Apr 08, 2014 - Sale 2344

Sale 2344 - Lot 176

Price Realized: $ 16,250
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
(MEXICAN WAR.) Archive of letters to Colonel Edward G.W. Butler. 59 letters received and 8 other documents, various sizes and conditions. Vp, bulk 1837-87
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Additional Details

Edward George Washington Butler (1800-1888) was raised under the guardianship of Andrew Jackson after his father's death, and graduated from West Point in 1820. A career Army officer, he served as a colonel of the 3rd Mississippi Dragoons in the Mexican War. He made his residence in Louisiana from 1831 to 1878, and then lived with his son in St. Louis, MO.
Several of these letters are from Butler's fellow officers in the Mexican War. General John Ellis Wool sent four letters in 1848. Most notably, the 26 February letter asserts that Mexican general Antonio Canales "is no doubt tired of the war and wishes to get out of the scrape," and ordering that "if you have not yet executed Gonzales, keep him until you hear from me." In 1848, Captain Irvin McDowell (later a Union General) wrote three substantial letters as aide-de-camp to General Wool concerning troop movements and peace negotiations.
Not all of the letters relate to the war. Among the other correspondents are Montgomery Blair (5 letters), Hamilton Fish (describing Indians as "utterly treacherous & faithless"), and Joseph E. Johnston (reminiscing about Robert E. Lee in 1887). 4 post-Civil War letters from Jefferson Davis are included, although they are in the hand of Davis's wife. Also includes several letters concerning Butler's interest in the fate of Andrew Jackson's personal papers. Seven deeds of Louisiana property (land and slaves) dated 1772 to 1835 round out the collection. Full inventory available upon request.