Contemporary copy of a letter from Lord Edward Fitzgerald to an unknown Lord,
[1782] Jan 11.
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| Summary: | Fitzgerald writes in detail about the battle and mentions several of the American officers. He also says he was shot in the thigh in the early stage of the battle, but does not mention being rescued from the field. |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
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| Notes: | The letter is most likely a copy made in Ireland shortly after it was received; possibly for circulation to Fitzgerald's family and friends. It begins 'Quarter House Camp, Jan 11' and is addressed to 'My Dear Lord'. Although the identity of the recipient is not known, it is probable, given the content of the letter, that he was a senior military officer. Quarter House was a position near Charleston, North Carolina, to which the British withdrew after the Battle of Eutaw Springs. This battle of the American War of Independence was won by the British, but with very heavy casualties. Fitzgerald was a lieutenant in the 19th Regiment of Foot, serving as aide-de-camp to Francis Rawdon-Hastings. Fitzgerald was wounded at Eutaw Springs and left for dead on the battlefield, until he was rescued by a South Carolina slave named Tony Small. Small stayed with Fitzgerald until the latter's death in 1798. Physical description: 1 item (8 pages on 2 separate sheets). more |
| Arrangement: | Item |
