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Lot #
398
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The Finest Henry Clay LetterThe death of his son on the battle field at Buena Vista during the Mexican War !
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| The letter, 1 ALS, dated April 26, 1847, was written by Henry Clay to the men at the Commercial Room Association of the city of Philadelphia. The content of the letter relates to the death of Henry Clay, Jr. who died on the battle field leading a charge at Buena Vista during the Mexican War on February 23, 1847. Clay was wounded by gun fire, and as his men attempted to come to his rescue he was bayoneted to death. The letter relates the grief that Clay and his wife were suffering, which seemed nearly insurmountable. This extraordinary letter reads in full: Ashland, 26th April 1847 Gentlemen, I duly received your letter, as members of the Commercial Room Association of Philadelphia, addressed to me on the 16th instant, communicating your kind sympathy and condolence with Mrs. Clay and me, in consequence of our good and unrepairable loss of a beloved son, on the battle field of Buena Vista. We both are very thankful and grateful for the friendly consideration of us which prompted your communication. Although our lives have been full of affliction, this last, coming as it did in the evening of our days, is one of the severest, and most heart rending with which we have ever been visited. You tell me gentlemen, that you did not personally know my dear son, and that the tribute which you kindly render to his memory, and sympathy which you feel for his disconsolate parents, proceed from the love and affection which you do me the honor to entertain for me. If he had enjoyed the happiness of your acquaintance, you would have known, I am sure, that he had a far better title to your respect and esteem, founded on his own rare merits, than any arising out of his connection with me. If we could have derived consolation, for our distressing bereavements, from any human source, it would have been found in the general sorrow and regret which, we have reason to believe, the whole community feels for us, in common with you. But there are some wounds, so painful and deep, that He only can heal them, in the desperations of whose Providence they have been permitted to be exploited. We hope that He will listen to our prayers for fortitude, resignation to his will, and submission to his desire, in the hour of our grief and trial. It is a melancholy satisfaction to me to know that my beloved son fell, where he preferred to expire, if death must prematurely come, on the field of battle, in the service of his country. I am, Gentlemen, with high respect, Your friend & obedt. Servant H. Clay Mr. James Deverence, James C. Hand Daniel Haddock, and the other Members of the Commercial Room Association Of the City of Philadelphia Certainly, from a content perspective, this the finest Henry Clay letter to appear on the market in several years. With the death of his son one can sense that Clay has become more spiritual in thoughts, expressing them beautifully in this letter. The offering of this letter affords the winning bidder the ownership of a piece of history written by one of our countries most revered politicians and statesman. Provenance: From a New England family who originally lived in the Philadelphia area. The letter written by the Members of the Commercial Room Association to Clay resides at the University of Kentucky Library in the Special Collections - Henry Clay Memorial Papers. Fine condition having one small piece of archival tape at the right edge fold split. | |||||||||||
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