Item #279785 Important autographed letter signed to a former member of the Continental Congress. ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
Important autographed letter signed to a former member of the Continental Congress

Important autographed letter signed to a former member of the Continental Congress

New York: 1800.

The Holland Land Company & the Morris Reserve Holdings West of the Genesee River . . . and the Final Award -- highly cryptic and important letter by Herman LeRoy, 2 pages (front and back), 9 x 7.25 inches, New York, November 21, 1800, to statesman and former member of the Continental Congress (Pennsylvania) Thomas Fitzsimons, while both were trustees for the creditors of Samuel Sterett and George Harrison, holders of land in the Morris Reserve which bordered the Holland Land Company, in full: "I have been duly favored with yours of the 19th, and immediately after receipt I waited upon General Hamilton, who I informed what you had written to me upon the subject of their final decision, represented to him the propriety of extending the period as Mr. Tilghman was absent; this he and the other gentleman have absented to by prolonging the period for eight days, in the hopes that Mr. Tilghman may by that period be back to give his advice & instructions. If Mr. Tilghman may not find it convenient to attend himself, and as some legal character ought to meet the gentlemen here, and I would in that case propose on employing judge Laurence, who is too well known to us all, and into whose integrity in judgment I have the highest opinion; and you and Mr. Tilghman agree with me in sentiment will I presume in that case, I will pray for Mr. Tilghman to give the Judge his ideas upon the subject in question, which I will sign also, if you will be pleased to send me the letter open." Note: On November 17, 1800, Alexander Hamilton sent a cryptic letter to Fitzsimons, LeRoy, and Tilghman: "Gentleman. As we have not been favored with an answer to our letter of October 17th last, we have reason to conclude that you do not propose cooperating with us on the subject of that letter. Under this impression we beg leave to state, that we shall not make a final decision on this business till Monday the 24th. Inst. if you will appoint an Agent to meet us on Saturday the 22nd we shall be happy to confer with him; if not, we shall proceed on the Monday following to execute the trust reposed in us according to the best of our judgments." [Source Project: Hamilton Papers -- Founders Online, National Archives. Original Source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Vol. 25, July 1800 -- April 1802, New York: Columbia University Press, 1977, p. 240.] Also note: the Arbitrators were faced with two major problems in drafting their award: allocating the shares of land to the parties according to their respective interests, and allocating the burdensome expenses incurred in procuring the judgments and in dividing lands among the parties. Both aspects of the final award resulted in litigation. Natural folds; faint browning along the right edge and a tiny chip on the left side. Still in very good condition overall.

Binding: Unbound
Condition: Very Good
Language: English

Price: $1,200.00

Item #279785

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