To Alexander Hamilton from Henry E. Lutterloh, [9 September 1792]
From Henry E. Lutterloh
[New Bern, North Carolina, September 9, 1792]
Sir,
Your favour of the 4th July a c, I had the honour to receive by the last post.1 Tho’ you did not mention, that I should sent on any Plan to a General Lottery, yet I take the Liberty to in-close one. And as in all the Old Governments, Minister raise annually a certain Revenues by Lottery; I take the Liberty to annext Two Plans, the one for 3 Classes, and the Other for one Class only.2 The first is done to make the purchase of the Tickets easy and to give Time for Selling them. An Office, of Such an Establishment will cost Nothing, be Usefull, and produce a Surplus. People in the North like That Game.
I obtained from our General Assamble an Act3 to raise by Way of a Lottery for 5 Years annualy, 6000 Dollr, Two years of which are now elapsed, and I have only been able to Draw last 24 of august the first Class, and which I was obliged to draw to show them the Nature of a Lottery, the most part of the Citizen here being intirely Ingnorant thereof.4 I in-close My Grant of the Governor.5 Mr Wm B Grove6 informed Me That he has delivered in his Report, upon My Petition, and is fully persuated that by their next Meeting, I will obtain 740 Dollrs as allowed by the Comitty.7 Several havy Losses, The disappointment in the drawing of My Lottery, have put Me to a great Want. All our great people here, are in Want of Cash So that I cannot get any help from Them. I would take it as an Exceeding great favour if you would assist me with a Loan in advance upon that Sum of only 3, or, 400 dollor. I would sent directly the order thereupon. I am well persuated it is quite out of the Line, in Your Station, and I do not aske it from You in Office But as an old Campain Freind, who is able to help me, in my present delemma. You See My Situation requires help, to carry The Grant of this Govermt into Execution. Therefore I beg you will take it into Consideration and Sent me a draft for it on any of your Collectors. Such an assistance will greatly help me &c. I have the honour to be with the Greatest Respect
Sir Your Most obedient Sert
I am Mooved to here8
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Letter not found.
2. “The United States First General Lottery granted by Congress in their Session at Philadelphia 1792” (D, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress) and “The Plan for a Lottery of one class only” (AD, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress).
3. “An Act to authorize Henry Emanuel Lutterloh, to raise by way of Lottery, a sum sufficient to enable him to bring into this state foreigners who are artisans in various branches of business” (D, Microfilm Collection of Early State Records, Library of Congress). The act was approved on December 4, 1790 (Walter Clark, ed., The State Records of North Carolina [Goldsboro, North Carolina, 1903], XXI, 969).
4. A notice of the drawing for the first lottery and the scheme of the second was published in the Fayetteville Gazette on September 25, 1792.
5. The act provided that Lutterloh’s scheme should be laid before the North Carolina council of state and that a grant from the governor should be issued. Both Lutterloh’s plan of a lottery and the governor’s grant of April 11, 1791, may be found in the minutes of the council under date of April 11, 1791 (DS, Microfilm Collection of Early State Records, Library of Congress).
6. William Barry Grove represented the Fayetteville district in North Carolina.
7. Lutterloh is referring to a petition “praying to be allowed the pay and emoluments of a Colonel, in consideration of military services rendered to the United States during the late war,” which he had sent to the House of Representatives on April 14, 1790. The petition was rejected, but Lutterloh’s petition to the next session of Congress was received favorably. On February 6, 1793, the House of Representatives passed a “bill to reimburse Henry Emanuel Lutterloh for expenses incurred in coming to America, to join the Army of the United States, during the late war.” The bill, however, was rejected by the Senate (, 193, 220, 275, 286–87, 337, 469, 470, 604, 677, 687, 692, 704).
8. Lutterloh had originally settled in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after the American Revolution.
On the back of this letter H wrote: “Mr. Lutterloh Concerning a Lottery. Answered Sep. 26, 1792.” H’s letter of September 26 has not been found.