Description:

James A. Garfield
n.p., March 18, 1877
James A. Garfield Cryptic ALS Addressed To Confederate Veteran, Possibly Re: Hayes Administration's Reconstruction Policy In Louisiana! With Beckett LOA
ALS

A 1p autograph letter signed by future 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield (1831-1881), then a Congressman from Ohio, as "J.A. Garfield" at lower right. [March 18, 1877.] N.p. The date was likely inscribed in another hand. Inscribed by Garfield on laid orange paper. Docketed in another hand verso as: "Letter from James A. Garfield to Col. A.J. Kellar - Keep." Pencil-annotated in another hand verso as: To adjourn the debate on the credentials of Senator Kellogg to the Regular Session in Dec. following -." Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a small area of edge loss at bottom, else near fine. 6.125" x 8." Accompanied by a Beckett Letter of Authenticity, certification number AB45191, dated March 9, 2022.

Congressman Garfield wrote this enigmatic letter to Colonel Andrew Jackson Kellar (1835-1907), a Kentucky-born Confederate veteran, and the owner and editor of the "Memphis Avalanche" newspaper. The tantalizing vagueness of Garfield's letter is elucidated by the note verso, which indicates that Garfield and Kellar had been debating the credentials of Senator from Louisiana William Pitt Kellogg (1830-1918). Kellogg was a deeply polarizing political figure who became one of the most notorious lightning rods of the Republican Party's Reconstruction policy in the South.

Garfield wrote in part:

"Dear Sir -

I have followed the line of our conversation of this morning - and think I am not mistaken in saying, quite confidently, the result will be as deserved -

Very Truly Yours

J.A. Garfield."

We can assume that Garfield's Republican Party affiliation and Kellar's adherence to the Democratic Party likely set the two at odds over the question of William Pitt Kellogg's recent election as the sole Republican Senator from Louisiana. William Pitt Kellogg was a Vermont-born Republican, widely perceived as a carpetbagger, who had become Governor of Louisiana in 1873. Kellogg's gubernatorial term was rife with crisis and controversy. Kellogg's Democratic rival, John McEnery, disputed the gubernatorial election, leading to the formation of a "rump legislation." Racially charged demonstrations and violence led then-President Ulysses S. Grant to send federal troops to prop up Governor Kellogg's administration. Kellogg's term as Governor had just ended in January 1877.

This was the background, then, of Kellogg's election as Senator from Louisiana in 1876, while still an embattled Governor. The 45th U.S. Congress had just opened two weeks earlier, on March 4, 1877. Democratic voices in Congress publicly questioned Senator Kellogg's legitimacy. While they clamored that Kellogg's election credentials were irregular, Republicans brushed these claims aside. Kellogg's case was referred to the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections for review. Kellogg completed his Senate term - in fact serving until 1883 - but he wisely did not seek reelection.

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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  • Provenance: Becket LOA.
  • Dimensions: 6.125" x 8"
  • Medium: ALS

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