Richard Henry Dana Sr.

RICHARD HENRY DANA SR. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, FEBRUARY 14, 1825

A scarce and highly personal Autograph Letter Signed (“R. H. Dana”), one page, Boston, February 14, 1825, addressed to E. T. Hastings, apparently a close associate and financial confidant of Dana. The identity of Hastings has not been conclusively established, though surviving Dana family records suggest the Hastings family maintained ties with the Dana family for decades thereafter.

Writing during one of the most difficult periods of his life, Dana requests the urgent loan of thirty-five dollars, explaining that he is “confined to the house” and unable to obtain the funds except through the kindness of his correspondent. He asks that the money be sent that afternoon if possible and assures Hastings that, once sufficiently recovered to leave home, he will arrange repayment of both the requested sum and previous advances.

The letter offers a revealing glimpse into the private circumstances of Richard Henry Dana Sr. (1787–1879), the noted American poet, essayist, and founder of The Idle Man. Written during the financially troubled mid-1820s, the correspondence reflects the economic hardships that frequently burdened Dana as literary pursuits often provided little dependable income. The letter also coincides with a period during which biographers have noted Dana’s recurring struggles with melancholy, emotional distress, and what modern observers might characterize as depressive episodes, though no formal diagnosis existed in his era.

Beyond its financial appeal, the letter is notable for its reference to Dana being “confined to the house,” suggesting illness or physical incapacity. While the precise ailment remains unknown, the document captures an intimate moment of vulnerability from one of America’s important early literary figures and the father of Richard Henry Dana Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast.

A compelling manuscript linking literary history, personal adversity, and the economic realities faced by nineteenth-century American authors.