U.S. Postmaster General - 1861-64; Brother of Francis P. Blair, Jr.; Mayor of St. Louis – 1842-43; Counsel for Dred Scott before the U.S. Supreme Court

War-Date Signed Envelope, 3 ¼” x 6”, free-franked as U.S. Postmaster General under President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, “M. Blair, P.M.G.” The envelope is also addressed by Blair, to “Col[onel] F.A. Dick, St. Louis, Mo.,” and is postmarked “Washington, D.C., May 8, 1863.”

The envelope is lightly toned, with minor wear and a few superficial tears at the edges, along with several small stains.

Union Brigadier General – Massachusetts

While leading the 10^th Massachusetts under McClellan on the Peninsula, Briggs was severely wounded in both thighs at Seven Pines. He briefly returned to active service, to command a brigade in the Middle Department and a division in the Army of the Potomac.

Briggs Writes to His Wife After “the late bloody battle of Gettysburg.”

War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, four pages, on a 5” x 8” letter-sheet, signed “your Husband,” incorporating his signature into his wife’s address, “Mrs. H.S. Briggs, Pittsfield, Mass[achusetts],” at the conclusion. Assigned to lead an Eighth Corps brigade in the Army of the Potomac, Briggs relates the rigors sustained by the troops in his command. Many of them were Massachusetts Volunteers approaching the end of their nine-month terms of service – diverted and quick-marched to guard Union-held territory near Harpers Ferry during the retreat of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia after “the late bloody battle of Gettysburg.”

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“In camp near Hamilton or ‘Harmony Church,’ Loudon Co[unty], V[irgini]a, Sunday Evening, July 19, 1863.

Dear Molly,

I have been thinking ever since we got into camp about 11 o’clock this forenoon that I must write; but it has been so hot and I have been so sleepy that I have not got to it till now (past 9 o’c[lock] eve) and that is time to turn in for…as early as 4 o’c[lock] in the morning to march.

This has been the hottest day we have had, and the men could hardly have endured a long march. We left camp near Waterford this morning at about 7 o’c[lock] and halted here as I said a little before 11 o’c[lock]. We are bivouacked in a fine wood, the first shade of any account we have had in our encampment. I last wrote you at camp near Buckittsville on Thursday I believe (or Friday, it is very difficult for me to keep the days of the week). We were ordered to march from there at 4 o’c[lock] yesterday morning but didn’t get off till about 6, then marched to Waterford which we reached about 2 o’c[lock] and had plenty of time to get into camp and rest before night. We crossed the Potomac yesterday morning by a pontoon bridge about 8 o’c[lock] at Berlin, where we left the 46[th] Mass[achusetts] Col[onel] [William S.] Shurtleff to go home its time having nearly expired. That leaves me with only the 8^th [Massachusetts] whose time expires on the 30^th inst[ant] and the 39^th [Massachusetts] about a thousand men in all; But that is a large Brigade in this Corps so reduced has it become by the casualties of a long term, the most ever of all which was the late bloody battle of Gettysburg. A Vermont Brig[age] left the Div[ision] yesterday also nine month troops.

Which way we go from here I know nothing of nor what is going on about us. It was supposed this morning that we were going to Leesburg [Virginia] from which we were about 7 miles to the north. We are now about the same distance west, and about mid-way between or opposite Gregors and Snickers Gaps in the Blue Ridge. I keep remarkably well altho[ugh] we all feel our broken sleep. Our orders to march almost invariably come after midnight here since there is not much sleep for us after that.

Dear Molly I have thought a great deal of you all to day, both on the march and since arrival in camp. I can think of you with better heart than when I first joined this army a week ago tho[ugh] not less tenderly and graciously. I am not so homesick and have come to accept my position as a necessity and duty. I am not altogether agreeably situated here; but I am content for the present in the belief that there will be some change soon as my command will be broken up by the departure of the 8^th [Massachusetts] a week hence.

It is now a fortnight since the date of your and George’s last letter. I do not allow myself to be anxious about you, trusting the Father of Mercies and of us all to keep you. Our mails are not often sent, since I suppose it is hardly known at Washington what my address is. I shall hope now to hear from you after the receipt of my letter from Funkstown dated a week ago tomorrow.

Our mail boy was sent to H[ea]d Qu[arter]s tonight but returned with the message that probably there would be no mail sent for two or three days.

I must turn in. So good night with lots of love to all. Affectionately your Husband. Mrs. H.S. Briggs, Pittsfield, Mass[achusetts].”

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Overall condition is excellent, with the usual light toning and two horizontal folds.

Union Major General – Massachusetts; Republican U.S. Congressman – Massachusetts – 1867-75 & 1877-79; U.S. Presidential Candidate – Greenback Party - 1884

Known as “Beast Butler” for his harsh treatment of civilians in New Orleans, Butler had, ironically, nominated Jefferson Davis for the presidency on the 1860 Democratic ticket.

War-Date Signature, “Yours truly, Benj. F. Butler, Maj. Genl. Com[manding],” on a 2 ½” x 4 ¾” slip of paper.

Lightly and evenly toned, with a horizontal fold, along with minor bleeding of ink in portions of Butler’s rank.

Union Brigadier General – Maine; Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Gettysburg

As colonel of the 20^th Maine, Chamberlain gallantly defended Little Round Top, preventing a Confederate victory at Gettysburg.

Civil War-Date Signature, a seldom-seen example with sentiment and the rank Chamberlain held from June 18, 1864 through the end of the war, on a 1 ¾” x 5” slip of lined paper. Chamberlain was brevetted major general of volunteers on March 29, 1865.

