Description:

SAMUEL HOLTEN
(1738 - 1816) American revolutionary and statesman, member of the Committee of Safety from July, 1776, delegate to the Continental Congress, and Massachusetts Constitutional Convention. An outstanding grouping of 14 retained copies of letters sent by Holten to various correspondents, 16pp., most 4to., written from Boston, Philadelphia, Danvers, Trenton and New York, most dated 1784-1785, the balance dated 1786, 1794, 1795 and 1813. Much important content penned largely Massachusetts Secretary John Avery. In small part: "...[Apr. 8, 1783] no measures have been taken by Congress to induce the other states to redeem their proportions of our old paper currency as soon as some important matters are determined upon that are now before Congress...The honorable Mr. [James] Lovell will present a draft for 400 pounds...I am informed that a pacquet is arrived in N.Y. with further confirmation that a general Peace having been agreed upon the 20th of Jan.y & permit me to congratulate you upon this happy & glorious event [Britain and America had signed the preliminary articles of peace]...[Mar. 10, 1784] I suppose the grant made me in my absence for past monies...I suppose the committee did not attend fully...endeavor to remove the difficulty that my account may be passed upon...[Mar. 21, 1785] I have made the communication to Mr. King you desired; Messrs. Gerry & Partridge had left...His Excellency's resignation, I confess, was very unexpected, and the reasons assigned have given me concern...Congress have not come to any determination relative to absentees being allowed Interest since the definitive treaty of Peace ...the application from Massachusetts is still under consideration...[June 18, 1785] We should be allowed 10 dollars per month. I again asked the attention of Congress to the affair, and 8 states were in favor of the report...Mr. Wallcutt [?] with these proceedings , with an assurance of my further endeavors...[May 12, 1794] I am sorry to find that you so favor a war, for I am not so much concerned for officers...as I am for how the money is to be procured to carry it on, & what will become of the morals of our people...they are not recovered from the last war...". Holten's last letter from 1813 describes to his sister in painful detail the death of his wife. Much more fine detail, with almost every letter mentioning Congress. Three additional letters include one from a family member, Lake Webster, and a retained copy of a letter from Avery. Condition varies due to seal tears, with a few splits, else generally very good.

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May 13, 2009 10:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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