Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed – seeking a pass “to reclaim the remains of a dead Soldier.”

Autograph Letter Signed, on beautifully imprinted 6” x 7 ½” official stationery as Massachusetts governor.  During the second year of war, Andrew seeks the assistance of Franklin E. Howe, an officer in the 36^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in procuring a pass for a colleague in the regiment, to reclaim the remains of an unnamed dead soldier.  Modern records indicate that Howe died of disease on May 5, 1864 in Westminster, Massachusetts.

“Boston, April 29, 1862, L[ieutenan]t Col[onel] Howe.  My d[ea]r Col[onel], If you can help Mr. A.S. Tuttle to get a passage to Roanoke Island to reclaim the remains of a dead Soldier you will confer a favor.  I am unaware about the regulations nom a sick passenger to N[orth] C[arolina] not in military service.  Your serv[ant], John A. Andrew.”

Accompanied by the imprinted transmittal envelope, addressed to Howe.  The letter is excellent overall, with light, even toning and two horizontal folds; the transmittal envelope bears heavier staining, with irregular tearing at the edges from opening.

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed

Autograph Letter Signed, 7” x 9”, on “Head-Quarters King’s Division” imprinted stationery, directing the encampment of his corps, shortly after the conclusion of the Shenandoah Valley campaign.

“Warrenton [Virginia], 25 – 6 [June, 1862].  P.M.  Major Perkins, A[ide] D[e] C[amp], Etc.  Select a good position and camp our Corps where they are.  I return in an ambulance.  Truly Yours, N.P. Banks, M[ajor] G[eneral] C[ommanding].”

Lightly and evenly toned, with a few light stains; minor bleeding of ink on several letters; two horizontal folds.

Civil War-Date Document Signed – an imprinted 142^nd New York Infantry Pass

Document Signed, 3 ¾” x 5”, West Point, Virginia, May 4, 1864, “A.M. Barney, L[ieutenan]t Col[onel] Commanding Regiment,” a desirable, partly printed pass; dated one day before the fighting began at the Battle of the Wilderness and countersigned by 142^nd New York Lieutenant Joseph Hastings Hays, who was wounded at Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia the following month.

Lightly toned, with the expected folds; general wear and staining throughout.

Franked Envelope, 3 ¾” x 8 ¼”, “Free, R.H. Bayard, U.S. Senate,” also addressed by Bayard, to “Herman Cope, Esq[uire], Bank U.S., Philadelphia,” with stamped free designation and a Washington, D.C. postmark, May 8, no year, and a red wax seal on the reverse.

Well-worn, with light toning; numerous edge chips and tears, all away from the signature and address.

Signed Photograph, “Arno Breker,” a 4” x 5 ¾” postally unused postcard.  Black & white.

Excellent.

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, front and reverse of the first leaf of an imprinted, folded 4 ¾” x 8” letter-sheet, expressing condolences to a friend upon the death of a brother.

“September 18, 1889.  My dear Bob, I did not know when I wrote today what you were passing through.  I had not heard about your brother’s death.  May I tell you how I am sorry for everything which brings you pain with all my heart & will you believe how earnestly I ask for the highest help.  God bless you & give you His best light.  You will not want me to care to you on Monday as I proposed.  If so, you will tell me so & I shall wholly understand.  Be sure that I am always Your old friend, Phillips Brooks.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with a horizontal fold at the center; pencil notations in the upper right corner.

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages on front and reverse of a single imprinted 3 ½” x 4 ¼” card, declining a request to attend a meeting.

“March 28, 1886.  My dear Mr. Bertrand, I am sorry to say that all my Tuesday Evenings now are hopelessly engaged, so that I must not hope to be at your meeting, which I doubt not will be very interesting & successful.  Yours most sincerely, Phillips Brooks.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with several minor stains and light creases.

Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed - from Leavenworth, Kansas

Autograph Letter Signed, 5 ¼” x 8 ¼”.  From Leavenworth, Kansas, the vicinity of his father’s actions at the Pottawatomie Massacre and the Battles of Osawatomie and Black Jack in 1856 “Bleeding Kansas,” Brown conveys details of his return home to his wife in Ohio.  Accompanied by the transmittal envelope, imprinted “R. Stevenson, Photographic ARTIST, 40 Delaware Street, Leavenworth, Kansas”; addressed by Brown, to “Mrs. Wealthy C. Brown, Jefferson, Ashtabula Co[unty], Ohio, Box 125,” with a three-cent U.S. postage stamp and a June 6, 1862, Leavenworth City, Kansas Territory postmark at the upper right corner.

“Leavenworth City Kansas, Thursday, June 5 1862.    

My Loved Wife,

I have this moment got yours of the 28^th.  All in a hurry this morning as a Boat for St. Louis has just come and is off in a few minutes.

It will take me about five days to Chicago including one Sunday – say two days there then, one perhaps at Cleveland when I will be home as fast as I can.  Every thing is waiting and I must say good bye. 

Your own, John.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with a few minor stains and smearing of ink to several characters; chipping at the upper right corner and at the edge of the lower of two horizontal folds detracts very little.  The envelope has the expected wear at the edge and the right edge has been torn somewhat irregularly in opening.