“Very respectfully, Your ob[e]d[ien]t Serv[an]t, J.L. Chamberlain, Brig. Genl. Com[man]d[in]g.”

The slip is lightly toned, with some show-through of old glue staining on the reverse, and there is a small hole above the “Com” in Chamberlain’s rank; illustrated against a black background for added clarity.

U.S. Treasury Secretary - 1861-64; U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice - 1864-73

As Lincoln’s Treasury Secretary, Chase was instrumental in the efforts to finance the war and was responsible for the issue and acceptance of paper money as legal tender. Continued rivalry and strife with Lincoln precipitated his appointment to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Roger B. Taney in 1864.

War-Date Signature, with closing and title in another hand, “S.P. Chase,” on a 1 ½” x 4” slip of paper, removed from a letter as U.S. Treasury Secretary, the position Chase held from March 4, 1861 through December 6, 1864; with the pencil notation, “1862” in the lower margin.

Union Brigadier General – New York

Born in New York City to immigrant Irish parents, Devin served as colonel of the 6^th New York Cavalry from the unit’s formation in late 1861 through the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. He led a cavalry brigade under Union General John Buford in the first day’s fighting at Gettysburg, and subsequently saw action in Kilpatrick’s raid on Richmond and with Sheridan in the Shenandoah.

War-Date Endorsement Signed, on a 2 ¼” x 3 ½” slip of paper, removed from a larger document.

“Head Q[uar]t[e]rs, 2^nd Brig[ade] 1^st Cav[alry] Division, Oct. 23, 1863. Approved & Respectfully forwarded. Thos. C. Devin, Col[onel] Com[man]d[in]g Brig[ade].”

Union Major General  – New York

A West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran, Doubleday was garrisoned in Charleston Harbor when the Civil War began with the bombardment of Ft. Sumter by forces under Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. He subsequently saw action at Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where he assumed command of the First Corps upon the death of John Reynolds. Doubleday has since been popularly credited with inventing baseball.

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, on a lightly toned sheet, trimmed to 5” x 6”. Near the conclusion of the war’s third year, Doubleday sends this handwritten letter for the collection of noted autograph collector William H. Fry. Accompanying records indicate that Fry’s collection, this piece included as Lot #580, was sold by Davis & Harvey, a Philadelphia auction company, on June 7 & 8, 1907.

“Washington, D.C., Dec[ember] 13, 1863. Sir, I enclose my autograph as requested. A. Doubleday, Major Genl. Vol[unteers]. To Wm. H. Fry, Esq., Harrisburg, P[ennsylvani]a.”

There are two horizontal folds, and a small hole near the right edge affects one letter of text.

U.S. Secretary of State – 1852-53; Governor of Massachusetts – 1836-40; U.S Senator - Massachusetts

Everett preceded Lincoln at the podium on November 19, 1863, giving the principal address at the Gettysburg cemetery dedication.

Civil War-Date Autograph Quotation Signed, on a 3” x 5” slip of paper. During the third full year of the war – and less than a year after he delivered the opening speech before Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address – Everett expresses reverence for the nation’s first President, George Washington.

“Washington was the greatest of good men & the best of great men. Edward Everett. Boston, 3 Sept[embe]r 1864.”

Condition is excellent, with the expected light 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.

American Journalist & Abolitionist; Founder of the Abolitionist Newspaper, “The Liberator”

Civil War-Date Autograph Quotation Signed, voicing the abolitionist sentiment for which Garrison was widely known, on a 2 ½” x 5” portion of an album page.

“Yours, for universal freedom, Wm. Lloyd Garrison, Boston, May 20, 1862.”

Garrison’s long-held, oft-stated dream of “immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves” was very soon advanced two-fold, as the bill abolishing slavery in the territories was signed into law on June 19 and, more significantly, President Lincoln read the first draft of his Emancipation Proclamation to the Cabinet on July 22, 1862.

Barely discernible damp-staining to the left one-third, along with a few small stains, detract very little.

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.

Union Brevet Brigadier General; Union Lieutenant Colonel – 20^th New York State Militia; Union Colonel – 80^th New York Infantry

War-Date Autograph Endorsement Signed

Civil War-Date Autograph Endorsement Signed, on a 2 ¼” x 3 ¼” slip of paper, removed from a larger document.

“H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs 20^th N.Y. S[tate] M[ilitia], Brookes Station, Va., May 11, 1863. Respectfully forwarded & cordially recommended, Theodore B. Gates, Col[onel] Com[man]d[in]g.”

Union Brigadier General – Pennsylvania; First Mayor of San Francisco, California – 1850-51; Governor of Kansas Territory – 1856-57; Governor of Pennsylvania – 1867-73

A veteran of the Mexican War, Geary began the Civil War as Colonel of the 28^th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was twice wounded at Cedar Mountain, commanded the 2^nd Division of the 12^th Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and subsequently saw action at Chattanooga. After the war, Geary served two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania.

War-Date Signature, with rank, “Jno. W. Geary, Brig. Genl. Com[man]d[in]g,” on a 1 ¼” x 4” slip of paper, removed from a larger document or letter.

Lightly and evenly toned, with a few small stains, along with old glue staining on the reverse.

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.

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“H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Gibson’s Brigade, Florence, Ala[bama], Nov[ember] 10^th 1864. Captain James Lingan will proceed to Mobile or to any other point than Jackson at which he may ascertain Major Tracy to be stationed. R.L. Gibson, Brig. Genl.”

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The field order to which Gibson is responding, desirably imprinted from the Army of Tennessee Headquarters of Commanding General John B. Hood, through Confederate Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lee, in full:

“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.”

