Captain Abel Wilder (1741-1792) of Westminster/Windham, Vermont, Winchendon, Mass, and Philadelphia, PA. Wilder served in the 18th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment in 1775 under Colonel Ephraim Doolittle’s Regiment of Minute Men, and has been historically placed via Muster Roll documentation (http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wilder-1181#MRWIC) as taking part in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Documentation within this group of letters also places Captain Wilder at the Battle of Bunker Hill. An excerpt from these letters reads, “Camp on Winter Hill 177()…I would inform you that about a week ago yesterday, we went onto Plowed Hill, so called, which is pretty near to Bunker Hill. There were two of our men killed that day by cannonballs. On Monday the day following, I went down with my men to work, and they did not fire upon us until just at night. When the third ball they fired struck the hill, it glanced and came within about a rod or two (16 to 32 feet) of me and struck the ground near a number of our men and glanced again and struck Moses Pike, our (Ensign’s) brother on his right breast and went throw him and tore his vitals out…” Also a part of this historically important archive is a letter written to Abel’s wife placing him at “Prospect Hill Charleston June 25th, 1777.” Prospect Hill, Charleston, which is present day Somerville, Mass, served as a holding area for British Prisoners of War. These letters highlight the hardships of the American Revolutionary War and present a mixture of wartime reporting, personal vulnerability, and religious reflection from Captain Abel to his wife. Abel’s professions of loyalty to his wife and requests for correspondence from her highlight the struggles experienced by every rank of soldier in the continental army. Also included is a framed legal document giving guardianship of Abel’s children to his wife Anna after his death in 1792. Dimensions: Largest framed item 17 x 13in. Provenance: Two hand-written notes included, written in 2005, that detail the discovery of the letters by Cynthia Compton while sorting through “the closet of Abel Wilder Brown at the apartment at 14 Sutter Place South in N.Y.C.” “Also found: the framed document hanging at 3019 Curie St. San Diego. All of these were gifts from “Abe” to Cynthia during his lifetime.” Pickup & Shipping: Free Sacramento pickup. Shipping via FedEx within the continental U.S. for $110 + 1.5% insurance (unless waived in writing). Combined lot shipping available. The four letters have toning and occasional foxing. The letter describing the death of Amos Pike and the canon fire that caused it, is separated twice along its fold lines. The legal guardianship document has not been examined outside of its frame. It is in good antique condition with the exception of a small abrasion and puncture hole near the top left edge, potentially where a stamp or wax seal previously was placed.