Litchfield enquirer., 1841-04-22
From the NJ Y. Commercial Advertiser.

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GENERAL HARR1soN's LAST LETTER.-On
Saturday, a hardy, weather. beaten, but
very respectable looking seaman presented
himself to the Collector, at the Custom
House, and inquiring for MIR. Curtis, said,
"General Harrison told me to give this let
ter into your own hand. He told me to give
his kind respects to Mr.. Curtis, and said Mr..
Curtis was his friend, and would be my
friend" Mr.. Curtis opened the letter, and
found it to be, from its date, one OF the last,
if not the rery last letter, written by General
Harrison. 1t bears date Of the day when his
illness commenced The reader will see,
e lures ana @ ii mis- tsahh lgR P6sitlonf RG
was true to the humblest Of his friends
Tucker says the General made him come to
the dinner table with the great folks, and
when he hesitatcd and intimated THAT he
had better go belo,o for his dinner, the Gene
raj said, Quicker, you and have been
shipmatcs, and long time together. You
arc an honest man; come and eat your dim
ner with me, and come here again to-mor-
row morning and get your breakfast with
me-" ~ t'"& u " 't"
Tucker said the General invited him to
stay in Washington, and told him he would
take care Of him, but his wife and children
being in New York, Tucker preferred to re-
turn. He says Gen. II. followed him into
the grounds ON the east side of the White
House, and then walked with him arm and
arm-that the General had no hat on, and
when Tucker adverted to his liability to
take cold, he waived the remark by saying
he was already unwell Having received
the letter from the General, Tucker says he
followed him to the door, and shook him by
the hand, saying, ego to my friend MIR. Cur
It's, and after you have been to him don't
forget to write to me that you and your wife
and children are happy again"
Tucker says he had no money to come
home by land but he did not let the Gene
raj know that, for he knew he would give ii
to him in minute, and he did not wish to |
take money from the good old man who |
had been SO kind to him. And so Tucker |
went on board the schooner i. L. Sturgis, at |
Alexandria, and worked his passage home !
10 New York. When he came TO the Gus |
tom house he had not been ashore thirty I
minutes, and having first heard the sad !
news of the death of his kind benefactor as !
he passed up the Old Slip dock, the abun-
dant tears that fell down his hardy cheeks
testified that he has no ungrateful heart.
We are glad to hear that Mr.. Curtis inn
mediately appointed MIR. Tucker an inspect
or Of the customs.
"WXsnNGToN, March 26, 1871.
"DEAR SIR--The bearer hereof. Mr.. Tho
mas Tucker, veteran seaman, came with
ME from Carthagena, as the mate of the
brig Montidia, in the year, 1929. In an as
ISOLATION of several weeks imbibed high
opinion of his character-so much SO that
depressing desire to leave the sea- in
vitcd himtO como to North Bend and spend
the remainder of his days with me. Subse-
quent misfortunes prevented his doing SO,
as he was DESTROYS to bring some money
with him to commence farming operations.
His bad fortune still continues, having been
several times shipwrecked within a few
years. He says that himself and family
are now in such a situation that the hum
blest employment would be acceptable to
him, and Lwrite this to recommend him to
your favorable notice. lam persuaded that
no one possesses, in a higher degree, the
virtues of fidelity, honesty and indefatiga-
bic industry; and, might add, of indomit-
able bravery. it that was quality nccessa-
ry for the kind of employment he socks.
"Yours, very truly,
sD;,"W. H. HARRISON.
{ EDWARD CURTIS, ESQ., stifi za is-sa
Collector, &C. New York" "a ...se"
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