Description:

Mexican-American War
Philadelphia, PA, June 22, 1846
NY Son of the Revolution Volunteers for Mex-Am War: "offer my services" to "prosecute the war against Mexico"
retained copy ALS

A retained copy of an 1p autograph letter signed by a New Yorker named Charles H. Delavan (1810-1892), who offered to enlist as a New York volunteer in the Mexican-American War. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. June 22, 1846. Delavan has signed his name at the letter's conclusion as "Charles H. Delavan." Inscribed on blue-lined paper, once probably bifold but now unevenly sheared along the left edge. Docketed verso. Expected wear including minor to moderate toning and isolated edge darkening. Flattened transmittal folds, some with minor splits. Else very good. 8" x 12.25."

Delavan addressed this letter to Robert E. Temple, Adjutant General of New York at Albany, who had recently published a call for volunteers via the "Albany Argus." The Mexican-American War had broken out just two months earlier, in late April 1846, and Delavan wrote to express his interest in enlisting. Delavan wrote in part, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

"I perceive by an order of yours of the 20th instant … that you are desirous of receiving further volunteers to prosecute the war against Mexico, as a citizen of the State of New York I do hereby offer my services as a volunteer and should you conclude to accept them I shall be most happy to receive a communication from you to that effect. I am a son of the late Genl Daniel Delavan of Westchester County who distinguished himself in the revolutionary war and I have recently returned from Nova Scotia where I have had the honour to represent the U.S. as Consul for Cape Breton and New Foundland for the last three years, I would also state that I am a single young man, able bodied and thirty one years of age…"

Charles H. Delavan was indeed the son of Captain Daniel Delavan (1757-1835) of Westchester County, New York; Captain Delavan served in various Patriot outfits from 1775 until the end of the Revolutionary War, eventually attaining the rank of Captain. In acknowledgement of this lineage, Charles H. Delavan (along with his younger brother Christian Delavan) both joined the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York in 1884. We can also confirm that Charles H. Delavan was indeed in the U.S. foreign service (Delavan later served as a U.S. Commercial Agent in St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies between 1849-1850.) However, we have every reason to suspect that Delavan was lying about his age; he was certainly not 31 years old as he claimed. Rather, he would turn 36 years old in just one month's time, in July 1846.

There is no evidence to suggest that Robert E. Temple accepted Delavan's offer to serve in the U.S. military. No service records exist for him in the U.S. Mexican War Soldiers & Sailors Database, and no contemporary obituaries list Delavan as having served in the conflict.

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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  • Dimensions: 8" x 12.25"
  • Medium: retained copy ALS

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