George Washington Letter
Denying Torture Sells for $68,750 at Auction
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOSTON, MA – A remarkable letter in which George Washington forcefully denies charges of torture during the Revolutionary War has sold for $68,750, according to Boston-based RR Auction.
The autograph letter signed “Go: Washington,” dated June 5, 1786, responds to allegations that Washington subjected a British prisoner to cruel psychological torment by allegedly “erecting a [gallows] before his prison window.” In the four-page letter to James Tilghman, Washington emphatically denies the charges and details the compassion shown to the captive officer during his ordeal.
The incident arose from the selection of a British officer, Captain Charles Asgill, chosen by lot for possible execution in retaliation for the killing of an American officer—a decision that drew scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic.
Washington writes, “I essayed everything to save the innocent and bring the guilty to punishment, with what success the impartial world must and hereafter certainly will decide.”
“This letter gives us Washington, candid and resolute, working to clear his name and protect the principles he fought for,” said Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President at RR Auction.
The Washington letter led RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale, which concluded on July 9 and brought in over $1.4 million in sales.
Notable Highlights from the Fine Autographs and Artifacts Sale:
- Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary War Oath Document — sold for $56,039.
- Abraham Lincoln, Letter on Republican Party Support — sold for $50,000.
- George Washington, Newburgh Orderly Book Extracts — sold for $46,279.
- John Hancock and John Adams, Dual-Signed Legal Document — sold for $33,663.
- Thomas Jefferson, Document on France’s Tribute to Franklin — sold for $31,251.
- Nathanael Greene, Letter on Arnold’s Treason — sold for $29,948.
- William H. Taft, Letter on 1912 Election — sold for $26,544.
- John Adams, Letter on Divine Right — sold for $25,000.
The online auction began on June 20 and concluded on July 9. For additional information, visit www.rrauction.com.
