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BANKS, NATHANIEL P. (1816-94) Union Major General – Massachusetts; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives – 1855-57; Governor of Massachusetts – 1858-61 # 8290
After being routed by Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley campaign and the battle of Cedar Mountain in 1862, Banks commanded during the campaign and subsequent surrender of Port Hudson, Louisiana. A longtime politician from Massachusetts, he was elected to multiple terms in Congress, both before and after the war.
Civil War-Date Letter Signed, one page, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”. Writing to “General Thomas Hillhouse, Adjutant General, State of New York,” Banks requests information relating to troops for his upcoming assignment as commander of the Department of the Gulf in New Orleans.
“Albany, Nov[ember] 1st 1862…General, I will esteem it a favor if you will notify me at Astor House, New York by telegraph of the time of the departure and probable arrival at New York of the Regiments for my expedition. Instructions have been given to provide suitable camp ground and supplies. I am General, With Much Respect, Your Ob[e]d[ien]t Serv[an]t, N.P. Banks, M[ajor] G[eneral] C[ommanding].”
Lightly and evenly toned, with clean paper separation at several of the expected folds.
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CANBY, EDWARD R.S. (1817-73)# 7817
Union Major General
A veteran of the Mexican and Second Seminole Wars, Canby served in New Mexico in opposition to Confederate General Henry H. Sibley during the American Civil War. Subsequently transferred east, he took command of the Military Division of West Mississippi and was involved in the late-war actions at Mobile, Alabama. In 1873, he was killed by Modoc Indians in California.
Document Signed, an endorsement on the reverse of an imprinted 9 ¾” x 16 ¼” U.S. Army form, “Examined & approved, Ed. R.S. Canby, M[ajor] G[eneral] Com[mandin]g,” approving expenditures for the month of November 1867.
The document is in excellent overall condition, with the expected folds.
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ELLSWORTH, EPHRAIM ELMER (1837-61)# 7024
Union Colonel – Raised the 11th New York Infantry – “Ellsworth’s Fire Zouaves”
A personal friend of President Lincoln, Ellsworth became an instant hero to the Union when he was shot by proprietor James T. Jackson while removing the Confederate flag from the Marshall House Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia on May 24, 1861. Jackson was, in turn, immediately shot and killed by Zouave Private Francis E. Brownell, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for the action.
Signed Card, 2” x 3 ½”, with initials, "E.E.E.,” on the reverse of a Terpsichorean Club card of the U.S. Zouave Cadets, probably relating to a formal dance sponsored by the unit.
The card is accompanied by a printed forty-page booklet, 3 ½” x 5 ¼”, enumerating the terms of drill and many other details of the Zouaves’ history and of their “Proposed Tour of the United States.” Strictly drilled and held to the most rigorous standards of military and personal discipline, their gaudy uniforms fashioned after those of the French colonial troops in Algeria, the unit achieved national renown as an exhibition while touring the northeastern United States.
The text of the back cover, “Chicago, Ill., Sept, 20th 1859,” along with several pages of press notices dating from mid 1859 through May 1860, associate the booklet and card to Ellsworth’s time in Illinois, where he trained the Chicago National Guard Cadets, later known as the U.S. Zouave Cadets. Having studied in the law office of Abraham Lincoln during his time in Illinois, Ellsworth became a personal friend of the Lincoln family. He campaigned tirelessly for Lincoln in the election of 1860, and accompanied the new President to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration.
Both pieces bear general soiling and wear; having heavier staining on the covers, the booklet contains all its original pages, legible and unmarred.
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FOOTE, ANDREW H. (1806-1863)# 6852
Union Rear Admiral
WELLES, GIDEON (1802-78) U.S. Secretary of the Navy - 1861-69
As commodore in the U.S. Navy, Foote provided naval support in the Federal operations against Forts Henry and Donelson and in the bombardment of Island #10. Promoted to rear admiral for those actions, he died shortly after being transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in 1863.
