Description:

Jewish Confederate Benjamin Signs Legal Document in Antebellum New Orleans

Future Confederate Secretary of State and Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin of Louisiana signed this legal document in a case between his client, commission merchant James Watt, and John P. Phillips, the captain of the Mississippi River steamboat Yellowstone.

JUDAH P. BENJAMIN, Manuscript Document Signed, Consent for Commission, May 8, 1835, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1 p., 7.75ʺ x 13ʺ. Expected folds; toning; tape repairs to some fold tears.

Complete Transcript
James Watt
v In the District Court
John P. Phillips
We consent that a commission issue in this case to take the testimony of witnesses on behalf of the plaintiff at Vicksburgh Mississippi
New Orleans 8th May 1835.
Benjamin / for plff
Isaac T. Preston / atty for deft

Judah P. Benjamin (1811-1884) was born in the Danish West Indies to Sephardic Jewish parents from London. His family immigrated to Charleston, South Carolina. Benjamin attended Yale College but left before graduating. He moved to New Orleans, gained admission to the bar, and began a legal practice. He also became a wealthy planter and slaveowner. He served in both the Louisiana House of Representatives and Louisiana Senate, before the legislature elected him to the U.S. Senate in 1852. He served from 1853 until his resignation in February 1861. He moved to Richmond when Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed him as Attorney General. In September 1861, Davis appointed Benjamin as Confederate Secretary of War, and in March 1862, as Confederate Secretary of State, a position he held until the collapse of the Confederacy in May 1865. As Confederate Secretary of State, he attempted to gain recognition for the Confederacy from Great Britain and France but was unsuccessful. He escaped Richmond in early 1865 and sailed to Great Britain, where he became a successful barrister before retiring in 1883.

Isaac T. Preston (1793-1852) was born in Virginia and graduated from Yale College in 1812 as class valedictorian. He served as a captain in the 35th Infantry during the War of 1812. He resumed legal studies in Norfolk, Virginia, before settling in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he began a law practice. He became proficient at litigating Spanish land claims. He served as Attorney General of Louisiana from 1824 to 1828 and again from 1843 to 1846. He also served as a Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1850 until his death. He died in the explosion of the steamboat St. James on Lake Pontchartrain, which was engaged in a race from Biloxi, Mississippi, to New Orleans.

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.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide 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 who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, 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, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

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 Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. 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.

May 26, 2021 10:30 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