Letter from Henry Knox (1750–1806), Secretary of War, to Colonel Marinus Willett (1740–1830)
dated May 27, 1786
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
12 1/2 x 7 7/8 in. (31.7 x 20 cm)
Classification
Works on Paper
Culture
American
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2008
Accession Number
2008.314
Tags
Art Historical Context
This handwritten letter, penned by General Henry Knox on May 27, 1786, offers a direct glimpse into the early years of the United States. As the nation’s first Secretary of War, Knox wrote to Colonel Marinus Willett, a fellow Revolutionary War veteran, at a time when the young republic was still defining its military and administrative structures under the Articles of Confederation. The document’s placement in the Arms and Armor department underscores its connection to military affairs, preserving the practical correspondence that helped shape national defense policy. Created in ink on paper,...