Letter from Alexander Hamilton III to James Alexander Hamilton

Letter

-

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Letter from Alexander Hamilton III to James Alexander Hamilton

Entry/Object ID

HHV 005.38

Tags

Accessioned object

Description

Letter from Alexander Hamilton III to James Alexander Hamilton

Subject

Illinois stock (confusion over), favorable financial situation of family returns, “Grandma” [Eliza Schuyler Hamilton], Havre Packet, the “Louis Philippe” (steamboat enterprise?), AH Jr. intention to return to NY, will give notice in February, Erie Railroad venture, “new lights”, “Texas question” (annexation, slave/no slavery, territory or state), Olozaga to fled Portugal, Christina invited by some to return, Havre packet, Liverpool packet

Subject Person/Organization

Alexander Hamilton III, James Alexander Hamilton, Washington Irving, Salustiano de Olózaga y Almandoz

Subject Place

* Untyped Subject Place

Madrid, Spain, New York, Russia, Paris, France, Havre, France, Liverpool, UK

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

Dec 24, 1843

Sender

Name

A.H.

Address

James A. Hamilton Esq. Nevis Westchester Co. N.Y.

Addressee

Name

James A. Hamilton Esq.

Transcription

Transcription

Madrid Sunday Dec 25th 1843. My dear Papa . I had the great pleasure of receiving yesterday / your letter of Nov 28’’ with the bright accounts of the / condition of public affairs and your own : I had strong hopes / that Fortune which has been of late so inauspicious towards / you, much turn at last, and as you went down with the / Country you would also revive with it : in relation to the / certificate of Illinois stock I can add very little more than / I have already written : I remember distinctly calling on / Mr. Perry at his counting house + receiving it from him : I / then; it appears to me, called at the Phenix Bank, where I / caused the shares to be entered. _ I think _ in my own name; / perhaps in yours, and then placed it in the bundle with / the receipts from Grandma’s and other valuable papers. / which I handed over to you shortly after your arrival : / for [END OF PAGE 1] For greater certainty I have examined a bundle of papers which / I brought with me, chiefly Custom House documents in connection / with our goods in the “Louis Philippe”; but find nothing relating to / the certificate : _ The entry on the books of the Illinois and my evidence / 9if necessary) would I should think be sufficient to establish your claim _ write at once by Havre Packet if you wish [^ me] to do anything in the pre = / =mises. In conversation with Mr. Irving, I have alluded to my / return in the Spring; and without urging it directly, he speaks (no / doubt sincerely) of the great advantage a larger residence here would / bring me : I can say with confidence from his own declaration that / he will be very sorry to part with me; and he alludes very kindly / alludes to the interest he takes in my advancement as equal to what [^ that] / he should feel for his own son : It is one agreable result of this visit / to Europe, to have secured such a place in his esteem + affection. _ / My intention is at present to give him notice in the month of / February of my return, in order that he may take measures to secure / a successor who may be agreeable to him. I hope that your next letter will five me / the details of the arrangement with the Erie Railroad, if it has / succeeded, as this is a matter of great interest on several points. / [END OF PAGE 2] We look with anxiety for the message and the “new lights” on the / Texas question, which at this distance seems very formidable. Count Bresson is here an dour near neighbor : He / exhibits all the attachment to the U.S. for which we gave him credit / and comes round socially to gossip about New York and the “beautiful / Hudson River”, which ends in a wish from all parties “to be there” : He / spoke of meeting you on your return form Russia and the pleasure it / gave him. He is a quiet cautious man, just the thing wanted here / at present, when one party would drag him into all their plots and / plans and the other would abuse him in advance for what he / was suspected to be about to do : this selection at such a crisis is ano-[wax seal]/ proof of the judgment of the bourgeois king _ In Spanish politics there is a lull. Olozaga / is reported very currently to have fled to Portugal escorted by a band / of “Contrabandistas” and avoiding all large places to have made a / rapid escape thro the wilderness. _ [^ a truly Spanish denouement!)] on the other side some members of the/ Cortes have gone to Paris to invite Christina to return, and she seems / [hesitating?] and doubtful, whether to trust herself again to the tender / mercies of Spanish politicians. The Diplomatic corps is increasing by the recognition / of some of the Italian States, and a Neapolitan prince (The Queen’s uncle). [END OF PAGE 3] Is now talked of for the hand of Isabella: I hope you will write during the winter by Havre / + Liverpool whose packets are making very short trips. Mr. Irving still suffers in his limbs being only able to drive / -out, and especially during the last few days, when the house has been dis - / mantled in order to paint + paper, and make our quarters comfortable / for the winter _ Good night _ this is Christmas Eve _ but no doughnuts / or crullers await us in this barbarous land _ I send all a happy / new year! Which will be old enough by the time it reaches you. A great deal of love to all / your affec. Son A.H. J.A.H. Esq. [ADDRESS] James A. Hamilton Esq. Nevis Westchester Co. N.Y.

Transcriber

Kathryn Alexander

Language

English

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Former Number

Other Number

H 872

Parts

Count

1

Location

Notes

Temporary

General Notes

Note Type

Department

Note

Library

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Condition: Good

Created By

CHannan

Create Date

March 4, 2024

Updated By

cmonaco@hudsonvalley.org

Update Date

October 8, 2025