Description:

Cooper James 1789 - 1851 James Fenimore Cooper announces his impending arrival to his publishers, so "that the printers may be in readiness, as I desire to return home by the 3d prox. in order to assist in making Martin Van Buren, President of the U. States of America."

James Fenimore Cooper Autograph Letter Signed written aboard the U.S.S. Macedonia off the Battery [New York], October 16, 1840; one page, 8.25" x 9". The letter is gently toned, with bold ink and has been tipped into a slight larger sheet. Expected folds. Docketed at top left by the recipient. Accompanied by a fine engraving of Cooper, 4.5" x 7.25" laid into a page, along with documented provenance as noted below.

Cooper is writing to his publishers, Lea and Blanchard of Philadelphia:

"Gentlemen,

I sail for New York to-morrow in this ship. We shall probably get in on Monday, and I hope to be in Philadelphia by the 20th, when I wish to finish printing Mercedes, without delay. I write that the printers may be in readiness, as I desire to return home by the 3d prox. In order to assist in making Martin Van Buren, President of the U. States of America.



Yours in haste,

J. Fenimore Cooper"

Cooper, a prolific writer, had published his History of the Navy of the United States of America and a book on the USS Constitution the year before. A few months prior to writing the letter offered here, Cooper had published the final installment of his Leatherstockings series, featuring his most famous character Natty Bumppo, the central figure of The Last of the Mohicans. In Mercedes of Castile, the book referenced in this letter, Cooper tells the story of Christopher Columbus, marking his literary return to the sea, his first love.

It is important to note that Cooper is writing from aboard the USS Macedonian, an active Navy frigate carrying 36 guns assigned to the West Indies squadron as a deterrent to Caribbean pirates. Cooper had served in the Navy and dedicated much of his life to recording its history. His work as a historian as well as his political connections would have given him access to use of naval frigate for his personal travel. The Macedonian was assigned to scouting the Caribbean seas and was likely on its way to another tour.

Cooper is anxious to return to the campaign trail, as he notes in his letter. Despite his efforts to get President Van Buren re-elected, William Henry Harrison would prove victorious. Although letters by Cooper are not uncommon, those referencing his literary work in any way appear with far less frequency. The letter offered here is particularly desirable as it evidences his political interests. The last Cooper letter to appear at auction with literary content sold in excess of $7475 in 2013.

Provenance: This item was recently discovered in an extra illustrated volume of "History of the City of New York" by Mary L. Booth, New York W. R. C. Clark, 1867. Originally two volumes, the monumental task of expanding the work to 21 volumes by none other than Emery E. Childs esquire of New York City. In volume 1 of this work exists a lovely india ink Drawing of Mary L. Booth along with a notation "presented by her to E E C" in pencil. Next to the title page we find an original letter of Booth to Childs dated April 4, 1872 " I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., and am grateful to hear that you are taking the trouble to illustrate my History of the City of New York in the manner you describe. I shall be happy to see you, should you favor me with a callas I am usually in my office during business hours and should be pleased to facilitate your Enterprise by any means in my power"

It is assumed that the book took several years to assemble at which point, assumedly through Childs, it made its way to Senator Charles B. Farwell of Chicago who took the seat of John A. Logan in 1887. Farwell had an extensive library that fortunately survived the great Chicago fire in 1871 having been housed in his Lakeside home. In the American Bibliopolist of November 1871 there is an article about the devastation to libraries caused by the tragedy . "Mr C. B. Farwell's library is also fortunately far out from the city, at his country house, and is safe, The same remark will also apply to the extensive collection of books and curiosities belonging to Mr. E. E. Childs." This establishes the Chicago connection between Childs and Farwell.

That these letters were preserved for over 140 years and have never been on the market for that period is remarkable on many levels. It is the state of being wedged in these volumes that also account for what is mostly the pristine state of preservation.

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