Rare William Henry Harrison Letter to be Auctioned by Heritage!

One of Only Two Known to Exist Signed as President

Dallas, TX: William Henry Harrison, the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe, became the Ninth President of the United States on March 4, 1841, when he took the Oath of Office in Washington. The day of his inauguration was cold and windy, and Harrison proceeded to give the longest inaugural address in US history to that time - almost two hours - without the benefit of an overcoat, hat, gloves or scarf. Consequently, he caught a cold, which soon turned into pleurisy and pneumonia, claiming his life on April 4, 1841 and cementing his place in history as the President to serve the shortest term in office. On April 6, 1841, John Tyler, Harrison's Vice-President, took the Oath of Office and assumed the Presidency.

"Because of Harrison's incredibly short term in office, documents signed by him as President are exceptionally rare," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana Auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. "In fact, before his death, Harrison was able to perform only one official act: the calling of Congress into a special session, set for May 31, 1841. In our upcoming auction of rare books and manuscripts, we're pleased to offer one of only a handful of documents known to have been signed by Harrison during his 32-day term as president."

Slater continued, "Dated March 5, 1841 and addressed to B.F. Butler Esq. of New York, the letter reads in full, 'Your Resignation of the Office of Attorney of the United States for the Southern District of New York is received. Permit me to thank you for the offer to continue in the discharge of the duties of the Office until I can appoint your successor and to request that you will do so. Very Respectfully, Your Ob't Servant, W. H. Harrison.' This letter was written in the White House on Harrison's first business day in office, replying to perhaps the first letter he received as President."

"It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this magnificent letter," Slater said. "There are no more than twenty-five examples of Harrison's presidential holograph in private hands. Of these, the overwhelming majority - close to twenty - are signed documents. This letter, which was part of the Forbes Collection sold at Christie's in 2002, is important as it was likely the first letter signed by Harrison as President. What sets this particular letter apart even further is the condition. The paper is remarkably clean and the ink is very bold."

"I'd invite anyone interested in this or the many other treasures in our upcoming auction to visit our website at www.HA.com," Slater said. "There they'll be able to view enlargeable, full-color images of each lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place their bids online from the comfort and convenience of their home or office."

William Henry Harrison Manuscript Letter Signed "your Obt Servt/W.H. Harrison" as President, one page, 8" x 10":
ESTIMATE: $125,000 - $150,000

Heritage Auction Galleries will hold their auction of rare books and manuscripts on April 16 & 17, 2007 at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of political memorabilia, Americana, and related collectibles are invited to visit www.HA.com/Sell. Or simply email Tom Slater at TomS@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.