Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 39
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Andrew Jackson Writes to Cotton Factor in New Orleans About Rejected Draft; Signed Twice, Once in Text
Andrew Jackson Writes to Cotton Factor in New Orleans About Rejected Draft; Signed Twice, Once in Text
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3
Description:

Andrew Jackson Writes to Cotton Factor in New Orleans About Rejected Draft; Signed Twice, Once in Text

"You were certainly right, now a days, to act with great caution, when forgeries & frauds appears to be so frequent."

In this letter, former President Andrew Jackson writes to his cotton factor in New Orleans about their failure to honor a draft from his overseer. Jackson had written in May, when Maunsel White & Company refused to honor a draft of $70 on Jackson by James M. Parker, the overseer of Jackson's son's plantation in Mississippi from 1841 to 1844. When the company responded apologetically on June 6, Jackson responded with this conciliatory letter and explained that his son Andrew Jackson Jr. had visited the Halcyon plantation and given the necessary funds to Parker.

ANDREW JACKSON, Autograph Letter Signed, to Maunsel White & Co., July 1, 1842, Hermitage, Tennessee. 1 p., 8" x 10". Some toning; very good. Together with (1) a photocopy of the original free frank on the letter, and (2) an 1857 engraving of Jackson based on a portrait painted from life. 1 p., 7.25" x 10.5". General toning; light staining; cropped corners.

Complete Transcript
Hermitage / July 1st 1842
Messres Maunsel White & Co.
Gentlemen,
Your letter of the 6th ultimo has been received, and contents duly noted. I hasten to reply, that when I was advised of the small draft drew by our overseer, Mr Parker, and being informed of the pressure in the mony markett, I felt distressed at the event, and expecting that my son might have given him advice to draw, and having been perplexed some times, more by small sums than great, the moment I heard of it, I addressed you, that if you had advanced the small sum that I might as spedily as possible repay it. You were certainly right, now a days, to act with great caution, when forgeries & frauds appears to be so frequent. It was no inconvenience to us the bill not being honored. A, Jackson Jnr reaching the plantation, placed funds in the hand of Mr Parker, our overseer, to take up the bill. Accept my thanks for your kind offer of acceptances for me—rest assured I will not draw unless I am sure of the means to meet the draft at the day. very respectfully yr friend
Andrew Jackson

Historical Background
In 1838, Andrew Jackson's nephew and adopted heir Andrew Jackson Jr. (1808-1865) purchased a 1,200-acre plantation along the Mississippi River in northern Mississippi. Despite the name of Halcyon, the plantation suffered a series of recurring floods that led Andrew Jackson Jr. to sell the plantation in 1849, four years after the former president's death. From 1841 to 1844, the overseer at Halcyon Plantation was James M. Parker, who had been Jackson's overseer at the Hermitage from 1840 to 1841. Contributing to the plantation's problems were Andrew Jackson Jr.'s poor management skills and his decision to serve as security for a friend who went bankrupt in the late 1830s. His adoptive father spent much of his final years contracting loans to save his son's finances, even mortgaging much of what he owned in the process.

Once selling at 20 cents per pound or more, cotton had been a very profitable cash crop, but when the Panic of 1837 caused cotton prices to plummet to between 4 and 6 cents per pound, being a cotton farmer did not bring much profit. Annual floods between the Panic and 1845 ruined many cotton crops along the Mississippi River.

On May 24, 1842, Andrew Jackson wrote to Maunsel White & Company, his cotton factor in New Orleans, about their refusal to honor a small draft by Halcyon Plantation overseer James M. Parker.

On June 6, Maunsel White & Company responded apologetically that they had caused Jackson any inconvenience: "We had no idea that Mr Parker was your overseer, neither did we know his writing, or the person who presented the draft for $70 & consequently refused to pay him, & told him the reasons. We have been deceived so often by persons representing themselves (as authorized) that we are compelled to use evry precaution, particularly in times like the present, when evry device that ingenuity can form is resorted to. The annexed price current will show you what condition our markets are in." In a postscript, the company representative added, "We need not tell you that you are at liberty to draw for the amount above, or anything else you may require."

Overseer James M. Parker turned out to be one of the "designing, dishonest men…[who] have so much in their power to cheat, defraud, and injure their employers." Instructed to have the Jackson slaves cut wood to sell to passing steamboats, Parker bought an adjoining tract of wooded land and began selling wood under his employer's name for his own profit, much to Andrew Jackson's annoyance.

Maunsel White (ca. 1783-1863) was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States in 1796. He settled in Louisville, Kentucky, where he became friends with future President Zachary Taylor. Around 1800, he moved to New Orleans and married Celestine de la Ronde, a French Creole from a wealthy family closely associated with Andrew Jackson. After his first wife died, White married her sister Heloise de la Ronde. During the War of 1812, White commanded the Louisiana Blues in the Battle of New Orleans. General Jackson appointed White to negotiate with the British over the exchange of prisoners and restitution for slaves. He founded his own cotton factor business, Maunsel White and Company, which also sold sugar, molasses, tobacco, pork, and corn. He served as a cotton factor for Jackson from 1826 until Jackson's death in 1845. By that year, White had retired as an active partner to focus on growing sugarcane on his four Louisiana plantations. He owned more than two hundred slaves but once wrote to an acquaintance, "I have made myself a solemn promise never to sell a Negro – it is a traffic I have never done. I would rather give them their liberty than sell them." He served in the Louisiana Senate from 1846 to 1850. He became famous for growing peppers and developed a pepper sauce and a wine sauce.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000