Description:

James Buchanan
Washington, DC, February [1860]
President James Buchanan Invites Colonel John Abert of the Corps of Topographical Engineers to Dine with Him at White House
MD
[JAMES BUCHANAN.] Partially Printed Document, Invitation to Colonel Abert to dinner, February [1860], Washington, D.C. 1 p., 4.75" x 3.25". Some staining at corners from previous mounting; very good.

This invitation from the President requests Colonel John J. Abert's "company to dinner" on Sunday, February 5.

Determining which president extended the invitation is complicated by the lack of a year or a president's name on the invitation. February 5 fell on a Sunday in 1843 [President John Tyler], 1854 [President Franklin Pierce], and 1860 [President James Buchanan], while Colonel John J. Abert served in Washington, D.C. An April 1860 newspaper article about a presidential dinner at the White House indicated that an invitation was "about the size of an ordinary playing card," but if you were invited by the President, "the dimensions of the card are double," like this one. The article indicates that the language of a presidential invitation requested the honor of your "company to dinner," which differed from some earlier presidents' requests for guests' "company at dinner." However, in 1845, President Polk requested a guest's "company to dinner," so the pattern seems to have varied. However, this 1860 article indicates that the invitation ended with "An early answer is requested" rather than "The favor of an Answer is desired" present here.

In early February 1843, newspapers reported that the Secretary of War transmitted to the House of Representatives a report by Colonel Abert regarding the possibility of draining the Everglades in Florida. Abert reported that careful and well-conducted surveys costing $10,000 would be necessary to determine the question. He had also made a report in the fall of 1842 regarding the Potomac Aqueduct.

In February 1854, Colonel Abert was involved in disputes between Georgetown and the city of Washington on which side of the Potomac River was originally the principal channel, each city claiming the preeminence for its side.

Whether President John Tyler, President Franklin Pierce, or President James Buchanan invited Colonel Abert to dinner on Sunday, February 5, this document is an intriguing artifact of Abert's long and productive career.

Complete Transcript
February
The President, / Requests the honor of / Col Aberts' / Company to dinner on Sunday the 5th inst at 3 oclock
The favor of an Answer is desired

James Buchanan (1791-1868) was born in Pennsylvania and graduated from Dickinson College in 1809. He served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Federalist from 1814-1816. With the collapse of the Federalist Party, Buchanan became a Republican-Federalist and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1821 to 1831, where he largely supported Andrew Jackson. He served as ambassador to Russia for eighteen months in 1832 and 1833, then as U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1834 to 1845. President James K. Polk appointed him as Secretary of State, a position he held from 1845 to 1849. President Franklin Pierce sent Buchanan as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, a position he held from 1853 to 1856. Being out of the country in the increasing sectional tensions caused by the Kansas-Nebraska Act and other controversies aided Buchanan's political fortunes in 1856, when he won the Democratic nomination on the 17th ballot over incumbent Pierce and Stephen Douglas of Illinois. Buchanan supported Douglas's doctrine of popular sovereignty, hoping to keep the divisive issue of slavery out of Congress and national debate. Two days after his inauguration, the Supreme Court issued its Dred Scott decision, declaring that Congress could not outlaw slavery in the territories. Far from settling the issue, the Court's decision fueled more sectional outrage. He took little direct action in response to the Panic of 1857, which hit northern cities and states hardest. Buchanan's poor handling of the Utah War and Bleeding Kansas also contributed to his poor reputation as president. As he left office, he famously declared that the southern states had no right to secede and that the federal government had no right to prevent them. He spent the Civil War weakly supporting the Union war effort and writing a memoir in defense of his presidency, published in 1866. Buchanan never married, the only president to remain a bachelor.

John J. Abert (1788-1863) was born in western Virginia and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1811 as a cartographer but declined a commission to practice law. In January 1812, he married Ellen Matlack Stretch and enlisted in the District of Columbia militia during the War of 1812. He was brevetted as a major for gallantry at the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814 and rejoined the regular army in October 1814 as a topographical engineer with the brevet rank of major. He served as chief of the Topographical Bureau (1829-1838) and wanted to be free from the oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1831, he persuaded Congress to remove the topographic engineers from the Corps of Engineers and place them directly under the Secretary of War. Abert was promoted to colonel in 1838, when he became Chief of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, a position he held for 23 years (1838-1861). Abert recruited the best soldier scientists he could find, including John C. Fremont, William H. Emory, and Andrew A. Humphreys. His corps was tasked with exploring and mapping the lands west of the Mississippi River. He retired from the Army in September 1861.

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: 4.75" x 3.25"
  • Medium: MD

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

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.

January 29, 2025 10:00 AM EST
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