325. (JAMES BUCHANAN) A.L.S. from a young woman teacher to her sister, 6pp, 4to, Washington, Feb. 9, 1846, explaining why President Buchanan was a bachelor. In small part: "...I will tell you his romantic history...He had commenced the study of law and...went to a country village where he boarded in a house of a very wealthy widow lady who had one daughter [Ann Caroline Coleman]. As a matter of course the young people fell in love and the mother opposed. She finally taunted her [daughter] with mercenary motives. When his high spirit would not break and again exchanging promises with his lady love he left her saying that he would never return till he could support her in eminence as a lawyer and after...I suppose several years returned to claim his bride to whom he had constantly written, though his letters had not been answered. Just before reaching the village he fell and broke his arm and the physician who set it forbid him to go out that night, [so] with his left hand he wrote her a note saying that he would call the next morning. He did so, but was received so coldly by mother and daughter that he soon took leave. On his way to the inn he met an acquaintance who told him that the lady had become engaged to another gentleman and was only waiting for a favorable opportunity to break the engagement...He immediately wrote releasing her from all promises. Upon receiving the note she told her mother she could never marry anyone. She then asked her servant if she would accompany her wherever she wished to go. Late in the evening they arrived at the house of an uncle. She complained of a pain in the stomach. She said nothing but a laudanum poultice would cure. She went to her room with the vial of laudanum. She did not come down for breakfast...as it grew late they went to her room to find the door locked. [They] forced it and she was a corpse. When the mother saw the lifeless form of her child she was filled with remorse, and sending for Mr. Buchanan...confessed that she had intercepted all his letters and persuaded this individual to tell him the story of the engagement...". Although dozens of people circulated conflicting versions of this pathetic affair during Buchanan's lifetime, Buchanan himself never spoke of the matter leading to speculation that he was in fact, a homosexual. This letter, written some 27 years after the events contains several errors in fact however, we have never seen a similar commentary from one of the strangest occurrences in Buchanan's life. With the attached integral address leaf. Very good. $700 - 900