1865 letter from Simon Cameron, Lincoln’s scandalous, disgraced Secretary of War for Sale

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1865 letter from Simon Cameron, Lincoln’s scandalous, disgraced Secretary of War For Sale

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1865 letter from Simon Cameron, Lincoln’s scandalous, disgraced Secretary of War:
$129.99

Simon Cameron was born in Pennsylvania in 1799, the son of a tavern keeper and tailor of modest means. After his father’s death in 1811, Cameron was taken into the care of a physician and his wife, which provided him with both educational and social advantages. His introduction to politics came at the age of 17, when he became a printer’s apprentice for the Sunbury and Republican Gazette. His next apprenticeship was at the Pennsylvania Republican, and as an assistant editor, he met legislators and attended sessions of the General Assembly. After this paper succumbed to financial pressures, Cameron began working for the Congressional Globe, where he became acquainted with senators and other political figures, including John Andrew Shulze, who was elected governor in 1823. He bought and merged two newspapers, and thanks to his friendship with Shulze became the State Printer of Pennsylvania. Shulze appointed him to the post of Adjutant-General, but Cameron wasn’t content with a career limited to politics, and, believing publishing to be far less lucrative than industry and business, sold his newspaper. Over the next several years, he founded the Bank of Middletown and built railroads and canals in Pennsylvania. He also lobbied for future president James Buchanan, and was elected to the senate in 1845. Widely viewed as corrupt - he had already been accused of taking bribes - Cameron had few friends and little support among his fellow senators. In 1849 he lost his offer for re-election (he was re-elected in 1857) and devoted his time to increasing his now considerable fortune.

As Cameron’s business ventures prospered and flourished, so did his reputation for swindling. Lincoln’s election provided a test for the new president, who was under increasing pressure from Cameron’s supporters to appoint him to a cabinet position. Lawmakers argued that he was far too corrupt to be trusted, with some even insisting that there was nothing he wouldn’t steal, but despite the dilemma that Lincoln was now mired in, he nominated Cameron for the post of Secretary of War.

Cameron’s tenure was marked by scandal; he cavalierly dismissed the vulnerabilities of Fort Sumter and left the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad susceptible to attack. This railroad linked Washington DC and the west, and without the government support it needed to maintain its miles of track, and the troops that were necessary to safeguard it, rail cars and equipment were lost to Confederate forces. By January 1862, less than a year after Cameron took office, Lincoln had had enough, and removed him from his cabinet.

The letter is addressed to Charles C. Rahn (also spelled Rawn); this may refer to Captain Charles Rahn, who worked as a recruiter during the war, or to his father, who used his friendship with Cameron to secure his son’s post. It reads:

Sir,

Your note [?] an amount of fifty dollars, or [?] in the case of an intended [?], was handed to me on the 26th, on my way to the RR Depot. I came home last night and take the earliest moment this morning to send you my check for the amount you say will close accounts between us. I only regret you did not permit me to pay you when when it was found that no [visit?] would be [?].

Very respectfully,

Simon Cameron