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Forced from Atlanta by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman two months earlier, Hood’s Army of Tennessee had by late October 1864 moved into northern Alabama, capturing Florence and positioning itself to strike at Nashville. Aware of his desperate situation, Hood attempts in this order to gather all remaining men available for the upcoming offensive. Just three weeks later, Hood’s army was nearly destroyed at the battle of Franklin, where Generals Cleburne, Gist, Adams, Strahl, Carter, and Granbury were killed or mortally wounded.

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.

18^th U.S. President - 1869-77; Union Lieutenant General

From Vicksburg, Grant Exerts His Authority Over the Mississippi, in an Incident with the Steamer Empress – Later Burned by Nathan Bedford Forrest

War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 1 ½ pages, front and reverse of the first leaf of a folded 5” x 8” letter-sheet, to a United States Treasury agent identified only as “Mr. Montrose.”

From his headquarters in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Confederate river stronghold having fallen to Federal forces under Grant just three months earlier, the Union commander informs Agent Montrose of the improper seizure of a cotton-laden steamer on the river by the U.S. Navy. As unhindered shipping on the Mississippi had resumed after the mid-summer fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, Montrose is further instructed to provide passes for use by Union vessels as additional protection against future seizures in violation of orders already issued by Grant.

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“H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Dep[artmen]t of the Ten[nessee], Vicksburg, Miss[issippi], Oct[ober] 6^th 1863. Mr. Montrose, Ag[en]t Treas[ury] Dept. Sir, The gentlemen with Gen[eral] Stewart, the bearer of this, have all shipped Cotton on the Steamer Empress, from Natchez, Miss[issippi] in conformity with Gen[eral] Orders No. 57, current series and were stopped at the mouth of the Red river by the Navy. I have written to the Naval Commander at that place, enclosing a copy of the order referred to and presume with this the Empress will be permitted to pass. However for further security I have to request that you issue Treasury passes in addition to the Authority already granted. Yours truly, U.S. Grant, Maj[or] Gen[eral].”

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Three passages from the Official Records, communications between the U.S. Navy vessels involved, provide further details of the controversy, in part:

“U.S.S. Choctaw, Off Mouth of Red River, October 4, 1863. Sir: This morning the steamer Empress came down from Natchez, having on board about 2,800 bales of cotton, taken on board by permission of Brigadier-General M.M. Crocker, commanding U.S. forces at Natchez…Never having received orders to pass cotton shipped by permission of army officers, and the proclamation of the President of March 31, 1863, and the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury of the same date not permitting any such trade, I ordered the captain of the Empress to return to Natchez with the cotton, and gave him a letter to General Crocker, a copy of which I enclose. I was informed by the captain of the Empress that these permits were given by General Grant…Frank M. Ramsay, Lieutenant-Commander, Commanding Third District.”

“U.S.S. Benton, Off Natchez, October 9, 1863…I was informed by my executive officer that he had forwarded a letter from General Grant to Captain Ramsay, a copy of which I send, in which the general was willing to assume the responsibility in the premises and referred to an order from the Treasury Department of September 15, 1863, which caused him to issue his General Order No. 57, which I send enclosed…Jas. A. Greer, Lieutenant-Commander, Comdg. 4^th Dist., Miss. Squadron.”

“U.S.S. Choctaw, Off Mouth of Red River, November 8, 1863. Captain Couthouy told them that you commanded the Mississippi River; that General Grant was absolute on shore, but that he did not control so much of the water of the Mississippi as would be sufficient for him to wash his face in; that this was no question between military and naval authority, but simply whether the officers in command of gunboats should obey your orders and those of the Secretary of the Navy or those of General Grant…A person calling himself General David Stewart (who, I was informed in Natchez, is supposed to be a cotton speculator) took it upon himself to spread a number of reports, and was the principal speaker among the passengers on the Empress…Frank M. Ramsay, Lieutenant-Commander, Comdg. 3^rd Dist., Miss. Squadron.”

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While Navy officers were still embroiled in the controversy back on the Mississippi, Grant was en route to Chattanooga just two weeks after the date of this letter to Agent Montrose, in command of the new Military Division of the Mississippi, setting the stage for the battles of Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge. Interestingly, it was later reported that the Empress was burned by Confederate cavalry forces under Nathan Bedford Forrest at Island #34 on October 28, 1864.

There is light, even toning, with the usual folds, several small stains, and somewhat heavier soiling and wear to the docketed fourth page of the letter-sheet. Slight trimming of the margins, perhaps inadvertent when the envelope in which the letter was delivered was opened, affects several letters of text in the last line of the first page and in the first word of the second.

American Editor & Abolitionist

As founder of the New York Tribune, Greeley exerted great political power with the expression of his antislavery views. He was defeated in the 1872 presidential election, and died later in the same year.

A Recommendation for a Disabled Soldier in the Irish Brigade

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, on imprinted 5” x 8” Office of The Tribune stationery, to “Gen[eral] M.C. M[e]igs, Quartermaster U.S.A.” In this earnest and eloquent letter to U.S. Army Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, who established the military cemetery at Arlington later in the war, Greeley recommends a battle-disabled soldier in the 69^th New York, part of the Irish Brigade under General Thomas F. Meagher, for a position.

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“New York, Feb[ruary] 23, 1863. Capt[ain] Jasper M. Whitty, who has fought in nearly every battle of our War from first Bull Run to Antietam inclusive, has lost his right eye, been disabled by severe wounds and compelled to seek and accept an honorable discharge from the service, is poor and deserving, and solicits some clerkship or other place wherein he may still earn bread for his family. I respectfully submit that he ought to have it. Yours, Horace Greeley.”