As the Country Prepares for War - Just a Month Before the Bombardment of Ft. Sumter - a Union Sailor is Detached to Await Orders
Endorsement Signed, “Forwarded by A.H. Foote…March 11/[18]61,” on the reverse of the attached leaf of a Letter Signed, 8” x 10”, by Navy Secretary Gideon Welles. In an action undoubtedly replicated throughout the military, emblematic of the nation’s preparation for the Civil War that would break out just a month later, Welles orders “3rd Ass[istan]t Engineer Oscar H. Lackey, U.S. Navy, New York,” detached from his prior assignment aboard the Crusader, to await further orders:
“Navy Department, 9 March 1861. Sir, You are hereby detached from the Crusader and you will regard yourself as Waiting Orders. I am, respectfully, Your Obed[ien]t Serv[an]t, Gideon Welles...”
The letter-sheet is lightly and evenly toned, with an old clip hole in the upper margin. The integral leaf signed by Foote bears heavier soiling and wear, and contains an extremely detailed Navy Department watermark.
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GRANT, ULYSSES S. (1822-85)# 7027
18th 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.
“H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs Dep[artmen]t of the Ten[nessee], Vicksburg, Miss[issippi], Oct[ober] 6th 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].”
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. 4th 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. 3rd Dist., Miss. Squadron.”
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.
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HAYES, RUTHERFORD B. (1822-93)# 7654
Nineteenth U.S. President - 1877-81; Governor of Ohio – 1868-72 & 1876-77; Union Brigadier General - Ohio
Document Signed, 7 ¾” x 10”, as U.S. President, a partly printed “affix the seal” document.
“I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to a Warrant for the pardon of John B. Martin, dated this day and signed by me; and for so doing this shall be his warrant. R.B. Hayes. Washington, 9th Aug[u]st, 1877.”
In excellent condition overall, the document is lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds.
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HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL, JR. (1841-1935)# 6786
U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice– 1902-32; Civil War Union Captain – 20th Massachusetts Infantry
Autograph Letter Signed, 5” x 6 ½”, to “Mrs. Carl C. Wheaton.” As U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, Holmes cordially complies with an autograph request, signing in full at the conclusion.
“Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, September 5, 1930. My dear Mrs. Wheaton, Presence here will prevent my accepting your kind offer to show me your autograph book, but it gives me pleasure to comply with your slight request that I add to it and join so distinguished a company. Very Truly Yours, Oliver Wendell Holmes.”
The letter is lightly and evenly toned, with a few unobtrusive stains and a horizontal fold at the center.
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HOOKER, JOSEPH (1814-79) Union Major General - Massachusetts# 8315
Hooker served in the East from the Seven Days through Chancellorsville, where he led the Army of the Potomac to defeat at the hands of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
Signature, with rank, “Joseph Hooker, Maj[or] Gen[era]l,” on a 2 ¼” x 4” slip of lined paper.
Excellent, with light, even toning.
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HUNTER, DAVID (1802-86) Union Major General# 8316
A political appointee, Hunter served with little note at First Manassas, Secessionville, and the Piedmont. He is most remembered for burning Virginia Military Institute in 1864 and presiding at the Lincoln assassination trial.
Signature, with rank, “D. Hunter, Maj[or] Gen[eral],” on a 2 ¼” x 5” portion of an album page.
Lightly and evenly toned.
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HUNTER, MORTON C. (1825-96)# 7240
Union Brevet Brigadier General; Union Colonel – 82nd Indiana Infantry
Signature, as U.S. Congressman from Indiana, “Morton C. Hunter, Bloomington, Indiana,” on a 2 ½” x 6” portion of an album page.
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HURLBUT, WILBERFORCE LOVEJOY (1841-64) Union Captain – Fifth Michigan Infantry; Wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863; Killed-in-Action at the Battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864# 8606
Son of abolitionist minister Thaddeus Beman Hurlbut; Named for British abolitionist William Wilberforce and Elijah P. Lovejoy, his father’s friend and business partner, murdered by a pro-slavery mob in Alton, Illinois on November 7, 1837
Original Steel Engraving, 7 ¾” x 10 ½” overall, with a printed facsimile signature beneath a 3 ¼” x 3 ¾” image of Hurlbut in military uniform, imprinted “Eng[raved] by H.B. Hall & Sons, 52 Fulton St., N.Y.” From a biographical work, published in 1876.
