Description:

Henry Dearborn
Washington, DC, February 10, 1809
Henry Dearborn Signed Letter to James Taylor, Secretly Preparing for War with Britain
LS

Henry Dearborn (1751-1829). Letter Signed, "H. Dearborn," as Secretary of War, 1p, on bifold stationery measuring 7.75" x 9.75", War Department, Washington City, February 10, 1809. Integral address leaf to Colonel James Taylor of New Port, Kentucky. With Taylor's 1p handwritten reply dated March 6, 1809 on inner page. Docketing at verso. Expected transmittal folds and creases. Opening tear from red wax seal. Lightly toned with isolated soiling. In near fine condition.

Elegantly penned in a secretarial hand, Dearborn's letter in full: "Enclosed herewith [not included] you will receive a letter for Captain Jervis Cutler which you will please to deliver to him if at Newport, should he have descended the river you will forward it by the first conveyance, either by water or by the mail, under cover to the commanding officer at New Orleans."

Taylor's reply in full: "Sir / Your fav: of the 10th inst is just rec'd covering a letter to Capt. Jervis Cutler. Capt. Cutler left his place with Capt. Peter about 10 days ago. I shall therefore forward the letter as you are pleased to direct to the Commanding Officer at New Orleans. With great respect I have the honor to be Sir / Your ObdSevt / James Taylor."

The same day that Taylor penned this response to Dearborn, he also wrote to President James Madison. From the National Archives: "I find my friend Genl. Dearborn is appointed to the Collectorship of the Port of Boston. As it is probable I shall not have the pleasure & honor of an acquaintance with his successor you might serve me by making mention to him that I was fortunate enough to possess the Genls. confidence, and that I have done & am continuing to do a good deal of business for the Government at this place." Dearborn was appointed collector of the port of Boston by President James Madison in March 1809, a position he held until January 27, 1812, when he was appointed as the Commanding General of the United States Army.

Henry Dearborn was a doctor in New Hampshire at the outbreak of the Revolution. Upon hearing of the events at Lexington and Concord, he led his militia company to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and joined the American army. Dearborn and his company were present at some of the most key moments of the war, including the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, the Battles of Saratoga, the winter encampment at Valley Forge, and the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown. He was discharged from the army in July 1783 after eight years of service, but Dearborn's military career was just beginning. Following the war, he settled in Maine and was made brigadier general of the militia in 1787, and a major general in 1789. This military service increased his public profile, and he was elected to the House of Representatives for two terms, from 1793 to 1797. His political career took off from here as well. Dearborn was appointed Secretary of War by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801, a position he held until the end of Jefferson's administration in 1809. Fort Dearborn in Illinois, Dearborn County in Indiana, and the city of Dearborn, Michigan, were named in his honor.

James Taylor (1769-1854) was born in Midway, Virginia, the son of a wealthy plantation owner and a first cousin of Zachary Taylor. He received a commission as a major in the Kentucky militia in 1800, and three years later persuaded the federal government to establish a fort near Newport. He became the superintendent of local construction and when the barracks were completed, they became a vital recruiting center and staging area for military actions along the western Ohio River. Taylor served with William Hull during the surrender of Detroit and later testified at Hull's court martial. He was promoted to colonel and general and became a wealthy and influential landowner. The Newport barracks continued to be a prominent military installation throughout the 19th century, and today, the General James Taylor Park lies on the grounds of the old fort.

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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