PA State Archives

Hours, Directions, & Fees

Research Topics

Finding Aids for Collections

Land Records

These papers of John Mitchell, Philadelphia merchant and deputy quartermaster general during the American Revolution, and his brother and business partner, Randall Mitchell, were sequestered by the Commonwealth, ca. 1785, during an investigation of the Mitchells' activities as contractors with the Pennsylvania Navy. Included are Deputy Quartermaster General Mitchell's letter book, 1780-1781; business letters, 1762-1777, from Robert Coupar, Joseph Donaldson, James Forbes, Arthur Greer, Penelope Haley, Charles Hamilton, George Irvin, Robert Johnson, William Moore, William Richardson, Andrew Robinson, and others pertaining mostly to merchandising, prices, and commodities such as chocolate, feathers, rum, coffee, tea, molasses, and paper; letters by Thomas Hovenden, 1774, relating to the sale of his negroes; statements, 1775, of iron shipped from Salford Forge by Robert and William Coleman; cash book, 1770-1771; journal, 1772-1773; ledger, 1770-1772; receipt book, 1772-1773 and miscellaneous receipts and vouchers, 1758-1778.

• General Correspondence and Letter Book while Deputy Quartermaster General, 1762-1781. (4 boxes) {#92m.1}
• Accounts, 1758-1778. (2 boxes) {#92m.2}

• The container listings for this Manuscript Group are available for viewing and word-searching in PDF format: [Holdings]