Pristine.
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JONES, SAMUEL J. (1836-?) Union Surgeon on the USS Minnesota, the flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, during the Battle between the Monitor & Merrimack; Notable physician in Chicago, Illinois after the American Civil War# 8908
Original Steel Engraving, 7 ¾” x 10 ½” overall, with a printed facsimile signature beneath a 3 ½” x 3 ½” image, imprinted “Eng[rave]d by H.B. Hall & Sons, 13 Barclay St., N.Y.” From a biographical work, published in 1876.
Lightly and evenly toned, with inconsequential staining and a few light creases, mostly near the edges.
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LANE, JAMES HENRY (1814-66) Union Brigadier General – Kansas; Authorized recruitment of the 1st Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry; U.S. Senator - Kansas - 1861-66# 8318
An opponent of slavery, Lane gained a senate seat upon the influx of Free-Soil settlers into Kansas in the 1850s and early 1860s. An associate of John Brown, he conducted numerous raids and skirmishes against slavery factions in the border areas of Kansas and Missouri. His power waning in the mid and late-war years, Lane committed suicide on July 1, 1866.
Signature, probably a free-frank removed from an envelope, as U.S. Senator, “J.H. Lane, U.S.S.,” on a ¾” x 1 ½” slip of brown paper.
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LEE, SAMUEL P. (1812-97)# 6870
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.
Letter Signed, 8” x 13 ½”. As commander of the North Atlantic Fleet in Key West, Florida, Lee directs Commodore Joseph F. Green in the use of coal for U.S. Navy vessels at St. Thomas, due to the expiration of a contract for its receipt and storage.
“U.S.S. Severn (2nd Rate), Key West, Fl[orid]a, February 13th 1871. Commodore Joseph F. Green, U.S.A., Commander of Squadron, North Atlantic Fleet, or Senior Naval Officer in Dominican Waters. Sir, The Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting under date of January 24th 1871 informs me that as it intends to discontinue its contract with Mrs. Johanna Gordon, from and after the 24th June next, (the date of its expiration) for the receiving, storing &c. of the Government coal at St. Thomas, it is desirable that the stock of Coal on hand (263 tons) as per report of 25 Dec[ember] 1870, should be used up before the expiration of the contract. Please therefore give such directions to cruisers under your command, as will accomplish this object. When the stock of Coal on hand has been used up, Coal may be bought at ‘St. Thomas,’ to the best interests of the Government, whenever required by cruisers touching at that port. Respectfully Yours, S.P.Lee, Rear Admiral Com[mandin]g N[orth] A[tlantic] Fleet.”
The letter has three horizontal folds, and there is a diagonal break, with no loss of paper, at center left. A strip of old paper backing along the left edge is still present.
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MARSTON, GILMAN (1811-90)# 6835
Union Brigadier General - New Hampshire; U.S. Congressman – New Hampshire – 1859-63 & 1865-67; U.S. Senator – New Hampshire - 1889
Marston recruited and led the 2nd New Hampshire at First Bull Run, the Peninsula, and Fredericksburg. After Gettysburg, he was assigned to establish the prison camp at Point Lookout and returned to the Army of the Potomac for the disastrous Union assault at Cold Harbor.
Marston Writes of the Hard Fighting at Drewry’s Bluff
War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, three pages, on a 5” x 8” letter-sheet. Writing to an unnamed cousin from the scene of the Union’s just-concluded attempt to take Richmond, Marston shares details of the hard fighting, and concludes with information relating to political events in his native New Hampshire. In the campaign which came to be known as Drewry’s Bluff, begun on May 6, 1864, Benjamin Butler’s Army of the James advanced overland toward Richmond from the Bermuda Hundred, just north of City Point. As indicated in this letter, the Federal Army came within six miles of the Confederate capital before being repulsed in a counterattack by troops under P.G.T. Beauregard on May 16, successfully delaying the fall of Richmond by almost a year.
