Description:

Joseph B. Varnum
Washington, DC, ca. 1808-1819
House Speaker Joseph B. Varnum Correspondence Archive, Great Political Contents 1808-1819
Archive
A group of three fascinating letters, consisting of two ALS from House Speaker Joseph B. Varnum and one addressed to him from his son, signed throughout as "J. B. Varnum". Ranging in date from April 18, 1808 to September 27, 1819, with Varnum's letters written in his first years as Speaker. Contents include discussions on a recently deceased member of the House of Representatives, stalled proceedings in Congress, and contemporary views on religious tolerance. With varying degrees of uneven age toning, scattered dampstaining, and areas of tearing at folds. Archival restoration present to 1819 letter from Varnum Jr., affecting sections of the integral address leaf. Overall, very good. Please see accompanying images for further condition information.

Excerpts include:

-Washington, April 18, 1808 [to Governor James Sullivan (1744-1808)]:

"I have it in charge from the House of Representatives of the United States, to announce to your excellency, the death of the Honorable Jacob Crowninshield Esq. late a Member of the House from the State of Massachusetts…".

-Washington, February 8, 1809 [to unknown recipient]:

"I am through the goodness of God in the enjoyment of tolerable health. Congress are progressing in the public business as fast as the nature of things will permit. Every measure of importance is disputed by the Minority step by step, scarcely a question of any magnitude is agitated but taken up at least one day, and frequently several. So that the session will be much prolonged to a much more distant period than I had contemplated. But the ultimate determination will be such as might be expected from the competition of the present Majority in both Houses. I will write you on the subject of our proceedings more particularly, within a few days."

-Sunday, September 27, 1819 [from James M. Varnum (1786-1821), addressed to his father]:

"This day, after dinner, I took a ride, to the northerly part of the city to see a Turnpike that is now making between the northerly boundaries of the city of Washington & Montgomery… rode over the Turnpike- come out in the main old road in the vicinity of Rock Creek church- found that there was to be preaching there- I concluded to stop- heard a very interesting discourse from an Episcopalian preacher- … I found that arrangements have recently been made to have constant preaching at said church by four private gentlemen- all of handsome education- to wit, E. B. Coldwell (a presbyterian) to preach once a month- a gentleman from Bladensburg- a Baptist once a month- and the Episcopalian-… the effect is as I am informed to completely and effectively unite all the contending parties in Religion… with the exception perhaps- of getting at the communion table-… I have given the above statement to [illegible] an opinion-… that the different sectarians of religion in Dracutt [sic] can unite to have constant preaching at the Town House- by different sectarians, if the people generally would only feel a will- to cultivate that brotherly love toward each other as would become Christians…".

Joseph Bradley Varnum (1750/51-1821) was an American politician from Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic-Republican party, he served as a U.S. representative and senator, having held leadership positions in both bodies. Born in Dracut, Massachusetts as the son of a farmer and local official, Varnum would grow up to command the town's militia company during the American Revolution, eventually attaining the rank of major general in 1805. He was simultaneously a member of the U.S. House from 1795 to 1811, and served as Speaker of the House from 1807 to 1811.

We are proud to include items consigned by the Manuscript Society in this auction. These items come from the estate of well-known manuscript dealers Forest G. & Forest H. Sweet and Julia Sweet Newman. Forest G. Sweet was an early leader of the Manuscript Society as well as a rare book scholar. The proceeds from your purchase of these items will benefit the work of the Manuscript Society. You can learn more about them, and become a member of the Manuscript Society, at www.manuscript.org.

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" (largest)
  • Medium: Archive

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.

March 12, 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