John Jacob Astor writes to Colonel Thorn

It’s always gratifying to see an actual artefact connected to the Thorn family. This is a letter to Herman from John Jacob Astor about his ship Tonquin. Tonquin had been commanded by Herman’s brother, Jonathon (a hero of the Barbary Wars), who was killed on a trip to Canada after rudely inciting an argument with local fur traders.

Interestingly, Jonathon was commended for his bravery in Tripoli (Barbary War) in 1804 by Commodore Decatur. Yet a decade later, Decatur court-martialled Herman Thorn.

John Jacob Astor Autograph Letter Signed, “John Jacob Astor.” One page, 7.25″ x 9.5″, New York, New York; December 20, 1826. Letter from the German-American businessman, merchant, and real estate investor Astor (1763-1848) to Herman Thorn concerning Astor’s ship Tonquin. Astor writes “I believe the ship Tonquin was lost some time in July 1811.”

This was for sale some time ago. The auctioneers stated that the “Letter is accompanied by an engraving of Astor based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel and published by Johnson, Fry & Company, New York, 1864.”