245

Letter and satirical poem on a 1772 election in Mecklenburg County, not long before the Mecklenburg Declaration.

No place, 19 August 1819
Autograph Letter Signed from William Harris to Ephraim Brevard. One page, 12½ x 7¾ inches, plus appended poem on second leaf, and docketing on final blank; folds, minor wear.

  • Notes: In this letter, someone named William Harris explains an incident from shortly before the Revolution. A General Polk had expected to win a local election in Charlotte in 1772, but was defeated by John Davidson and Martin Phifer, after "two men that he had formerly helpt when in distress in buying pork & wheat from them, and then voted against him" 

    This incident was memorialized in a satirical poem by the Rev. Thomas McKail, which Harris transcribes on the second leaf. The poem equates General Polk with Dagon, a pagan deity mentioned in the Bible, and concludes "We will fight for our liberty, but will never be slaves." 

    "General Polk" seems likely to be Colonel Thomas Polk, a powerful North Carolina politician who served in the legislature through 1771. We have not found any other references to this 1772 election controversy, or the satirical poem, or the poem's author Rev. Thomas McKail or McHale, or  the recipient of the letter Ephraim Brevard. 

    This letter has interesting intersections with the famed 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration which some claim preceded the more famous 1776 Declaration of Independence. The letter was written in 1819 just a few months after the 1775 text of the Mecklenburg Declaration was first published, so the Revolutionary history of that period was of great interest at the time. The letter mentions John Davidson as a protagonist; he was one of the alleged signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration. Finally, the letter is addressed to Ephraim Brevard, who was the purported author of the Mecklenburg Declaration--a powerful association, except that Dr. Brevard died in 1781.  We don't find any other prominent Ephraim Brevards living in 1819. 

    In summary, this is a peculiar slice of North Caroliniana. We are confident that it is an original manuscript from circa 1819, but much less confident about everything else, and we hope a scholar of the state's history will unravel its mysteries.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

November 20, 2025 10:30 AM EST
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000