This antique stampless folded letter from 1777 was written by Captain William taggart to \"The Hon. Benj. Niccolls Esq. Barbados.\" The letter is dated \"Newport Rhode Island October 6th 1772\" and starts:
\"I received your favor by Captain Elliott of the 29th May which for want ofopportunity has remained unanswered until now,must inform you of the protested bills lives in the country remote from here. I have not seen them since my arrival but have wrote them you would undertake to get the bills settled and there was a vessel clear for Barbados by which I should write you. I have not yet Rec. an answer but as we have had a long spell of foul weather which still detains the vessel do expect they may yet accompany this letter.\"
Apparently the bills that Captain Taggart is trying to collect are for slaves that weredelivered. Taggart writes:
\"you say that those bills was the proceeds ofprivilege slaves you had not charged commission for.\"
This two page letter is signed \"William Taggart\" and is written on hand laid paper with a large british watermark.
This 244 year old letter has some small tears and tiny holes on the folds otherwise good condition! !