1816 Vermont Congressman Charles Marsh Hand Signed Autograph Letter - US House Representative Signature - 1816 VT Representative ALS Letter

This listing is for the photographed 1816 Autograph Letter Signed by Representative Charles Marsh of Vermont. The letter was written by Vermont Congressman Charles Marsh to the lawyer Norman Williams of Woodstock, VT on March 16th, 1816. In the letter Marsh gives Williams updates on the process of gaining a federal pension for a veteran. The said veteran who would receive the pension was likely wounded in combat or in need of financial aid, as these were the only conditions under which veterans could be eligible to receive a pension from the government at this time. Charles Marsh likely acted as the representative of the veteran for this case in Washington D.C. where the treasury would decide whether or not to grant him the pension, which explains why he is writing to a lawyer back in Vermont regarding the case. A monthly pension of 6 dollars paid semiannually was granted to the veteran in this case, as explained in this letter. This letter is considered Autograph Letter Signed (ALS), meaning that it was fully hand written and signed by the same person. The letter itself is in good condition for its age, with visible creases from the letter folds and tape residue along the side as pictured. This is an incredibly interesting and rarer piece of early American history written and signed by an influential political figure of the period, making this a must have for any collection! The historical context of veterans pensions makes this letter an even more intriguing find!

Charles Marsh (1765-1849) was born in the colony of Connecticut before moving to Vermont as a child shortly before the start of the Revolutionary War. He studied law at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, graduating in 1786. After he passed the bar he moved back to Vermont to practice law in Woodstock, where he would go on to practice for over 50 years. In 1796 President George Washington appointed him the U.S. Attorney General for the District of Vermont, and he would serve in this role until 1801. In 1809 Marsh became a trustee of Dartmouth College, a role that he would keep until his death. He oversaw the college through the turbulent and controversial Dartmouth College Case at the Supreme Court in 1819. He ran as a Federalist for a Vermont seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, being elected to the 14th U.S. Congress which ran from 1815 to 1817. After his brief time serving in the House he returned to Woodstock, VT and continued to practice law there until his death in 1849. 

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1816 Vermont Congressman Charles Marsh Hand Signed Autograph Letter - US House Representative Signature - 1816 VT Representative ALS Letter