Civil War “Special Order,” directing a 13^th U.S. Army Officer, mortally wounded at Vicksburg six months later, to report to Camp Butler

Document Signed, 8” x 10”, a manuscript special order, signed twice by Scates at the conclusion, directing 13^th U.S. Infantry Captain Edward Crawford Washington, mortally wounded in the May 19, 1863 assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi, to report immediately to Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois, to enlist and pay bounty to the newly formed 128^th Illinois Infantry.

“Head Quarters Springfield, Ill[inois], December 1, 1862.  Special orders No. 63.  Capt[ain] C. Washington, 13^th Infantry, U.S.A. Disbursing Officer & c. Will proceed immediately to Camp Butler and pay bounty & premium to all the enlisted men of 128^th Regiment Ill[inoi]s Infantry who have been mustered into the Service of the United States & report to these Head Quarters without delay.  By order of Major General John A. McClernand.  Walter B. Scates, Major & A[ssistant] A[djutant] Gen[era]l.  L[ieutenan]t G.W. Hill Will furnish Capt. Washington transportation.  W.B. Scates, Major & A.A. Genl.”

Exhibits the expected soiling, toning, and wear; water staining and clean separation, with no loss of paper, at the upper of two horizontal folds.

Franking Signature, as a post-war U.S. Representative from Ohio, “Robt. C. Schenck, M[ember] C[ongress],” on a 1 ½” x 5 ¼” portion of an envelope, with portions of the recipient’s address in Schenck’s hand beneath and a Washington, D.C. postmark at left.

Irregularly torn at the lower and left edges.

Signature, as U.S. Representative, “Robt. C. Schenck, Ohio,” on a 5 ¾” x 8 ¾” portion of an album page.

Excellent.

Appointing an Officer in the 61^st Virginia Infantry

Civil War-Date Document Signed, on imprinted 8” x 10” Confederate War Department stationery, Richmond, Virginia, May 12, 1864, “James A. Seddon,” a partly printed appointment for William Henry Stewart to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the 61^st Virginia Infantry.  The unit was heavily engaged at the Civil War battles of Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor, Stewart being wounded at all three.

Lightly and evenly toned, with scattered stains and several chips at the corners and edges; there is a water stain at the lower left, well away from Seddon’s signature, and clean separation at two horizontal folds has been reinforced with archival tape on the reverse.

Signed Card, 2” x 3 ¼”, with rank, “P.H. Sheridan, L[ieutenan]t General, U.S.A.”

Excellent, with light, even toning and several small areas of very minor bleeding of ink.

Signature, as U.S. Representative from New York, “E. Sherrill, Shandaken, N. York,” on a 2 ¾” x 5” portion of an album page.

Lightly and evenly toned; somewhat closely trimmed at the upper edge.

A West Point, New York Postmark

Autograph Letter Signed, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”.  As a young, antebellum U.S. Army officer, Smith communicates regarding the conveyance of funds.  Addressed by Smith to a banking company in New Orleans, the integral leaf bears a desirable postmark from West Point, New York, home of the U.S. Military Academy, where Smith was at the time employed as an instructor. 

“West Point, N[ew] Y[ork], Dec[ember] 20^th 1850. 

Messrs. Watts & De Saulles,

Gentlemen,

I received yesterday yours of the 9^th Dec[ember], enclosing “original of J. Corning & Co[mpany]’s check on Corning & Co[mpany] New York,” dated Dec[ember] 9^th No. 27089 in my favor for five hundred dollars, $500.  I will in compliance with your request acknowledge the receipt of the same to M.A. Smith by this days mail.

Very Respectfully Yours,
Gus. W. Smith, 
Capt[ain] U.S. Army.”
_________________________

Heavier staining and wear at the edges, with the expected folds and a few chips at the edges; there is significant wrinkling of paper in the lower corners and edges, all well away from the text of the letter.

