April 11-13, 2023 Firearms and Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/13/2023
Lot consists of 2 documents from the John K. Lattimer Collection: (A) ALS Peter Pitchlynn to his father, “Maj. John Pitchlynn / Choctaw Agency / Mississippi,” partially visible Nashville cancellation: “NASH[…] / FEB / 12” with period ink notation, “PP Pitchlynn / letter Febry / 10 1828” and collector pencil notation. Peter Perkins Pitchlynn (1806-1881), a member of the Choctaw tribe by matrilinear kinship and descent from his mother’s mother, was an influential orator, tribal emissary in negotiations with the U.S. and with other tribes, proponent of education, leader of tribal police, and later principal chief. An 1870 Atlantic Monthly article notes he was pro-Union when the Civil War broke out, talked with Lincoln, but was unable to prevent the tribe signing treaties with and supplying troops to the Confederacy. The letter may allude to an incident recorded in the same article, where Pitchlynn, who had snubbed Andrew Jackson during treaty negotiations, reconciled with him to some degree while at the University of Nashville, where Jackson was trustee. The letter opens: “I received an invitation from Genl. Jackson to visit him, which I shall certainly do, but not before the vacation…” Pitchlynn’s diplomatic abilities are also on display later: “I have many friends here and no enemies.” CONDITION: Very good. Minor stains and losses, affecting only the word “Chemistry” in his discussion of classes. Pitchlynn’s father had been raised among the Choctaw after the death of his widowed father, a trader with the tribe, a later acted as translator in dealing with the U.S. (B) Poll book for Wright Precinct, Morgan County, Illinois for the August 1846 elections. Vote totals are recorded for the various races, including A. Lincoln running against P. Cartwright for Representative to Congress. Lincoln had failed to get his party’s nomination for the previous term and did poorly in this return against his opponent, but won the election and served 1847-1848. CONDITION: Excellent. An interesting record from early in Lincoln’s political career.