Description
First edition of Authentic Biography Of Colonel Richard M. Johnson, published in 1833.
Twelvemo, iv, [5] – 107pp. Publisher’s cloth boards, title printed on paper label, rebuilt spine. Occasional soiling throughout, tidemark to outer quarter of text block. Missing one leaf of text (91-92). This work has been attributed to various authors, including William Emmons and Ashel Langworthy, who wrote the preface. (Sabin 36274) A scarce work.
Richard M. Johnson (1780-1850) served as the ninth Vice President of the United States in the Martin Van Buren administration, rising to political fame on the claim that he kissed Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Johnson served as a colonel in the Kentucky Militia during the War of 1812. Along with his brother, he led troops in the Battle of the Thames, where many claimed that he personally killed Tecumseh. This claim was refuted during the 1836 presidential election, but historians agree the weight of evidence points to Johnson being the soldier who killed Tecumseh.
