ALS signed “J. Tyler,” one page both sides, 4.5 x 7, no date. Letter to Captain William C. Bolton of the “U.S. Ship Pennsylvania,” in full: “Jarvis one of your crew represents that he was drawn off for a moment from his boat from a desire to visit some of his old shipmates on the point and was most unexpectedly absent when you returned to Norfolk. He seems to be sincerely repentant and has begged a line from me in his behalf. You know best what is due to discipline, but if you can excuse the poor fellow I am sure he will give you no further cause for complaint. He was one of my bargeman last fall twelve months and behaved himself remarkably well. The whole matter however is in your hands." In very good to fine condition, with light irregular toning, and some staining and seal-related paper loss to the integral address leaf.
Captain William C. Bolton (1791-1849) commanded Gosport Navy Yard at Norfolk, VA (where the USS Pennsylvania served as receiving ship) throughout the entirety of Tyler's presidency. His time there for the short periods before and after Tyler was in office strongly suggests that the letter was written while Tyler was president. Bolton's widow, Mary, later married Naval Explorer Captain Charles Wilkes of the infamous ‘Trent Affair’ at the outset of the Civil War.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$75.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
We use cookies on this site to improve your experience. By using this site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.