Description:

Madison Dolley

Dolley Madison Autograph Note Signed, to John Quincy Adams

 

Dolley Madison autographed signed note, signed in the third person within the body of the text as "Mrs. Madison." Dated "July 14th, 1838." Single page, 5" x 8", with expected folds. Hand addressed to John Quincy Adams as "Ex-President Adams." Page toned with small paper loss to integral address leaf

 

Former first lady Dorothy Payne Todd Madison (Dolley) writes  note to John Quincy Adams, and refers to herself in the third person as:

 

"Mrs. Madison begs Mr. Adams will excuse her application of this morning, which proceeded from ignorance of a return of the papers--her son left her for New York some weeks ago, and omitted to mention the circumstance."

 

The late 1830's were bleak years for Dolley. James Madison died in 1836 and was grief stricken.  She was turning to those she loved and whose support she craved. “I would write more, dear Richard,” she penned, “but have no power over my confused and oppressed mind to speak fully of the enduring goodness of my beloved husband. He left me many pledges of his confidence and love. Especially do I value all his writings.”  James was certain that his notes on the debates during the Constitutional Convention, combined with a large number of other essays, records, and letters, would be worth the small fortune of $100,000 when sold. Dolley believed him implicitly and explicitly, and approached the problems of widowhood with that promise in mind. Her tasks were multiple: to find a publisher for his papers, to pay out of the money received for these the bequests and the legacies contained in his will, and to continue to run Montpelier, the Madison family plantation. As she pursued the tasks of selling her husband’s oeuvre, distributing his charitable donations, and finding all of the nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews to whom James had left a bequest, she encountered numerous problems. Her health suffered greatly and her son John Payne Todd, who had always been a gambler and an alcoholic, continued to work his way through the family money. His debts had created financial pressure on the family that James Madison was hard put to support.  With his stepfather dead, Todd remained a needy and demanding absent son whose mother could never deny him anything. That left Dolley alone at Montpelier with her brother.

 

Although the "circumstances," Dolley alludes to in her note are quite likely purposefully omitted, she does reference both the papers and her son leaving her for New York. Both of which were known concerns by her peers.



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