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Having enlisted as a lieutenant on April 20, 1861, Lieutenant Whitty was wounded and taken prisoner at First Bull Run. Subsequently exchanged, he was again wounded at Antietam, where the hard-fought Irish Brigade suffered losses among the highest of any Federal unit during the war.

The letter is accompanied by a period carte-de-visite image of Greeley, with a C.D. Fredericks & Co. backmark. Both pieces bear general soiling and wear, the letter having the usual horizontal folds and a few small stains.

Union Brevet Brigadier General; Union Colonel – 5^th New York Cavalry; U.S. Congressman – New York - 1879-83

Civil War-Date Endorsement Signed – as Major of the Fifth New York Cavalry

War-Date Endorsement Signed, on a lightly toned 2 ¼” x 3” slip of paper, removed from a larger document.

“H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs 5^th N.Y. Cavalry, n[ea]r Hartwood Ch[urch, Va., Sept[ember] 6, 1863. Approved recommended and respectfully forwarded. J. Hammond, Major Com[man]d[in]g.”

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.

Union Brevet Brigadier General; Union Lieutenant Colonel – 35^th Massachusetts Infantry & Chief of Staff to General Samuel Sturgis; Union Colonel – 4^th Massachusetts Heavy Artillery

War-Date Endorsement/Document Signed

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 8” x 10”, March 1865, Ft. Richardson, Virginia, a vertical endorsement in the lower left corner of a requisition for two cords of wood fuel.

“Approved. Wm. S. King, Col[onel] 4^th Mass[achusetts] H[eavy] A[rtillery] Com[man]d[in]g 3^rd Brigade, De Russy’s Div[ision].”

The document is lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds and a few small stains.

Union Rear Admiral

A distant cousin of Robert E. Lee, Samuel P. Lee remained loyal to the Union when war erupted in 1861. He commanded numerous ships during the course of the war, most notably on blockade duty, from which he received more than $100,000 in prize money for the capture of Confederate blockade runners.

War-Date Document/Endorsement Signed

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”, with Lee’s endorsement on the reverse of a letter from Acting Ensign Henry Booby, relating to four members of the U.S. Navy, held as prisoners and awaiting court martial.

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“Returned for a detailed report of time, place, and circumstances in the case of Lewis Thomas, & o[ther]s. Charges are prepared against the other three – and they will soon be tried. S.P. Lee, A[cting] Rear Admiral, Com[man]d[in]g Miss[issippi] Squad[ron]. Flag Ship ‘Blackhawk,' Ap[ri]l 17, 1865.”

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The letter from Ensign Booby, dated just days after the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, in full:

“U.S.S. ‘Lexington,’ Mound City, Ill[inoi]s, April 17^th 1865. Sir: In obedience to your general order #59, I respectfully forward the accompanying report of Prisoners awaiting trial by a Naval General Court Martial. I have the honor to be, Very Respectfully Your Ob[edien]t Serv[an]t, Henry Booby, Act[in]g Ensign & Senior Officer Pres[en]t.”

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The prisoners and charges are listed on a separate sheet of the same dimension, also signed by Ensign Booby, Lewis Thomas’s offence being “Sleeping on Watch,” while Michel Hackett, Christopher Capell, and William Hunter are being brought up on charges of “Drunkeness, Mutinous Conduct, threatening the Life of an Officer.”

Both sheets are lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds and a few superficial stains.

Sixteenth U.S. President - 1861-65

A Request for a Lieutenant’s Promotion – Just Two Months Before He was Mortally Wounded at Cedar Creek

“The above, written by a very good man, is submitted to the Secretary of War. A. Lincoln.”

Noted as a resident of Allentown, Pennsylvania in the accompanying National Archives records, Mr. Baldwin was undoubtedly a caller at the Executive Mansion, and was directed to write his request, hoping that President Lincoln would approve and advance it through the proper channels. His letter, accomplished in pencil, in full:

“Aug. 12^th 1864. To His Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, President of the U.S. I desire the transfer or promotion of my brother, Lt. Henry M. Baldwin, Battery M, 5^th Reg[imen]t U.S. Artillery, to any vacancy in the Regt. which you may decide it possible to place him, consistent with the good of the service. Very Resp[ectfull]y, F.H. Baldwin.”

There is no record of Lieutenant Baldwin’s promotion or transfer before he was severely wounded through the chest and left arm on October 19, 1864 – just two months later - at the Battle of Cedar Creek. He died on November 8, 1864 at Sheridan Hospital, near Winchester, Virginia.

The letter is in excellent condition, with creases from two vertical folds.                                                                                      

Sixteenth U.S. President - 1861-65

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 15” x 19”, as President, Washington, July 29, 1861, “Abraham Lincoln,” a partly printed appointment for “…Stephen Brooks…Surveyor of the Customs for the District of Middletown in the State of Connecticut.” Countersigned by the Secretary of the Treasury, “S.P. Chase.”

The document is in excellent overall condition, with light age toning and several minor paper breaks at the intersections of the usual folds. Both signatures are distinct and free from flaw in every respect.

Sixteenth U.S. President - 1861-65

Civil War-Date Franked Envelope, 3” x 5 ¼”, as President, “A. Lincoln.” The envelope is also addressed by Lincoln, to “Rev[erend] Z.P. Wilds, 120 Prince Street, New York,” and has a June 21, 1862, Washington postmark.

The previous day, Lincoln met with a six-member delegation of Progressive Friends, composed of Thomas Garrett, Alice Eliza Hambleton, Oliver Johnson, Dinah Mendenhall, William Barnard, and Eliza Agnew. The group presented the President with a memorial, urging him to decree the emancipation of the slaves, the position adopted at the Friends’ annual meeting. It is quite worthy of note that Lincoln wrote Reverend Wilds, well known as a longtime missionary to the poor of New York City, the day following his meeting with this group of prominent leaders in the Abolition and Underground Railroad movements.

Set into an attractive, inlaid pedestal frame, the envelope bears general soiling and wear, along with minor paper loss along the right edge and above the somewhat smudged postmark.

Union Brevet Major General; Union Colonel – 13^th New York Infantry & 14^th New York Heavy Artillery

War-Date Signature & Rank

Civil War-Date Signature, as colonel of the 13^th New York Infantry, the command Marshall held from April 20, 1862 until January 4, 1864, “E.G. Marshall, Col[onel] 13^th N.Y. Vol[unteers] & Cap[tain] U.S.A.,” on a ¾” x 6 ¼” portion of an album page.

Union Major General; Democratic U.S. Presidential Candidate - 1864

McClellan graduated second in the West Point class of 1846, served in the Mexican War and, at the outbreak of the Civil War, was appointed major general. In August 1861, after the Federal disaster at First Manassas, he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac. From this point forward, McClellan’s organizational ability was offset by his hesitance in pursuing the enemy, causing Lincoln to permanently relieve him in November 1862, after the battle of Antietam. He ran unsuccessfully against Lincoln as the Democratic Presidential candidate in the election of 1864.

After the Failed Assault of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Infantry - McClellan Gives Advice for Taking Fort Wagner

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 1 ½ pages, on the first and third leaves of an 8” x 10” letter-sheet, to “Col[onel] H.L. Abbott.” Just ten months after his dismissal from command of the Army of the Potomac by President Lincoln, McClellan advises Colonel Henry Larcom Abbot, later brevetted brigadier general, in the best means for taking Fort Wagner. It is somewhat curious, yet perhaps inevitable, that Abbot is seeking McClellan’s counsel, in light of his being relieved of command the previous year.

“Orange, New Jersey, Sept[ember] 5, 1863. My dear Col., Your kind letter of the 21^st, with its enclosures, has arrived. I have read the experiments with much interest, & would be glad to have the result of any similar ones you may make. I am inclined to think that an elaborate system of experiments upon the breaching of thick parapets of sand & earth would be of interest just now – altho’ I expect [Fort] Wagner and its companions will have to be taken in some such way as the [?] was viz: drive the garrison into their bombproofs by mortar firing, & then march into the work before they can get out of their shelters. Gil[l]more will have to use more mortars before he gets through. Please thank Col. White for remembering my request. Give my kindest regards to all my friends in the Reg[imen]t. Mrs. McC[lellan] desires to write in this request, as she regards herself as having peculiar claims on your Reg[imen]t. With my thanks for the update, I am ever your friend, Geo. B. McClellan.”

Less than two miles from Fort Sumter, Fort Wagner was the South’s principal land defense of Morris Island, South Carolina, guarding the southern approach to the harbor of Charleston. On July 18, 1863, just six weeks before this letter was written, the 54^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, famously composed of black troops, led a frontal assault on the fortification, losing the regiment’s organizer, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, along with twenty-five percent of its number, in the attack. Fort Wagner was never taken by force; after the disastrous assault of July 18, a formal siege began. A subsequent assault, ordered for September 7, proved unnecessary, as the fort and all other Confederate works on Morris Island had been abandoned the night before.

There is light, even toning, and the text of the letter is unaffected by a few small holes and clean paper separation at the edges of the usual folds.

Union Major General - Ohio

An 1853 graduate of West Point, McPherson entered the war as first lieutenant of engineers, seeing action at Forts Henry & Donelson, Shiloh, and Corinth. As major general of volunteers, he commanded the 17^th Corps through the Vicksburg Campaign, winning the praise of both Grant and Sherman. McPherson was killed-in-action on July 22,1864, during Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign.

War-Date Signature, with rank, “Jas. B. McPherson, Maj. Genl.” on a 1 ½” x 3 ¾” slip of paper.

Union Brevet Brigadier General; Union Colonel – 16^th New York Heavy Artillery

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 3 ½” x 8”, a manuscript note certifying that 16^th New York Lieutenant David Patterson is present with his regiment.

“Camp U.S. Forces, Gloucester Point, Va., March 17^th 1864. I hereby Certify: that David Patterson, a private of Battery ‘G’, Lieut. M[orris] F. Sheppard commanding 16^th RegimentNew York State Volunteer Artillery is present with his Regiment. J.J. Morrison, Colonel Com[an]d[in]g Post and 16^th Regt. N.Y. S[tate] Vol[unteer] Artillery.”

The center horizontal fold and a diagonal tear in the lower right corner have been reinforced on the reverse, and there is general soiling and wear throughout.

Union Brevet Major General

War-Date Document Signed

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 5” x 7 ¼”, Washington, D.C., November 10, 1863, “A.A. Nichols,” a printed general order enumerating the details relating to the appointment of future Brevet Brigadier General James L. Donaldson as Chief Quartermaster of the Department of the Cumberland.

The document is lightly and evenly toned, with a light vertical fold, and there is minor staining at the edges.

U.S. Navy Admiral; Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet – 1941-45

During the Final Months of World War II, Nimitz Expresses Support for a Rehabilitation Center for Wounded Veterans on Staten Island – Modeled after FDR’s Facility at Warm Springs, Georgia

War-Date Typed Letter Signed, 8” x 10 ½”, on imprinted stationery as Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet during World War II, to “Irving Geist, 1372 Broadway, New York, New York.”

Writing from his Advance Headquarters on Guam during the final months of the war, Nimitz expresses support for “constructing swimming pools, similar to those at Warm Springs,” the facility founded by Franklin Roosevelt in Georgia to treat victims of polio, for the rehabilitation of wounded World War II veterans at the Halloran General Hospital on Staten Island. He further declines to submit a statement and a photograph for publication, due to the demands of the war. A well-known New York philanthropist, Geist had committed to the task of raising the estimated $150,000 to finance the project at Halloran General Hospital the previous year.

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“1 June 1945.

Dear Mr Geist:

This will acknowledge your letter of 3 May 1945, which has just reached my Advance Headquarters at Guam.  You may be certain that measures undertaken for the benefit of our returning wounded veterans have my most sympathetic approval. I congratulate you and the men associated with you on your project for constructing swimming pools, similar to those at Warm Springs, for the Halloran General Hospital and I hope and believe that they will prove beneficial to the men for whose use they are intended.

The increasing momentum of the Pacific war has made so many demands upon my time that I have been obliged to adopt a policy of not making statements for publication in connection with endeavors which are not of national scope, however worthwhile such endeavors may be. Therefore I must regretfully decline your request that my photograph and a statement from me be sent for publication in the Dedication Journal.

I deeply appreciate the patriotic motive which prompted you in making the request and offer you my good wishes for the success of your endeavor.

Sincerely yours,

C.W. Nimitz,

C.W. NIMITZ
Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy.”

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Originally planned in 1938 as a treatment center for children with developmental disabilities, Willowbrook State School was renamed Halloran General Hospital after the late Colonel Paul Stacey Halloran, and served as a treatment center for returning wounded veterans from 1942 through 1947.

The letter is lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds, and there are two pinholes and a light paper clip indentation in the upper margin.

American Abolitionist & Reformer

Phillips fought slavery and advocated temperance and women’s rights.

Civil War-Date Autograph Note Signed, 4 ½” x 5”. In a spare, reflective moment as a Wednesday evening Abolitionist meeting in Boston is about to begin, Phillips pens a few evocative lines for an unnamed recipient.

“Boston, Jan[uar]y 22, [18]62. 20 minutes after 6 P.M. Snow falling. F.L.G. starting for the Festival. Wendell Phillips.”

The new year would soon bring good news to the Abolitionists, as slavery was abolished in the territories on June 19, and Lincoln read the first draft of his Emancipation Proclamation to the Cabinet on July 22, 1862. It is quite likely that the “F.L.G.” to whom Phillips refers is Helen Frances “Fanny” Garrison, the young daughter of Abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison, already a prominent female voice in the movement.

Overall condition is excellent, with several horizontal folds and minor paper loss at the upper right corner.

Confederate Governor of South Carolina – 1860-62; U.S. Congressman – South Carolina – 1834-43

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 8” x 10”, on imprinted stationery as Confederate Governor of South Carolina. Shortly after the outbreak of war, Pickens instructs the commissary general in the payment and distribution of rations for troops in the new South Carolina regiments.

“4 June 1861. To Commissary Gen[era]l Walker. Sir, I rec[eive]d yours of this inst[ant]. Capt[ain] Elliot’s company appear to have rec[eive]d rations at 40 c[en]ts – and the service was for twenty four days – and the highest Army ration is 30 c[en]ts. The $488.10 is the highest one paid. This of course includes beef & vegetables, & the bill for $151.75 cannot be allowed. As to temporary supplies to Gen[era]l Garlington, Col[one]l Rion, and Col[one]l Blandings command, you might furnish for a day or so. Please see that the supplies left by Cash’s reg[imen]t at Florence are taken care of & held or brought to the city, & so of Burns & Jenkins & all the other reg[imen]ts. F.W. Pickens.”

There is light, even toning, along with two horizontal folds and smudging of ink to several letters of text.

Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolution

Born in Andover, Massachusetts, a veteran of the French and Indian War, Poor settled in Exeter, New Hampshire after the war ended. He became colonel of the 2^nd New Hampshire when recruits were called after the battles of Lexington and Concord. In the summer of 1775 the unit was incorporated into the Continental Army, and Poor subsequently served in the early-war invasion of Canada and at the battles of Saratoga, Bemis Heights, and Monmouth, his regiment having spent the winter of 1777 with Washington’s army at Valley Forge.

Revolutionary War-Date Signature, with rank, “Enoch Poor, B[rigadier Gen[era]l,” on a ¾” x 3 ½” slip of paper, probably removed from a letter, and dated to the period from Poor’s appointment to brigadier general on February 21, 1777 until his death, September 8, 1780. The signature is affixed to a heavier 5” x 7 ½” sheet, beneath a book image of Poor in military uniform, with printed biographical text also attached in the lower and upper margins.

Union Commodore

A lifelong navy man, born in New Orleans, Porter commanded Union naval forces at Ft. Henry, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, and Baton Rouge. He held no active command after promotion to commodore and died on May 1, 1864.

War-Date Signature, with sentiment and the rank Porter held from July 15, 1862 until his death during the Civil War, “Yours Respectfully, W.D. Porter, Commodore, U.S. N[avy],” on a 1 ¾” x 3 ¼” slip of paper.

Lightly and evenly toned, with old mounting traces on the reverse.

Both sheets bear light soiling and wear, and several tears, mostly at or near the usual folds, have been neatly repaired with archival tape on their reverses.

 

After early-war service with the 39^th New York, Rice led the 44^th New York in the Peninsula campaign and at Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where his heroic defense of Little Round Top secured his promotion to brigadier. He was severely wounded while leading a brigade in Wadsworth's division at Spotsylvania and died from complications arising from the amputation of his leg.

 

War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, four pages, on a folded 5” x 8” letter-sheet, to a friend identified only as “Isaac.” Exhibiting a taste for combat rarely put into words by an officer so soon destined for higher command – Rice was appointed brigadier general shortly after the battle of Gettysburg - his exploits in the May 27, 1862 Peninsula campaign battle of Hanover Court House are dramatically related: “…I gave the rebel lines twelve rounds from my pistols and fifty from a musket…I went into that engagement with my whole soul, determined to gain a victory or die in the attempt, and we whipped the rascals after two hours of hard – terrible hard fighting.” There is further exceptional, patriotic content throughout, including Rice’s confident assurance that McClellan would soon take Richmond: “Genl. McClellan is collecting a great force here. Beauregard I think is at Richmond with 20 to 30,000 troops. We shall ‘bag’ them this time. It may take six weeks to do it, but it is a sure thing.” Ever mindful of fame and self-advancement, Rice speaks more than once of submitting his battle reports to the New York Evening Post.

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“Head Quarters 44^th N[ew] Y[ork] V[olunteers], 
Bivouac, New Bridge, V[irgini]a, 
June 12/[18]62. 

My dear Isaac,

Your very kind & welcome letter of the 7^th inst[ant] has just been rec[eive]d. I thank you for the kind notice you were pleased to take of my conduct on the field in the columns of the Evening Post. I did my duty in the engagement at Hanover Court House, as a Massachusetts man always does his duty – that is, by going into a fight, with the intention, and the express understanding that somebody will – yes- must be hurt. It gave me great pleasure to hurt somebody on that day in the severe struggle – at least. I gave the rebel lines twelve rounds from my pistols and fifty from a musket, besides attending strictly to other small duties, resting upon a Colonel of a regiment on such an occasion. In a word my dear Isaac, I went into that engagement with my whole soul, determined to gain a victory or die in the attempt, and we whipped the rascals after two hours of hard – terrible hard fighting. My official report, or a copy of the report I sent to the Evening Post, not by any means to have published as a report, but as the groundwork for a letter or an editorial, describing the battle. You are at liberty to read the manuscript. I think it will interest you. This report will be published officially in time. My conduct on the field has been greatly commended by my Superior Officers, but I see no great merit in my courage, because it is as natural for a proud son of Massachusetts to fight in this contest, and fight with his whole heart, as it was to go to her district schools, or churches, when a boy. Genl. McClellan is collecting a great force here. Beauregard I think is at Richmond with 20 to 30,000 troops. We shall ‘bag’ them this time. It may take six weeks to do it, but it is a sure thing. This is a rough letter, but it is written out in the field, in sight of the enemy, in a very hot day, so excuse the style. I hope you have noticed some correspondence of mine in the Columns of the Evening Post, within the last few weeks. Please give my kind regards to Mr. Nordhoff of the Post, who, although a stranger to me, has placed me under great obligation to him for his kindness. Do not allow this letter to be published, as it is for your eye alone. Be kind enough to bear my kindest regards to Mrs. Clark, and accept for yourself that kind remembrance, which, as in school boy and college days, I cherish now, and trust I ever shall, through life. I am very sincerely

your friend, 
James C. Rice, Lieut[enant] Col[onel].” 

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The prediction that McClellan would soon be in Richmond became poignantly ironic. General McClellan withdrew down the Peninsula in early July, the month after the bold assertion was made, and Rice was mortally wounded almost two years later, during Grant’s ultimately successful campaign to capture the Confederate capital. Interestingly, on the day Rice composed this letter, Confederate Cavalry General Jeb Stuart began his famous four-day ride around McClellan’s Army of the Potomac on the Peninsula, returning to Richmond on June 15, 1862.

Condition is excellent, with the usual light toning, along with two horizontal folds.

Confederate Brigadier General - Virginia

As the commander of the First Division of Bragg’s Corps at Shiloh, Ruggles is credited with coordinating the artillery attack which precipitated the surrender of the Hornet’s Nest by Union General Benjamin Prentiss.

War-Date Autograph Endorsement Signed, an early example on a 3 ¼” x 6” slip of blue paper, removed from a larger document.

“Fredericksburg, V[irgini]a, June 10, 1861, Daniel Ruggles, Col[onel] P[rovisional] C[onfederate] Army, Reports of reconnaissance at [?] Point.”

There is a one-quarter inch square transparent spot in the lower center, from previous mounting tape on the reverse.

Union Brigadier General – Massachusetts; Killed-in-Action at the Battle of Winchester

A West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran, Russell saw early-war service as colonel of the 7^th Massachusetts Infantry on the Peninsula and at Antietam. After promotion to brigadier general, he saw action at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and at the battle of Winchester, where he was killed while leading a brigade on September 19, 1864.

War-Date Signature, with rank, “D.A. Russell, Brig. Genl.,” on a 1” x 2 ¾” slip of paper.

Lightly and evenly toned, with light soiling and wear.

