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Collection Overview

Creator:
Chamier family
Title:
Daniel Chamier Revolutionary War Financial Documents
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/rx913s77k
Dates:
1774-1798 (mostly 1777-1798)
Size:
2 boxes and 2.0 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scahsvm): Box 1-2
Language:
English

Abstract

Consists of financial documents and letters pertaining to the accounts of Daniel Chamier, Commissary General of the British Army in North America from 1774 to 1777, detailing the funds expended for provisioning the British Army at the beginning of the American Revolution.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of a collection of financial documents and letters recording the accounts of Daniel Chamier, the Commissary General of the British Army in North America during the Revolutionary War, and demonstrating how British forces in America were provisioned from 1774 to 1777. The collection documents Chamier's efforts to provision British forces in America from Nova Scotia to Florida, including logistical aspects of how supplies were paid for, arranged, and disbursed, as well as the efforts of Chamier's heirs to be compensated for the monies he personally spent during the war. Materials are dated from 1777 to 1798, though their contents largely pertain to the period from May 25, 1774, to May 24, 1777, during Chamier's tenure as Commissary General. Most of these materials were created and assembled by Chamier's heirs and family members after his death in an effort to gain reimbursement for the thousands of pounds sterling from his personal fortune that Chamier expended during his service.

The accounts of Daniel Chamier's service provide very detailed information about how the British Army was provisioned in the early years of the war, and include expenses for forces under the command of General William Howe, as well as generals Charles Cornwallis, Henry Clinton, Thomas Gage, Frederick Haldimand, Eyre Massey, and Hugh Percy. The most detailed documents in the collection are two primary accounts of Chamier's work as Commissary General, both covering the period from May 25, 1774, to May 24, 1777, one in the form of a parchment roll made up of fourteen membranes (skins), totaling 43 feet in length, completed in 1794-1795, and the other a fifty-seven-page manuscript register of expenses, completed in 1798. There are also two letters of Daniel Chamier during his service as Auditor General, as well as eighteen additional documents, calculations, and letters describing the efforts made by Chamier's heirs to clear up his accounts with the British government after his death. Family members involved in settling Chamier's accounts include his son Daniel Chamier Jr. and nephew John Chamier, along with Edward Smith, an attorney for the Chamier family.

The role of the Commissary General was central to the functioning of the British Army in North America since the availability of supplies influenced military strategy. Chamier was responsible for receiving provisions sent from Britain and then distributing them to British troops in America, as well as for securing provisions in America as he could. The accounts in this collection detailing Chamier's total disbursements indicate that his Commissary General office made payments in the amount of more than 300,000 pounds. They record the names of hundreds of provisioners who were paid hundreds of thousands of pounds for their services to the British Army in America, as it grew from a relatively small force to an army that controlled large parts of the American colonies by the end of 1777. Chamier was assisted in his duties as Commissary General by a number of deputies, with specific assistants in charge of provisions, fuel, cattle, forage, and other supplies. Of primary importance with regard to Chamier's career, and to the materials in this collection, is the issue of funding and the expenditure of funds. The state of accounts of the British Army was complex, and commissaries general were often accused of corruption. Chamier and his assistants were paid a small salary, and Chamier was often required to use his own considerable fortune to secure necessities such as flour, rice, beef, and other provisions, as well as for rents, postage, travel charges, books and stationery, and other expenses, further complicating the process of accounting for funds.

Upon Daniel Chamier's death in 1778, his estate was held by the Chancery Court, and a final settlement was not made until 1794. Amounts paid out by him during the war for which there were no vouchers were charged against his estate, and his heirs were left with 2000 pounds out of an estate valued at approximately 1 million pounds.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Collection Creator Biography:

The Chamiers were from a Huguenot family, descended from Protestant ministers of the Reformed Church of France who eventually sought refuge in London. Daniel Chamier (d. 1778) was the Commissary General of the British Army in North America during the American Revolutionary War. Chamier lived for several years in Maryland, holding public offices in the colony and accumulating a sizeable personal fortune. Before the outbreak of fighting during the American Revolution, Chamier offered his services to the British Army and became Commissary General of the Army in North America. He served in that position from February 1774 to February 1777, and then as Auditor General from March 1777 until his death a year later on November 27, 1778. While Chamier's headquarters were in New York, he sometimes accompanied the army in the field. He was the husband of Achsah Chamier and the brother of Anthony Chamier (1725-1780), a financier and friend of Samuel Johnson. Daniel Chamier's son Daniel Chamier Jr. and nephew John Chamier managed his estate following his death. John Chamier was the Secretary at War in Madras, India, as well as Secretary to the Military Department at Fort St. George on the coast of Coromandel, New Zealand.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchase, 2017 (AM 2017-122).

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2017 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kelly Bolding in April 2017. Finding aid written by Kelly Bolding in April 2017.

During 2022, restrictions on access to a large parchment scroll were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Box 2 contains a long parchment scroll which requires special handling. Please consult with Public Services staff.

Credit this material:

Daniel Chamier Revolutionary War Financial Documents; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/rx913s77k
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scahsvm): Box 1-2