“In the Field near Drewry’s Bluff, May 19, [18]64.
Your brother in [?] wrote me to know what had become of you, but I suppose you have reported before this as Wilkinson tells me you started for home some days ago. Since I started on this campaign I have had little opportunity to hear from or write to anyone. For nearly a week I had no opportunity of sending letters if I had the time to write them. It has been the hardest kind of campaigning I have ever known. Marching, fighting, sleeping on the ground without tents, fire or even a blanket. I have several times undertaken to write a short note but before I could complete it everybody would be called to arms to repel a charge or make an attack. I have had to write orders and reports with a tree for a table while shot and shells were crashing through the branches. The rebels are pressing us about as hard as we are pressing them and last night they shelled our camps. But I imagine we shall soon reverse all this and drive them within their earthen walls about Richmond and force an entrance ourselves. The right wing of the army got within 6 or 7 miles of Richmond on the 16th but that 6 or 7 miles we shall find a much harder road to travel than that we have passed over. I have re[ceive]d only three or four letters from N.H. since I left Yorktown and not one from Washington. Probably people don’t know where I am and I hardly know myself. That it is all woods, swamps & ravines with but very little land in cultivation I know very well.
What new thing has turned up about the Senatorship – anything? Wilkinson had a letter from his brother saying Tuck was about played out & that Rollins he thought was gaining a little. I am told also that the Boston Advertiser is down on me for not supporting Joel and us not being in the front rank of republicans &c &c. That is Tuck of course. His hand may not have written the article but his mean spirit dictated it. Well, we have had to deal with these fellows before and whatever else they may do they cannot defeat us.
I should like for you to write me and let me know the present aspect of affairs.
When I will get time to write again I don’t know. My command occupies me every moment.
Yours very truly, G. Marston.
Remember me kindly to friend Gale.”
The sheets are lightly and evenly toned, with the usual horizontal folds, and there is light water staining throughout.
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McDOWELL, IRVIN (1818-85) Union Major General - Ohio # 8322
A West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran, McDowell led the Federal Army in its disastrous defeat at First Manassas, the first major land battle of the Civil War. He led a corps under John Pope at Second Manassas the following year, with a similar outcome. Subsequently transferred, McDowell commanded the Department of the Pacific and several other posts both during and after the war.
Signed Card, 1 ¾” x 3”, with rank, “Irvin McDowell, Maj[or] Gen[era]l.”
Lightly and evenly toned, with old mounting remnants on the reverse.
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McKINLEY WILLIAM (1843-1901) Twenty-Fifth U.S. President - 1897-1901; Governor of Ohio – 1892-96; U.S. Congressman – Ohio – 1877-91 # 8323
Signature, “W. McKinley, Jr.,” as return addressee in the upper left corner of an envelope, also addressed by McKinley, to “J.N. Taylor, Esq[uire] of Knowles, Taylor & K…, East Liverpool, Ohio.”
Evenly toned, with general soiling and wear; some smearing of ink in the postal markings; minor bleeding of ink at the conclusion of McKinley’s signature and portions of the address.
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McNEIL, JOHN (1813-91) Union Brigadier General – Missouri; Commander of the District of Northeast Missouri, Most Remembered for His Role in the Palmyra Massacre# 7901
Original Steel Engraving, 7 ¼” x 10 ½” overall, with a printed facsimile signature beneath a 4 ½” x 5” image of McNeil in military uniform, imprinted “Photo by Hoelke & Benecke. Engraved by J.C Buttre.”
Lightly and evenly toned, with several small stains.
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McPHERSON, JAMES B. (1828-64)# 6887
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 17th 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.
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MEDILL, JOSEPH (1823-99)# 7064
Canadian-Born Journalist; Editor of the Chicago Tribune; Mayor of Chicago – 1871-73
As influential editor of the Chicago Tribune, Medill was instrumental in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency, and remained his staunch supporter throughout the Civil War. He served one term in office as mayor of Chicago, from 1871 to 1873.
