DATE: December 9, 1828
CREATOR: Crockett, David (1786-1836)
SCOPE: This letter was written to President-Elect Andrew Jackson by Davy Crockett recommending a Mr. George McLean for the post of purser with the US Navy.
LANGUAGE: English
EXTENT: One letter with addressee information.
TRANSCRIPTION:
Washington Dec 29, 1828
His Excellency Andrew Jackson
Dear Sir
I take great pleasure in forming with other friends in the Recommendation of Mr
Geo ( George) W. McLean of N. York whose application will be before you this day
for the Station of Purser in the Navy. My acquaintance with Mr McLean is limited.
I merely Recommend on account of my good feeling toward his brother & other
gentle men of his acquaintance.
Respectfully your friend
David Crockett
From D. Crockett
Letter
HISTORY: David (Davy) Crockett (1786-1836) was a 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the Battle of the Alamo.
He used folksy rhetoric and personal narratives that appealed to the voters. After being defeated for Congress in 1834, he emigrated to Texas. In March 1836, Crockett was killed at the Battle of the Alamo.
With the incoming Jackson administration in late 1828 there was the usual scramble by office seekers and their supporters to acquire positions in the new government. Crockett is appealing to Jackson on the behalf of a George McLean to be awarded the important position of purser in the ranks of the US Navy.
For an extended history on the subjects of this letter, please view a PDF document.
Keywords from this document include Davy Crockett, David Crockett, Tennessee, Texas Revolution, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, George W. McLean, Battle of the Alamo, Purser,
SPECIAL THANKS:
Special thanks to Roman Beuc, St. Louis Mercantile Library Docent, for transcribing the letter as well as researching and compiling an extended history on the topic.
ACCESS: Due to rarity and condition, access to this collection is limited. Please contact the staff in advance of your visit to coordinate access to these materials for research purposes.
For an extended history on the subjects of this letter, please view a PDF document.
The collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material in Special Collection M-026 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition. For collections marked limited access, researchers are advised to contact the library at least three business days in advance of their visit to submit a request to view the physical material.
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Preferred Citation: When citing the material from this collection, the preferred citation is: From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
