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.

From Kansas Territory shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, Jeb Stuart and two other future generals - Union & Confederate - urge leniency for a deserter.

Autograph Letter Signed, 1 ¼ pages, front and reverse of an 8” x 10” sheet.  Addressing the “…Ass[istan]t Adj[utan]t Gen[era]l U.S.A.  H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Dep[artmen]t of the West, St. Louis, Mo.,” Stuart urges clemency in the case of an accused deserter.  Interestingly further mentioned are the concurring endorsement of Lieutenant James Deshler, later a Confederate Brigadier General, killed in action at the battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 20, 1863, and suspension of a portion of the accused’s sentence by future Union Major General Edward R.S. Canby.

Fort Wise, K[ansas] T[erritory]Nov[embe]r 8^th 1860

Sir:

I have the honor to apply for the remission of so much of P[ri]v[a]t[e] Jno. Harrington’s (Co[mpany] H 10^th Inf[antr]y) sentence as relates to confinement and stoppage of pay the remission to take effect the 20^th of Oct[obe]r – the date of the arrival of his company at this post.

P[ri]v[a]t[e] H is now undergoing sentence of a Gen[eral] C[our]t Martial at Camp Floyd U.S. (see G[eneral] O[rder] No. 8 H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Dep[artmen]t of U.S. dated Apr[il] 20^th 1859).  His conduct during the march from Utah to Fort Garland N[ew] M[exico] was so exemplary that the com[man]d[in]g officer (Col[onel] [Edward R.S.] Canby) suspended so much of his sentence as related to confinement until further orders.  His conduct since arriving at this post has been particularly good and I am the more convinced of this being a case deserving the clemency of the Dep[artmen]t Commander by the high character given him by his late comp[an]y Commander (Lieut[enant] Deshler) who seconds very warmly this petition for remission of sentence.

[over]

The sentence awarded is herewith enclosed.

Very Respectfully
Your Ob[edien]t s[er]v[an]t
J.E.B Stuart
1^st L[ieutenan]t 1^st Cav[alry]
Com[man]d[in]g Co[mpany] H 10^th Inf[antr]y

Excellent overall, with light toning and the expected horizontal folds.

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.

Civil War-Date Document Signed

THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY (1816-70)  Union Major General during the American Civil War, known as the “Rock of Chickamauga”; Veteran of the Mexican War

MACKAY, ANDREW JACKSON (1827-1901)  Union Brevet Brigadier General; Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Cumberland

Document Signed, 7 ¾” x 10”, partly printed, April 30, 1863, “Geo[rge] H. Thomas, Maj[or] Gen[era]l U[nited] S[tates] V[olunteers], a requisition for “One Wall Tent Complete.”  Countersigned by Chief Quartermaster General Andrew J. Mackay, later brevetted brigadier general for Civil War service, and Captain John Payne Willard, formerly of early-war service in the 31^st Wisconsin Infantry.

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

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.  

Signature & Rank, “William D. Whipple, B[re]v[e]t Maj[or] Gen[eral] U.S. Army,” on a 3 ½” x 5 ¾” album page, with the signature and rank of Union Brevet Brigadier General Joseph Walter Burke on the reverse: “J.W. Burke, Col[one]l 10^th Ohio Inf[an]t[r]y & Brevet Brig[adier] Gen[era]l Vol[unteer]s.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with several light creases; chips and pinholes at the formerly bound edge.

Leave of Absence for a 4^th Virginia Cavalry Officer – Killed-in-Action just two weeks later at the Battle of First Bull Run

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”.  Writing to his wife from his northern Virginia headquarters just two weeks before the Battle of First Manassas, the opening major engagement of the American Civil War in the East, Wickham informs her of the leave of absence for an officer in the 4^th Virginia Cavalry.

“Fairfax C[ourt] H[ouse] [Virginia], July 5^th 1861.  My beloved Lucy, L[ieutenan]t Bowles has a four days leave of absence and as Robin is very anxious to go home for a day or two I have determined to let him go down on tuesday morning.  Be sure to see that he gets off on Tuesday morning.  It is after ten o’clock and I have just got in from an expedition so you must excuse the shortness of my letter on account of my weariness.  I got your letter this morning and was glad to hear that Mary Fanning was coming on.  I will write again in a day or two.  I never was in better health in my life.  Your own husband, Wm. C. Wickham.”

The named officer, Boldman Bowles, here referred to in an informal first name, is quite possibly a family friend or neighbor in Hancock County, Virginia.  Modern records, courtesy of Historical Data Systems, Inc., as follows: “Boldman Bowles.  Residence was not listed; a 34 year-old farmer.  Enlisted on 5/9/1861 at Ashland, VA as a 2^nd Lieutenant.  On 5/9/1861 he was commissioned into ‘H’ Co. VA 4^th Cavalry.  He was Killed on 7/21/1861 at Bull Run, VA (Shot in head).”

Overall condition is excellent, with minor separation at the edges of the expected folds; there are two tiny holes in the extreme lower margin, well away from all text.

Civil War-Date Signed Envelope - Addressed to his Wife

Signed Envelope, 2 ¼” x 4 ¼”, “Wm. C. Wickham, L[ieutenan]t Col[onel] 4^th V[irgini]a Cavalry,” a second partial signature being incorporated into Wickham’s address to his wife, “Mrs. Lucy P. Wickham, Hanover C[ourt] H[ouse], V[irgini]a.”  With postal markings “Tudor Hall, V[irgini]a, Feb[ruary] 22, 1862,” and a “Due 5” hand stamp; there are several pencil dealer notations on both front and reverse.

Lightly and evenly toned, with the expected soiling and wear; slight fading of ink and lack of contrast in the manuscript portions, also quite commonly seen on similar war-date items.

Franked Envelope, 2” x 4 ¾”, in violet ink as U.S. Representative from Georgia, “P.M.B. Young, M[ember] C[ongress],” with the pencil notation “Decemb[e]r 22^nd [18]69” in another hand in the upper left.  Portions of a Cartersville, Georgia postmark of the same date intersect the first two letters of Young’s frank, and the envelope is addressed in an unidentified hand to prominent North Carolina politician Samuel Finley Patterson, 1799-1874.    

Lightly and evenly toned, with somewhat heavier wear and soiling at the edges.