Document Signed, Chicago, Illinois, June 25, 1873, “J. Medill,” as Chicago mayor, a partly printed 3 ¼” x 7 ½” check, payable to “S.Y. Prince” for $1.48 and drawn on the Chicago Police Fund.
There are a few pinholes along the left edge, which has been trimmed slightly, and there is a small area of paper loss in the lower left corner. The signature is unaffected by a punch cancellation at the center.
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MERRITT, WESLEY (1834-1910) Union Major General; Saw action from Chancellorsville through Appomattox in the Army of the Potomac Cavalry during the American Civil War# 8326
Served in the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War; Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point – 1882-87; First American Military Governor of the Philippines - 1898
Signed Card, 3 ½” x 6 ¼”, “Chicago, Illinois, December twenty ninth. Wesley Merritt, Major General, U.S. Army,” with several notations and the date, “1898,” in an unidentified hand.
Evenly toned, with diagonally clipped corners and several surface abrasions, both front and reverse; although entirely acceptable, portions are somewhat lighter.
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PLEASONTON, ALFRED (1824-97) Union Major General – Washington, D.C.# 8327
A cavalry officer who fought in the East until Grant became general-in-chief in early 1864, Pleasonton’s most memorable action was at Brandy Station, Virginia, the largest cavalry battle of the war.
Civil War-Date Signature, circa 1861, with rank in another hand, “A. Pleasonton, Capt[ain] 2nd Cavalry, Com[man]d[in]g Co[mpany] ‘H’,” on a 1” x 3 ½” slip of paper, removed from a larger letter or document.
Lightly toned, with minor staining, and there are old mounting remnants on the reverse.
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PORTER, WILLIAM D. (1809-64)# 5854
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.
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PRENTISS, BENJAMIN M. (1819-1901) Union Major General – Illinois; Most remembered for his gallant defense of the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh # 8329
Civil War-Date Signature, with rank, “B.M. Prentiss, Brig[adier] Gen[era]l U[nited] S[tates] V[olunteers],” on a 2 ¾” x 5” slip of paper.
Excellent, with light, even toning.
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RICE, JAMES C. (1829-64)# 6610
Union Brigadier General - New York; Mortally Wounded at the Battle of Spotsylvania
After early-war service with the 39th New York, Rice led the 44th 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.
Revealing a Movement of the Army of the Potomac to a Newspaperman!
War-Date Autograph Letter Signed, 5” x 7 ¾”. Writing on the day after Abraham Lincoln’s delivery of the Gettysburg Address, Rice orders a newspaper subscription and seeks the unknown recipient’s opinion of his report of the Battle of Gettysburg. For the presumed purpose of illustrating his importance as a correspondent, Rice further offers to submit letters for publication during the upcoming winter, astonishingly suggesting an imminent movement of the Army of the Potomac.
“Army of the Potomac, H[ea]d Q[uarte]rs 2nd Brig. 1st Div. 1st Corps, November 20th 1863. My dear Sir, I should be happy to have the Semi Weekly Post sent to my address. Whenever I have a safe opportunity, I will send you the amount of the annual subscription. Have you ever found time to look over my report of the battle of Gettysburgh? I hope during the coming winter to write a few letters for the Post. There are indications of the movement of this army in a day or two. Be so kind as to write me a few lines. Very sincerely Yours, J.C. Rice, Brig. Genl.”
Throughout the war, President Lincoln and the Union high command were routinely vexed by the reporting of troop movements in newspapers which could be readily obtained by Confederate sympathizers and spies. It is astounding that Rice, newly appointed to the rank of brigadier general for his gallantry at Gettysburg, would volunteer such information to a newspaperman.
The letter is lightly and evenly toned, with several light folds. A small strip of paper in the lower left corner, presumably removed due to its containing the name of the recipient, has been professionally restored.
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ROSECRANS, WILLIAM S. (1819-98)# 6645
Union Major General – Ohio; U.S. Congressman – California – 1881-85
Rosecrans led the Army of the Cumberland at Murfreesboro and through the Tullahoma campaign to Chickamauga, where he was routed by the Confederates under Longstreet, a misadventure which effectively ended his military career. After the war, he settled near Los Angeles, serving as U.S. Congressman from California, 1881 – 1885.
