
Exceptionally rare Letter Signed (LS) as president, "J. A. Garfield," one page on Executive Mansion Telegram stationery, 7.5'' x 9.75'', June 15, 1881. Letter to C. T. Jones, proprietor of the Elberon hotel in Long Branch, New Jersey. In full: "Expect to leave here for Long Branch on the limited express Saturday morning next. Reserve one additional room for Secretary." In Fine condition, with a few spots of light soiling.
When his wife Lucretia needed to recuperate after contracting malaria in the White House, it was to the Elberon Hotel that they retreated in mid-June 1881. Garfield’s belief in the wholesomeness of the seashore is seen in his diary entry for Sunday, June 19: “Passed a restful day with manifest betterment in her [Lucretia’s] strength…The work and worry of Washington seem very far away and I rest in the large silence of the sea air. I have always felt the ocean was my friend and the sight of it brings rest and peace.”
Mrs. Garfield continued to recuperate at Elberon as July followed June. It was there that she received word of the shooting of her husband on July 2nd. She returned to the White House to care for her wounded husband. Over the next two months the President’s condition deteriorated. At the beginning of September, Garfield demanded to be removed from the White house. It was decided that his home in Mentor, Ohio was too distant. His love for the ocean became the deciding factor in his journey to the New Jersey shore, where he ultimately passed away.
NOTE: The book "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard is one not to miss. A fantastic book.
Recent Comments