The James Madison Cutts Letter
Recently a letter from J.M. Cutts, husband of Elen O'Neale, (Rose's
sister) was posted on E-Bay. I bid on the letter, but unfortunately did
not win the auction. Below are some details from the letter as was
posted on the site...
This stampless letter has a circular date stamp for WASHINGTON
D.C. MAY 17, a handwritten 10 cent rate, and is addressed to John
Hamilton, Port Tobacco, Charles county, Maryland, and is a three page
letter written by J.M. Cutts. The headline is Washington May 16: 1837.
The writer of this letter was James Madison Cutts, nephew of Dolley
Madison, wife of USA President James Madison of Virginia. I’m sure
genealogists know the details, and there’s some internet sites with
information, but here’s the basics: Dorothea “Dolly” Payne was the
daughter of John Payne and Mary Coles. Dolly was born in 1768 in North
Carolina, and her sister Anna Payne married Richard Cutts, whose son
James Madison Cutts, the writer of this letter, married Eleanora
Elizabeth O'Neale. As an interesting footnote, J.M. Cutts son, J.M.
Jr., born about a year after this letter was written, was a Medal of
Honor soldier.
Some abstracts:
"The news of some great & disasterous battle in
time of war & scarcity could hardly produce a greater degree of
excitement than now pervades our community.”
”All the results, most to be deprecated, have
occurred. An universal suspension of specie payments has taken place.
An immense depreciation of paper money & a correspondent rise in
the prices of goods, & the necessaries of life, men thrown out of
employment, confidence in the Gov’t & between individuals
destroyed, our National credit destroyed abroad & consequences we
fear but cannot fully foresee.”
”You will see by the Globe of today that the
President, by proclamation, calls Congress together on the first Monday
of September.”
”The Banks of Metropolis & Washington have
stopped, thus all of our District. I did hear, however, that the
Farmers & Mechanics Bank were paying at 10 O.’C., but it is
supposed they will cease before noon., & it is believed have now.”
”I am told by a gentleman who was yesterday evening
shopping on the avenue that …”
”I have bid farewell to silver & as to gold in
after years I may, perhaps, remember that I once have seen it.”
”It is a joke here that Uncle Sam is about to take
the benefit of the insolvent laws!!!” …”
”We have a rumor circulating at this hour that C C
Cambreling has been driven out of the City of N.Y., for having written
to a member of the Legislature in Albany, that they now have the Banks
on the hip & advising them to keep them there.”
”No coin to be had here, men know not how to manage
for their marketing, as nothing will be changed.”
”Ellen sends you both more love than can go in this
small space.”
”P.S. There is a report of a Nashville papers being
in town, wherein the Hermitage is advertised for sale by the sheriff,
being for endorsements, this, no doubt, untrue.”
Condition of the letter rates average, good postal markings, clear
writing; the second side of the folded lettersheet has a tear at and
opposite the sealing wax area (lose of a part of two words, but they
can be guessed), some tears near the seal were mended with archival
tape, also a piece of tape on a small tear on the first page. As usual
with stampless letters, after writing on one or more sides of a sheet
of paper, the letter was folded several times and mailed.
