Date: 1848.

Biography/History:

John Anthony Quitman was born to Lutheran minister Frederick Henry Quitman and Anna Elizabeth Quitman on September 1, 1799, in Rhinebeck, New York. Quitman had three brothers: Stephen Henry, William Frederick, and Ike Albert, and three sisters, Anna Eliza, Louisa S., and Frederica.

Quitman was educated at the Chadwick and Schohaire schools in New York, and he was an instructor at Mount Airy College, a Catholic academy near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He later attended law school at Chillicothe, Ohio.

He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Ohio militia in 1821. Quitman also received his license to practice law in 1821. Three years later, he moved to Natchez, Mississippi, to practice law with the firm of William B. Griffith. Quitman married Eliza Turner of Natchez on December 24, 1824. The Quitmans had ten children, six of whom survived to adulthood: Annie Rosalie, Eliza Theodosia, Frederick Henry, Johanna Antonia, Louisa Turner, and Mary Frederica.

Quitman was involved in many aspects of Natchez society. He served as president of the Mississippi Railroad Company, directed the Planters Bank, and headed the antiabolition and antigambling societies of Adams County. Quitman was also involved in state politics. He won a seat in the Mississippi legislature in 1826, and he was elected chancellor in 1828. Quitman served as governor of Mississippi from December 1835 to January 1836, replacing the retiring Hiram G. Runnels. He served as a judge on the High Court of Errors and Appeals in 1838.

After his gubernatorial term ended, Quitman became involved in the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico. Although passionate about the Texas cause, Quitman initially remained in Mississippi with his family. However, in April of 1836, he led an expedition from Natchez to help his friend, Sam Houston, in the fight for Texas independence. An armistice was reached by May of 1836, and Quitman returned to Mississippi.

Quitman remained active in state and national politics, especially in the fight for states rights and the expansion of slavery. During the Mexican War, he was commissioned as a brigadier general of a brigade of volunteers on July 1, 1846. Quitman was commissioned as a major general in the regular army on April 14, 1847. He was honorably discharged on July 20, 1848. Quitman was elected governor of Mississippi in 1849, but he only served until 1851. His interference in Cuban affairs led to a federal indictment and ultimately to his resignation from the states highest office.

He was elected to Congress in 1855 and again in 1857, and Quitman continued his efforts to liberate Cuba from Spain. Quitman died after a protracted illness on July 17, 1858. He was buried at Monmouth, his Natchez estate, after an Episcopal funeral service. Quitman's remains were later moved to a family plot in Natchez.

Scope and Content:

Upon the request of President James K. Polk, this letter was written by General John Anthony Quitman to Secretary of War William L. Marcy on March 9, 1848. The content of the letter focuses on a meeting that occurred in July of 1847 at General Winfield Scotts headquarters in Puebla, Mexico, between Scott and his generals, George Cadwalader, Gideon Johnson Pillow, James Shields, and David Emanuel Twiggs. Also present at the meeting were General Quitman and Colonel George Hitchcock, acting inspector general.

As Quitman recalled, General Scott wanted to end the conflict over Texas by attacking Mexico City, but Scott hesitated because the United States lacked the necessary military forces. Scott was anxious to hasten the acquisition of Texas, and he was unwilling to wait for reinforcements from General Franklin Pierce. He knew from foreign contacts that the Mexican government wanted peace and would accept a cash payment for Texas. Exactly how much money the Mexican government wanted was not specified, but Scott believed that $1.5 million would settle the matter. Scott also knew from a friend in Congress, Nicholas P. Trist, that $3 million was available for military spending. Therefore, funds were available to acquire Texas from Mexico.

Once presented with Scotts plan, Quitman and the other generals were asked to decide how the negotiations with Mexico should proceed. Scotts generals were divided on the issue. Quitman made known his opposition to the cash payment and argued that such a move would undermine presidential authority and violate the public trust. Nevertheless, Scott proceeded with his plan, but the negotiations failed, and an initial payment of $10,000 was lost. Quitman kept confidential his knowledge of the secret meeting and subsequent negotiations, and he only revealed this information when Secretary Marcy ordered him to do so.

Series Identification:

Series 1: Letter. 1848. 0.10 c.f.