Description:

William H. Harrison 1840 Running For Pres. ALS Apologizing for Neglecting Friendship During Campaign

Signed "WH Harrison" and addressed to William Ayres, Esq., apologizing profusely for not answering his letter sooner.1p, measuring 7.5" x 9.5", North Bend, Ohio, dated June 25, 1840. Harrison seeks to convince his friend that he truly values their friendship, and has only neglected his correspondence due to an increasingly high amount of letters received and a case of neuroglia. With flattened mail folds and light edge toning. Minor foxing and soiling throughout. Boldly signed, very fine overall.

In full:

"Your letter of the 16th was sent to me today from the office with twenty one others. You are about the fiftieth friend that I have offended by not answering their letters. But I cannot help it. If I neglect my own affairs to the great injury of my family & make it a point to answer no family letters excepting to a daughter in law in La. who is dependent upon me for support for [illegible]'s children. If I write until I am afflicted with neuroglia & am assured by my Physician that I shall fix it upon my constitution. I think I am doing quite as much as could reasonably be required of me. I have written to no one in Harrisburg with the exception of one letter to a gentleman that I have never written to before unless it was in answer to some inquiry or to make some statement that was required of me. Altho I am unconscious of having ever treated a friend with intentional disrespect I am certain that offences of this sort are sometimes against me & I cannot deny that it may be so in yr case. If however any assurance of mine can satisfy you that no diminution of my friendship has occurred & that I still recollect with gratitude yr early & constant exertions on my behalf, I now offer it & that I am very sincerely yr friend."

At the time of writing, Harrison was in the middle of his 1840 presidential campaign. Harrison's rallies had grown to unprecedented sizes, and he would sometimes deliver speeches at them, which broke the usual custom that presidential hopefuls should not campaign. Prior to this letter, Harrison had just given an address at the June 13 commemoration of the 1813 Siege of Fort Meigs, and between June and October, he gave 24 addresses throughout Ohio (some lasting up to 3 hours). He would go on to win the presidency, but fell ill just one month into his first term and died on April 4, 1841.

William Ayres (1788-1856) was a celebrated lawyer and member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1833-1835. In 1834, Ayres and colleague Thaddeus Stevens became fast friends while working together for the establishment of a common school system of education. Ayres was a supporter of Joseph Ritner, the Anti-Masonic party candidate elected Governor of Pennsylvania in November 1835.

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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