Autographs

U.S. Statesmen

Lot 230
Trumbull, Jonathan (1710-1785). American statesman. Trumbull was elected to the Connecticut Assembly in 1733, went on to serve as colonel during the French and Indian War and later functioned as the deputy Governor of Connecticut as well as Governor of Connecticut.

Autograph Note Signed ("Jonth Trumbull"). One page, oblong quarto, Lebanon, Connecticut, July 7, 1760. On the verso of a Land Transfer. In black ink. Matted and framed to an overall size of 21½ x 17½". Remnants of original wax seal at lower corner. Small losses of paper at lower corner, another small hole at lower center, light staining on recto. Trumbull's signature is clear and bold. In good condition overall.

On the verso of a lengthy Land Grant in which the named Nathan and Eunice Lee transfer their land in Connecticut for sixty pounds, Trumbull verifies their intentions as valid, stating: "Mr. Nathan Lee & Eunice Lee his wife the grantor of the within written instrument personally appearing acknowledged the same to be their due act & deed / before me". The document was also witnessed by American Patriot John Wadsworth, whose signature appears on the recto.
Estimated Value $400-600.

Lot 231
Wolcott, Oliver (1726-1797). American patriot and soldier of the American Revolution. Elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, Wolcott was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Document Signed ("Oliv Wolcott Jr."). One page, quarto, n.p., February 19, 1794. In brown ink. To Nathaniel Appleton, Esquire. With two horizontal and two vertical folds. In very good to fine condition overall.

While serving as Connecticut's Lieutenant Governor, Wolcott accepts a change in power of attorney for one William Higginson, although Higginson's document apparently was not formatted correctly -- or as Wolcott states, it was "not precisely agreeable to the form prescribed."
Estimated Value $175-225.

Lot 232
Wolcott, Oliver, Jr (1760-1833). American lawyer and politician who served as Comptroller of U.S. Treasury and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Wolcott followed in his father's footsteps as the Governor of Connecticut.

Document Signed ("Oliv Wolcott Jr"). As Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury. One page, octavo, n.p., May 23, 1793. On Treasury Department stationery. In black ink. Matted and framed to an overall size of 14½ x 17½". With two horizontal folds, a few spots of foxing, and toning. Ink has feathered. In good condition.

Reinforcing the neutrality of the United States during the British-French war, Wolcott requires that American ships provide detailed inventories of all ships pursuant to article 25 of treaties with France and the United Netherlands. Specifically: "The treaties of the United States with France and the United Netherlands require, that our vessels should be provided with certificates, containing a specification of their cargoes." As a precaution, Wolcott suggests this certificate be as detailed as possible, providing: "the number and quantity, as also the species of each article" aboard ships.
Estimated Value $150-250.

Lot 233
Wolcott, Oliver, Jr. Document Signed ("Oliver Wolcott"). As Congressman. Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. One page, octavo, n.p., January 10, 1783. Being a printed receipt from the Pay-Table-Office. In black ink. Docketed on verso. With two horizontal folds, and time staining. Otherwise, in good condition.

For service in the Continental Army in 1781, here Wolcott authorizes the payment of twenty-six pounds, fifteen shillings, and nine pence to one William Richard Doud.
Estimated Value $75-125.

Remarkable Congressional Collection

Lot 234
1850 31st U.S. Congress Signatures. Two autograph books featuring 290 signatures from members of the landmark 31st Congress of the United States. Notable for the debate and passage of the Compromise of 1850, the first session of the Congress served for an unprecedented 10 months without a recess. An outstanding gathering of legislators from North and South, members (whose signatures appear here) included David R. Atchison (President for one day), James Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, Hannibal Hamlin, Stephen A. Douglas, Thaddeus Stevens, Horace Mann, Daniel Webster, Eldridge G. Spaulding, Andrew Johnson and among the signatures are several other gentlemen who became famous because of their involvement in the Civil War -- Confederate Generals Nathan Evans and Robert Toombs, Union General Edward Dickinson Baker, William Ashe (blockade runner) and Thomas Bocock (Confederate politician) among others. The Webster and Buchanan signatures have been clipped and are loose, the remainder appear in the books. There is scattered foxing and surface soil, the most notable flaws to the lot include age wear to the volumes themselves, there is some spine separation and the front cover of one album is loose (along with a handful of pages). Signature condition is good to very good, volume condition is fair to good.

This lot is accompanied by a folio size printed page with a seating chart of the 31st Congress House of Representatives Hall. A great piece, names and addressses are printed under the diagram. This lot in total provides a unique opportunity for the Congressional collector or scholar.
Estimated Value $4,000-6,000.

Lot 235
Davis, Jefferson and Foote, Henry Stuart. Pair of rival American statesman. Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) trained at West Point before embarking upon his life in politics. Henry Stuart Foote (1804-1880), on the other hand, began his career in law first practicing law in Alabama. After just one year, Foote moved to Mississippi and thus the rivalry began. In 1851 Foote actually defeated Davis for the governorship of Mississippi. But later, while in the Confederate Congress, Foote is said to have exchanged blows with his adversary. He was eventually expelled from the Congress in 1865. Davis, on the other hand, rose to prominence and served as President of the Confederate States during the Civil War.

Two signatures on album page ("Jefferson Davis" and "H.S. Foote"). One page, 5½ x 7½", n.p., n.d. Toning to edges, light pencil notation at top edge. Fine.
Estimated Value $600-700.

Lot 236
Political, Military, and Literary Heroes. Here we offer the balance of a life-long collector's inventory. This extensive lot of historical and cultural material features a variety of signed documents, signed checks, pamphlets, newspaper clippings and other ephemera. Also included is iconography of political and military officials such as Theodore Roosevelt, James Madison, and Zachary Taylor, as well as literary heroes such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Dating from the 18th and early 19th centuries, this treasure trove of research material offers hours of historical reading. Conditions range from poor to good.
Estimated Value $300-UP.