Wilkinson James

James Wilkinson, American General & Spanish Spy, ALS Re: Don Carlos Trudeau's Widow's Unclaimed Property in Mississippi

3pp autograph letter signed by James Wilkinson (1757-1825), the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 veteran, as "Ja: Wilkinson" at the top of the third page. Also signed by him as "Genl Wilkinson" on the integral address leaf. Written at "Plantation Tulane", New Orleans, Louisiana on July 31, 1821. On watermarked cream bifold paper. The integral address leaf bears remnants of a red wax seal and handwritten and hand-stamped philatelic markings. Paper folds have been professionally restored throughout. Some minor closed tears running along folds and a few chipped edges. Else very good to near fine. 7.75" x 9.75".

James Wilkinson, then acting as U.S. Envoy to Mexico, wrote this letter to "Majr Thos Freeman Surveyor General U.S. State of Mississippi" regarding the posthumous reallocation of his father-in-law's property. Wilkinson's father-in-law was none other than Charles Laveau Trudeau (1743-1812), sometimes referred to as "Don Carlos Trudeau", an influential politician who served as Surveyor General of Spanish Louisiana between the 1780s-1805, and as acting mayor of New Orleans in 1812. Wilkinson's second wife Celestine Laveau Trudeau Wilkinson (1785-1858) was Trudeau's second eldest daughter; Celestine's mixed race half-sister was Marie Laveau, of Voodoo celebrity.

In part, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

"Permit me to recall to your attention, a subject old enough to be forgotten + yet not unworthy of remembrance - I allude to the Act of Congress which granted to Charles Lavau Trudeau, within the Mississippi Territory, 1000 or 1100 aspects? of Land to indemnify Him for the same quantity regularly confirmed to Him by the Land Commissioners of the same Territory, which was either granted or sold by the Government - by the Death of Mr. Lavau + the ignorance or neglect of His Heirs, no advantage was taken of this Act agreably to its conditions, + the Territory has since been partitioned + sected into separate states - under these circumstances I believed an amendatory act was necessary, to compensate fulfil the views of Congress + compensate the Family of the deceased, + to this End I forwarded a petition on behalf of the Widow, to be laid before Congress, but my Friend Mesr. Rankin S Williams suspended this purpose, under the opinion that the claim was attainable without the interference of Congress, and the Land might be secured in the late purchase for the Mississippi State from the Indians.

The procurements of this indemnity, is a matter of importance to Madame Lavau, wh happens to be the mother of my wife, + therefore, as well as from the ordinary motions of Justice, [makes] it my duty to urge Her pretensions, by every proper means in my Power - "

James Wilkinson may have, in his words, been pursuing his mother-in-law's land claims out of a sense of filial duty or in the abstract interests of justice, but it seems unlikely considering his personal track record. Wilkinson was an embattled Revolutionary War officer who was twice forced to resign because of irregularities in the performance of his duties. In the mid-1780s, Wilkinson engaged in secret negotiations with the crown of Spain under the spy handle "Agent 13". During his own lifetime, Wilkinson's contemporaries suspected that he had engaged in espionage for personal gain. Nevertheless, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Wilkinson the 1st Governor of Louisiana Territory, a position he held between 1805-1807.

Wilkinson's correspondent Charles Freeman (died 1821), was an Irish-born surveyor once appointed by George Washington to record land limits in the nation's capital. In the 1820s, Freeman served as Surveyor General for the southern districts of the state of Mississippi. Freeman also surveyed large portions of modern day Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

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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