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Richard Varick. 15 Autograph Letters, contemporary retained copies and documents, written by or addressed to Varick, all dated 1776. Inventory# 20904.03-.17 $11,500 Richard Varick (1753-1831) was a Revolutionary War officer, inspector general at West Point, George Washington’s recording secretary, attorney general of New York, and mayor of New York City. Varick practiced law in New York City until the Revolution, when he became a captain in Alexander McDougall's regiment. He soon was named military secretary to General Philip Schuyler, and on the latter's recommendation was appointed by Congress as deputy muster master-general on September 25, 1776. After the capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga, the muster department was abolished. Varick was appointed inspector general at West Point after 1780, serving as first aide-de-camp to General Benedict Arnold, whom he greatly admired as a soldier. When Arnold's treason was discovered, Colonel Varick was nearly insane for several days. He and Colonel Franks, the second aide, were examined at Varick’s own request by a court of inquiry, and exonerated from any complicity. Shortly afterward he joined George Washington's “military family,” acting as Washington’s recording secretary, and taking charge of his confidential papers. From 1783 till 1789, he served as recorder of the city of New York. In 1789, he became attorney-general of the state, and from 1791 till 1801 he was mayor of New York. In 1786 he and Samuel Jones revised the state laws, publishing the result of their labors in 1789. Upon the organization of the state militia he was made colonel of one of the regiments. Colonel Varick was speaker of the assembly in 1787, for many years president of the Merchants' Bank, and a founder and liberal benefactor of the American Bible society, of which he became president after John Jay. In 1776 a series of inflammatory letters shot back and forth between Varick and Lieutenant John Copp, who had served in Major General McDougall’s regiment under Captain Varick. Varick was suspicious of Copp’s rumored gambling debts and troubled by his unwillingness or inability to account for payroll money or to substantiate expenses. Copp wrote insulting letters impugning Varick’s honesty as a gentleman, and Varick continued to demand the accounts to settle the matter and avoid risk to his own reputation. Finally Varick was provoked to demand satisfaction. Copp assumed he meant a duel and responded in return that he would defend his honor. Varick sent repeated requests to Copp to set a time, place, and manner to settle the dispute, which Copp evaded, fearing for his life. In fact Varick may have been satisfied by a full accounting of the questioned expenses. When Copp returned to Albany in early September, Varick forced Copp to meet with him—and settled the matter by obtaining a promissory note from Copp rather than killing him. Several months later Varick intervened with General Schuyler on Copp’s behalf, arranging for him to receive delayed wages to prevent his family being evicted from lodging. Varick reminded him, though, that the settlement of the original accounts was still pending. The documents described below (20904.03-.16) provide a fascinating view into the interactions between the two men. .03 “I am Left in a Very Disagreeable Situation Induced for Want of the Accounts”
Autograph letter signed (“Rich’d Varick”). To Lt. John Copp, Albany, Feb. 25, 1776. 3 pages.
A stern letter asking about the men’s pay in arrears and saying that he has been told by many officers and private gentlemen about Copp’s gambling debts, that he had lost “75 Dollars in one night at Billiards or dice. Is this prudent?...It alarms me indeed.” .04 “As you may have put it out of your Power to settle with me Immediately, I will impatiently wait the Day of Mr. Gano’s arrival & if it is not then done I must & shall seek my Remedy.”
Autograph letter signed (“Rich’d Varick”) to Copp, April 26, 1776. 2 pages.
Capt. Varick insists that Lt. Copp comply with his order to settle the company’s accounts set forth in the February 25 letter and calls Copp’s demands for further payment “very Extraordinary indeed.” The “Remedy” is the first implication of challenge to a duel. .05 “Pray, Sir, in Future be more sparing of your Threats, them with your slender Subterfuges for evading my Request”
Autograph letter signed (“Jn. Copp”), to Varick, April 26, 1776. 2 pages.
