DESCRIBING HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH FELLOW ADVENTURER COL. BENJAMIN MILAM, AND HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORK OF THE LOUISVILLE MUSEUM, IN TWO AUTOGRAPH LETTERS, SIGNED
[Louisville, KY: 1873 & 1876]. Two letters in ink, 4 pp., approx. 1060 words, in Graham's hand, one on letterhead of the Public Library of Kentucky, Louisville, dated Dec. 1, 1873, the other a long letter on plain paper, dated Crab Orchard, [KY], July 1, 1876. Both neat, legible, although the second letter has a warning from Graham to his correspondent that "[t]ime shakes all things as well as the hand- but read my scrawl if you can." Accompanied by a portrait illustration of Graham from a photo by Klauber of Louisville first published in McClure's "Early Life of Abraham Lincoln," a single sheet, with Graham's signature and note "in my 100drth year," beneath the photo; and a clipped sheet with Graham's signature and the same note on lined paper.
Graham's first letter is to Col. R.H. Collins who appears to be writing a history of Mexico. The top third of the letterhead shows an illustration of the "front view of the Public Library Building, Louisville, KY," with printed text on either side describing the library, incorporated in 1871, containing 40,000 volumes and housing a museum of 250,000 specimens, P.A. Towne, Librarian; and the Public Library Hall (formerly Weisiger Hall), with space for theatricals, operas, and public exhibitions of every kind, R.T. Durrett, President. Graham's letter describes his long friendship with Benjamin Milam, a fellow Kentuckian whom he met during their service in the War of 1812. Graham says he accompanied Milam to San Antonio in 1815 "and joined Mina or Miner, a noted Castilian officer, who commanded in the first [Mexican] revolution." Graham did not stay on there but returned to Kentucky: "I did not fancy the Spanish character or the prospect ahead." Milam remained and "fought through and through till Mexico was recognized as free, after which he was a brave leader in the Texian war and there killed at the head of his forces. He, myself and Austin obtained grants in Texas, but Austin alone collonised his." Prior to his death, Milam spent years in a Mexican prison but was finally released through the appeal of a special commission from the United States in 1822. Graham says he met the boat carrying him home "coming out of the Port of Tampico." Milam then spent a summer with Graham in Harrodsburg, Kentucky before eventually returning to Texas. [Graham, penning this reminiscence at the age of nearly 90 in 1873 can be forgiven for a mistake or two- for example, [Xavier] Mina, a Spaniard, did not arrive in Mexico until late 1816. See also, Lois Garver's biography "Notes on the Life of Benjamin Rush Milam, 1788-1835."]
In his second letter from 1876, Graham remarks at length on the employment of [Hermann] Herzer (1833-1912), a German born geologist who came to the United States with his family in 1848. In 1876, he was hired by the Kentucky Geological Survey to study fossils, ores, rocks and other materials. Evidently, according to Graham's letter, he was also an accomplished taxidermist. Writing to his friend Theodore S. Bell, Graham asks him to see that Herzer is treated with respect as he is "doing all in his power to build up and give representation to our Institution, classifying and labeling by day and skinning and stuffing birds and beasts by night." Herzer had been concerned he would lose the job and with a large family to support, he was worried. Graham wanted to assure him that would not happen and expresses a somewhat dimmer view of the librarian in charge P.A. Towne. Graham notes that Prof. Henry of the Smithsonian had asked for some of Herzer's specimens and that noted scientists involved with the Centennial Exposition were seeking him out. A fascinating and detailed letter. [see: Herzer's brief biography, "Herman[n] Herzer's Terrible Fish," by Carol Pearson & Joe Hannibal (Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Nov.-Dec., 1983)]. Item #70824
Christopher Columbus Graham is considered one of the many colorful characters who populated early Kentucky history. Born near Danville, KY in 1784, he at one time owned a silversmith business, served as a Captain in the War of 1812, was involved in the Mexican War of Independence, and took a degree in medicine from Transylvania University. He later owned the Graham Springs health resort near Harrodsburg, and throughout his life collected natural history specimens for the Louisville Museum. William Belknap Allen gave an extensive account of Graham's life in his 1872 "History of Kentucky," depicting him as a "living encyclopedia" of information on the state. He was known as "a pioneer, a visionary, author, antiquarian, architect, collector, historian, physician, raconteur, palentologist, politician, evolutionist, soldier, businessman, crack shot, silversmith, theologian, and all round quirky figure." In later life, he correspondended with Charles Darwin. [see his biography on the Kentucky Secretary of State's website] A small group of Graham's other correspondence is held by the University of Chicago in its Reuben T. Durrett collection. The Kentucky Historical Society also has two of his letters.
Price: $2,500.00