George Sackville Germain papers, 1683-1785

University of Michigan William L. Clements Library

See More About This Repository

Address:

909 South University Avenue

Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

clements-reference@umich.edu

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid

Restrictions:: The collection is open for research.

More ...

Summary

Creator:: Sackville, George Germain, Viscount, 1716-1785
Abstract:: The Lord George Sackville Germain papers contain the political and military correspondence of Germain, British military officer and secretary of state for North America during the American Revolution. In addition to official letters and reports, the collection comprises copies of secret military dispatches, reports and extracts detailing the activities of the commanders and colonial governors of North America, and a copybook of letters between American diplomat Benjamin Franklin, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall, and Boston reverend Samuel Cooper. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids: The Subject Index and Contributor List provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the Correspondence and Documents series (Volumes 1-16). This index also contains a list of contributors. The Volume Guide includes notes on the contents for 22 volumes in the collection. The Guide to Volumes 17-21 provides lists of the documents in each of these volumes.
Extent:: 6 linear feet
Language:: English
French
Spanish
Authors:: Collection processed and finding aid created by Philip Heslip, February 2011

Background

Scope and Content:

The Lord George Sackville Germain papers (6 linear feet) contain the political and military correspondence of Germain, British military officer and secretary of state for North America from 1775 to 1782. Though the papers document Germain's entire public career, the bulk of the material relates to his role overseeing the military during the American Revolution. In addition to official letters and reports, the collection is also comprised of copies of secret military dispatches, reports and extracts detailing the activities of the commanders and colonial governors of North America, and a copy book of letters between American diplomat Benjamin Franklin, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Pownall, and Boston reverend Samuel Cooper.

The Correspondence and Documents series (4.5 linear feet) contains drafts and retained copies of letters from Germain and official incoming letters and documents sent to Germain during his years of military and public service. The collection includes little related to Germain's personal life.

The series holds some correspondence relating to Germain's early military career, including ten letters he wrote to his father while serving in the War of Austrian Succession. Though only a few items relate to Germain's service at Minden, present are several letters written and received by Germain in Germany in 1759, and French and Indian War-era letters from politicians and military leaders such as Pitt, Temple, Holland, Mansfield, Bute, Newcastle, Charles Townshend, Grenville, and Ligonier. Of special interest are the letters of Lord Jeffery Amherst and General Wolfe's account of the fall of Louisbourg and the military in Canada. Germain held no high office between the French and Indian war and the American Revolution but he kept in close contact with Sir John Irwin, with whom he discussed politics and current events.

The bulk of the collection covers Germain's tenure as secretary of state to the colonies (1775-1782), and provides a thorough account of his public policy decision-making process. As American secretary, Germain maintained voluminous correspondence with ministers and officials in England, particularly secretaries of state Lord Suffolk and Lord Stormont, Undersecretary William Eden, and Solicitor General Alexander Wedderburn. Germain also received regular updates from Richard Cumberland, whom Germain sent to Madrid to negotiate peace with Spain.

As a key overseer of the British war effort, Germain had direct communication with the commanders-in-chief in America and their immediate subordinates, as well as with the naval commanders. Included are letters from Thomas Gage, William Howe, Richard Howe, John Burgoyne, Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, John Vaughan, Guy Carleton, and Frederick Haldimand. He communicated frequently with the British governors in Nova Scotia, Canada, and Florida, and with Governor Henry Hamilton at Detroit. As France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the war, much of his attention turned to naval action and trade (sugar and slaves) in the West Indies. He also dealt with the Carlisle peace commissioners, various merchants, and loyalists, such as Jonathan Boucher, physicist-adventurer Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. The series concludes with 58 undated letters, largely written during the Revolution.

Below is a list of notable items from this series:

