#yes I am roasting a man who died 196 years ago about his signature

[enchi-elm]

Caleb Brewster's signature, an evolution 1778-1780

We start off reasonable and professional, in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated October 22, 1778:

Caleb Brewster Lieut

Source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.053_0566_0567/?sp=1

That's good, you know, pretty solid. Clean, neat, mindful of his military position. Then a bizarre and exciting change of pace in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated February 26, 1779.

I am with respect yours [etc.?] Caleb Brewster

Source, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.056_0281_0284/?sp=4&st=image

Incredible. Diva. I'm amazed he found stable ground to write this on and enough time to compose two pages. The "B" should be framed and taught in calligraphy classes. In the same letter, he writes a "g" so effusive it bisects New York in the row below to land on "at".

Was it too much? Did he fly too close to the sun? Has he since grown more secure in his correspondence or is this him at his most confident? Either way, 18 months later we see a more subdued return to form in a letter to Benjamin Tallmadge dated August 18, 1780.

With respect your friend and Humble Servant Caleb Brewster

Source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.069_0709_0710/?sp=1

No flourishes, short lines-- in fact, a total lack of swoops throughout the entire letter. But he's become a friend! Aww. I wish I knew what Maj. Tallmadge had written in return.

Other things I have found out while doodling on the themes of Chapter 18 of Wind and Water and researching tangents,

Caleb and Ben owned land together (?!?!), purchased August 5, 1784: "The Middle of the Island Farm" in Brookhaven Twp. and four lots in Nocamack. (The source given, that I can't access, is this: Page 251 Loyalism in New York during the American Revolution by Alex C Flick PhD. Columbia Univ. Press, London 1901. Accessed Meehan-411 16 Jan 2020.)

Caleb's father's name was Benjamin, likely the reason his son was also called Benjamin (another son was named Daniel, for his grandfather). His first daughter was named after his mother, Sarah.

He had three half-sisters from his father's first or second wife? (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Brewster-1687) Except the birth dates make it seem like Caleb was somehow born between the last two? Someone messed up the geneology there, or we're talking bigamy.

#yes I am roasting a man who died 196 years ago about his signature #history things #18th Century #caleb brewster #turn amc #American Revolution #tallster