317. FRANKLIN PIERCE His franking signature "Franklin Pierce" as President, 9" x 4 1/2", on a cover (front panel only) addressed in his hand to Pierce Butler in Philadelphia. Postmark covers a portion of first name. Born into a wealthy and prominent Philadelphia family in 1806, Pierce Butler was the grandson of Revolutionary War veteran Major Pierce Butler, a U.S. Senator from South Carolina and the author of the Constitution's fugitive slave clause. He owned two plantations in Georgia. In 1812, Butler owned 638 slaves and was one of the wealthiest men in the United States. Pierce Butler, the grandson, inherited this fortune in March of 1836 to become one of the largest slaveholders in the nation. Very good. $200 - 300