WILLIAM PHILLIPS

WILLIAM PHILLIPS
(1731? - 1781) British general who served as second in command to John Burgoyne. Served as commander of the Convention Army when Burgoyne was parolled and was noted for his tremendous arrogance. Fine content war-date L.S. 'W. Philips' while commanding the British Convention Army prisoners, 1p. sm. folio, Cambridge, June 27, 1778 to Major General William Heath. In part: '…I send you the Report of Mr. Commissary General Clarke upon the Subject of your demand of payment in solid Coin for Mr Thomas Durant your issuing Commissary of Provisions, and you will have to observe, Sir, that the payment of this American Commissary was regulated and settled by Lieutenant General Burgoyne and you, and forms part of the agreement and account between you and him for which Lieutenant General Burgoyne gave his warrant and Order for payment previous to his departure…You must be sensible, Sir, that this matter being finished before I became Senior Officer of the Troops of the Convention of Saratoga, leaves it out of my power to alter, and I must therefore decline interfering in it…it would be highly improper for me to alter, or even revise, much less to reverse an Agreement settled between you, Sir, and Lieutenant General Burgoyne…' Only a week before this letter, one of Phillips's officers was shot by an American guard for failing to respond to repeated verbal challenges when approaching a post. Phillips became so indignant and offensive that General Heath was forced to place him under arrest. Docketed by Heath on verso. Slight show-through of Heath's docket, irregular edges, else very good condition. Exchanged in 1781, Phillips commanded traitor Benedict Arnold in a planned invasion of Virginia, but died of fever.