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Trenton, 21 Mar. 1859
Dear Sir,
If you will send on your note agst. the Trenton Loc. Ins. Co., I will have it collected.
The Ins. Co. is slow but I am inclined to think they will pay in the end.
Yours, etc.
Wm. L. Dayton
Born 1807 in NJ
US Senator
U.S. Minister to France 1861–64
P.S.
I am so doubtful whether your signature is that of my old acquaintance Rockwell or of some other, that for safety I paste it on the back of the envelope – they will decipher it rightly, no doubt at P.O.
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Historical Summary and Biographies:
William L. Dayton (1807–1864) was an American politician and diplomat from New Jersey. He served as:
U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1842–1851)
Republican Vice Presidential nominee in 1856, running with John C. Frémont
U.S. Minister to France (1861–1864) during the Lincoln administration, where he played a key role in keeping France from recognizing the Confederacy during the Civil War.
This letter was written just before his appointment as Minister to France. It reflects his involvement in local financial matters in Trenton and includes a personal note about confirming the identity of the letter’s recipient, indicating the informal nature of correspondence at the time.
The mention of the Trenton Locomotive Insurance Company (abbreviated "Trenton Loc. Ins. Co.") may suggest this letter has crossover interest for insurance historians or collectors of railroad and early American business history.
The addressee is likely someone with the surname Rockwell, possibly referring to Julius Rockwell (1805–1888), a Massachusetts politician, or another acquaintance of Dayton.
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Description:
Title (80 characters):
1859 ALS by Wm. L. Dayton, VP Nominee & Minister to France, on Trenton Insurance
Main Description:
This is an original Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by William L. Dayton dated March 21, 1859, from Trenton, New Jersey. Dayton was a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, the first Republican Vice Presidential candidate (1856), and later served as U.S. Minister to France during the Civil War under President Lincoln.
In this letter, Dayton discusses the collection of a debt owed by the "Trenton Locomotive Insurance Co.," indicating his ongoing involvement in local matters even as he was on the cusp of major diplomatic service abroad. The letter is neatly signed at the close and again on the reverse panel.
A postscript notes his uncertainty about the recipient's signature and mentions an acquaintance named Rockwell—possibly referring to a political figure or business contact.
Full transcription included.
An exceptional letter linking New Jersey politics, pre-Civil War finance, and an important American statesman with transatlantic diplomatic relevance.