1757: "Considerations on the present State of the Military Operations in North America"
January 20, 1775: Thoughts on the Dispute between Great Britain and Her Colonies, by Brook Watson
July 29, 1775: Report on the occupation of Charlestown Heights, written by William Howe
August 20, 1775: Military report by General John Burgoyne
October 18, 1775: An early "Constitution" created by the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, declaring independence and laying out the groundwork for a cooperative government among the colonies, containing 13 articles
December 29, 1775: "Reflections on the Dispute with the Colonies by Apollos Morris," containing a history or empires and discussion of the problem
[1775]: Report by John Shuttleworth on the British and American forces throughout North America: artillery, arms, and navy
[1775]: "Advantages of lord Cornwallis's Expedition going rather to Chesapeake Bay than to the Carolinas," by Sir John Dalrymple
January 12, 1776: Letter from Lord Ellibank who proposed returning Canada to the French as the most effective means of reducing the rest of our colonies
January 17, 1776: Proposal for growing vegetables for the British troops in North America - radishes, red spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and potatoes etc.
July 4, 1776: Contemporary manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence created for Germain
August 10, 13, 1776: Reports on the campaign in New York from William Howe, stationed at Staten Island
1776: Peace commission instructions from Germain
February 28, 1777: "Thoughts for conducting the War from the Side of Canada"
March 18, 1777: "Political Remarks on the present state of affairs in respect to the Rebellion in America, and the danger of its involving us in a War in Europe"
April 2, 1777: William Howe's 3rd plan of military operations in North America
1777: "A State of the Circumstances in Philadelphia"
March 8, 1778: A description of Germain's southern strategy sent to Henry Clinton
March 24, 1778: "Plan for taking of French and Spanish Islands," by John Drummond
May [26], 1778: Extract from Burgoyne's speech to the House of Commons concerning the Battle of Saratoga
August 24, 1778: British spy Dr. John Berkenhout's "Journal of an Excursion from New York to Philadelphia in the Year 1778," reporting on Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, and others
February-July 1779: "A Short Journal and Remarks of Transactions, that happened at Grenada & other parts of the West Indies"
March 31, 1779: Two copies of letters from George Washington to Henry Clinton, enclosed in Clinton to Germain, no. 46, April 2, 1779
1779: "Hints for the Management of an intended Enquiry: an assessment of the War with America," including reports on the state of the military and intelligence looking into Howe's decisions: such as "Why did he not attack Washington at Valley Forge" and "Why did he not pursue Washington's Army after the Defeat at Brandywine,” and General Grey's "evidence and opinions and extracts from Howe's letters used at the inquiry"
March 8, 1780: "Sketch of a System by which the rebellious Colonies in America might be reduced to Obedience in two Campaigns, which offers a strategic plan for engaging the rebels"
July 25, 1780: Extracts from General Horatio Gates' orderly book, headquarters at Buffalo Ford July 25-August 15, with details on divisions from Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia
August 10, 1780: Petition from Ethan Allen and others from Vermont, concerning their unhappiness with the Continental Congress and their desire to form an independent British province, by John Griffiths
August 21, 1780: Reports from General Charles Cornwallis on the victory at Charleston and the Battle of Hanging Rock
October 1780: Copy of a letter by Alexander Hamilton discussing and describing the capture and trial of John André, and Arnold and Washington's involvement in the incident
October 1781: Reports on the battle and surrender of Yorktown and the siege of Chesapeake Bay
January 13 and 15, 24, 1782: Letters from Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson, A New Hampshire Loyalist in the British cavalry, stationed in South Carolina, describing fighting at the end of the war

The Secret Military Dispatches volume (429 pages) is comprised of 246 secret dispatches and orders sent by Germain to political and military leaders between 1775 and 1782. In these, Germain discussed military strategy for the British army and navy in America and the West Indies with Henry Clinton, John Dalling, John Grant, Frederick Haldimand, John Vaughan, and the Lords of the Admiralty, among other officers and governors. One letter is housed separately in Volume 23, a retained copy of George Germain's letter to William Howe, January 5, 1776.

The Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Pownall, and Samuel Cooper letter book (296 pages) contains copies of 68 letters from Benjamin Franklin, Governor of Massachusetts Thomas Pownall, and Reverend Samuel Cooper of Boston. These communicate both British and American points of view of the developing unrest in the colonies between 1769 and 1774. Throughout the volume, Franklin and Pownall wrote from London while Cooper wrote from Boston; each voiced their unique perspective on political and civil conflicts between England and America.

The Undated Reports series (39 items) consists of undated documents found in Germain's papers relating to trade, customs, government finances, Irish policies, military strategy proposals, assessments on the outcome of military engagements, conditions on the ground in various colonies, the state of West Indian islands, and the role of the French and Spanish in the American Revolution.

The Supplements series (40 items) is comprised of documents submitted to Germain to keep him informed about the conditions and developments of the American conflict. Many contain added commentary aimed to inform and influence his decision-making. The documents include reports and compiled summaries of correspondence and military dispatches related to operations throughout North America.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids: The Subject Index and Contributor List provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the Correspondence and Documents series (Volumes 1-16). This index also contains a list of contributors. The Volume Guide includes notes on the contents for 22 volumes in the collection. The Guide to Volumes 17-21 provides lists of the documents in each of these volumes.

