ALS as president, one page, 6.25 x 7.75, December 23, 1829. Addressed from Washington, a handwritten letter to James Aiken, in full: “You will take charge of the second auditors office and fulfil all the duties of said office until the return of Major William B. Lewis to this city.” Affixed to a same-size mount and in very good condition, with trimmed edges, old tape stains, and toning from prior display. William B. Lewis was an associate and advisor of Andrew Jackson, who appointed Lewis as quartermaster for the 1813 Creek Indian War campaign. In the 1820s, Lewis became one of the earliest advocates of Jackson's presidential candidacy and played a crucial role in securing the general's election to the Senate in 1823 and in the 1928 election by answering charges regarding the candidate's marriage. Once elected president, Jackson appointed Lewis as the second auditor of the Treasury and invited him to reside in the White House. During Jackson's first term, Lewis stood as an important member of the president's ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ and helped promote Martin Van Buren's claims as Jackson's heir apparent. His disagreement with Jackson over the spoils system and the Bank of the United States, however, weakened his influence. Lewis never openly opposed the president, and their friendship remained intact, but he was only a minor figure in Jackson's second administration. He retained his office after Jackson's retirement, but subsequent presidents, including Van Buren, largely ignored him until President James K. Polk, over Jackson's objections, fired him shortly after Polk's inauguration.
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