The Raab Collection announced today that it will offer for sale a newly discovered letter of the Marquis de Lafayette in which the Revolutionary War hero confides that “General Washington was like a father to me,” and demonstrates how, even after decades, the powerful bond between the two, forged during our nation’s founding, persisted until they both died. Any correspondence connecting Washington and Lafayette is extremely uncommon.
“For many of us, George Washington is a heroic figure who was instrumental in our nation’s independence and founding,” said Nathan Raab, vice president of The Raab Collection. “To Lafayette, who was young at the time of the Revolution, the great General was like the father he never knew. That appreciation never left him. This is an extraordinary find.”
Excerpt from the letter, dated October 24, 1829
“General Washington was like a father to me, and had an eminent place in the Revolution of the United States in the War of Independence.”
The historical autograph, written by Lafayette, formerly belonged to George P. Putnam, the great 19th century publisher who, among other works, published the Life of Washington, by Washington Irving. No record of this letter's publication was found.
The Raab Collection was most recently in the news after its discovery of a rare letter of Susan B. Anthony in which she decried the treatment of women as pets. The company has handled many of the most important historical autographs to reach the market and has represented the families of many famous Americans, among them Thomas Jefferson, Dwight Eisenhower, and Gerald Ford, in the sale and preservation of their important historical documents.
