Description:

Jackson Andrew 1767 - 1845 The earliest Autograph Letter Signed of Andrew Jackson on the market in the last four decades. A choice letter by Jackson, then a young Tennessee lawyer and merchant, offers frank advice to a client, and references James Robertson, the co-founder of Nashville.



Autograph Letter Signed, "Andw Jackson," 3 pages, 7.25" x 13.25", [n.p.]. October 2, 1795. Separated folds repaired, loss to right margin on third page infilled with on two letters of Jacksons' signature expertly filled in, moderate toning and soiling, else very good overall.


Jackson, then a young Nashville attorney, offers frank advice to his client, and reads in full: "Capt. David Smith waited upon me this day, and Communicated to me your Desire of Seeing Me in the Town of Nashville this Evening in order (as I understand him) to adjust a Disputed Matter now Existing between you and him ‰ÛÓ One thing I can observe that agreeable to the articles of agreement which were Entered into between you and Spring. Spring was to have one hundred Dollars out of the Bond originally given by David Smith to you and transferred from you to Spring; agreeable to your instructions Smith paid to Spring one hundred Dollars upon which I as attorney for Spring Dismissed the suit instituted on Said bond by Spring vs Smith; all this was Done agreeable to your request & Spring['s] instructions; now sir if the hundred Dollars which you Compelled Smith to pay you in the Notion[?] was on acct. of the hundred Dollars reserved for Spring it was a wrong payment; and by law Smith has a good cause of action against you will be Compelled to pay it back with Costs of Suit, when you and Myself Talk of this Matter in Nashville you then Told me it was not the Same Money reserved for the payment of Spring but that it was the balance of the Debt owing to you; but from the information of Colo Hays I am now of the oppinion [sic] that it was for the Said Debt Owing to Spring‰ÛÓ Now Sir as all the land was transfer[r]ed to Spring by you upon which Smith was sued, it was a good payment made by Smith to Spring, more particularly as it was by your Express instructions So as to have the suit dismissed and to obtain the ballance [sic] of the Debt that by the articles of agreement between you and Spring was Due and owing to you. My advice therefore is to you to repay the money to Smith and Save the Expence [sic[] of a Lawsuit which you will undoubtedly have to pay; Genl Robertson can inform you that it will be the Consequence from the Statement herein which are facts and not as plainly stated as they will be proven in Court from the original bond as from [your] own agreement and Confessions[.]"

Jackson makes reference to James Robertson, who, with John Donelson (1718-1785) founded Nashville. Jackson settled in Nashville in 1788 first boarding with Donelson's widow where he met his future wife, Rachel Donelson Robards.

Jackson had precious little legal training, but compared to others in the sparsely-settled trans-Appalachian West, he was one of the most qualified jurists around. In 1788 he secured the post of prosecutor for the Western District of North Carolina, and then in 1791 The Southwest Territory. His legal work enabled him to seek political office. The year after Jackson penned this letter, he would attend the Tennessee constitutional convention, together with Robertson, when it became the sixteenth state to be admitted to the Union. In 1796, Jackson was elected to Congress, beginning a long and successful political career.

This is the earliest Autograph Letter Signed that we have seen appear on the market. Only a few earlier examples of Jackson's hand have been sold in the past forty years, but only cut signatures, signed documents and endorsements.

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