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Session 1 |
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Political |
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| 61001 | Fragments of Hearthstones from Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood Cabin Homes. Group of four fragments: an irregular piece about 2" x 2" x 1" from the log cabin in which Lincoln was born, contained in a crude, well-worn cardboard box on which Frederick H. Meserve has penned "A fragment from the hearth stone in the cabin in which Abraham Lincoln was born. Rec'd from Ralph A. Gregory, St. Louis. F.H. Meserve"; three other stone fragments, varied sizes, with a wooden box containing a card on which Meserve has penned "Pieces of the hearth stone from the home in Indiana of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1816 to 1830. Received from Ralph A. Gregory". Together with a small snapshot of Gregory standing on the hearthstone site at the Indiana homestead, annotated and signed on verso by Meserve, 1940; a slightly torn typed copy, on onionskin, of a letter by C.V. Brown, Dale, Ind., 5 December 1939, to Gregory, about the Lincoln's years in Indiana and discussing the marking of their cabin site and the moving of the hearthstones, with penciled note by Meserve; and a 8.75" x 11" printed map of the original land entries by Thomas Lincoln and others in the Gentryville area. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 98.Sold for: $717.00. |
| 61002 | Miscellaneous Iron Tools and Plow Said to Have Been Owned by Abraham Lincoln. This lot contains the iron portions (only) of five tools: a trimming ax-head, a wood-splitting wedge, a shingle-splitter (long, thin and tapered, with a large eye at one end to place a handle), another squarish piece of undetermined use, and a plow. The earliest history of this heavy cast-iron plow, apparently the main metal portion of what was once an iron and wood plow, is apparently unrecorded, but for many years it was exhibited in Lincoln's tomb at Springfield, Illinois, where it resided in the collection of tomb custodian Herbert Wells Fay. Conceivably this was used on the Thomas Lincoln farm near Decatur. Accompanied by a small snapshot of a man holding this relic, docketed on verso in pencil by Fay "Samuel O'Dell holdin[g] Lincoln plow 1930". Rusted overall; crack at top of projecting shaft, by an attaching screw; irregular losses along the bottom, where a sharper iron or steel scouring edge was evidently once attached. All of these items belonged to Mr. Fay and were displayed by him for many years at the Lincoln Tomb. Provenance: Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobley auctions, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, lot 159.Not Sold. |
| 61003 | Rail-Splitting Maul Owned, and Probably Made, by Lincoln. As both history and legend record, the young Abraham Lincoln was "the railsplitter." Rail making was a task accomplished by splitting a log lengthwise by driving an iron wedge into it with a wooden maul. Each successive segment was likewise split until one had rails of the desired size; these, when overlapped in zig-zag fashion, made a durable, serviceable, cheap, and easily repaired fence, saving the cost of nails or millwork. Mauls were sometimes made from a single piece of wood, head and handle being a continuous piece. This maul is so made, and may not only have been used, but carved out, by Lincoln. While mauls had numerous uses, they were invaluable for railsplitting. In 1860 Lincoln's youthful occupation became the main motif of his presidential campaign, enthusiastically embraced across the north, and 150 years later "The Railsplitter" remains one of his most recognized nicknames. This maul was exhibited for many years in Lincoln's Springfield tomb by caretaker and collector Herbert Wells Fay, who acquired it in 1894 from C. L. Elliott. It is accompanied by an affidavit signed by Elliott and Fay, 27 August 1894, in which Elliott states that "This maul was used by Abraham Lincoln at New Salem, Menard Co., Ill. It came into my possession in 1868, well authenticated." Together with a small snapshot of "Hilton Park, evangelist", holding the maul, probably on the Lincoln tomb grounds; penciled 1930 identification by Fay on verso. The maul itself is very battered and well used, the handle splitting, but all portions still present. Rustic and rough-hewn Lincolniana that would make a superior display item. Provenance: H.W. Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobley Auctions, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, lot 161.Sold for: $6,572.50. |
| 61004 | Dennis Friend Hanks' Homemade Wooden Pen. Approximately 5.5" long quill pen, affixed by ribbon to a small card bearing a note in an unknown hand which states that the pen was "made by Dennis F. Hanks, the man who taught Abraham Lincoln to write. It is like the one he made for Abe when he gave him his 'first lesson.' Mr. Hanks lives in Charleston, Coles Co. [Illinois] and is 86 years of age. Presented by A.H. Davis." The age statement fixes the date of this quaint (and appropriate) relic to ca 1885; Hanks, born in 1799, was the first cousin of Nancy Hanks Lincoln and boyhood friend of Abraham Lincoln, whom he taught to write. TOGETHER WITH: Document Signed "D.F. Hanks", one page, 6.25" x 5", no place, no date (probably Coles County, Illinois, ca 1840). A two-line verdict in an unnamed lawsuit, finding "in favor of the defendant", signed by Hanks and five other jurors. Hanks, who said he ran over to see the newborn "Abe" the day he was born and held him in his arms, joined Thomas Lincoln's household in 1818 after his own adoptive parents and Abraham's mother Nancy had died of milk sickness. Although ten years the senior, he and Abraham were close companions, and he taught the ill-schooled Abraham how to write. In 1821 he married Lincoln's stepsister Sarah Johnston, and in 1830 the families moved together to Illinois. Dennis always resided thereafter near Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. A very uncommon autograph. Provenance: Document part of lot 226, Roy P. Crocker collection, Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 28 November 1979; Timothy H. Bakken; George Rinsland auctions, Allentown, Pennsylvania; pen part of H.W. Fay Collection sold by Riba-Mobley Auctions, South Glastonbury, CT 26 October 1985, lot 197.Sold for: $358.50. |
| 61005 | [Abraham Lincoln] Fabric from the Sofa on which Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Courted. A large piece of black horsehair upholstery with a molded ornamental design (approximately six feet long and 16 inches high), from the backstrip of the sofa owned by Ninian and Elizabeth Todd Edwards (the sister and brother-in-law of Mary Todd), which stood in the parlor of their home in Springfield, Illinois. It was upon this sofa that Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln sat during the early stage of their courtship, and it was in the Edwards parlor that they were married on 4 November 1842. Frayed and worn, with some rents and tears, but quite good. This remnant of fabric was acquired from Mrs. Lincoln's great-nice, Mary Edwards Brown, by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt. Accompanied by: typed affidavit, signed by Mrs. Brown, oblong 8vo, no date, attesting to the material; typed letter signed by Mrs. Brown, 1957, offering the sofa itself for $400, and claiming that Stephen Douglas also used it when courting Mary Todd (internal tears, small loss; fragile); an 8" x 10" glossy photo of the sofa, plainly showing the patterning in the upholstery; a few small related pencil notes by Mrs. Kunhardt; and two large photographs, ca 1918, of the parlor (sans sofa) and the exterior of the Edwards home, mounted on card (each with an overall size of 13" x 9.5"); the exterior shot with some vertical cracks and tiny losses. Provenance: Kunhardt, part of lot 80.Not Sold. |
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Autographs |
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| 61006 | Abraham Lincoln Partly Printed Subpoena, accomplished in Lincoln's hand and signed by Thomas Moffett, J.P., one page, 7.5" x 2.75", Springfield, Ill., 22 January 1842, commanding Cason Pemberton and Samuel and Joseph Tibbs to appear at Moffett's office on 7 February to testify (Lincoln adds "and your depositions to give") in the suit of William R. Miller vs Abraham and Clarkson Freeman. At this time Lincoln was in his second law partnership, with Stephen T. Logan, and they won this suit when the jury returned a verdict for the defendant client. The plaintiff was likely the same William Miller who served under Lincoln in the Black Hawk War. An early and rather unusual example, with nearly forty words and characters in Lincoln's hand. Minor marginal nicks; fine. Provenance: Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, sale 6 February 1962, lot 107.Sold for: $2,629.00. |
| 61007 | Abraham Lincoln Partial Autograph Document Signed. The last 8 lines of a legal brief signed "Lincoln & Herndon" in the hand of Abraham Lincoln, 8" x 3.5", circa 1850. Brief is concerning a suit filed on behalf of the defendant with regards to unlawfully held land. Notes on verso indicate the brief was filed at court on Nov. 25, 1850. Some tearing, and chipping, with cello repairs on verso. Sold for: $2,151.00. |
| 61008 | [Lincoln's Invention] Patent Office Report Containing Patent for Abraham Lincoln's Invention. Patent Office Report, 1849-1850, Arts and Manufactures. Washington: Office of Printers to House of Reps., 1850. On May 22, 1849, Lincoln received "Patent No. 6469 - Improved method of lifting Vessels over Shoals". "What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by letters patent, is the combination of expansible buoyant chambers, placed at the sides of a vessel. . . ." While on a river trip home to Illinois in 1848, young Congressman Lincoln's boat became stranded on a sandbar. Trying to solve the problem, Lincoln designed a device to free stuck boats by lowering floats on each side of the boat. The floats would be inflated and would then lift the boat out of the sand. Lincoln became familiar with river navigation as a flatboat operator on the Mississippi River in his late teens and early twenties. Even though there is no record that the invention was ever used, Lincoln remains the only president to hold a patent. The report (626 pages) contains some water damage in the front. Near very good.Sold for: $358.50. |
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Political |
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| 61009 | [Abraham Lincoln] Oak Piece Lathing with Provenance from Lincoln's Law Office. A nine inch-long piece of oak lathing taken from the law offices of Abraham Lincoln and William Herndon. An excellent relic accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Robert B. Oxtoby who recovered the piece in 1968 during restoration of the historic structure that housed the law offices in Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln and William Herndon began their partnership in 1841 and continued it until Lincoln left Illinois to assume his presidential duties in 1861. Following Lincoln's assassination, Herndon began collecting stories of Lincoln's life from those who knew him in an effort to present Lincoln as a regular man, in defiance of Victorian convention.Sold for: $286.80. |
| 61010 | [Abraham Lincoln] A Chair Used in the Lincoln & Herndon Law Offices in Springfield, Illinois. A country side chair with woven split ash seat, original paint and stenciling. This chair was owned by Herbert Wells Fay, long-time custodian of Abraham Lincoln's tomb, and was displayed there for many years until Fay's death in 1949. It seems to have been one of his treasured pieces, for it is often featured in published interviews, articles and publicity items discussing his collection. Captivating in its homemade simplicity; some bits of the split ash weaving are gone, but all things considered, in very fine condition. Provenance: H.W. Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobley auctions, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, lot 165.Sold for: $7,767.50. |
| 61011 | Abraham Lincoln's "Petite Point" Suspenders. Intricately decorated with diamond-shaped arrangements of tiny brass balls and petite point flowers, housed in a small velvet and leather case which is clearly of the period, and probably original. Purportedly from Lincoln's law partner William H. Herndon by former financier J.P. Morgan in 1889. A variety of persuasive items to support the provenance are included: (1) A clearly period note which states "Bought of Wm. H. Herndon 1-16/89." (2) An account of the provenance which, while undated, appears to date from around 1930-1940. It states that the suspenders were bought from Herndon by Morgan in 1889, and presented to his corporate lawyer Fred W. Stevens in 1910. Stevens then gave them to "his favorite cousin" Elizabeth Roy in 1912. They were then bequeathed to her daughter, Edna Roy Tenney. (3) A lengthy hand-written letter dated 1962 from a clearly elderly Edna Tenney to Fred Walker of Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Including original Transmittal envelope), offering to sell a number of antiques and keepsakes to Walker among them: The suspenders (Which she describes as "a pair of Abraham Lincoln's suspenders in petite point which I should send to Pres. Kennedy.") (4) A notation in Dr. Lattimer's hand stating that they were sold to Walker in 1962, and purchased by him from Walker on March 15, 1966. (5) A page from a retained draft of a letter (ever sent?) in Edna Tenney's hand, declaring that she is "in the 80's and has no one to leave the suspenders to," and offering them as "my contribution to Lincoln's room." (6) Several paper items demonstrating the family connection to Fred W. Stevens, including an 1886- dated poem in his hand, an early twentieth century newspaper article confirming his connection to J.P Morgan, and several other pieces. Lincoln was often caricatured in long underwear and suspenders, and this charming pair evokes the days before he moved to Washington and began to dress more formally as the Chief Executive. Their fancy style might suggest that they were worn in the courtroom rather than while chopping wood, a surmise supported by the fact that they were kept by Henderson.Sold for: $11,352.50. |
| 61012 | A Drapery Cord Purportedly from Lincoln's Springfield Home. Mounted in a vintage frame along with two 19th century cabinet photos of the house, a 1900-dated Lincoln portrait, and an unsigned note that would appear to be of late 19th to early 20th century vintage, stating "This cord was on a window curtain in Mr. Lincoln's Library". Overall size as framed, 32" x 32". Also included with this lot is a letter on Dr. Lattimer's letterhead, dated January 14, 1991, stating that this was obtained from E. Garrison Moreland Jr. of the National Park Service.Sold for: $1,434.00. |
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Antiques |
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| 61013 | Lincoln Boys' Toys, consisting of a clay marble and a slate pencil ("stylus") which likely belonged to Tad or Willy Lincoln. Objects were excavated in the back yard of Abraham Lincoln's house in 1951 by Richard S. Hagen, archaeologist of the Illinois Division of Parks and Memorials, and presented by him to Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt when she visited the home in May 1953. Together with an envelope bearing typed and hand-written descriptions of these items, signed by Mrs. Kunhardt, and a small group of notes penciled by her which lists (and in a couple of instances very roughly sketched) other items discovered during the yard excavation. Provenance: Kunhardt, part of lot 67.Sold for: $310.70. |
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Political |
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| 61014 | Walnut-Head Gavel Made of Wood from the Lincoln Home in Springfield with long, tapered handle that appears to be of different wood, perhaps oak; a tag names the maker as W. H. Dufield. Head cracked in several spots, with a sliver of loss at one side, else quite fine and handsome. Provenance: Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobley auctioneers, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, part of lot 195.Sold for: $418.25. |
| 61015 | Miscellaneous Lincoln Wood and Metal Relics. A large group of interesting items, consisting of: an irregular section of wood with inked inscription (dated "3-15-1932, Ryan") indicating that it came from a linden tree at the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate at Quincy, Illinois (Fay collection, from lot 196); two iron rings and staple, "plowed up at New Salem", with old typed tag later initialed by Dr. Lattimer (Fay collection, from lot 197); rectangular piece of a log, about 9" x 3" x 3.5", a piece of the Onstot cooper shop at New Salem, built about 1835, later moved to Petersburg, and moved back to what is now New Salem State Park in 1922 (the only original building in the recreated village); Lincoln is said to have pursued his studies here by light of the fire made with the abundant cooper's shavings (Kunhardt, lot 14; with Lattimer label erroneously describing it as from "the carpenter's cabin"); small square piece of polished "cenotaph marble" from the Lincoln tomb (Fay collection, part of lot 196); a hunk of pink-painted "original plaster [from] Dr. Samuel A. Mudd house", so identified on its face; a small metal box containing two small rectangular pieces of wood, with an accompanying autograph note signed by the great collector F.H. Meserve, 19 August [19]40, stating that they are "Pieces from a log in the cabin in Hodgenville, Ky., in which Abraham Lincoln was born. A gift from Ralph A. Gregory" (Kunhardt, part of lot 7); a pin tray with original printed label indicating it was made with "tin put on the Lincoln home 1860, taken off in 1904, compliments of J.C. Newman" (Fay collection, part of lot 197), together with another pin tray, same origin but unlabeled (Fay collection, part of lot 196), both of these made with metal taken from the roof-gutter and accompanied by a tiny, badly-toned note from Newman attesting the metal's origins; metal push-up candle holder with finger ring holder, together with a shears-shaped metal candle snuffer, the latter of which was specifically noted on the Herbert W. Fay inventory as a Lincoln piece (Fay collection, from lot 197); a wooden clothes-pin, said to have come from the Lincoln home (Fay collection, lot 197); a section of wood, with inked note by Dr. Lattimer on its face reading "A piece of the log cabin in which John Wilkes Booth was born", with his inventory number (a similar piece was in the Boothbay Theatre Museum collection, sold in 1990); piece of oak sill from the Lincoln home, about 6" long (Fay, from lot 196); two pieces of split rail fence from the Thomas Lincoln Coles County farm, each about 6" long (Fay, from lot 196); approximately 10" piece of walnut siding from Lincoln's home, showing traces of its contemporary paint (Fay, from lot 196); two smaller pieces, also showing some original paint; a piece of fence paling from the Lincoln home, about 6" long; a fragment of brick from the Thomas Lincoln home in Coles County, Ill.; a gavel, somewhat roughly made of wood from the Lincoln home (Fay, from lot 197); a screw-in fixture with circular, half-open arms at top, meant to hold the table of the Lincoln home lighting-rod and a holed cup-like insulator(?) for the same, with a partly-printed affidavit signed by James D. Sinclair, 1902, noting that he owns the lightning-rod and has made it into "charms and souvenirs" (broken in folds); and two other pieces of relic wood, one of which is evidently a chunk of black walnut from the tree to which Abraham Lincoln and John Hanks tied their flatboat near the New Salem mill dam accompanied by a 1915 affidavit to that effect signed by W. T. Baker of Bolivia, Illinois stating that he was acquainted with both men and that his father, James, was a messmate of Lincoln during the Black Hawk War and owner (evidently) of the dam (badly-toned and split but still legible) and one other piece of wood, unidentified, but which probably came from the Fay collection. A truly amazing collection! Provenance: Kunhardt and Fay collections, as indicated, the latter sold by Riba-Mobley auctioneers, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985.Sold for: $1,553.50. |
| 61016 | [Abraham Lincoln] Two Lincoln Relic Pens. Wooden pen about 7.5 inches long, its middle portion broad and flat, ending in a forked tip; metal fittings, pen-point rather rusted; made with wood removed from Abraham Lincoln's Springfield home "during repairs in 1907". An identical pen was given by home caretaker and Lincoln relative Mary Edwards Brown to President Dwight Eisenhower in 1952; this one was purchased from Mrs. Brown by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt in 1956 for $150, and it is accompanied by Kunhardt's original cancelled check in payment. The other wooden pen, with metal fittings and point, is about 6 inches long and in the shape of a twig, as it was made from "a twig from the elm tree planted by Abraham Lincoln in front of his home..." (Lincoln planted the tree about 1856 and it survived for half a century, until blown down in a violent storm; its remaining stump is still at the home.) Lot is accompanied by two notarized affidavits, one for each pen, signed by Mary Edwards Brown, 16 October 1957, and two autograph documents signed by Frederick Hill Meserve amplifying Mrs. Brown's declarations; Kunhardt's check, as aforementioned; and a photocopy of an inventory of the items bought by Kunhardt from Mrs. Brown listing both pens. Provenance: Charles Hamilton Galleries, Kunhardt Auction, 1981. Home pen, Kunhardt, lot 25; tree twig pen, part of Kunhardt, lot 7.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
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Antiques |
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| 61017 | [Abraham Lincoln] The Famous "Grimsley Trunk", Originally Owned by Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. Wooden and undressed-cowhide trunk, about 33" x 17" x 14", bearing wrought iron reinforcements, lifting rings, lid chains, hinges, tacks, and lock, which retains its original, palm-sized iron key. The trunk shows signs of very heavy use, with some of the hide abraded, worn off or peeling, but nevertheless it is quite sound and strong. The interior, lined with period newspaper stenciled in a vine-and-leaf pattern and bearing the mounted trade card of William Judson, trunk maker of York, is considerably worn and stained. This trunk may have been used by the Lincolns on their eastern and southern trips during his tenure as a Congressman (1847-49). It is possible that this is the "old sole leather" trunk Mary Lincoln once persuaded him to leave at home in favor of one of her own, because his was "very dilapidated..." As they prepared to moved to the White House, one can easily imagine that Mrs. Lincoln did not want anyone to see her and her husband in possession of a shabby old trunk -- they bought new ones for the trip -- and since there were clothes and other articles they wished to keep but not take along, it was an obvious choice to pack it all in this well-traveled trunk. Sometime during the week before leaving Springfield, Mr. Lincoln delivered trunk and contents into the safekeeping of Elizabeth Todd Grimsley (later Mrs. Brown), the favorite cousin of Mary Lincoln. He also gave her a carpetbag full of his personal papers, and authorized her to dispose of everything should it not be reclaimed, which it never was. In later years "Cousin Lizzie", as Lincoln called her, apparently gave away or used up the trunk contents, and while some of the papers were handed out as souvenirs, the balance were notoriously thrown into the fire by a maid who thought they were trash. In 1919 Lizzie's son John Todd Grimsley gave this trunk to Harry E. Barker, a Springfield dealer in books, manuscripts and relics. In 1929 the distinguished Kentucky collector William H. Townsend, who had been looking for an "authentic relic associated with Abraham Lincoln's life in Springfield", learned of the trunk through his friend Dr. William E. Barton, the renowned Lincoln scholar. Townsend traveled to Springfield to see it, interviewed Lizzie's granddaughter Mary Donaldson, thoroughly satisfied himself as to the trunk's history, and bought it. It remained with Townsend until he sold it in 1963 to Justin G. Turner. The trunk is heavily documented, with the relevant material mounted or laid into a slim, large folio volume, bound in gilt stamped blue cloth, which bears on its endpapers the bookplates of William H. Townsend, Justin G. Turner, and Nathaniel Stein. The documentation includes a sweet, personal Autograph Letter Signed of Lizzie Grimsley, 1892, to "Emily" (Todd Helm, Mary Todd Lincoln's sister); an Autograph Letter Signed of John T. Grimsley, 1919, outlining the history of the trunk; an Autograph Manuscript Signed by William H. Hayden, n.d., attesting Mrs. Grimsley's gift of some of the carpetbag papers; a typed letter and a notarized affidavit, both signed by Harry E. Barker, 1929, concerning the trunk's history; a lengthy typed account of its acquisition, signed by William H. Townsend, 1929; and other miscellaneous documentation about the trunk, the Grimsley family, and related matters. Together with a copy of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, winter 1973, containing a detailed article about the trunk by Turner. An outstanding Lincoln relic, which has had only a handful of collector-owners. Few Lincoln family possessions of such magnitude and irreproachable provenance remain outside of institutional holdings, and this is one of the most delightfully evocative of them. Provenance: Lincoln and Grimsley families; Harry E. Barker; Townsend; Turner, lot 36; Nathaniel Stein; to Dr. Lattimer, 1970.Sold for: $21,510.00. |
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Books |
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| 61018 | [Abraham Lincoln] Speech of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, Delivered in Springfield, Saturday Evening, July, 17, 1858. No place [Springfield], [ca. July 17, 1858]. 8 pp. Unbound, 6.5" x 9.5". This speech is one of several given just prior to the celebrated Lincoln v. Douglass debates. On this same day, Stephen A. Douglass had also addressed an audience in Springfield, and Lincoln's tone is clearly to set a marked contrast to his opponent, at first lightly and in jest of their physical appearances; and later more pointedly when addressing serious issues. This is one of Lincoln's most noted speeches on the campaign trail and discusses the Dred Scott decision and the Lecompton Constitution; and includes his dictum that "A house divided against itself can not stand" (p. 5). A few light chips at edges, gently toned, otherwise very good to near fine. Reference: Monaghan 12.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
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Political |
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| 61019 | [Abraham Lincoln] Several Strands of President Lincoln's Hair, contained in a clear plastic pouch affixed to a certificate of authenticity signed by noted autograph dealer Charles Hamilton, on his New York business letterhead, one page, 8.5" x 11", no date (circa 1980). Hamilton states that he "personally removed the accompanying strands . . . from a lock of hair in an old frame (made in 1908) by Judd Stewart from wood removed from the LINCOLN home in Springfield. The hair bore on its frame an authentication . . . by Frederick H. Meserve, the famous LINCOLN expert, and was from his personal collection." Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 48.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
| 61020 | Eight Strands of Abraham Lincoln's Hair. One strand is held by a small, thin strip of tape to a business envelope of autograph auctioneer Charles Hamilton, who has written on its face "Lincoln's hair, one strand, certified authentic by me Mar 8 1972 Charles Hamilton". Seven more strands are held with a similar thin strip of tape to the first page of a two-page photocopy of an autograph letter signed by J.B.S. Todd, written on Executive Mansion stationery, 16 May 1865, to Clinton Rice in New York city. Todd, a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln, writes of the conspiracy trial, referring to "our noble President. . . . That such a frightful war crime could be committed in our day and time of civilization shocks and amazes me. . . . I am happy to tell you that Mrs. Lincoln is improving slowly. She is now able to leave her room for short intervals. . . . [P]oor heart, she has been lowered to the very dust under the weight of her bereavement." He concludes the letter by sending "what I believe you will prize highly. A small lock of the hair of our martyred President. I am sorry I have so little that I cannot share more." These hairs presumably came from Todd's supply.Sold for: $657.25. |
| 61021 | Five Strands of Abraham Lincoln's Hair, contained in a clear plastic pouch affixed to an affidavit signed by Lincoln artist Lloyd Ostendorf on his letterhead, December 4, 1968, stating, "Since you have sustained a loss of the Abraham Lincoln hairs I supplied for your collection in 1968, I am glad I can still send you the last loose hairs taken from my lock of Lincoln's hair."Sold for: $956.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61022 | Abraham Lincoln Endorses His Chiropodist in an Autograph Statement Signed "A. Lincoln", one page, 6" x 3.5", n.p. [Washington, D.C.], 22 September 1862, reading "Dr. Zacharie has operated on my feet with great success, and considerable addition to my comfort." Dr. Isachar Zacharie, an English Jew, practiced at times in Washington and New York and was a leading authority on foot problems and cures. His extensive use of testimonials from the president and other notables apparently prompted the New York Herald (3 October 1862) to joke that Lincoln "has been greatly blamed for not resisting the demands of the radicals; but how could the President put his foot down firmly when he was troubled with corns?" Lincoln's note, inlaid on a large leaf, has been bound in a 4to album (full blue morocco, raised bands, gilt title on spine, hand-lettered title page) along with autograph letters signed of poet and newspaperman William Cullen Bryant, Union General Nathaniel P. Banks, New York mayor George Opdycke, and Gen. Rufus Andrews, all testifying to Zacharie's skill. Bryant, writing to Lincoln from New York, 21 August 1862, introduces the chiropodist as a man "of marvelous skill, as I have had occasion to experience. . . . If you or any of your family are incommoded with any disease whatever of the feet, he will be happy to give proof of his skill." Another letter by Bryant, same date, to Sec. of War Stanton, suggests that Zacharie be made head of a proposed "corps of chiropodists, for the army, to inspect the feet of the men and keep them in order for marching. . . . A soldier who cannot march is a useless incumbrance." Banks, writing on his headquarters letterhead from Washington to Gen. (John A.) Dix at Fortress Monroe, Va., 6 October 1862, advises that Zacharie "has permission from the Secretary of War to operate upon the troops." Opdyke, writing on his mayoral letterhead to Lincoln, 28 August 1862, also introduces Zacharie and opines that it is "unquestionably very important that all our soldiers . . . should be able at all times to command the use of their feet." Andrews, writing to Lincoln on letterhead of the New York Custom House, avows that: "If you . . . give him a hearing & examine his testimonials . . . you will put him in the way of doing the country a good service in providing for the comfort of the soldier." Also bound in are engraved portraits of each of the testimonial writers. Accompanied by a rare copy of Zacharie's Surgical and Practical Observations on the Diseases of the Human Foot (New York, 1860), slim 8vo, original gilt titled brown cloth (repaired; hinges reinforced), inscribed in pencil on the front free endpaper "Presented to C.W. Hale by the author June 5, 1864". Provenance: Barrett, lot 409; Sang; Sotheby's, New York, sale of 27 March 1985, lot 196.Sold for: $131,450.00. |
| 61023 | Abraham Lincoln Partly Printed Document Signed as President. DS "Abraham Lincoln" 1 page, 8" x 10", Washington, 2 February 1862. "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to my ratification of the special treaty with Hanover for the abolition of the Stade Dues..." The King of Hanover's "Stade Dues" were tolls on vessels ascending the River Elbe. Lincoln announced his signing of the treaty abolishing them in mid-June 1862. File holes at left margin, silked on verso, with light soiling and toning. Very good.Sold for: $7,170.00. |
| 61024 | Abraham Lincoln Signed Military Appointment. DS "Abraham Lincoln", one page on vellum, 15.5" x 19.5", Washington, D.C., 1 August 1864. Countersigned by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, this document appoints Peter S. Bancroft "Captain in the Veteran Reserve Corps". Document has cockling, and dampstaining along right margin; however Lincoln's signature is quite bold, affected only by a single horizontal fold.Sold for: $5,377.50. |
| 61025 | Abraham Lincoln Partly Printed Document Signed in full, as president, one page, 13" x 16", Washington, 28 July 1862, countersigned by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles; on parchment, with handsome engraved maritime vignettes The document appoints Joseph Smith a rear admiral in the Navy of the United States. Margins trimmed close to text; wrinkled, with signatures and most of the handwritten portions blurred (Lincoln's signature still easily readable; Welles' faded). Despite faults, a significant document, the last promotion ever given to one of the highest ranking Navy officers of the Civil War, and one who still holds the record for length of service. Smith (1790-1877) campaigned against the Tripolitan pirates in his youth, served during the Mexican War, and came out of retirement to run the Washington Navy Yard. He was instrumental in the development of ironclads, distinguished for his insistence upon building John Ericsson's original ironclad battleship Monitor. Provenance: Charles Hamilton, New York, circa 1985.Sold for: $4,780.00. |
| 61026 | Abraham Lincoln Signed Military Appointment. DS "Abraham Lincoln", one page on vellum, 14.5" x 18.25", Washington D.C., 26 December 1861. Countersigned by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, appointing John Rice to the rank of "First Lieutenant in the fifth regimental infantry".Heavy wrinkling, some toning, but bearing a legible signature. Good condition.Sold for: $4,481.25. |
| 61027 | Abraham Lincoln Signed Military Appointment, DS "Abraham Lincoln", vellum, 15.5" x 19.5", Washington, D.C., 20 March 1862. Countersigned by Edwin M. Stanton as Secretary of War, appointing Hiram G. Berry to the rank of "Brigadier General of Volunteers". Hiram George Berry (1824-1863) joined the Union Army as a colonel in the 4th Maine Infantry. Shortly after receiving this appointment, he was promoted again to major general. Berry died in action during the Battle of Chancellorsville the following year. In very good condition with light soiling and few stains affecting the signature.Sold for: $5,377.50. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61028 | Mohair Lap Robe Owned by the Lincolns, edged with satin, 59" x 48". Robes, or "lap rugs", such as this were used for warmth when out riding in horse-drawn vehicles. With a notarized affidavit, signed by Richard S. Hagen as officer and agent of "Friends of the Lincoln Shrines, Inc.", Galena, Ill., January 1958, stating that this lap robe was the "property of Abraham Lincoln and listed in . . . [a] notarized statement of Mary Edwards Brown dated 2nd May 1925 [sic, 1952?]. This lap robe was purchased from Mary Edwards Brown by me." A simple but choice Lincoln family belonging. Provenance: Roy P. Crocker Collection, sold by Sotheby-Park Bernet Galleries, New York, 28 November 1979, lot 256.Sold for: $4,182.50. |
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Political |
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| 61029 | A Fabric Swatch Purportedly from the Upholstery of Lincoln's Carriage. A 3.5" x 3.5" sample of blue cloth, apparently mounted for display in a small museum or historical society in the early to mid-20th century. Typed label states that it came from the lining of the carriage that Lincoln rode in while passing through Westfield, New York on his way to Washington to be inaugurated. "Contributed by Mrs. L. M. Jones, Jamestown, New York."Sold for: $215.10. |
| 61030 | A Pair of Spectacles that Belonged to Abraham Lincoln, made of a zinc-colored metal, adjustable frames, open loop terminals on the bow ends; stamped "18" on each bow. The bows can be pulled out or pushed in to adjust their length. Together with the original leather-covered paper case, gilt stamped "C.R. Smith & Sons / 1510 Market St. / Philadelphia." Analysis has shown that, judging by these, Lincoln was mildly far-sighted, a characteristic shared by the two pairs given to the Library of Congress by his granddaughter in 1937. Overall condition is excellent; the case is somewhat worn, especially at corners, with small tears, and a piece has been roughly torn away at foot. This pair of glasses was presented to Joseph Leisenring, a Mount Pleasant, Iowa, photographer who was a neighbor and friend of the Harlan family. Mary Harlan Lincoln, the president's daughter-in-law, often spent long vacations in Mount Pleasant with her children, and many of their few known youthful photographs were taken at the Leisenring studio; some of the very few portraits of Abraham ("Jack") Lincoln II, the President's only grandson, who died at the age of 17, were done by him. The spectacles are accompanied by extensive documentation, the single most significant item being a Mary Harlan Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed "Mary Lincoln", Mt. Pleasant, 26 February [18]94, written to Leisenring upon hearing that "you are going to leave us. Will you please accept this little book in remembrance of our dear Jack - you see he has written his name on the fly-leaf. You can put it away with the 'A.L.' spectacles which I gave you a long time ago, & so have a little memento of the grand-son as well as the grand-father." The letter is subscribed "With all good wishes for your future." Together with a notarized affidavit signed by David Rowland (Leisenring's great-great grandson), Morgan Co., Ill., 23 August 1985, describing the spectacles and setting out the chain of family ownership until their acquisition by Dr. Lattimer; and numerous other papers, 1936-80s, concerning the Leisenring family, these glasses, and Lincoln's eyesight and other spectacles which he owned. Most of the documentation is in fine condition; the Mary Harlan Lincoln letter is somewhat faded, with scattered stains, and minuscule holes along some folds. Unfortunately, not-so-magic tape has been used to reinforce weak or broken folds and has begun to transluce; ideally it should be removed by an expert conservator, and proper preservation methods applied. Simple, yet intimate, - and truly stunning - Lincolniana. Sold for: $179,250.00. |
| 61031 | Abraham Lincoln's Folding Brass Dividers Used by Him During the Civil War. The dividers, approximately five inches long, are housed in a beige silk-lined folding box with gilt-lettered leather spine, stamped on the front cover "Justin G. Turner Collection". Their sharp steel points are very slightly rusted in spots, but fundamental condition is excellent. Accompanied by the original autograph letter of Robert Todd Lincoln presenting them to Thomas T. Eckert, chief of the War Department telegraph staff. The letter occupies the first two pages of a four-page, black-bordered mourning notesheet; datelined "Executive Mansion, Washington, May 21 / 65" and signed "R.T. Lincoln", it states: "Major Hay [John Hay, the president's assistant secretary] told me this morning that you were desirous of some relic of my father, and I take pleasure in complying, for I know how high you stood in his esteem. Nearly all of our effects have already been sent away, but I have found the pair of dividers, which he was accustomed to use, & with which you have doubtless often seen him trace distances on maps." The letter has some small chips in the bottom black border and a few scattered finger marks, but is very good; it is accompanied by its original mourning envelope, addressed to Eckert at the War Department and signed by Lincoln, with black wax "L" seal on verso. Also present is a 1948 letter by Joanne Eckert Biddle, referring to the descent of the dividers in her family. In the spring of 1862 Thomas Thompson Eckert was appointed a major in the U.S. Army and given charge of the War Department telegraph office, a position he retained through the end of the war. Eckert's office was of such vital importance that it was situated immediately next to that of War Secretary Edwin Stanton, and -- since the Executive Mansion had no telegraph line -- it was very frequently visited by President Lincoln when he wished to read the latest war news, or simply secure a pleasant respite from the crush of visitors at the White House. Lincoln even used the office to write out the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, with paper supplied by Maj. Eckert. As one of the most trusted members of his "military family", Lincoln sent him to Hampton Roads in February 1865 to discuss protocol with the Confederate peace commissioners, before meeting them himself, and just a few weeks later Maj. Eckert was among those who declined to attend Ford's Theatre with the Lincolns on the fatal night. A superlative Lincoln relic that conjures an image of the president, deep in thought, contemplating the movements, the strategies, the purposes, of the most momentous war ever fought on American soil. Provenance: Thomas T. Eckert, by descent to Joanne Eckert Biddle; Dawson's Book Shop, Los Angeles; Turner, sold privately; Sang lot 1248. Please Note: Here are links (Page one / Page two) to a Robert Todd Lincoln letter from the collection of the Library of Congress written at approximately the same time period as the letter pictured with this lot. Please note the similarities. Robert Todd Lincoln's handwriting changed considerably later in his life, and these early examples may differ from more familiar later examples.Sold for: $83,650.00. |
| 61032 | A Glove Worn by Abraham Lincoln. White kid glove used by the president at a White House reception, subsequently presented by Mrs. Lincoln to their neighbor, and her husband's old colleague, Jesse K. Dubois, Illinois legislator and state auditor. Contained in a double-hinged frame (three sides glassed) along with two affidavits and a large newspaper clipping. When the frame is opened, the glove is in the right frame, against a black background; to the left is a typed affidavit signed by Lincolniana specialist H(arry) E. Barker, one page, 7" x 5", n.p., 7 October 1925, attesting that he obtained the glove from the family of Jesse K. Dubois and retained it until acquired by William H. Townsend of Lexington, Ky. "It was presented by Mrs. Lincoln, after her return to Springfield . . . to Jesse K. Dubois. . . . It was worn at a White House reception by Mr. Lincoln and, being too tight for his large right hand, it ripped at the thumb in handshaking. For many years I have seen this glove among the cherished Lincoln relics of the Dubois family of which . . . Lincoln Dubois, who was named for his father's old friend, is among the last survivors." The front frame contains an original clipping from the Springfield News, 6 February 1909, titled "Dubois Relations with Abe Lincoln", which mentions this glove; and a brief typed affidavit signed by Lincoln Dubois and dated in his hand at Springfield, Ill., 29 September 1925, in which he states: "After the death of Mr. Lincoln, a glove worn by him was given by Mrs. Lincoln to the family of Jesse K. Dubois, in whose possession it remained until purchased by Barker's Art Store." Lincoln Dubois, the first undoubted namesake of the President, grew up as a near neighbor of Abraham Lincoln and was a constant playmate of his sons Willie and Tad; he was one of the mischievous boys who played the famous prank of knocking off Abraham's letter-filled hat by tying a string across the sidewalk. The glove is faintly yellowed with age, which only enhances it character. An outstanding personal souvenir of the Great Emancipator, in its original presentation. Provenance: Lincoln family to Jesse Dubois; to Lincoln Dubois by descent; Harry E. Barker; Townsend; Turner, lot 75.Sold for: $20,315.00. |
| 61033 | Abraham Lincoln's Circular Wooden Inkstand. A substantial relic, made from a single block of wood tapered in the middle and flaring out at top and bottom to about 5.5" in diameter. Two glass inkwells, of about 1" and 1.75" diameter, are inserted in the top, which also has five small round holes drilled into it to hold pens. The lacquered body of the inkstand bears the remnants of its original gilt ornamentation, the most discernible bit of which is a spread eagle. The unvarnished bottom of the well bears a faint autograph inscription signed by William H. Crook (one of Lincoln's White House guards), which is heavily rubbed, but "used . . . Abraham Lincoln . . . President. Wm. H. Crook" can be read. The lacquer is considerably worn and chipped and there is a large crack, otherwise very good. This inkwell is shown in a line drawing in Charles Carleton Coffin, Life of Lincoln (New York: Harper & Bros., 1897), page 164, where Lincoln is said to have owned it as early as 1858. Supposedly this exact style of inkwell was used in the Illinois state house, where Lincoln had innumerable contacts and where he himself had been a legislator, so he may in fact have owned this for many years before taking it to Washington. The stand is shown in an illustration on page 8 of the printed Catalog of the Library of William Whiting (Holyoke, Mass., 1900), where it is referred to as "a great wooden ink stand . . . used constantly by President Lincoln during his residence at the White House." Provenance: Charles Hamilton galleries, New York, auction ca 1977.Sold for: $80,662.50. |
| 61034 | The Tablecloth upon which Abraham Lincoln Ate His Last Meal. White linen, woven with delicate floral and leaf designs, 58 inches square. Mary Lincoln gave this cloth to her friend Mrs. James H. Knowlton, wife of a Wisconsin legislator and county judge who once also practiced law in Chicago; one known letter by Mrs. Lincoln to Judge Knowlton (3 August 1872, condemning her husband's biographer and law partner Ward Lamon) is published in Turner and Turner. While in the Gelatt collection this item was described as "'the tablecloth upon which the President ate his last meal.' Statement of Mrs. Lincoln upon the presentation of this relic." Lightly soiled; ink marked "Lincoln 4". Provenance: Victoria M. Gelatt collection, exhibited in Chicago, 7-12 February 1934, item number 48; among Knowlton items sold by Sotheby; Parke Bernet Inc., New York, 2-3 December 1981, lot 533.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
| 61035 | A Wax Impression of Lincoln's Presidential Seal. A 1.5" seal used for official documents. Patriotic Eagle surrounded by "President of the United States". Sold for: $956.00. |
| 61036 | Collection of Four Abraham Lincoln Electoral Tickets, Distributed During Presidential Campaigns. Includes two examples from 1860, and two from 1864. All are blank-backed handouts, not clipped from newspapers, and are in excellent condition. By far the most desirable is a large Lincoln & Johnson variety from California, with a scene of the sinking of the Confederate vessel Alabama by the Kearsarge on verso. Also included is what appears to be a turn-of-century Lincoln & Johnson fantasy piece. Lengths 4" - 7.25", shown to scale. Sold for: $1,135.25. |