Signed Card, 2” x 3 ½”, with rank, “W.S. Rosecrans, Maj[or] Genl.”
There is general soiling and wear, along with a few pinholes and light creases.
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ROSECRANS, WILLIAM S. (1819-98) Union Major General – Ohio; Commanded the Union Army of the Cumberland from Stone’s River to Chickamauga; U.S. Congressman – California – 1881-85# 8330
Signature, as U.S. Congressman from California, “W.S. Rosecrans, M[ember] C[ongress], 1st Dist[rict] of California,” on a 2” x 4” portion of a lightly toned album page.
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SEDGWICK, JOHN (1813-64)# 6919
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 40th 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 40th 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.
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SEDGWICK, JOHN (1813-64) Union Major General - Connecticut# 8331
A West Point graduate and 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 Signature, with rank and command in another hand, “John Sedgwick, Major General, Commanding Sixth Corps,” on a 1 ¼” x 3 ¾” slip of paper, removed from a larger letter.
Excellent, with light, even toning.
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SHERIDAN, PHILIP H. (1831-88) Union Major General – New York; U.S. Army General – 1888; Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army – 1883-88# 8332
As cavalry commander, Sheridan distinguished himself in action from Booneville and Chickamauga to the fighting at Yellow Tavern which resulted in the death of J.E.B. Stuart in 1864.
Signature, with closing and rank in another hand, “Very Respectfully Your Ob[edien]t Ser[van]t, P.H. Sheridan, Major Gen[eral] Com[man]d[in]g,” on a 2 ¼” x 3 ¾” slip of paper, removed from a larger letter.
Lightly toned, with minor brushing of ink to several letters.
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SHERMAN, WILLIAM TECUMSEH (1820-91) Union Major General – Ohio; General and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army – 1869-83# 8333
An 1840 West Point graduate, Sherman was superintendent of what is now LSU when war broke out in 1861. He resigned when Confederates seized the U.S. arsenal in Baton Rouge, shortly thereafter reentering the army. Early lack of success in Kentucky was soon offset by distinguished service at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and in the “March to the Sea.”
Signature, with rank, “W.T. Sherman, General,” on a slip of lightly lined paper, matted to a dimension of 1 ½” x 3 ¼” beneath a 4 ½”x 5 ¼” portrait. Ready for framing or display, 8 ¼” x 10 ¾” overall.
Lightly toned, with minor staining and a light horizontal fold.
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SIGEL, FRANZ (1824-1902) Union Major General – Missouri# 8335
A German native, Sigel led a division at Pea Ridge and against Jackson in the 1862 Valley campaign. As commander of the Department of West Virginia, he was defeated by Breckinridge and the Virginia Military Institute cadets at New Market.
Signature, with rank in another hand, “F. Sigel, Major General,” on a lightly toned 1 ¼” x 2” slip of paper, removed from a larger letter or document.
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SMITH, CALEB BLOOD (1808-1864)# 6952
U.S. Interior Secretary – 1861-63
Signature, “Caleb B. Smith,” on a 1 ¼” x 4” slip of paper.
Lightly and evenly toned, with old glue staining on the reverse.
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STANTON, EDWIN M. (1814-69)# 6955
U.S. Secretary of War – 1862-68
Signature, with the closing in another hand, “Yours truly, Edwin M. Stanton,” on a 1 ¼” x 3 ½” slip of paper, removed from a letter.
Lightly and evenly toned, with old glue staining on the reverse.
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STANTON, EDWIN M. (1814-69)# 7042
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 1st 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.
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THOMAS, GEORGE H. (1816-70) Union Major General during the American Civil War, Known as the “Rock of Chickamauga”# 8336
An 1840 West Point graduate, Thomas served in the Seminole and Mexican Wars. As a Virginia native, his decision to remain loyal to the Union created tension both professional and personal – his sisters disavowed him for the rest of their lives. He saw action at First Manassas, Shiloh, Corinth, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Atlanta, Franklin, and Nashville.
