Letter signed by George Germain American War of Independence dated 1778

AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
 
GERMAIN, George (1st Viscount Sackville; Secretary of State for the Colonies).
 
Retained official copy of a dispatch to General Sir Henry Clinton, Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in North America. Whitehall, 15 October 1778. Autograph letter signed (“Geo. Germain”), 3 pages, folio (230 × 190 mm), in a clear secretarial hand, signed by Germain and docketed on the verso: “Copy of Ld G. Germain’s Dispatch No. 4 – Rec’d London Dec 26th 1778.” Marginal losses to right-hand edge, light staining, otherwise very good.
 
A retained office copy of an important dispatch from George Germain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to General Sir Henry Clinton, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in North America, written during the critical autumn of 1778. The letter conveys the King’s “entire approbation” of Clinton’s conduct in responding to a memorial from the Continental Congress, commending his firmness and moderation in the face of what Germain describes as the “unjust delusion” of the rebellion.
 
By the autumn of 1778 Britain’s fortunes in America were faltering. The evacuation of Philadelphia, France’s entry into the war, and deepening faction within both the army and cabinet left Clinton’s command increasingly isolated. Germain’s letter reflects London’s effort to sustain the authority of its field commander while publicly reaffirming confidence in the war’s purpose.
 
A rare, retained official copy of an important letter, composed and signed by Germain in the middle phase of the American War of Independence.