Description:

Henry Clay
Washington, D.C., July 9, 1840
Henry Clay ALS Promising to Lobby Congressional Colleague - Great Political Content!
ALS

A 1p autograph letter signed by American statesman Henry Clay (1777-1852), then U.S. Senator from Kentucky, as "H. Clay" near the top. July 9, 1840. Washington, D.C. Inscribed on laid watermarked paper, once bifold but now cleanly split into two halves, the other half being Clay's engrossed address leaf. Docketed by the letter recipient on the address leaf, which also bears the remnants of a red wax seal. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles. The inner gutter of both pages is unevenly water-stained and chipped. The integral address leaf has been tipped on three of four sides. Else very good. 8" x 10." Provenance: Ex-Kingston Galleries, 1968.

In 1840, Henry Clay was approaching the end of his third tenure as U.S. Senator from Kentucky; he had been serving in this capacity since 1831 but would not be reelected in 1842. He wrote this brief letter to one John Hart (or Holt?). If a Hart, Clay's recipient may have been a Kentucky relative of his wife, Lucretia Hart Clay (1777-1864).

Clay wrote in full, with original spelling and punctuation:

"My Dear Sir

Why did you trouble yourself about the little affair adverted to in your note? He is all right; and I will hand what was intended for my Colleague.

Faithf.y Your friend
H. Clay
Wash.n 9th July 40

John Hart (?) Esq."

The identity of Clay's colleague is not known, but he must have served in the 26th U.S. Congress (in session between March 1839 and March 1841.)

An interesting aside: Clay added the note "Mr Gadsbys" on the address leaf, suggesting that his letter recipient might have been staying at a Washington, D.C. hotel managed by hotelier William Gadsby. Gadsby's father, an English émigré named John Gadsby (1766-1844), had established numerous coffee houses, taverns, and hotels throughout Baltimore, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C. until retiring from the hospitality business in 1836.

At the time this letter was written, Henry Clay had over 30 years of political experience, serving in both Kentucky and national politics. He was a well-known figure in Washington, DC, having served as Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator from Kentucky, and a presidential candidate.

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!

  • Dimensions: 8" x 10"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide 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 that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, 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. 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.

August 27, 2025 10:00 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