Lt. Copp replies viciously to Varick and says that he is glad that “a certain Hint” contained in his last letter was understood. He addresses the letter to Varick with the added note “a Present” on the address leaf, a sarcasm that Varick responds to in his May 1, 1776 reply. .06 Clerical copies of Varick’s letter to Copp (.04), and Copp’s reply (.05), April 26, 1776, introduced with a summary of Copp’s original request, undated. 2 pages.
This document is docketed on the back by Varick, who may have ordered these copies made in defense of his position. Varick was an attorney in New York and brings a litigious approach to these letters. .07 “With the Spirit of a freeborn American I Disdain Your Threats…”
Copy of letter from Varick to Copp, Albany, May 1, 1776, 1 page.
Copp’s letter of April 26 was not delivered to Varick until the next day, half an hour after Copp safely had left Albany. Varick writes angrily in reply and vows he is ready to give satisfaction to Copp “at our very next meeting”—a direct challenge.
“Unfortunate it is…that I have to deal with a person who has not candour to do me common Justice…I do…hereby give you notice that I shall ever be ready to give a Soldierlike, as well as Gentlemanlike Satisfaction to you or any other person that imagines himself injured by me and thinks proper to ask it. I therefore expect that you will make it a Convenient Season at our very next meeting, giving me proper notice of the time, the place, and manner in which you propose to take it or I must suppose your sensibility has deceived you with respect to the duties due to a Sacred & unblemished Character…You are in a disagreeable situation indeed when unwilling or unable to render me a just account of your transactions…” .08 Request for the Accounts of Varick’s company in McDougall’s Regiment
Autograph letter initialed (“R. V.”), Albany, Sept. 1, 1776. To John Copp. 1 page.
Discovering that Lt. Copp has just arrived in Albany, Varick in this letter gives him three days to deliver the accounts of the pay and expenses to him. .09 Varick asks Copp to acknowledge receipt of his letter of May 1, 1776
Autograph letter signed (“Rich’d Varick”). Albany, Sept. 3, 1776. To John Copp. 1 page.
The letter of May 1, containing an invitation from Varick to Copp to set the day, time, and place for him to obtain “satisfaction,” was hand delivered to Copp by Major Nicholas Fish in New York. Varick states that if he has no answer to the subjects raised in that letter, he will consider himself “discharged from any thing that passed between us previous” to May 1. Copp will lose all possibility of resolving the issues and collecting any money if the accounts are found in his favor. .10 Request for Explanation for Postponement of Account Settlement
Autograph letter initialed (“R. V.”), Albany, Sept. 4, 1776. To John Copp. 1 page.
Varick again emphasizes that he has given a time limitation for settlement of this controversy.“…The General was yesterday fully informed of this matter. I will recollect the contents of mine of 1st of May. It was the production of mature consideration from a consciousness of…my conduct both as a gentleman and officer, I flatter myself any impartial world will say I have hitherto done (and no more than) my duty, which I shall never neglect where my reputation is in the least concerned. I heartily wish speedy and decisive determinations to controversies.” .11 Copp defers the Meeting with Varick
Autograph letter signed (“Jn. Copp”), Albany, Sept. 4, 1776. To Richard Varick. 1 page.
“I take the liberty to acquaint you that my intentions are strictly honest…it is no more than right you should know how certain sums of money received by me have been expended…Delicacy forbids me to give you my sentiments concerning [the May 1st letter] at present…I hereby pledge you my honor that I will not leave the city without informing you of a Time & Place [to meet]…we may have an interview which I equally desire with you.” .12 “Since you press me to discover the Reasons I wish to conceal for deferring a meeting…”
Autograph letter signed, (“Jn. Copp”), Albany, Sept. 5, 1776. To Capt. Varick. 1 page.
Backed against the wall, on the advice of his friends Copp explains that he does not have the money to settle with Varick and does not want to “meet with a Misfortune” or lose his position in the army, which would be the result of a duel with Varick. Anxiously he adds a note at the end that the bearer of the letter “waits for reply.”