Signature & Rank, “M.L. Smith, Brig[adier] Gen[era]l Vol[unteers],” on a ¾” x 2 ¼” slip of paper, probably removed from a war-date document.  Affixed to slightly larger backing.

General soiling, staining, and wear.

Franked Envelope, 3” x 5 ¼”, “Free, Alexander H. Stephens, M[ember] C[ongress],” also addressed by Stephens, to “John L. Stephens, La Grange, G[eorgi]a,” a recurring correspondent.  Stephens was frail and frequently ill, even as a young man, this atypical signature being an obvious example from one of his unsteady periods.

General soiling and wear, with numerous small tears and breaks at the edges.

Signature, as post-war U.S. Representative, “W.B. Stokes, Alexandria Tenn[essee],” on a 3” x 5” portion of an album page.

Lightly and evenly toned, with old binding traces at the left.

Signature, as U.S. Representative, “Wm. L. Stoughton, M[ember] C[ongress],” on a 1 ¼” x 3 ¾” lightly and evenly toned portion of an album page.

Civil War-Date

Signed Postal Cover, 3 ¼” x 5 ¼”, homemade from a printed 1862 Confederate military document, addressed to his wife, “Mrs. Flora Stuart, H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Cav[alry] Div[isio]n, Army N[orthern] V[irgini]a.”  Also signed at the upper left corner by Confederate Colonel and Aide-de-Camp Samuel Bassett French.

Front and reverse portions are detached, from heavy wear at the edges; several chips and tears at the edges affect none of the text.

Signature, “John M. Thayer, Nebraska,” an enormous example as U.S. Senator on a 4 ½” x 7” album page.

Excellent, with light, even toning.

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 7 ¾” x 10”, partly printed, “Geo[rge] H. Thomas, Maj[or] Gen[era]l U[nited] S[tates] V[olunteers], Received in the Field the 10[th] of May, 1862…,” a requisition for a tent and tent supplies; countersigned by Captain Oscar Addison Mack of the 13^th U.S. Infantry, a New Hampshire native who died on October 22, 1876.

Lightly and evenly toned, with a few scattered stains and the expected horizontal creases.

Signature, “Wm. Vandever, Iowa,” as U.S. Representative, on a 1 ¾” x 4 ¾” portion of an album page.

Lightly and evenly toned.

Civil War-Date

Autograph Letter Signed, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”, as early-war colonel of the 29^th New York Volunteer Infantry, informing the New York adjutant general of an appointment.

“New York, June 4^th 1861. 

Gen[e]r[a]l S. Meredith Read, Jr., Adjutant General.

Sir,

I have the honor to inform you, that I have appointed Mr. Wm. Livingstone Rogers Paymaster of the 29^th Regiment.

Mr. Rogers will present two sureties, recognizing in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars each, to his Excellency, Governor Morgan, for approval, and then report for duty.

Your very ob[e]d[ien]t Servant,
Col[onel] A. von Steinwehr,
Com[man]d[in]g 29^th Reg[imen]t.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with the usual folds and light creases; paper loss at the lower left corner, well away from all text.

Signed Card, 2 ¼” x 4”, with rank, “J.F.Wade, Brig[adier] Gen[era]l U.S.A.”

Excellent, with light, even toning.

Signature, “Fitz Henry Warren,” on a 1” x 2 ½” portion of a document as “SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL.”

Affixed to larger backing.

Signature & Rank, “J.D. Webster, B[rigadier] G[eneral],” on a 1” x 3” slip of lined paper.

Lightly and evenly toned, with old hinge remnants on the reverse.

Document Signed, 7 ¾” x 12 ½”, March 15, 1879, Lawrence County, Alabama, “Jos. Wheeler,” a partly printed legal document; accomplished in a clerical hand and signed by Wheeler beneath.

Moderate toning and wear, with a few small holes along the usual horizontal folds; heavier staining at center; chipping and irregularity at the edges and corners.