Description:

War of 1812
Washington, D.C., February 9, 1831
War of 1812 Military Claims Agent Argues "all men are created equal," Great Content!
ALS

A lengthy letter from a veterans' agent to members of the Pennsylvania Central Assembly, invoking the words of Declaration of Independence. 10pp plus 2 blank pages, measuring 7.75" x 9.75", Washington, D.C., dated February 9, 1831. Signed "Jos: Watson" and addressed to Samuel B. Davis, Solomon G. Krepps, Nathaniel P. Fetterman, and Charles Brown, of the PA Central Assembly. Writing from the Solicitors' Office for claims, Watson calls out the poor treatment of one of his agents and cites the importance of agents' work for veterans of the War of 1812. It appears that most of the letter is written in another hand, while Watson has added a few emendations and an extra paragraph that has been attached within. With flattened mail folds and moderate toning. Some chipping at the edges. Overall very good.

Reading in part:
"Mr. Hodson has returned to this city and reported to me…the unkind course pursued towards him by the Committees of your Legislature… I also feel it a duty, which I owe not less to you and those friends who had recommended him, than to myself and the claimant, to make those remarks and explanations which the case seems imperiously to call for and I can assure you Gentlemen, that I feel less reluctance in making these explanations from a conviction that Mr. Middleswarth, who appears to have been in this instance, the instrument of injustice & illiberality, both in his opinions and in his acts, aims to practice on the enlightened and benevolent maxim 'Let justice be done, though the heavens fall'…

…the fact no less exists that altho' provisionally retained, I vacated my situation of District paymaster in the General Staff of the Army to make room for those who had suffered by wounds or the loss of limbs. This sanction placed me in the attitude which made it incumbent on me to establish one uniform scale of charges and secured the passage thro' my hands of hundreds of thousands of dollars and it remains for me to learn that a single claimant has ever complained of my charges. Copies of documents No. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 will shew some of the claims which I have on public confidence and should shield my transactions as an Agent from jaundiced suspicion…If therefore, you allot to Members of Congress (for if Agents are not recognized, the decrepit, unaided, or uninformed claimant must seek some avenue of approach to your halls) or to Members of your own body or to placement, that aristocratic sacredness of character, which would give them the exclusive privilege of purifying that which but for their touch would have been impure, you hold forth not only a facility, but an enticement to plotting iniquity or hard gripping extortion, to practice their wiles on the unwary fathers of our liberties…What says the sacred inspiration of our liberties? 'That all men are created equal' - what says the constitution of Pennsylvania? 'That all men are born equally free and independent & have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which'…are property and reputations. Holding to the precepts of the Jeffersonian school and the principles of common justice, I think that in our country no distinctions should be drawn, but such as merit and good conduct may create and that no one should suffer the penalty of wrong, or the mere suspicion of its existence…

…How it happens that claims are proffered by me from various parts of the Union, will be shewn by the accompanying circular No. 6, long since issued and by the fact that for nearly 16 years I have taken much trouble to impart to claimants a knowledge of their rights, during one period of which, I had more than fifty cooperating agents spread this the U. States, one of whom is now the Chancellor of the State of New York; I am consequently somewhat known unto them; It has been my good fortune to receive, as well as to deserve the confidence of many of them; that I have indulged in sympathies for the interests of the old soldiers, I would appeal to documents No. 3 herewith…"

We believe that the above letter was written by and on behalf of Joseph Watson of Washington, D.C. (ca. 1788-1836), who acted as military agent. After the War of 1812, Watson moved to Washington, D.C., where he opened a military and general agency store to help veterans of the War of 1812 obtain their bounty land from the U.S. government. He also worked to obtain documentation against the United States for damages incurred or services provided by residents. At the time of his death in 1836, Watson was still working aiding military veterans with his little brother, Winslow Cossoul Watson, who practiced law in D.C.

Ner Middleswarth (1783-1865) was a New Jersey politician from New Jersey who served as a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district from 1853 to 1855. In 1812, he raised a company of Volunteers and entered the war as a captain, attached to the Pennsylvania Riflemen. Upon his retirement from the army in 1815, Middleswarth was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. During his tenure, he was named as Speaker of the House in 1828 and 1836.

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: 7.75" x 9.75"
  • Medium: ALS

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