2 letters: One page (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 203 mm), addressed to "My friend," 16 January 1821, address leaf postmarked New York; small fold separation to letter, minor repairs to address leaf, tipped to a larger leaf. — One page (9 1/2 x 8 in.; 241 x 203 mm), addressed to "My friend," on a bifolium with integral address leaf, 28 October and postmarked New York, 29 October, the inner two leaves containing Pickering's response to Elizabeth Hamilton's inquiry; tipped to a larger leaf.

Two letters: One page (10 x 8 in.; 254 x 203 mm), addressed to "My friend," 16 January 1821, address leaf postmarked New York; small fold separation to letter, minor repairs to address leaf, tipped to a larger leaf. — One page (9 1/2 x 8 in.; 241 x 203 mm), addressed to "My friend," on a bifolium with integral address leaf, 28 October and postmarked New York, 29 October, the inner two leaves containing Pickering's response to Elizabeth Hamilton's inquiry; tipped to a larger leaf.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"My youngest has come of age, and it will be a particular favor if you can make me some statement respecting the property the gentlemen of your city were so kind as to make my children as a remembrance of their father, as I am entirely unacquainted with its situation and who is the agent, also what you suppose is its value." The following two pages contain Pickering's response, being a draft in a rapid and nearly illegible hand regarding the disposition of lands in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Although Hamilton enjoyed a thriving law practice, he was chronically cash poor. His death burdened Eliza with a debt of between fifty and sixty thousand dollars. An inheritance from her father, who died four months after Hamilton, provided some financial relief 🅠but barely enough to defray the outstanding debt and the ongoing exigencies of her household and her favorite charities. Recognizing her dire predicament, Gouverneur Morris organized a subscription which brought in about eighty thousand dollars, and which remained a guarded secret from family members by the Bank of New York until 1937 (Chernow, p. 725). With the same intent, New England Federalists (i.e., Pickering's colleagues) donated lands in Pennsylvania. Given her penurious state of affairs and her pressing duty to support her family, Eliza's inquiry about the value of lands her youngest son, Philip ("Little Phil"), could expect to inherit therefore comes as no surprise.

Hamilton had gallantly (albeit foolishly) waived his pension and land bounty due him as an officer of the line🌼, but after his death Eliza persisted in petitioning to Congress to reinstate his compensation. Finally, by the time Madison had left office in March 1817, Congress awarded her "450 acres in bounty lands plus five years' worth of full army pay—about ten thousand dollars" (Chernow, p. 725).  

The second letter is a friendly invitation for the Pickerings and George Cabot (the first director of the Bank of New York and Pickering's fellow resident in Salem) to stay with her in New York as "the sleighing is fine between the city and Boston ... permit me to propose your taking advantage of the snow ... I hav♒e a comfortable bed room for you and will promise your stay agreeable [sic] ... Remember me kindly to Mr. Cabot's family but why not put Mr. Cabot in the sleigh with you ..."