James Cummins Bookseller

[New York or Washington, D.C.]: 1857-1861.

Portrait frontispiece engraved by J. Rogers, 367pp. [paginated erratically, with added manuscript page numbers after page 111]. 8vo. Half purple morocco and cloth, rebacked. Bookbinder's label on the front pastedown (A. D. Bloodgood) Item #322790

Comprises a 5-page epistolary Preface, dated 25th July 1861 and addressed to his son Abraham, with caption title as above, followed by 22 sections, including various appendices, as detailed on p. 4, including: Brief and speech of Mr. Jacob Barker, of New Orleans. [1857] -- United States Court of Claims. R.R. Ward, Fitz G. Halleck, and Jacob Little, assignees of Jacob Barker, vs. the United States. [1859] -- Court of Claims. Ward and others vs. the United States: brief of Jacob Barker, counsel for plaintiffs [1859] -- R.G. [i.e. R.R.] Ward, Fitz G. Halleck, and Jacob Little, assignees of Jacob Barker, vs. the United States: brief of Jacob Barker, counsel for plaintiffs, on the rehearing granted the 16th March, 1859 -- Court of Claims. R.R. Ward and others, assignees of Jacob Barker, Washington, the last week in March, 1860 : substance of the speech of Jacob Barker ... [1860] -- To the honorable the members of the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled : the petition of R.R. Ward, Jacob Little, and Firz G. Halleck, assignees of Jacob Barker ... [1861]; etc.

Each of the sections was evidently separately printed and here collected for distribution by Barker to present his case. His claims centered on non-payment of a $5 million loan he gave the U.S. government during the War of 1812: "My advanced age (approaching 82 years) admonishes me to place before the world a full history of the wrongs which have been done me by the officials to whom our national affairs have been intrusted" (Preface).

American banker, financier and insurance lawyer, Barker (1779-1871) founded the Exchange Bank of New York in 1815, was an early investor in the New York Life and Fire Insurance Company (for which he was later charged with fraud which was eventually dismissed), and a member of the New York State Senate. He removed to New Orleans in the 1830s and became an insurance lawyer, but by 1867 his fortunes had dwindled and he declared bankruptcy.

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