Description:

Harrison William 1773 - 1841 Just a few days before the election of 1840, presidential candidate William Henry Harrison writes a letter to his friend discussing the possible outcomes of the upcoming election and the impact of "The Abolitionists [from whom]... there is no danger. Their whole vote given against me would not change the result".

Autograph Letter, unsigned, 1 p., .5" x 9.5". North Bend, Ohio, October 20, 1840. Harrison's signature absent. Color photocopy of address panel present. Fine condition.

The 14th presidential election of the United States pitted the war hero, Harrison, against the incumbent, Martin van Buren. The Whig, Harrison, won easily, just as he predicted in his letter- "However... there is no danger. Their whole vote given against me would not change the result [of the election]".

The letter in full reads, My Dear Sir, / I have just returned from a tour of 3 Weeks, & found your letter in which you mention the "Cold Sweats" you were suffering under from the apprehension of the success of Shannon. I hope that the news of our 18 or 20'000 majority may have relieved you before this reaches you. / My votes will considerably exceed Corwin, unless more of the Abolitionists Vote for him than I at present suppose to have done so. Under any circumstances however (as far as the Abolitionists are concerned) there is no danger. Their whole vote given against me would not change the result & I am certain of being supported by more than half of their numbers."

Harrison was, at the time, the oldest president to be inaugurated at 68 years, 23 days old. He also served the shortest stint of any president, only a mere 32 days in office. He died due to pneumonia contracted while giving his inauguration speech because he refused to wear a coat, thinking it made him look weak.

Thomas Corwin, to whom the letter refers, was a prominent Ohioan who served five straight terms in the US house of Representatives, where he earned the nickname, "the terror of the house" because of his reputation for spirited and witty debate. In 1840, Corwin resigned from Congress to run for governor of Ohio against the incumbent Wilson Shannon, whom the letter also mentions. He defeated Shannon to become Ohio's fifteenth governor. In addition to winning his own election, Corwin heavily contributed to Harrison's successful campaign for the presidency.

Edward Curtis, to whom the letter is directed, was a fellow Whig and compatriot of Harrison. He served as a representative from New York until March, 1841, when he was appointed Collector of the Port of New York City by Harrison, undoubtedly as a reward for his support during Harrison's campaign.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% 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