Description:

James Buchanan
Lancaster, PA, November 8, 1837
James Buchanan ALS Ordering Wine For Himself & Close Ally "Col. King of Alabama"
ALS
Autograph letter signed "James Buchanan" as Pennsylvanian Senator to one Peter Wager in which he orders a large amount of wine for the next Congressional session. 1p, 7.75" x 9.25", Lancaster, PA, November 8, 1837. Within, Buchanan notably refences boardinghouse companion and close political ally William Rufus King (1786-1853) as "Col. King of Alabama". Features expected letter folds and areas of minor surface creasing throughout. Otherwise, near fine.

Reading in full:

"Our mess at Washington, consisting of Col. King of Alabama, Col. Nicholas of LA, & myself desire to purchase from you a quarter cask of the same wine that you sent to me. As it would be inconvenient for us to keep it in the cask I would thank you to have it bottled & sent to Washington to the care of Mrs. Ironsides, Seventh Street. The sooner, the better; as it will have time to settle. I hope we may have the pleasure of giving you a glass of it during the session. You will be so good as to send us the Bill at the commencement of the session, including bottling."

The nature of the relationship between James Buchanan and William Rufus King has been debated amongst both contemporaries and modern-day historians alike. Over the course of their respective tenures as congressmen, the bachelors lived together for 13 years, from 1840 until King's death in 1853. Such a living arrangement was then common for unmarried politicians, though Buchanan once referred to the relationship as a "communion". While there is little surviving evidence to suggest romantic affection between the two, a number of modern historians have interpreted Buchanan to be the first gay man to serve as President. Indeed, Buchanan and King's contemporary political rivals, Andrew Jackson among them, noted their closeness by mockingly referring to them as "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy".

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:
  • 7.75" x 9.25"
  • Artist Name:
  • James Buchanan
  • Medium:
  • ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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 up to [bp]% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions