Confederate General - Louisiana

Beauregard commanded the forces which started the Civil War by shelling Fort Sumter, and he went on to serve with distinction at First Manassas, Shiloh, and in the defense of Richmond.

Signature, “G.T. Beauregard, 1879,” on a 2 ¾” x 5 ¼” slip of paper, with the collector’s notation “General G.T. Beauregard, February 4^th 1879” on the reverse.

The autograph is accompanied by a period steel engraving, depicting Beauregard in Confederate uniform.

Confederate General - Louisiana

Beauregard commanded the forces which started the Civil War by shelling Fort Sumter, and he went on to serve with distinction at First Manassas, Shiloh, and in the defense of Richmond.

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, front and reverse of a 5 ½” x 9” sheet. Responding to an invitation to take part in a veterans’ tour of the battlefield of First Manassas, Beauregard lists twelve of the Confederate commanders engaged in the battle.

Mr. J.H. Tourjee, Norwich, Connecticut.

Dear Sir,

Your favor of the 17^th inst[ant] has been received. I think quite favorably of the project you refer to, of an excursion to the Battle field of the 1^st Manassas * by the survivors of both Armies, North & South, who participated in that first great battle of the late War. Should my engagements permit it, I would be glad to be present on that interesting occasion.

*on July 21^st 1889

I have not time to give you many names of those who were prominent in that battle, but here are a few:

Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, Washington, D.C.; Wade Hampton, U.S. Senate; M.L. Bonham, Columbia, S.C.; J.B. Kershaw; G.W. Smith…New York City; Thos. Jordan, 61 Broadway, [New York City]; Col. A.R. Chisholm; Govr. F.T. Nichols, Baton Rouge, La.; Col. D.B. Penn, New Orleans; Judge S.D. McEnery, Supreme Court; [Judge] H.B. Kelly, Court of Appeals.

I am, y[ou]rs very truly,
G.T. Beauregard

U.S. Congressman – South Carolina – 1853-57

A Mexican War veteran and two-term Democratic representative from South Carolina, Brooks is most remembered for severely beating abolitionist Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner in the Senate chamber on May 22, 1856, two days after Sumner’s impassioned speech denouncing the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Signature, as antebellum U.S. Congressman from South Carolina, “P.S. Brooks, Ninety Six. So[uth] Carolina,” on a 1 ¾” x 5 ¾” portion of an album page.

First Lady of the Confederacy

DAVIS, VARINA ANNE (1864-1898)  Daughter of Jefferson & Varina Davis; Known as the “Daughter of the Confederacy”

Signed Album Page, 4” x 7”, “Varina Jefferson Davis.,” also signed and dated by the Davis’s daughter, Winnie, at their Mississippi home, “Varina Anne Davis, Beauvoir, Miss., Nov 5^th 1893,” with the collector’s biographical notations in the lower margin.

Overall condition is excellent, with light, even toning.

First Lady of the Confederacy

Autograph Letter Signed, 4 ½” x 7”, to “Danl. E. Soper, Esqr.,” marked “Personal.” Writing on “Beauvoir House” imprinted black-bordered mourning stationery, due to the death of her husband, Jefferson Davis, just two months earlier, the former Confederate First Lady responds to a request for the autographs of her family and refers the recipient to a New Orleans photographer for a picture of Mr. Davis.

“…Dear Sir, I thank you for the bookmarks sent & return you my autograph & the back of a letter addressed to me by my Husband. My Daughter is in Italy & consequently I cannot send her autograph. W.W. Washburne, Canal St., New Orleans will I am sure send you the best picture he has of Mr. Davis if you apply to him. Believe me Respectfully & truly yours, V. Jefferson Davis. Feb[ruary] 17^th 1890.”

A center horizontal fold and a few superficial stains detract very little from excellent overall condition.

First Lady of the Confederacy

“Mr. Davis is not writing any thing…He is not strong and both of us nil very much in a valetudinarian kind of old aged way truly depressing.”

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, front and reverse of a 5” x 8” sheet, signed with her seldom-seen full name.

From her Mississippi home, Mrs. Davis thanks a friend, identified only as “Mr. Derby,” for his assistance during the illnesses of both an unnamed friend and her daughter Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis, known throughout the South as the “Daughter of the Confederacy,” due to her birth in the Confederate White House in Richmond during the Civil War. Particular gratitude is expressed for Mr. Derby’s help with Winnie’s literary pursuits, presumably relating to at least one of the books she would publish in the subsequent years, most notably An Irish Knight of the Seventeenth Century, The Veiled Doctor, and Foreign Education for American Girls. In an amusing, melancholy conclusion, Mrs. Davis laments her husband’s lack of literary possibilities, along with the couple’s declining health. Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis died the following year, on December 6, 1889.

“Beauvoir House, 18^th April, 1888. Dear Mr. Derby, I am disappointed over my poor friend’s MS, but know that you did your very best for me and her, for though uncertain sometimes of your success, I never am of your kind desire to serve your friends. Winnie is today is [sic] so unwell that she commissioned me to thank you very gratefully for the trouble you have taken in her behalf and as you decide the question of name as you and our dear old friends the Lovells think best. She does not feel able to read the proof. She will be in New York in the course of the summer and I hope will see you and them while there. Mr. Davis is not writing any thing but has had several literary propositions which have not been accepted. He is not strong and both of us nil very much in a valetudinarian kind of old aged way truly depressing.  With the hope that you and yours are all well I am my dear friend, Very truly yours, Varina Howell Davis.”

There are several areas of slightly heavier toning, along with the usual horizontal folds.

Confederate Brigadier General – Alabama

A Mexican War veteran who had attended both Virginia Military Institute and West Point, Fry led the 13^th Alabama at Seven Pines, Sharpsburg, and Chancellorsville. After recovering from wounds received in all three battles, Fry participated in Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg, where he was again wounded and captured. He was exchanged and returned to service before the siege of Petersburg and commanded a district in Georgia, headquartered at Augusta.

War-Date Document Signed, 8” x 13”, Augusta, Georgia, October 12, 1864, “B.D. Fry, Brig[adier] Gen[eral] Commanding Post,” a partly printed clothing requisition for soldiers confined in the hospital there. Of the eight Confederates listed, two of the four from Florida regiments were wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, a third at Atlanta. Most notably, Fourth Florida Infantry Private James Herndon, wounded at Chickamauga, was later captured and confined at Camp Chase, Ohio, where he died of disease on April 4, 1865.

There are three vertical folds and several small holes in the center and in the upper margin, none affecting the text of the document.

Confederate Colonel – 1^st Missouri Cavalry; U.S. Marshal – Western District of Missouri; Missouri State Treasurer-1877-81

A Kentucky native and Buchanan County, Missouri resident, Gates led the 1^st Missouri Cavalry under Sterling Price, later Confederate Generals Bowen, Forney, and French. He had four horses shot from under him during the war, being captured three times and wounded five times, losing an arm at the Battle of Franklin. After the war, Gates returned to Missouri, serving as Buchanan County Sheriff, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri, and State Treasurer.

War-Date Signed Card, 2” x 3 ¼”, as 1^st Missouri Cavalry Commander, “Elijah Gates, Col. Commanding 1^st Mo. Cavalry C.S.A.”

The card is lightly and evenly toned, with a few small stains.

Confederate Brigadier General – Louisiana; U.S. Senator – Louisiana – 1883-92

As colonel, Gibson led the 13^th Louisiana Infantry at Shiloh, in the Kentucky campaign, and at Chickamauga. Subsequently promoted to brigadier general, he served with distinction at Atlanta, during Hood's late-war invasion of Tennessee, and in the defense of Spanish Fort, Alabama. An attorney by profession, Gibson served as U.S. Congressman, Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, and president of the board of administrators for Tulane University after the war.

Rounding up Deserters from the 13^th Louisiana for the Battles of Franklin and Nashville

War-Date Autograph Endorsement Signed, on the reverse of a letter, 8” x 10”, directing 13^th Louisiana Captain James Lingan to Jackson, Mississippi to apprehend “absentees and deserters” from the regiment. The officer to whom Captain Lingan is ordered to report, Major Michael O. Tracey, was severely wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro on December 31, 1862, requiring the amputation of his right leg.

“Head-Quarters Army of Tennessee. In the Field, November 9^th 1864. Field Special Orders No. 144…The following named Officers of Gibson’s Brigade are detailed for Sixty (60) days, and will report to Major M.O. Tracy, 13^th La. Regt., at Jackson, Miss. for the purpose of collecting all absentees and deserters from Gibson’s Brigade. Captain James Lingan, Co. B., Austin’s Battalion. By Command of General Hood, Jas. Cooper, Capt. & A.A.A.G.”

Several junior officers and adjutants have further endorsed the document, and there are three official stamps from the Quartermasters Department in Selma, Alabama at mid-left. There is general soiling and wear throughout, and crude archival tape reinforcement of two folds on the letter side, opposite Gibson’s endorsement, could easily be repaired by a professional conservator.

