Thomas Jefferson to George Washington One of the Few Known to Exist, Ex-Charles Hamilton

Third-person Autograph Letter Signed, “The Secretary of State”, within the text, 1 p., 7.75” x 10”, n.p., February 17, 1791. Uniform toning, partial separations at central horizontal fold with tape reinforcement, edge chips and tears, else Fine. Accompanied by a 1978 Certificate of Authenticity by noted autograph expert, Charles Hamilton.

The letter to President George Washington, in full, “The Secretary of State has the honor to send to the President three copies of a report & message relative to Kaskaskia, Kahokia & Prairie, to wit, one for each house, & one to be retained by the President. / He sends also the original report which contains some things worth the President’s reading, tho not mentioned in the report. The passages reported on are marked with a pencil.”

The American Army found themselves mired in the center of the great Northwest Indian Wars in early 1791, hard pressed to deliver on their president’s promise of expanding American frontier territory throughout what is now Ohio. To accommodate the influx of French, British, and American soldiers, supply centers were established en route amid the villages of the Illinois Confederation, with the lands of the Kaskaskia and Cahokia tribes, as well as the nearby settlement of Prairie du Rocher, serving as makeshift rest stops. Despite such reconnaissance, Washington’s troops would suffer resounding losses later that summer, when nearly 2,000 Native American warriors overran the sorely undertrained forces of Major General Arthur St. Clair.

Correspondence between Jefferson and Washington is virtually unobtainable and represents one of the finest combinations in Presidential collectibles.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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