Letter from James Alexander Hamilton to Alexander Hamilton III

Letter

-

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Letter from James Alexander Hamilton to Alexander Hamilton III

Entry/Object ID

HHV 005.15

Tags

Accessioned object

Description

Letter from James Alexander Hamilton to Alexander Hamilton III

Subject

Clay Whigs, The National Intelligencer, “R. G. & S.”?? Steam Boat Enterprise, The Globe, Ways and Means Committee, Select Committee

Subject Person/Organization

James Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton III, Joseph Gales Jr.

Subject Place

* Untyped Subject Place

Madrid, Spain, Washington, DC, New York

Collection

Hamilton Collection

Cataloged By

Tara R. Iacobellis

Category

Documentary Artifact
Communication Artifacts

Acquisition

Source (if not Accessioned)

J.C. Hamilton

Notes

J.C. Hamilton : Donor Credit Line: Source: J. C. Hamilton

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Letter

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Correspondence

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Letter Details

Letter Date

Feb 18, 1843

Stamp

[RED WAX SEAL, stain remains, max gone]

Sender

Name

JAH

Address

Alexander Hamilton Jr Esq Sec’y of Legation of the United States Madrid [REVERSE OF ADDRESS] From Papa - at Washington Feby 18th Red’c April 9. 1843

Addressee

Name

Alexander Hamilton Jr Esq

Transcription

Transcription

[LINED PAPER, blue] Washington Feby 18th 1843 My dear son I have been here for the last / five weeks watching these troubled waters _ Nothing / is to be done at this session to save [^ serve] the Country. The / currency will be left as it is because the Clay Whigs / cannot [mend? &?] in there own way by a Bank / which it is now im;possible to adopt for at / least 8 perhaps 7 years. The afsumptive pro: / [ject?] is intruding with the People who go faster / than the Politicians A Majority of the [Cmmee - “committee”] / of Ways & Means have [reported?] against the scheme / The Select Cmee of which Johnston is chairman / has not yet reported & perhaps they will / not. The Clay men have at length argued / to call a Committee to nominate thus opening / the question Being satisfied that Clay / can’t be elected I am open & decided / for some other candidate Perhaps Judge / Mr. Lear of Ohio is the most prominent & / might be nominated if Clay would / [?? ?? unrecovered, illegible] should be not the various [?sutnurs?Senators? / of [END OF PAGE 1] Of any [committee?] that may be called would / certainly unite upon him in preference to any / other. I fear more than I hope on all this / subject _ You will see a letter in The Intelligencer / [^ of the 4 or 5 ??] [dated?] Madrid which you will recognize I / handed it to Mrs. Gales to read she to her / husband + he was so much pleased with it / that sh he insisted publishing it or / rather published it and thus you have got into / print. It was on the same day copied / into the Globe without solicitation or / knowledge on my part. I wish you could find time to / write for The Intelligencer I am sure / it would be a great service to you ) / think of it my dear Boy you must / now seek reputation in order that / you may thusly acquire money which / is at this moment with us all in great / want. The faults of the [???[ cmpn’y / has cut me off from Income & I fear / that we will not be [improved?] for / [END OF PAGE 2] At least two years. The Capital has last $110.000 / & that must be made good before a [hundred?] can / be made I am about (I ??) to engage with / R. & G. & S in some Steam Boat operation by / which I may make & I may lose money / at all events I am bound to make the experi: / :ment [Maria?] & sisters are well as am I / with the exception of a Cold I will leave / this letter to be [posted?] from the State Department / and return to N.Y. to day with George / Good bless you dear son Yours JAH A Hamilton Jr Esq ~~~ Madrid [END OF PAGE 3] [ADDRESS] Alexander Hamilton Jr Esq Sec’y of Legation of the United States Madrid [REVERSE OF ADDRESS] From Papa - at Washington Feby 18th Red’c April 9. 1843 ____________ [RED WAX SEAL, stain remains, max gone]

Transcriber

Kathryn Alexander

Language

English

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Former Number

Other Number

H 348

Parts

Count

1

Location

Notes

Temporary

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Condition: Good

Created By

CHannan

Create Date

March 4, 2024

Updated By

cmonaco@hudsonvalley.org

Update Date

September 29, 2025