Levi Woodbury LS on Kentucky Bonds "in favor of the Cherokees" Following Treaty of New Echota Mandating Cherokee Removal

A 1p letter signed by then U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury (1789-1851) as "Levi Woodbury" at lower right. Written at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. on July 22, 1836 on bifold paper in a beautiful secretarial hand. The inner pages are blank. Expected folds, light overall toning, minor edge darkening and chipped edges, else near fine. 8" x 10."

Treasury Secretary Levi Woodbury wrote this reply to W.D. Lewis, Cashier of the prestigious Girard Bank of Philadelphia, regarding "a balance of $94,880 in favor of the Cherokees to invest..." Woodbury authorized Lewis to invest the sum in "5 per cent Bonds of that State [Kentucky], having 30 years to run, at par" under the auspices of the Northern Bank of Kentucky.

The entirety of Woodbury's July 22, 1836 letter to Lewis, as well as Lewis's letter to Woodbury dated July 20, 1836, can be found in the official "Report from the Secretary of War in compliance a resolution of the Senate of the 13th October 1837, in relation to the Cherokee treaty of 1835" (1838). (Scans of these letters are attached.)

This money was to be invested into high interest-yielding bonds sponsored by states like Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, and Maryland. The money was earmarked for use by the Cherokee Indians, who were facing imminent removal in accordance with the December 29, 1835 Treaty of New Echota.

The Treaty of New Echota was signed by U.S. representatives and Cherokee Treaty Party members--a minority group not representing the majority of the Cherokee or their elected leadership--on December 29, 1835 and ratified on March 1, 1836. The terms of the treaty dictated that the Cherokee Indians had to relocate further west within a time period of two years; this process of removal would later become notorious as the Trail of Tears.

The removal of the Cherokee would be overseen by the federal government. Before then, money would be invested exclusively to benefit the Cherokee in accordance with the 10th and 11th articles of the Treaty of New Echota, and the 4th article of a treaty supplement. Some of these funds were allocated to the education of the Cherokee and the care of orphans.

Levi Woodbury served as Secretary of the Treasury between 1834-1841. He would take a seat as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court between 1834-1841.

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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