Description: A letter dated June 6, 1829 from David Henshaw to John Branch, Jr. This is a unique item -- a communication from the future 14th Secretary of the Navy (to be appointed by John Tyler) to the then-serving 8th Secretary of the Navy (appointed by Andrew Jackson). The letter is handwritten and SIGNED by Henshaw. It is written on a blank piece of paper measuring about 7 7/8" x 9 3/4". There is some wear to the edges, including a small chip out of the right edge, which does not affect the text. The letter recommends a "young gentleman" named Mr. Cazneau to the Secretary of the Navy for the position of Midshipman. Henshaw apparently had to grapple with the age-old problem of writing a recommendation letter as a favor, where he did not really know the person recommended. In the letter, Henshaw attempts to be cautious while still sounding positive, and the result comes out sounding a bit halfhearted. Our transcription follows. (Biographical details on Henshaw and Branch are below the transcription.) Boston June 6 1829 Sir Mr. Cazneau the bearer of this is a young gentleman of this city who is desirous of obtaining a midshipmans warrant in the Navy of the United States. I have long known Mr. Cazneau's father as one of our most worthy citizens, and from the testimony of those more acquainted with the son than I am, as well as from his prepossessing personal appearance, I have full confidence in his good character, and his qualifications for the station he seeks. With a full assurance that you will give his application as favorable a hearing as the circumstances of the case will permit, I have the honor to describe myself your most obd. svt. David Henshaw To Gov. Branch Secy of the Navy Washington David Henshaw (1791 – 1852) was a Massachusetts politician who served as the 14th United States Secretary of the Navy from July 1843 to February 1844. Henshaw was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1826 and served as Collector of the Port of Boston from the late 1820s until 1838. Though he suffered business reverses during the later 1830s, Henshaw regained his political position as a leader of the Massachusetts Democratic Party within a few years. In July 1843, President John Tyler selected Henshaw as Secretary of the Navy to follow Abel P. Upshur. During his brief term in office, Henshaw addressed shipbuilding problems, selected senior officers for important seagoing commands, revised supply arrangements in the Navy Yards and attempted to establish a school for Midshipmen. Another accomplishment during his tenure was saving the USS Constitution from the scrap heap. His recess appointment as Secretary failed to receive Congressional confirmation, requiring that he leave office when his successor, Thomas W. Gilmer, was confirmed. John Branch Jr. (1782 – 1863) was an American politician who served as U.S. Senator, the 8th Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida. When Jackson became President, he selected Branch as his Secretary of the Navy. In that post, Branch promoted several reforms in the Navy's policies and administration, many of which were not implemented until years later. He reduced the resources going to the construction of new ships, while increasing those applied to keeping existing vessels in good repair. Branch also sent the frigate USS Potomac to the Far East to punish the murderers of a U.S. merchant ship's crew and to generally promote and protect American commerce in the region. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate. Take a look at all our items for sale. We combine shipping upon request. Please LET US KNOW if you’ve purchased multiple items so we can combine.
Price: 87 USD
Location: Slingerlands, New York
End Time: 2024-09-18T01:31:55.000Z
Shipping Cost: 6 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Time Period Manufactured: Pre-1900