Signature, with rank, “Geo. H. Thomas, Maj[or] Gen[era]l U.S.A.,” on a 1 ¼” x 3 ½” slip of paper, affixed to slightly larger stock from a period photograph album with the notation “Commanding the Department of the Tennessee” in another hand below.
Lightly toned, with scattered spotting of ink.
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TRUMBULL, LYMAN (1813-96)# 6977
U.S. Senator - Illinois - 1855-73; Co-authored the Thirteenth Amendment – Prohibiting Slavery in the United States
Signed Card, 2” x 3 ½”, as U.S. Senator from Illinois, “Lyman Trumbull, Ill[inois].”
The card is lightly and evenly toned, with old mounting remnants on the reverse.
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TYNDALE, HECTOR (1821-80)# 7038
Union Brigadier General - Pennsylvania; Returned the Body of John Brown for Burial after His Execution
At the request of his Quaker mother, Tyndale turned down an appointment to West Point to enter his father’s ceramics business. He escorted Mrs. John Brown to visit her imprisoned husband on the night before his execution, and on the trip returning his body for burial in North Elba, New York. Twice wounded, having three horses shot from under him, and being left for dead on the field at Antietam, Tynsdale resigned due to poor health on August 26, 1864.
Signature, with the rank Tyndale held from April 9, 1863 until his resignation the following year, “Hector Tyndale, Brig. Genl. U.S. Vol[unteer]s,” on a 1 ¼” x 5 ½” slip of paper; quite possibly war-date, as Tyndale resigned well before the end of the war, and was brevetted major general of volunteers on March 13, 1865.
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WALLACE, LEW (1827-1905) Union Major General – Indiana; Governor of New Mexico Territory – 1878-81# 8337
Wallace served in the West at Ft. Donelson and Shiloh, was transferred east with Grant to encounter Jubal Early at Monocacy River in 1864, and was president of the court-martial which tried and condemned Andersonville Commandant Henry Wirz. He served as post-war Governor of the New Mexico Territory and U.S. Minister to Turkey. He is also remembered for writing Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
Signed Card, 2” x 3 ¼”, “Lew. Wallace.”
Excellent, with light, even toning.
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WELLES, GIDEON (1802-78)# 6958
U.S. Secretary of the Navy - 1861-69
Signature, as U.S. Navy Secretary, “Gideon Welles,” on a 1 ¾” x 3 ¼” slip of paper, removed from a letter.
Lightly and evenly toned, with a few small stains and a slightly irregular upper edge.
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WELLES, GIDEON (1802-78)# 7051
U.S. Secretary of the Navy - 1861-69
Signature, as U.S. Navy Secretary, “Gideon Welles,” on a 1 ¼” x 3 ¾” portion of an appointment document.
Lightly and evenly toned, with a vertical crease through the signature.
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WELLES, GIDEON (1802-78) # 7826
U.S. Secretary of the Navy - 1861-69, During the American Civil War
Civil War-Date Letter – Navy Secretary Welles devotes his attention to the Union Blockade
Letter Signed, 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”, with the closing and signature on the reverse, to “James T. Hale, Esq[uire], Washington, D.C.” Responding to an inquiry from the Pennsylvania congressman, Welles conveys that the foreign fleet has been recalled, understandably preferring to devote all funds and resources available to the U.S. Navy to the Union blockade of the southern states, announced by President Lincoln on April 19, 1861.
“Navy Department, Sept[embe]r 21, 1861. Sir: Your letter of the 20th inst[ant] has been received. I have not time to revise the arrangement, at one time proposed with Mr. James McHenry, in regard to funds for our foreign squadrons, referred to by you. It seems unnecessary, for the arrangement was never consummated by my predecessor, nor has it been recognized, at any time, by this Department. In addition to this our squadrons have been recalled, rendering any change needless. I am respectfully. Y[ou]r Obed[ien]t servant, Gideon Welles.”
The paper is lightly and evenly toned, with staining and a few pinholes and light creases in the margins, along with two horizontal folds.
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WISE, GEORGE D. (1816-81) Union Brevet Brigadier General; Cousin of Confederate General Henry Wise# wisegeorged
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