Handwritten letter, dated 10 October 1818, signed by General William Barton, jailed for failing to pay a fine, to the Vermont General Assembly asking for his release. Barton, known for his 1777 capture of British General Robert Prescott, writes, (spelling corrected) ''...I am heartily sick of this place...it cannot make any difference to them that have confined me...'' His petition was unsuccessful; he remained in prison until age 77 when the Marquis de Lafayette paid his fine. Minor soiling to 7.75'' x 12.25'' single page letter. Very good.