Scarce LS as secretary of state, signed “M. Van Buren,” five total pages, 8 x 12.5, March 31, 1829. Letter to Don Francisco Dionisio Vives, Governor and Captain General of Cuba, introducing Florida attorney Richard K. Call as a Special Agent to the governor general of Cuba. In full: "Extensive and valuable tracts of land, in the Territory of Florida, being claimed by individuals, under grants, or pretended grants, from the Crown of Spain, whilst that Territory formed a part of the dominions of the Spanish Monarchy, the President has judged it expedient, in order to ascertain the true character and validity of these titles, to send a Special Agent to the—Havana, for the purpose of procuring documentary and other evidence form the Public Archives, and other authentic sources of information there, which may serve to their elucidation and adjustment, and he has, accordingly, appointed Mr. Richard K. Call, one of our must respected Citizens, and the bearer of this communication to your Excellency, Special Agent of the United Sates, for the performance of this service. I beg leave, therefore, to recommend Mr. Call to the favorable—countenance of your Excellency, and to solicit, for him, at your Excellency's hands, the protection and facilities which may be found necessary to enable him to fulfill the purpose of his—agency, in this important and delicate service. He will himself, have the honor of making Your Excellency more particularly acquainted with the nature and extent of he commission with which he is charged, and of indicating the facilities which it may be desirable should be extended to him, towards the execution of it. In the meantime, I rely with confidence upon Your Excellency's enlightened sense of justice, for a due appreciation of the motives of this application, and upon the liberal spirit of accommodation and kindness—towards the United States, which has uniformly marked your administration of the Government of Cuba, for a ready compliance with it. I pray Your Excellency to accept the assurance of the very high and distinguished consideration with which I have the honor to be Your Excellency's Obedient & humble Servant." In very good condition, with heavy overall toning, light foxing, and slight loss to the right edge. Accompanied by an untranslated handwritten letter in Spanish, dated March 31, 1829, presumably related to Richard K. Call.Beginning in 1790, Spain offered land grants to encourage settlements in Florida, which at the time was sparsely populated and vulnerable to incursions from the United States. When the United States assumed control of Florida following the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty (ratified in 1821), it agreed to honor those grants. However, the United States required residents to provide proof of these grants. Those unable to produce documents were required to submit testimonials. After nearly a decade, some grants were still the subject of dispute and the Jackson Administration charged Richard K. Call, an attorney and close friend of Andrew Jackson, who in 1821 helped establish the new territorial government in Florida, to travel to Havana to examine official Spanish records to verify Spanish claims. In March 1836, Andrew Jackson appointed Call as Governor of the Florida Territory, where he had established two major plantations near Tallahassee.Format: LS