John Rowan letter
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- John Rowan letter
- Date
- 1825 May 13
- Extent
- 0.01 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters of recommendation.
- Military appointments
- Preferred Citation
- 2021ms012 : [identification of item], John Rowan letter, 1825 May 13, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- John Rowan (1773-1843) was a Kentucky politician and lawyer who was also a delegate to Kentucky's Constitutional Convention in 1799. During his career in politics he held a variet of state offices in Kentucky, including judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals. As a member of the Relief Party, he was elected to the United States Senate in 1825.
- Scope and Content
- The John Rowan letter (dated 1825 May 13; 0.01 cubic feet; 1 item) comprises a letter of recommendation for Philip Thomas Trapnall, the son of Dr. Philip Trapnall of Richmond, Kentucky, for a Midshipman's warrant in the U.S. Navy. The letter, written to an unknown recipient two months into Rowan's term as Senator, mentions an accompanying letter (not included in the collection) from Dr. Philip Trapnall. The letter illustrates the patronage system in the United States military. The letter is as follows: "Dear Sir, Enclosed you have the letter of Doctor Trapnall of Ky, relatives to the age of his son Philip Thomas Trapnall. The Young man, for whom I had the honor to request a Midshipman's warrant, which on account of my not being able to state his age, could not THEN be granted, may I hope, NOW, that his age is known, that the warrant will be signed. I forbore from delicacy, to state to you, that Doctor Trapnall, is a zealous, and influential friend, to the POWERS THAT BE. I do not mention it NOW, in the expectation that it can, or ought to have any influence upon his application. But from the consideration that it is perhaps due from me, to the doctor, to let his political sentiments be known to the department, to which he makes the application. I have the honor to be with high respect your obt. J. Rowan"
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
John Rowan letter, 1825 May 13
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