Biographical / Historical:

British army officer and politician George Sackville Germain (1716-1785) was the son of Lionel Cranfield Sackville, seventh earl and first duke of Dorset, and Elizabeth Colyear. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Germain received his first army commission in an Irish regiment. In 1740 he served with distinction in the War of Austrian Succession and over the next eighteen years rose to prominence in both the British military and the House of Commons. In 1758, he attained the rank of commander- in-chief of the British forces in Germany under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, but shortly after, his military career ended in disgrace for failure to follow orders at the Battle of Minden.

Court martialed and dismissed from the service, Germain spent the next 16 years rebuilding his career in the House of Commons. In 1765, the Rockingham ministry appointed him vice-treasurer of Ireland. Upon her death in 1770, friend Lady Elizabeth Germain bequeathed to him her estate of Drayton along with a vast sum of money. Lady Germain's will also conferred to him the name Germain.

In 1775, Lord North appointed Germain first lord of trade and secretary of state for North America and the West Indies. The position gave him influence over the British army, navy, board of ordnance, and the treasury. He took office confident that vigorous British action combined with Loyalist support would insure victory. He helped orchestrate several military successes, such as the defense of Quebec (1776) and the capture of Charleston, South Carolina (1780), as well as disastrous defeats, such as the Battle of Saratoga (1777). As France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered the war, he focused much of his attention on naval battles in the West Indies. After Yorktown, he urged continuing the war and refused to accept American independence. His quarrelsome style alienated many of the top British commanders, George III, and the cabinet, and in February 1782, the King forced Germain to resign.

Germain married Diana Sambroke in 1754. They had two sons, Charles, later 2nd viscount Sackville, and George. He retired to his country estate, Stoneland Lodge in Sussex, and died there on August 26, 1785.

Acquisition Information:

1928-2012. M-30, M-46, M-338, M-1681, M-2013, M-4905 .

Custodial History:

William L. Clements purchased this collection from Nigel Stopford-Sackville in 1927.

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into five series:

Series I: Correspondence and Documents
Series II: Secret Military Dispatches letter book
Series III: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Pownall, and Samuel Cooper letter book
Series IV: Undated Reports
Series V: Supplements

Series I and V are ordered chronologically with undated items at the end.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Descriptive Data:

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids:

The Subject Index and Contributor List provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the Correspondence and Documents series (Volumes 1-16). The index also contains a list of contributors.
The Volume Guide includes notes on the contents for 22 volumes in the collection.
The Guide to Volumes 17-21 provides lists of the documents in each of these volumes.

Alternate Locations

Many of the maps acquired with the Germain papers are located in the Clements Library Map division. See below for a complete list of these maps.

Related Materials

The following Clements Library collections contain letters to and from Lord Germain:

The John Calef Memorials and Petitions
The Henry Clinton papers
The Thomas Gage papers (English Series)
The Great Britain Army collection
The Nathaniel Greene papers
The William Knox papers
The John Lewis Ligonier letter book
The George Macartney papers
The Frederick Mackenzie papers
The James McHenry papers
The William Petty, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne papers
The John Graves Simcoe papers
The Hubert S. Smith Naval collection
The Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney papers
The John Vaughan papers
The Freiherr von Jungkenn papers
The Alexander Wedderburn papers

The Clements Library Graphics Division has two portraits of Germain: a print and a painting:

McArdell, James, and Joshua Reynolds. The Right Honble. Lord George Sackville, Lieutenant General of His Majesty's Forces, Lieutt. General of the Ordnance, Colonel of the Second Regiment of Dragoon Guards, Commander in Chief of the British Forces on the Lower Rhine & one of the Lords of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, &c.. London, 1759.
Hardy, Dorofield. Sackville, George Germain, Viscount, 1716-1785. From the original by G. Romney, 1928.

The Derbyshire Records Office, the Ashmolean Museum, and the British Museum all contain letters to and from Germain. The King George III Manuscripts at the British Museum includes copies of many of the letters in the Franklin-Pownall-Cooper copybook.

Bibliography

Adams, Randolph Greenfield. The Papers of Lord George Germain: A Brief Description of the Stopford-Sackville Papers Now In the William L. Clements Library. Ann Arbor: The William L. Clements library, 1928.

Brown, Gerald Saxon. The American Secretary; The Colonial Policy of Lord George Germain, 1775-1778. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1963.

Mackesy, Piers. "Germain, George Sackville , first Viscount Sackville (1716--1785). "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Cumberland, Richard. Character of the Late Lord Viscount Sackville. London: Printed for C. Dilly..., 1785.

The Historical Manuscripts Commission calendared the Germain Papers, but approximately one third of the Clements Library collection is not included in its Report on the Manuscripts of Mrs. Stopford-Sackville:

Sackville, George Germain. Report On the Manuscripts of Mrs. Stopford-Sackville, of Drayton House, Northamptonshire. London: Printed for H.M.S.O. by Mackie & Co., 1904, 1910.