Union Brigadier General – Massachusetts; Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Gallantry in the Defense of Harpers Ferry, Virginia

An 1849 West Point graduate and veteran of the Seminole War, Saxton was commanding an artillery detachment at the St. Louis arsenal when the Civil War began. He assisted General Nathaniel Lyon in dispersing the pro-southern Missouri State Guard at Camp Jackson and subsequently became Lyon’s chief quartermaster.  After being transferred east, Saxton commanded the defenses of Harpers Ferry in May and June of 1862, an action for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. His primary function for the remainder of the war was the enlistment and organization of former slaves into the Federal Army. Upon the termination of hostilities, Saxton became an assistant commander in a division of the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 8” x 10”. While serving as quartermaster on the Port Royal expedition, Saxton directs the delivery of hay and coal for the use of Union forces at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Docketing on the reverse dates this letter to December 19, 1861, shortly after Hilton Head was taken, establishing a base for future Union operations along the coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

“Capt[ain] [Herbert] Hascall. The bark Chas. Keen has 290 bales of hay on board for this Dept. She has also Coal for the Navy Dept. She has three days to unload for us & two for the Navy. The hay is on top. Will you please have the hay taken out…Yours, Rufus Saxton, Capt[ain] U.S.A., A[ssistant] Q[uarter] M[aster].”

The letter is lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds and a few small stains. There is very slight loss of paper in the upper left corner.

Union Major General - Connecticut

A West Point graduate, veteran of the Seminole and Mexican Wars, Sedgwick served with the Army of the Potomac from the Peninsula through Spotsylvania, where he was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter.

War-Date Document Signed, 3 ¾” x 8”, a manuscript pass for Lieutenant Henry J. Strait of the hard-fought 40^th New York Infantry, also know as the Mozart Regiment. This early-war pass can be dated to the period before Sedgwick’s promotion to major general on July 25, 1862.

“Permission is hereby given Lieut[enant] H.J.Strait to visit Washington & Return to-day. By order of E.J. Riley, Col[onel] Com[man]d[in]g 40^th N[ew] Y[ork] V[olunteers].  per J.H.B. Jenkins, Adj[utan]t’s Clerk. Approved, John Sedgwick, Brig[adier] Gen[era]l Vol[unteer]s.”

There is light soiling and wear, paper separation at the center intersection of the usual folds, along with minor loss of paper in the upper margin.

Confederate Brigadier General - Alabama

A Tennessee native, Shelley recruited and led the 30^th Alabama Infantry during the campaign and siege of Vicksburg, where he was captured and paroled. He subsequently saw action in all the battles of the Army of Tennessee from Chattanooga through Franklin, having been appointed brigadier general from September 17, 1864. After the war, Shelley served four consecutive terms as a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Alabama.

War-Date Endorsement Signed, “Approved & Respectfully forwarded. C.M. Shelley, Col[onel] Com[man]d[in]g,” on a 1 ¾” x 3 ¼” portion of a Confederate document.

While post-war autographs of Shelley are common, war-date pieces are rarely encountered. There is light, even toning, along with heavy mounting remnants on the reverse.

Wife of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman; Daughter of Thomas Ewing – Secretary of the Treasury – 1841; Secretary of the Interior – 1849-50

Mrs. Sherman Wants to Visit Her Husband at Vicksburg, during the Campaign to Take the City

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, front and reverse of a 5” x 8” sheet, to Union General Stephen A. Hurlbut. Writing from her Ohio home, Mrs. Sherman congratulates the chronically corrupt Hurlbut on his being able to remain in the Army, her well-connected father, Thomas Ewing, having used his political influence on Hurlbut’s behalf. She further encourages Hurlbut to write a memoir, and concludes by expressing a desire to visit her husband at the Union encampment opposite Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the Federal campaign to take the river city.

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“Lancaster, Ohio, March 16, 1863.

Maj[or] Gen[era]l Hurlbut.

Dear Sir,

On my return home from Cincinnati, on the 14th, I received your kind letter of the 8^th inst[ant]. Permit me to offer my sincere congratulations upon your triumph over those who tried to get you out of the Service. We saw with great regret the efforts that were made against you & are therefore the more rejoiced at your success. Father gave his influence and did what he could in your favor before he left Washington and he felt pretty confident that your enemies would be unsuccessful. Although you have not left the Service may we not hope for the memoir you promise? Anything from your pen would be racy & full of interest. Those who participated in the fights ought to have their turn to write about them. We have had fictions enough, but people have grown so fond of them the truth would not relish unless very well presented. Will you do me the favor to have your man Lancy or your man ‘Friday’ deliver the accompanying letter. Would you be shocked to see me come down soon? Could I get to Young’s Point?

Very truly your friend,

Ellen E. Sherman.”

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Overall condition is excellent, with light, even toning and the usual folds. There are three small, symmetrical holes at mid-right, apparently made while the letter was folded.

U.S. Secretary of War – 1862-68

President Lincoln Appoints Henry Larcom Abott a Brevet Brigadier General

War-Date Document Signed, 8” x 10,” as Secretary of War, Washington, December 2, 1864, “E.M. Stanton,” a partly printed War Department letter informing 1^st Connecticut Heavy Artillery Colonel Henry Larcom Abbott that he has been appointed to the rank of brevet brigadier general by President Lincoln, “…for gallant and distinguished services in the operations before Richmond and especially in the lines before Petersburg,” to rank from August 1, 1864.

A manuscript notation in the lower margin directs this letter through Army of the Potomac Commanding General George G. Meade.

Condition is very good, with light toning and the usual horizontal folds.

Confederate Brigadier General – Georgia

A West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran, Wayne’s primary Civil War service was as adjutant and inspector general of Georgia.

War-Date Document Signed, Milledgeville, Georgia, August 10, 1863, “Henry C. Wayne,” as adjutant and inspector general of Confederate Georgia, an imprinted 8 ½” x 11” form informing “Lt. J[ames M.] Smith, Talbotton, Geo[rgia]” of his appointment to “2^nd Lieut[enant] of the old Guard in the Six months troops for local defence” by Governor Joseph Brown.

The document is evenly toned, with several folds and light creases, along with a few superficial edge tears.