The history of the wars of New-England with the Eastern Indians, or, A narrative of their continued perfidy and cruelty, from the 10th of August, 1703, to the peace renewed 13th of July, 1713 and from the 25th of July, 1722, to their submission 15th December, 1725, which was ratified August 5th 1726 : autograph manuscript, incomplete
The history of the wars of New-England with the Eastern Indians, or, A narrative of their continued perfidy and cruelty, from the 10th of August, 1703, to the peace renewed 13th of July, 1713 and from the 25th of July, 1722, to their submission 15th December, 1725, which was ratified August 5th 1726 : autograph manuscript, incomplete
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A substantially complete autograph manuscript of Samuel Penhallow's History of the wars of New-England. The text generally comports with that of the first printed edition (1726), but contains numerous divergences. Interlineations and cancelled passages are present throughout, with cancel slips adhered to pages 86, 87, 126, 140, 148, and 153. An 8 x 15 cm slip of paper, in a different and possibly later hand, was formerly pinned to page 110, but is now loose and housed together with the manuscript. This manuscript lacks a title page. The final passage present corresponds to page 118 of the first edition, suggesting that approximately 18 to 20 leaves are wanting. Two additional manuscript drafts of this work are known. These are held at the Library of Congress (136 leaves: 0533A FORCE : Series 8D : entry 133) and at the Massachusetts Historical Society (four-page fragment: Belknap papers, vol. II, 1655-1770, p. 144/microfilm reel 3, 61.C, 013.9). See also: More Books/BPL Quarterly (Vol. 15: March, 1940) pp. 87-101 and (Vol. 14: June, 1939) p. 246.
Manuscript lacks title page; title from first printed edition.
Place of production conjectured from author's place of residence.
Revised manuscript, possibly used as printers' copy for the first edition.
Notes (acquisition):
Purchased by the BPL in 1939.
Notes (date):
Undated; date range of manuscript production conjectured from contents. A cancelled passage in the preface, written in the hand of Samuel Penhallow but signed "Benjn Colman" references the fact that, "the Indians of the Eastern Countrey have now begun a new war with us." The above passage is here presumed to refer to the onset of a series of conflicts between 1722 and 1725, known collectively as Lovewell's/Dummer's war. The final passage in the manuscript describes the aftermath of John Lovewell's death (May 9, 1725). The text of the first edition covers events through August, 1726.
Notes (object):
Stab-sewn, with fragments of early marbled wrappers present. Housed in a brown cloth box with the title stamped in gilt onto the upper cover.