Confederate Brigadier General

A South Carolina native and businessman, Gladden was appointed postmaster of Columbia by President John Tyler. He served in the Mexican War and assumed the lieutenant colonelcy of the 1^st South Carolina when the state seceded from the Union in late 1860. Shortly after his adopted state of Louisiana likewise seceded, Gladden was appointed colonel of the 1^st Louisiana Infantry. As brigadier general, he was wounded by a shell fragment during the first day’s fighting at Shiloh. Less than a week after the amputation of his arm on the field, Gladden died in General P.G.T. Beauregard’s headquarters in Corinth, Mississippi on April 12, 1862.

War-Date Signature, “A.H. Gladden, Brig[adier] Gen[eral] Commanding 1^st Brig[ade],” on a 1 ½” x 6” portion of a partly printed Confederate medical document, dated December 4, 1861.

The signature is affixed to light card stock and has the often-seen soiling and wear.

Confederate Major General - Georgia

Gordon served with distinction in the Army of Northern Virginia from First Manassas through Appomattox. After the war, he served as Georgia Governor and as United States Senator from the state.

Signed Card, 2” x 3 ¼”, “J.B. Gordon, Georgia,” as post-war U.S. Senator from Georgia.

The card is lightly and evenly toned, with old mounting remnants on the reverse.

Confederate Major General - Georgia

Gordon served with distinction in the Army of Northern Virginia from First Manassas through Appomattox. After the war, he served as Georgia Governor and as United States Senator from the state.

Signed Card, 2 ¼” x 3 ¾”, as post-war U.S. Senator from Georgia. “J.B. Gordon, Ga.”

Confederate Brigadier General – Kentucky; Brother-in-Law of Abraham Lincoln

A West Point graduate, attorney, and antebellum Kentucky state legislator, Helm married the half sister of Mary Todd Lincoln in 1856. When the Civil War broke out five years later, he declined a position in the Federal Army, offered by President Lincoln; instead joining the Confederate cause, Helm organized and led the 1^st Kentucky Cavalry. Promoted brigadier general just before the battle of Shiloh, Helm saw action at Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, and Chickamauga, where he was mortally wounded while leading a brigade under Confederate Major General John C. Breckinridge in the Army of Tennessee.

War-Date Signature, “B.H. Helm, Brig[adier] Gen[era]l Com[man]d[ing],” an extremely rare example on a 1 ½” x 3” slip of paper, removed from a letter.

Wife of Confederate Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, on individual 5” x 8” sheets, with social content to a recipient identified only as Mrs. Norcross. It is very likely that Mrs. Jackson was in California at this time to be near her daughter, Julia Jackson Christian, shortly before she gave birth to a daughter, also named Julia, on June 5, 1887.

“San Diego, California, March 21^st 1887. My dear Mrs. Norcross, Yours of the 13^th has just found me in California! as you will see from the heading of my letter. I am very sorry that we missed seeing you as you passed through Richmond, for it would have given both my daughter and myself sincere pleasure to meet you again. This is a changing and uncertain world. We had no idea one year ago that we would now be in this far off land, but Providence seemed to guide us here, and we find a most charming climate, and have been blest with good health. We hope our sojourn here may be only temporary, and that we may be permitted to return to Virginia in a few years at best. We will trust to be more fortunate in meeting you the next time you come south. With our kind regards and best wishes, I am Sincerely yours, M.A. Jackson. P.O. Box 312.”

Both sheets are lightly and evenly toned, with the usual horizontal folds.

Confederate Lieutenant General – Virginia

After entering Confederate service as Colonel of Virginia Militia, Jackson earned the sobriquet "Stonewall" at First Manassas, serving brilliantly from the Valley Campaign through Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, and Chancellorsville. He was accidentally wounded by his own troops while returning from a personal reconnaissance of the Union position at Chancellorsville, and died on May 10, 1863.

War-Date Document Signed, 4 ½” x 6 ½”, May 1, 1861, as early-war colonel of Virginia Volunteers, “T.J. Jackson, Col. Va. Vols.,” a partly printed field-press requisition for pens and pen holders, accomplished in another hand.

There is slightly heavier toning along the right edge, with two horizontal folds, and the document is closely trimmed at the bottom, affecting several letters in Jackson’s rank.

Letter Signed, 8” x 10”, a manuscript petition signed by five Democratic U.S. Congressmen from the South: James L. Seward - Georgia; Elijah W. Chastain - Georgia; Alfred H. Colquitt - Georgia; William B.W. Dent - Georgia; Sampson W. Harris – Alabama. Addressing Attorney General Caleb Cushing just two days after the U.S. Senate approved the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the letter recommends the appointment of Edward R. Harden, formerly a Democratic state congressman in Georgia, to a judicial post in the new territories.

