14 August 1869 • Buffalo, N.Y. (Merwin-Clayton, lot 127, UCCL 00386)
I feel compelled to beg off & withdraw from the lecture field entirely for this season, certain unforeseen events having conspired to change all my plans. To wit: IⒶemendation have just purchased one-third of the Buffalo Express & Ⓐemendation gone pretty largely in debt to accomplish it. ... Moreover, the party of the second part & myself have decided to be married about the close of December, & I am informed by parties of large experience that one requires two months to get ready to marry & three more to get used to it. This just about covers the entire lecture season & rules me out1explanatory note Ⓐemendation
Clemens repeated his withdrawal request in a second, now missing, letter to Redpath (see 21 Aug 69 to Craneclick to open link and 21 Aug 69 to OLLclick to open link).
Merwin-Clayton, lot 127.
L3 , 297–298; none known other than the copy-text.
The present location of the MS (sold at auction in 1906 by the Merwin-Clayton Sales Company) is not known.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.
The auction catalog describes the MS as an “A. L. S., 2 pages, 8vo, Aug. 14, 1869, to James Redpath.”