The Andrew Billings papers contain six letters written by Andrew Billings, two of which are addressed to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Sr., three to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., and one to Gilbert Van Cortlandt, Pierre's son and Billings' partner in the failed firm, Cortlandt, Billings & Co. The collection also includes two account sheets and a letter written by Gilbert during the Revolution, probably addressed to Pierre Van Cortlandt, Sr.
Three letters in the Billings Papers are of substantial interest beyond the information they provide on the business transactions of the Van Cortlandt and Billings families. In the first, dated March 6, 1776, Billings discusses his hardships in raising troops in Westchester County. In the later two letters, dated June 15, 1785, and October 16, 1790, he bemoans the poor business climate of the early national period, the scarcity of money, and the new laws concerning the abolition of primogeniture. In the 1785 letter, he also outlines an interesting idea for creating a co-operative among Poughkeepsie-area merchants.
Pierre Van Cortlandt (1721-1814) was one of the aristocrats of the Hudson Valley, presiding from his estate near Croton, N.Y. His marriage to Joanna Livingston united two of the Valley's elite lineages, and his connections to the Schuylers and other prominent families ensured his standing.
Despite British efforts to win his support during the Revolution, Van Cortlandt sided with the colonists, accepting a commission as Colonel of the 3rd Regiment, Westchester Militia. Following the war, he was rewarded for this prescient choice, becoming the first Lieutenant Governor of New York state, and for many years thereafter, he was a loyal supporter of the political titan, George Clinton. Van Cortlandt was noted for his graciousness and hospitality.
After the war, Pierre's son, Gilbert, entered into a business partnership with a fellow Revolutionary veteran and relative, Andrew Billings. The partnership proved to be both brief and unfruitful. Gilbert's death, some time before 1790, apparently left Billings saddled with expenses, leaving him to plead with Pierre and later, Pierre, Jr., to help settle the debt.