The Germain papers include 38 maps, now housed in the Clements Library Map Division. Below is a chronological list of the maps:

Heulland, Guillaume d'. Plan De La Ville De Québec.
A Plan of the Town of Halifax in Nova Scotia August 1749. 1749.
Geographick Scetch [sic]. 1754.
Topographick Plan by the Eye, 1754 & 6. c.1756.
Hudson River Highlands at Martelaers Rock. [1756].
Eyre, William. Sketch of Fort Edward, Novr. 30th, 1756. 1756.
Eyre, William. Plan of Fort-William-Henry and Camp, at Lake George. [1756].
French Draught of Lake Champlain & Lake George with Remarks of an English Prisoner Who Return'd From Quebec to Fort Edward by the River St. Lawrence, River Sorrelle & These Lakes Touch'd at Fort Chamblay, Fort St. John's, Crown Point & Ticonderoga. 1757.
Plan of the Encampment, Intrenchment with Theier [sic] Environs at Lake George. 1758.
Bellin, Jacques Nicolas. Plan of the Town of Quebeck in Canada Enlarged from Bellin's Plan, with Additions. [ca. 1758].
Sketch of the Country Round Tyconderoga. [1758].
Sketch of the Country from Coesfeldt to Halteren. 1758.
Bontein, William, and Richard Coombs. A Survey of the City and Fortress of Louisbourg, the Harbour, and Their Environs, From Fresh Water Cove in Gabarouse Bay to about a Mile to the Eastward of the Light House Point; Shewing ...: The Encampments of the Several Regiments During the Time the Place was Besieged, with the Redouts, Batterys and Approaches of the Siege, as also the Roads… [1758].
Robertson, James. Line of Battle Hallifax May 20th 1758. Halifax, 1758.
Order of Battle May 21st 1758. 1758.
Cunninghame, Charles. Sketch of Louisbourg and the Invasion Coast, 1758. [1758].
Plan De La Battaille De Bergen Entre L'armée De France Commandée Par M. Le Duc De Broglio Et L'armée Des Alliés Commandée Par Le Pr: Ferdinand De Brunswic Le 13me Avril 1759. [1759].
A Plan of the Coast of Newfoundland From Cape Bonavista to Cape Chapeau Rouge Wherein Seven-eights of the Fishery of the Island is Caried [sic] On. [176-].
Upper New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. 1760.
A Chart of the Beacons in Kent . [ca. 1764].
Savannah River and Savannah Sound. 1770.
Ratzer, Bernard, and John Christopher. Map of the Coast of Hunduras [sic] from the Bay of Truxillo to the River Dulcee Also the Interieur Part of that Country, from the Mouth of the River Roman to the City of Comayagua And their Principle Mines: Compiled from the Observations of Mr. John Christopherz. 177-.
Gauld, George, and Charles Knatchbull. A General Plan of the Harbours of Port Royal and Kingston Jamaica with the Channels Leading Thereto, and the Kays and Shoals Adjacent; Including Wreck Reef &c. 1772.
Pauli, Christopher. A Sketch of the Harbour at the Cape Slt: Nicola on the Island of Hispaniola. 1775.
Brasier, William, and William Test. A Survey of Lake Champlain Including Crown Point and St: John's: Surveyed by Order of His Excellency Major Genl: Sir Jeffery Amherst, Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces in North America, &c. &c. &c. 1776.
Eye Sketch of the Harbour of Charlestown in South Carolina. [1776].
Situation of Ye Rebels Just Before the Attack Upon Trenton. 1776.
Wintersmith, Charles. Plan of Part of Lake Champlain from Crown Point to Tienderoga. 1777.
Sketch of Different Passes into Canada from our Lower Provinces. ca. 1778.
Carden, Hans. A Plan of Black River on the Mosquito Shore. 1779.
Langenschwarz, Frederich. Plan Von Dem Schiff-bauplatz Bei Hallifax in Neuscholland. 1779.
Part of Coast of Cornwall and Devon and the Scilly Islands. ca. 1779.
A Sketch of the Disposition of the Force at New York for the Defence of the Port. 1779.
D'Auvergne, Philip. Plan of the Bay of Saldanha on the S.W. Coast of Africa Shewing the Opperations [sic] of the Squadron of Commodore Johnstone, In the Attack Upon the Five Dutch East India Ships on the Morning of July 21st: AD: 1781. 1781.
Locke, Joshua. Plan of Vermont. ca. 1781.
Hills, John. Plan of the Peninsula of Chesopeak Bay: Compiled from Actual Surveys. 1781.
Martin, P. F. Plan St. Eustatia Topogaphically Drawn & Humbly Dedicated to His Excellency John Vaughan Commander in Chief of His Majestys Forces in the West Indies. ca. 1781.
Langenschwarz, Frederich. Plan Von Halifax in Nord-America. ca. 1783.