Signature, with date and place of residence, “O.H. Browning, Quincy, Illinois, Aug[us]t 10, 1874,” on a 3” x 7 ¾” slip of lined paper; affixed to heavier backing.

Excellent.

Letter Signed, on imprinted stationery as U.S. Interior Secretary, promoting a clerk in the General Land Office.

“Washington, D.C., March 24^th 1868.  L. Harreson of Pennsylvania, is hereby promoted to a Clerkship of the Second Class in the General Land Office to take effect from the first instant.  O.H. Browning, Secretary of the Interior.” 

Lightly toned, with a few stains and two horizontal folds; trimmed slightly at the left edge; old mounting remnants on the reverse.

Signature, as U.S. Senator, “B.K. Bruce, Miss[issippi],” on a 1 ½” x 4 ½” portion of an album page.

Excellent.

Document Signed, 9 ½” x 11”, Boston, Massachusetts, April 17, 1869, “A.E. Burnside,” as company president, a partly printed $500 “First Mortgage Bonds” certificate for the Narrangansett Steamship Company.  Countersigned by four company officials.  A five-cent revenue stamp is affixed at upper right, with an embossed seal at lower right.

Lightly toned, with the usual folds; a few tears and cuts at the lower edge; show-through along the lower edge from glue staining on the reverse.

Check signed by the Confederate Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, just two months before the fall of the city…

Civil War-Date Document Signed, 3 ¼” x 7 ½”, “City Clerk’s Office, Atlanta, Georgia, July 1, 1864…J.M. Calhoun,” a partly printed check drawn on the city account, payable to one “John Haslett” in the amount of thirty dollars, compensation for expenses described only as “Streets”; dated just two months before the city was surrendered to Union General William Tecumseh Sherman on September 2, 1864 and countersigned by another city official.

Lightly and evenly toned, with a few light creases and minor staining, wear, and soiling; text and signatures are unaffected by a two-inch horizontal tear, with no loss of paper, at the mid-right edge.

Autograph Note Signed, 2 ½” x 4 ¼”, an undated, cordial reply to a letter.

“To Mark: Thank you for the nice letter, and best wishes to you and your family.  Jimmy Carter.”

Excellent.

Franked Envelope, 2 ¾” x 5 ¼”, “James Chesnut, U.S.S. fr…,” as U.S. Senator from South Carolina, also addressed by Chesnut to “Hon[orable] J.L. Manning, Willard’s Hotel, Washington.”  Dated 1860 vertically at the left edge, quite possibly by the recipient, John Laurence Manning, former South Carolina governor, 1852-54, who later served as a colonel in the Confederate Army.

Torn irregularly in opening at the upper right corner, affecting the last few characters of Chesnut’s frank.

Autograph Letter Signed, on 6” x 9” Indianapolis, Indiana hotel stationery; no year, but from later life, sending condolences to an old friend.

“May 31.

Dear Mrs. Nyeth,

My nephew Ed Adam gave me your address yesterday, so I am writing you to give you my heartly [sic] Sympathy in the loss of your dear father.  He was my oldest & best friend & we all loved him.

God be with you,
Jno. L. Clem.
__________________________________

Lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds and a few tiny tears at the edges.

Autograph Letter Signed, 5” x 8”, confirming the date of his appointment as Interior Secretary in the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant.

“Cincinnati [Ohio], 14 May 1873.  Dear Sir: In reply to your note I would say that I was appointed Secretary of the Interior March 6th 1869.  Very Resp[ectfull]y, J.D. Cox.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with two horizontal folds; old hinge and mounting remnants on reverse of the integral leaf.

Signature, “Stephen Decatur,” a frank on a 1 ¼” x 2 ¾” portion of a postal cover; with rank in another hand above and the pencil notation “1819” written vertically at the upper right corner.  A stamped “FREE” partially intersects Decatur’s signature.

Lightly toned, with a stain at the left edge; affixed to heavier backing.

Document Signed, 8 ¼” x 10 ¼”, 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 the remission of the remaining portion of the term of imprisonment, imposed upon Jacob Rowles, convicted of petit larceny; dated this day, and signed by me; and for so doing this shall be his warrant.  Millard Fillmore, Washington, October 3, 1850.”

Light soiling and wear, with a few edge chips and tears; weakness and minor paper separation at the edges of two horizontal folds.

Autograph Letter Signed, 8” x 10”.  As a second-term U.S. representative from New York, Fillmore solicits Secretary of War Joel Poinsett in the discharge of a constituent’s son from his enlistment.  A lengthy report on the reverse is signed by longtime U.S. Army Adjutant General Roger Jones.

“House of Rep[resentatives]
July 6, 1840

Sir,

I have the honor to enclose a letter from James Sheldon, Esq[uire], a counsellor at Law residing in the city of Buffalo, N.Y. with an affidavit of Mr. & Mrs. Brooks, on which they ask to have his son, a lad of 18, discharged from his enlistment into the merited Service of that place.

As I shall soon leave, your earliest attention to this application will greatly oblige,

Your most ob[edien]t ser[van]t,
Millard Fillmore

Hon[orable] J.R. Poinsett

P.S. Please return Mr. Sheldon’s letter.”

Somewhat heavier toning from past matting at the edges; an old tear at the upper right corner, along with clean separation at the edges of two horizontal folds, is repaired on the reverse; several chips at the left edge and corner of the integral leaf.