Kaaterskill Books

Charleston, SC: 1848. [4] pp. Bifolium. 8 x 10.5 inches. Very good, tiny tears and light browning, particularly around folds, minor ink bleed through, contents clean. Item #44420

A wonderful letter filled with descriptions and anecdotes of prominent military and political figures including Andrew Jackson. Dated Feb. 28th, 1848, just as the Mexican American War was concluding (the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo occurred less than four weeks before this letter was written, and Polk's message to Congress concerning the Treaty a scant six days prior). Burns tells his cousin Anson of his visit to Washington, D.C., to attend the celebrations, hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Clifford (Nathan Clifford was Attorney General). Burns was introduced to President Polk, and presented the respects of his uncle, Dr. Burns, to which Polk replied, "'Are you a relative of Dr. Burns? I am glad to see you' and 'How is the doctor? I have a great regard for him. I always know where to find him. We fought shoulder to shoulder through a stormy campaign. The Doctor was one of my finest friends - he never flinched. But how happens it that I did not see him at Concord last summer? I expected to have met him'."

Burns later attended a private ball at the home of Secretary of Treasury, Robert J. Walker's, where Burns admits he was "attaché to the Cabinet ladies". Here he met, among other politicians and military figures General [Sam] Houston and Colonel May, captor of La Vega, who shared with Burns the comical circumstances that led to his appointment as Captain by Andrew Jackson. May tells Burns that "he had waiting long at Washington as an unsuccessful applicant for a commission until, in a fit of desperation, he mounted his horse & knowing himself one of the boldest riders in the County, galloped to the White House, rode up to the door & demanded to see the President. The servant asked him to walk in, but he declines, insisting that he must see his excellency at the Doors. At a summons so unusual, the President hurried down and asked what he wanted. I wish you to see me ride, said he. With that, he vaulted into the saddle, leaped over the iron picket enclosure backward & forward dome half dozen times and after curveting[?] about the yard, brought up in front of the palace, rode up the steps & dismounted. Now, says he, General, if you think me worthy of a Commission in the Cavalry, & shall be most happy. I appoint you Captain on the spot, said the old hero. Subsequent events show how well he deserved the station."

Burns closes the letter with an excerpt of his farewell exchange with President Polk. "The morning before I left, I called to bid goodbye to the Polks. He had just transmitted to the Senate his answer to their call for information relative to Mexican affairs. Says he, "Mr. Burns, What am I to do? Here I am, continually questioned, not only as to fads, but intentions, motives, & opinions. Now the information they want would be at this time, highly injurious. Mexico knows too much already. Who is to be the judge?" I told him I thought he certainly ought not to communicate information which he knew would prove injurious. "Certainly not," said he. He then referred to the publication of the correspondence of Mr. Reeves with his Government, relative to French claims, in which Mr. Reeves boasts what a good bargain he had made relative to French claims. The French Minister was present & the difficulty with France grew mainly out of this intention. To Mr. Johnson, the new senator from Georgia, he said, "you have got just high enough. If you should happen to get into this place looking round the cabinet room, you will not find yourself by any means, in a quiet position. In fact, Mr. Polk looked haggard and very much perplexed. But we shall soon have peace, on that you may depend."

Price: $600.00