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An 1805 letter from President Thomas Jefferson to a Revolutionary War hero sold for $68,750.

Thomas Jefferson letter auctioned for more than $68K in Boston

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
An 1805 letter from President Thomas Jefferson to a Revolutionary War hero sold for $68,750.
An 1805 letter from President Thomas Jefferson to a Revolutionary War hero sold for $68,750.

BOSTON – A letter written by Founding Father Thomas Jefferson sold for $68,750, according to Boston-based RR Auction.

The one-page handwritten letter signed as president, signed “Th: Jefferson” and dated August 19, 1805 was sent from Monticello to General John Stark, and reads in part: “I have lately learnt through the channel of the newspapers, and learnt with great pleasure, that you are still in life, & enjoy health & spirits. The victories of Bennington, the first link in that chain of successes which issued in the surrender at Saratoga, are still fresh in the memory of every American.”

Remembered as the ‘Hero of Bennington’ for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777, Stark led a group of New England militiamen in the defeat of a detachment of General John Burgoyne’s army. The victory was a major strategic success for the beleaguered patriot cause, galvanizing support for the independence movement.

“It’s a remarkable letter from what it is considered one of the early turning points in the American Revolution,” said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

Additional highlights from the sale include:

Jefferson

A handwritten George Washington letter penned a month before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, which sold for $23,153.

Jefferson

An Elvis Presley photograph, signed and inscribed to Ed Sullivan, which sold for $19,445.

The Fine Autographs and Artifacts featuring Revolutionary War from RR Auction began on June 25 and concluded on July 14. For more information, go to www.rrauction.com.

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