RARE Set of Two 1828 Richard Rush Signed Letters Revolutionary Claims Pension Documents - 1828 Treasury Department Printed Letter Signed Set

This listing is for the photographed Rare Set of Two 1828 Documents Signed by the Secretary of the Treasury Richard Rush relating to the Pension Claims of a Soldier in the Revolutionary War. The letters included in the set were sent together to the claimant, Mr. John Cummings of Windsor, Vermont by Richard Rush, who was currently serving as the Secretary of the Treasury Department under President John Quincy Adams. One letter is partially printed, including a memo header that says "Revolutionary Claims", easily identifying the purpose of the correspondence. The document is dated September 1st, 1828, a few months after Congress passed "An act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution" which passed on May 15th, 1828. The printed letter is in response to the Revolutionary Claim sent by John Cummings some time before this time, and tells him that his claim has been accepted, and he will begin receiving the full pay of the rank Sergeant of Infantry on the Continental Line as paid for by the US Treasury Department. The other letter included in the set was used as the envelope to deliver the first document, featuring the name of the recipient and sender, but also includes a forwarded message originally written by the lawyer representing John Cummings, Norman Williams, who writes detailed instructions on how to successfully complete and sent the original claim document. It is likely that this letter was originally sent with the claim document to give context for the form to the Treasury Department, and was then used by Rush to send back the Printed Signed Letter (PLS). This pair of letters is an exceptional, rare piece of history, featuring the signature of a prominent historical figure and serves as an amazing, important piece of United States history! Not many letters such as these survive today, especially not those that include the additional sender's envelope also signed by Rush, making this an absolute must have for any collection!

In the years of the early republic after the Revolutionary War, the only soldiers of the war that were granted military pensions paid for by the government were veterans who were disabled in battle, the widows of soldiers who died in battle, and veterans who were in financial need. These qualifications were set in place until the passage of "An act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution" on May 15th, 1828, which expanded the pension act to include any surviving soldier or officer of the revolution, regardless of their financial need or disability status. In the months after the passage of this act many Veterans, such as the recipient of this claim, Sergeant of Infantry John Cummings of Vermont, submitted claims to the US Treasury Department that would then be reviewed by the Secretary of the Treasury at the time, Richard Rush. After the claims were reviewed, the claimants would be notified by Rush personally whether or not his claim was accepted. In Cummings case, the veteran sought the help of two local lawyers, Norman Williams and Lyron Stewart, who aided him in successfully completing his Revolutionary Claim, as identified by the forwarded message written on the back of one of the letters included in this set between the two lawyers. Richard Rush accepted Cummings claim, sending him these letters to notify him of his granted pension of Sergeant of Infantry. 

Richard Rush (1780-1859) was a prominent figure in early US politics, serving in four different Presidential administrations throughout his life. He was the son of Founding Father, Physician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Rush (1746-1813). He was appointed U.S. Attorney General by Presidents James Madison and James Monroe, serving from 1814 to 1817. He then was appointed the US Minister to the United Kingdom by Monroe in 1817, overseeing the turbulent relations between the countries following the War of 1812 and during the publishing of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which he had a hand in delegating. In 1825 the newly elected President John Quincy Adams appointed Rush as the Secretary of the Treasury, during which he promoted the granting of pensions to all surviving Revolutionary War veterans through accepting the claims of veterans such as Sergeant John Cummings. He served as Secretary of the Treasury until the end of President John Quincy Adams term in 1829. He was even Quincy Adams running mate for his reelection campaign in 1828, which they lost to President Andrew Jackson. Later in his career he would oversee the founding of the Smithsonian Institution, becoming one of its first regents, and act as the US Diplomat to France under President James P. Polk from 1847-49. 

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RARE Set of Two 1828 Richard Rush Signed Letters Revolutionary Claims Pension Documents - 1828 Treasury Department Printed Letter Signed Set