Gulf of California, which left all of Baja California a part of Mexico, and Polk was furious. In the end, Polk reluctantly approved the treaty since he wanted to have it signed, sealed, and delivered to Congress during his presidency. Trist later commented on the treaty: "My feeling of shame as an American was far stronger than the Mexicans' could be." Later years Upon return to Washington, Trist was immediately fired for his insubordination, and his expenses since the time of the recall order were not paid. After his dismissal, Trist moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, and then to Philadelphia, where he worked as a railroad clerk and paymaster. Trist finally recovered his expenses in 1871, at the urging of Senator Charles Sumner. Trist supported Republican Abraham Lincoln for U.S. president in 1860. While the Lincoln administration did not offer Trist any patronage, he did serve as postmaster of Alexandria, Virginia, during the Grant administration. He died in Alexandria on February 11, 1874, aged 73. References Further reading Castel, Albert. "The Clerk Who Defied a President: Nicholas Trist's Treaty with Mexico." Virginia Cavalcade 34 (1985): 136–143. Drexler, Robert W. Guilty of Making Peace: A Biography of Nicholas P. Trist. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1991. Ohrt, Wallace. Defiant Peacemaker: Nicholas Trist in the Mexican War. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1997. Nortrup, Jack. "Nicholas Trist's Mission to Mexico: A Reinterpretation." The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 3 (Jan., 1968), pp. 321–346. External links Nicholas Philip Trist (1800–1874), U.S. State Department Inventory of the Nicholas Philip Trist Papers, 1765-1903, in the Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill "Nicholas Philip Browse Family Tree" 1800 births 1874 deaths 19th-century American diplomats Lawyers from Alexandria, Virginia People from Charlottesville, Virginia Polk administration personnel Personal secretaries to the President of the United States 19th-century American politicians Chief Clerks of the United States Department of State