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This folded lettersheet / stampless letter has a circular date stamp which is too faint to decipher, but I assume it is Washington City (D.C.), you can just barely see the W, etc.
There is a free franking signature for John Reynolds, also a faint red FREE marking, and the letter is addressed to Richmond, Virginia, and is a one page letter written by John Reynolds. The headline is Washington 17th Feby 1837.
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From his Congressional biography: "REYNOLDS, John, a Representative from Illinois; born in Montgomery County, near Philadelphia, Pa., February 26, 1788; moved to Illinois in 1800 with his parents, who settled in the vicinity of Kaskaskia; pursued classical studies; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Cahokia, Ill., in 1812; elected a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court in 1818; unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1823; member of the State house of representatives 1827-1829; Governor of Illinois from December 6, 1830, to November 17, 1834, when he resigned, having been elected to Congress; in 1832 took the field as commander of the State militia in the Black Hawk War; elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Slade; reelected to the Twenty-fourth Congress and served from December 1, 1834, to March 3, 1837; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1843); again a member of the State house of representatives in 1846 and 1852 and served during the latter term as speaker; unsuccessful candidate for election to the State senate in 1848; unsuccessful candidate for State superintendent of schools in 1858; engaged in newspaper work; died in Belleville, St. Clair County, Ill., on May 8, 1865; interment in Walnut Hill Cemetery." |
Some abstracts:
"As stated to you verbally, I now repeat that I will give you at the rate of $2000 per year for the time you may be engaged on a Rail Road in the State of Illinois extending about six miles from coal mines to the Mississippi opposite St. Louis, in Missouri. You are to take charge of said Road as Engineer and give it your attention as such from the time you commence."
"If any thing should occur ..."
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Condition of the letter rates good. As usual with stampless letters, after writing on one or more sides of a sheet of paper, the letter was folded several times and mailed. Please note that most stampless letters have faults such file folds, tears at and opposite the sealing wax area, and some stains / wear / tear here and there. I hope the scan gives you a general idea of the condition. |
An interesting letter good for genealogy and history research. See my other auctions for similar items.
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