Valley Forge Furlough

During the Revolutionary War, James Monroe served as an aide-de-camp to Major General William Alexander, who claimed the British title Lord Sterling. The Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-78 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, desperately short of food and other provisions. This furlough granted seven weeks of leave to Lieutenant John Wallace of the Sixth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, allowing Wallace to return his family's nearby home. It is the earliest known official document bearing James Monroe's signature.