During the Civil War, Edward Harden served as Confederate colonel, Elijah Chastain served as lieutenant colonel of the First Georgia Infantry, and Alfred Colquitt rose to the rank of brigadier general in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.

Condition is excellent, with the expected light toning and folds.

Confederate General & Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia

Returning the Remains of a Young Lieutenant Who Died in Texas to His Father in Pennsylvania

“Hon[ora]ble John Dick, Meadville, P[ennsylvani]a. Camp in Clear fork of Brazos, 13 July 1857. Dear Sir, Having seen a statement in the papers that the letters that had reached Indianola from about the 20 to the 30 May had all been lost in the mails shipped aboard the Steamer Louisiana, & as my letter to you of the 6 May should have been at Indianola about that time, I have determined to send to you a Copy, that you might see why your letter of 10 Sept. [18]’56 had been so long unack[nowledge]d, should the original have been lost, & that I had given such attention to your inquiries as I was able. I hope my letter of the 19^th May reached you safely, & that you will have rec[eive]d w[ith] this the remains of your Son, forw[arde]d at that time to the Messrs. Thorps, who were also written to. I made arrangements for their shipment from Indianola, & have heard of their safe passage through San Antonio. With Sentiments of esteem & respect I am very resp[ectfull]y your Ob[edien]t Serv[an]t, R.E. Lee.”

During a forty-day expedition which scouted the headwaters of the Colorado, Brazos, and Wichita rivers, begun in early June, 1856, the four cavalry squadrons in Lee’s command had several encounters with hostile Comanche Indians. The available records indicate that Lieutenant Dick died at Camp Cooper on July 31, 1856 - just eight days after Lee’s return.  It is unknown if he died of wounds received during the expedition, or due to an illness or an injury that occurred at the notoriously harsh Camp Cooper.

The letter is in excellent condition, with slight discoloration along portions of the usual folds and superficial paper breaks at their intersections.

Confederate General & Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia

Document Signed, 8” x 10 ½”, as President of Washington College, Lexington Virginia, June 20, 1867, “R.E. Lee,” the partly printed report card for a student, “Mr. Edwin T. Dumble,” in the subjects of Latin, Greek, and Mathematics.

Born in Madison, Indiana in 1852, Edwin Dumble moved to Galveston, Texas with his family as an infant. His education at Washington College was twice interrupted by reversals in his father’s cotton and lumber businesses. He later served as an executive in several oil companies – most notably the Southern Pacific, the Rio Bravo, and the East Coast Oil Companies - and as Texas State Geologist from 1887 to 1897. In 1924, Dumble received a doctorate of science from his early alma mater, now Washington and Lee University, before retiring to Virginia. He died in 1927.

The document is lightly and evenly toned, with a few small stains. There are several tiny holes along the usual folds, none affected the text of the document.

Confederate Lieutenant General – South Carolina

Longstreet saw action from First Manassas through Appomattox, becoming Lee’s senior lieutenant general in the Army of Northern Virginia. He held post-war positions in the Grant, McKinley, and Roosevelt administrations.

An Autograph for a Collector – at the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

Signature, with sentiment, “Yours Truly, James Longstreet,” on the third page of a folded 5” x 8” letter-sheet. The autograph has been executed for one Edgar T. Read, whose letter requesting Longstreet’s signature is situated on the first letter-sheet page. Interestingly, Read’s query was made on the thirtieth anniversary of the first day’s fighting at Gettysburg.

“314 N. Monroe Street, Baltimore, July 1, 1893. General James Longstreet, Gainesville, G[eorgi]a. Sir: I take the liberty of writing, and asking of you a favor. I am endeavoring to obtain a small collection of autographic letters &c. of Confederate Generals. The late Gen. Beauregard was kind enough to be the first of my collection. If it is not too much trouble, may I hope for a reply from You? Yours respectfully, Edgar T. Read.”

The letter-sheet is lightly and evenly toned, with several superficial edge chips, and there are old mounting remnants on the second page; slightly heavier toning around Longstreet’s signature detracts very little.

Confederate Major General - Georgia

A West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran, McLaws entered Confederate service as colonel of the 10^th Georgia Infantry, subsequently seeing action on the Peninsula, and at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.

Signature, with closing and the Mexican War-period rank McLaws held from March 16, 1844 until February 16, 1847, “Respectfully, L.M. McLaws, 2^nd Lieut[enant] 7^th Inf[antry],” on a 1” x 3 ¼” slip of paper, removed from a letter; affixed to a larger card.

Closely clipped at the top, with light, even toning.