War effort. The town of Kent was able to gather 12 pairs of shoes and 14 pairs of stockings, valued at 9 pounds, six shillings. Abel Hines signed for the supplies February 1, 1779. In April 1779 Elijah Hubbard collected items from Middletown–62 pairs of shoes, 17 pairs of stockings, 36 shirts, 42 pairs of woolen breeches, 23 pairs of linen overalls, and ten blankets. Connecticut was known as the Provisions State for supplying food, cannon, and other goods, like this clothing, to the Continental Army.
These two receipts are not the only documentation we have of the state’s support of the war effort. Jeremiah Wadsworth’s papers are filled with letters and other documents representing his role as Commissary General, and within various town records there are similar receipts for supplies. You can get a sense of the vast number of primary documents we have relating to the Revolution by searching our online catalog at chs.kohalibrary.com. The two receipts here can be seen by requesting Ms 101630.
Rural Kent was able to provide shoes and stockings, but not even the same number of each! Ms 101630
Middletown helps with an extensive amount of clothing including shoes, breeches, and overalls, Ms 101630.
inside the CHS 