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Jed Smith Letter, War of 1812 - Natchez, MS

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 500.00 USD
Jed Smith Letter, War of 1812 - Natchez, MS
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Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
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Reno, NV 89511
Thursday Feb 20th, 10am-6pm
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Friday & Saturday
Feb 20 & 21, 2014
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Location
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Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday February 23rd, 10am-1pm

1813 The piece comes from The Floyd E. Risvold Collection. It has a 4pp letter with original cover addressed to Jedidiah Smith Esq. in Brandforde, Massachutts from his brother Israel Smith in Natchez, Mississippi, 1813. It was sold as if this were the mounatin man and explorer, but it cant be. That Jed Smith was born in 1799 and would have been 14 years old, far too young for the contents of this letter. A quick look at the families back then reveals that the names Jed and Israel are common, so it could be a shirt-tail cousin. Regarsdless, the letter is absolutely fabulous. It discusses 'the War" (War of 1812) and how hopeless he feels their location ... "there will be but little saftey here"... "It is frontier all around", with nothing but miles of swamp to the west, Indians to the north and Spanish and French to the south. He also discusses that "our negroes willl soon become an expense to us..." He laments that 100,000 lives will be lost if the war lasts 6 years. The document is a letter sheet that is coming apart at the folds. The writing is crisp and sharp. The contents is just the general update on family and friends. - HKA#55147