“You are sensible to what a height the unhappy dispute between us has arisen… conscious of the rashness of my own temper in some Particulars…considering certain Intimations in a letter of yours, I was apprehensive of Consequences that might insue, injurious to a Family that never injured you, as you conceive I have. I feared lest they might be deprived of a part of the scanty subsistence abovementioned...by the law martial, to which I am subject & which, should any thing happen between us, would inevitably deprive me…” .13 “Your Letter…Might Have Proved Ruinous to Your Reputation”
Draft letter, unsigned. Albany, Sept. 5, 1776. To John Copp. 1 page.
Varick has received Copp’s explanation and is very happy that Copp has avoided “a step that might have been a source of distress even for the Victor” and has preserved Copp’s reputation. He proposes to meet Copp the next day at the King’s Arms to settle the matter “as far as possible to the Honor of both”—that is, without violence.
“My keen resentment…from a letter I rec’d from you…Tho. God knows my aversion to imbracing my hands in the blood of my fellow soldier…I am happy in having had no difference with any other officer and challenge any officer to say that I have behaved impolite…to him ” .14 Promissory Note
Autograph letter signed (“Jn. Copp”), witnessed and signed, (“John Lansing”), Sept. 6, 1776. 1 page.
Varick is satisfied with a promissory note that Copp will pay moneys owed to Capt. Varick in Col. McDougall’s regiment during the last campaign and winter. The note is due on or before December 1, 1776, and was witnessed by John Lansing (1754-1829), who later replaced Varick as General Schuyler’s military secretary. .15 Copp is desperately short of money
Autograph letter signed, Capt. Copp to Varick, and Varick’s Reply. Albany, Nov. 2, 1776, 3 pages.
Copp writes to Varick that he has not received his pay and his family will be evicted from their boardinghouse: “I have but one single Dollar left to pay upwards of twenty Pounds…there are now almost seven Months Wages due to me.” He begs Varick to destroy this humiliating letter after reading it. Varick writes his reply on the sheet, promising to speak to General Schuyler on his behalf but reminding him that the promissory note remains due.
…My General (Schuyler)…told me that Congress had not answered him…I shall…do all in my power to prevent your apprehensions being realized…” P.S. “…it is disagreeable to have unsettled accounts when we are likely to have the Enemy near us.” .16 “Both officers & men in My Company murmur greatly for Want of Cash…”
Autograph letter signed, Capt. Copp to Varick, and Varick’s draft reply. Albany, Nov. 3, 1776. 1 page.
Copp thanks Varick for intervening with the general to procure a release of his pay and offers to let Varick take some of his wages in payment of the promissory note. Varick says he will not do that but will trust Copp’s intention to pay.
“Two men…deserted from me, as I imagine, purely for Want of that article…I have repeatedly sent…for books and papers [to settle the accounts for Varick’s company]. I have not been able to hear…As to a ballance in my favor I am pretty sure there can be none…” .17 “Orders Must be Obeyed”
Autograph letter signed, Varick to Lts. Copp and Gano, Albany, Dec. 19, 1776. 3 pages. Varick encloses a copy of a letter and note from Col. McDougall and explains that he was unable to send the whole letter earlier, “as it was a Matter which respected all the New York Troops & should have been attended with Evil Consequences, I would doubtless have drawn the Resentment of the General on my Head. It however related to the Deductions to be made for the underClothes of the Soldiers, Capt Willet has the Letter & I suppose all the Captains of our Regiments; You will inquire into the Matter, & if it be so, You will take Prudential Measures accordingly, I dare not presume to dictate. But doubt not your Good Judgment will pronounce what’s best to be done. If the soldiers knew that these Deductions were to be made, they are doubtless just, & must be complied with. If not, think hard of the Matter, But, as a soldier, I must say, “Orders must be obeyed.”
He requests detailed accounts to be sent to him: “You have a very strict accountant (Gen’l Schuyler) to account with…also…send me a list of all the men’s names of my company who were mustered and embarked at Ticonderoga…If discharged, when & by whom? If dead or deserted, when?…One of our privateers at Boston took a storeship with a Brass 13 Inch Mortar…A Noble Prize!” His problems with Copp seem to be put behind him.
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