Below is a list of eight printed items concerning Germain and published in his lifetime. For more books related to Germain, search "Sackville, George Germain, Viscount, 1716-1785" in the library's online catalog.

Sackville, George Germain. The Proceedings of a Court-martial.: Taken on the Spot . Dublin: Printed for M. Williamson, H. Saunders, W. Sleater, and S. Smith, at Mr. Faulkner's, 1760.
Sackville, George Germain. The Proceedings of a General Court-martial: Held at the Horse-Guards on Friday the 7th, and Continued by Several Adjournments to Monday the 24th of March 1760; and of a General Court-martial held at the Horse-Guards on Tuesday the 25th of March, and Continued by Several Adjournments to Saturday the 5th of April 1760. London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, 1760.
Sackville, George Germain. A Short Address From Lord George Sackville to the Public.: To which is added, L"* G""* S""""'s Vindication of himself, in a Letter to Colonel Fitzroy, one of the Aids de Camp to Prince Ferdinand: With Colonel Fitzroy's Answer; and the Declaration of Captain Smith, one of the Aids de Camp to L"* G""*. Containing a full and Particular Account of Every Thing That Passed, Relative to L"* G"" S""""'s Conduct and Behaviour at the Battle of Thornhausen, on the First of August, 1759. Dublin: Printed for P. Wilson, J. Exshaw, W. Sleater, and W. Smith, jun. booksellers, 1759.
Sackville, George Germain. The Trial of the Right Honourable Lord George Sackville, at a Court-martial Held at the Horse-Guards, February 29, 1760, for an Enquiry into his Conduct, Being Charged with Disobedience of Orders, while he Commanded the British Horse in Germany: Together with his Lordship's Defence. London: Printed for W. Owen, 1760.
Sackville, George Germain, and Charles Fitzroy Southampton. Lord George Sackville's Vindication of himself, In a Letter to Colonel Fitzroy, one of the Aids de Camp to Prince Ferdinand: With Colonel Fitzroy's Answer; and the Declaration of Captain Smith, one of the Aids de Camp to Lord George. Containing a full and Particular Account of Every Thing that Passed, Relative to Lord George Sackville's Conduct and Behaviour at the Battle of Thornhausen, on the First of August, 1759 . London: Printed for R. Stevens, at Pope's-Head, in Pater-noster-Row, 1759.
Sackville, George Germain, and Henry Clinton. Correspondance Du Lord G. Germain, avec Les Généraux Clinton, Cornwallis & Les Animaux Dans La Station de L'Amérique: Avec Plusieurs Lettres Interceptées du Général Washington, du Marquis de La Fayette & de M. De Barras, Chef D'escadre. Traduit de L'anglois Sur Les Originaux Publiés Par Ordre de La Chambre Des Pairs ... Berne: Chez La Nouvelle Sociéte typographique, 1782.
Sackville, George Germain, and Lloyd Kenyon. The Proceedings of a General Court-martial Held at the Horse-Guards on Friday the 7th, and Continued by Several Adjournments to Monday the 24th of March 1760: and of a General Court-martial Held at the Horse-Guards on Tuesday the 25th of March, and Continued by Several Adjournments to Saturday the 5th of April 1760, Upon the Trial of Lord George Sackville ... London: Printed for A. Millar, 1760.

Biographical Timeline
Date	Event
1716	Germain is born George Sackville
1737	Appointed clerk to the council in Dublin
1740	Promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 28th foot
1743 June	Appointed one of George II's aides-de-camp
1745 May	Shot in the chest during a battle at Fontenoy
1748	Transferres to the colonelcy of the 12th dragoons then the 3rd dragoon guards
1754	Marries Diana Sambroke
1757	Promoted major-general and lieutenant-general of the ordnance
1759	Fiasco at the Battle of Minden prompts his resignation from the army
1760	Found guilty of disobedience
1765	Appointed post of vice-treasurer of Ireland in the Rockingham ministry
1767	His son, and later heir, Charles is born
1770	Receives Lady Elizabeth Germain's fortune and estate of Drayton in Northamptonshire and assumes the surname Germain
1775 November	Appointed secretary of state for the American colonies under Lord North, and over the next 6 years, directs the British armies in America
1778	Wife Diana dies of measles
1782 February	He resignes as secretary of state
1785	Germain dies

Other Finding Aids:

Alternative Form Available: