119

John Tyler

Autograph Letter Signed, as Vice President, to "Dear Sir,"

recommending a candidate for superintendent of the Harpers Ferry armory, should there be a vacancy, and sending the candidate's letter [not present]. 1 page, square 8vo; short closed tear at upper right corner, remnants of hinging at upper edge verso, folds.

Np, 9 March 1841.

  • Notes: "The writer of the enclosed letter is an old friend of mine, a gentleman of honorable conduct, of fine intelligence and great worth. Should the contemplated vacancy in the superintend[e]ncy of Harper's Ferry occurr, the place could not be better filled than by the applicant. His letter to me constitutes a recommendation in itself, of a strong character."

    On April 4, 1841, President William Henry Harrison died of an illness and John Tyler became president. In the following weeks, President Tyler would order the removal of Harpers Ferry armory superintendent Edward Lucas, a civilian who was strongly partisan, routinely filling armorer positions with Democrats even when better qualified Whig candidates were available; Tyler, a Whig, replaced him with Major Henry Knox Craig, a presumably non-partisan officer.
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April 9, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
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