| 61037 | Three 1864 Political Platform Broadsides, one in German, promoting the candidacy of Andrew Johnson as Lincoln's running-mate in 1864. One, an exceptionally colorfully-worded broadside, 8" x 11", age-toned and fine, mentions that Johnson had already accepted the nomination for vice-president. "Who Shall Be Vice President? Shall He Be A Loyal Or Disloyal Man?" opens by discussing the importance of that office by reminding citizens what happened in 1840 when General Harrison was elected and quickly died; and again in 1848 when General Taylor was elected and similarly passed away; and how, in both instances, the v.p. assumed the role! Entire statement above printed signature of Johnson who compares his record against that of George Pendleton who was running as McClellan's v.p. for the Democratic Party. He lambasts Pendleton's record who "has taken part in every single instance, in every vote he has given and in every speech he has made . . . taken ground against the government and in favor of the rebels! . . . Look at his record. . . . We defy his supporters to cite a solitary instance in which he has voted to aid the government in putting down the Rebellion! . . . Is that the sort of man you would like to see Vice Pres. with the chance of becoming President?" Johnson sets forth his own record and says about the rebels "I would have them arrested and tried for treason and if convicted . . . they should suffer the penalty of the law at the hands of the executioner." It concludes with "If you wish to vote for Johnson, you can only do it in voting for Lincoln. . . . Fellow Citizens. . . . Choose Between These Two!" Issued by The National Union Executive Committee N.Y. Together with: a matched pair of 1864 pro-Lincoln broadsides entitled "The Platforms", one in English, one in German ("Die Platformen"). These political circulars compare, side by side, Republican and Democratic platforms as adopted in the Baltimore and Chicago Conventions, and conclude with some "Points of Difference" favorable to the Republicans. Both are detailed as being "For sale by all News Agents. Price $1 per 100." Given the sizable number of German immigrants in New York and Pennsylvania, these reflect targeted canvassing in mid-19th century politics! All are fine.Sold for: $358.50. |
| 61038 | Placard Announcing "Death of Southern Confederacy". A rare window card, considered one of the best works of political sarcasm from the era. Printed on coated stock by "Jas. B. Rodgers, Pr., 52 & 54 North Sixth St." (Philadelphia), this ephemeral item - printed in the five day period between Lee's surrender on April 9th and Lincoln's assassination - 7" x 9", celebrates the demise of the Confederacy and praises Lincoln and Grant. "Died, Near The South-Side Rail Road, On Sunday, April 9th, 1865, The Southern Confederacy, Aged Four Years. Conceived In Sin, Born In Iniquity, Nurtured By Tyranny, Died Of A Chronic Attack Of Punch." Wonderfully detailed: Lincoln was the "Attending Physician", Grant listed as the "Undertaker"; and naturally Jeff Davis would be the "Chief Mourner." Has a small stain and weak bottom left corner, else fine.Sold for: $1,195.00. |
| 61039 | [Abraham Lincoln & Andrew Johnson] 1865 Inaugural Ball Invitation. Engraved invitation to the "National Inauguration Ball March 4th 1865", 7 1/2" x 9.5", engraved by Dempsey & O'Toole, featuring portraits of Lincoln and Johnson, a list of managers, and two eagles on columns, representing the suppression of the Rebellion and Restoration of the Union. By far the most popular and handsome of all inaugural ball invitations. These are typically found un-inscribed; this example, in excellent condition, has the name of the invited guests, "The E.C. Carrington's." Edward Carrington was U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, 1861-1870. Few minor mounting traces to verso and light soiling, otherwise handsome and near fine. Sold for: $3,346.00. |
| 61040 | 1865 Inauguration Ticket. A prohibitively rare ticket to the inauguration ceremonies in Washington, March 4, 1865. We believe that the previous lot was issued as a keepsake - an item the recipient was meant to keep as a souvenir of the event. These tickets, however, we suspect were actually used for admittance to the ceremonies, this specimen engrossed to admit the "Family of Hon Mr. Wright." We know of only two other examples of this scarce ticket, both of those blank but signed by the Sgt.-at-arms George T. Brown. Some light foxing/staining mostly at top and along edge, 3.75" x 2.5", overall fine. A wonderful, period card from a fortunate soul who no doubt heard Lincoln deliver his Second Inaugural Address, a speech of reconciliation setting the stage for the Reconstruction he did not live to orchestrate. Sold for: $14,340.00. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61041 | [Hampton Roads Peace Conference] Printed "Daily Star Extra" Newspaper Handbill, with a single-word headline declaring "PEACE" in bold, inch-high letters. N.p. [Washington, D.C.], "Saturday morning, Feb. 4" [1865], about 2.75" x 7". A subhead reporting "Lincoln and Seward Return to Washington" is followed by a New York Tribune dispatch from City Point, Virginia, claiming that it "is understood . . . Jeff Davis and his Cabinet have instructed [Alexander] Stephens to make peace on the best terms he can, but to make peace." The report speculates that Stephens (the Confederate vice-president) "would not return to the Confederacy if he did not succeed in his mission . . . Messrs. Lincoln and Seward are on the way back, but nothing is known as to the result of their conference." Lincoln and Stephens first met as members of the 30th Congress (1847-49) at which time they shared opposition to the Mexican War, Stephens delivering a speech on the subject which Lincoln said brought tears to his "old, withered, dry eyes". Their acquaintance was renewed at Hampton Roads when they, Sec. of State Seward, and two other rebel commissioners met secretly aboard the steamer River Queen and discussed peace terms. The conference could not reach common ground, largely because of northern insistence on reunion and southern on separation, and so civil war continued for several months. Attached to faded ribbon backing; some foxing; fine.Sold for: $836.50. |
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Political |
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| 61042 | Broadside Announcing the "Sale! of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace." Arguably the original Lincoln collectible! This legal notice broadside, 11" x 23", announces the bankruptcy sale of the farmstead purchased by Lincoln's father Thomas Lincoln in 1808 and the cabin where Abraham Lincoln was born. The sale took place on August 28, 1905, on the courthouse steps in Hodgenville, Kentucky. Only three bidders participated, including a whiskey distiller who planned to use the cabin to advertise "Lincoln Birthplace Whiskey." The winning bidder was a representative of Collier's Magazine. The final price was $3,600. A year of fund raising by members of the Lincoln Farm Association (including Samuel Gompers and William Jennings Bryan) was sufficient to restore the cabin to its original site. It is now known as "The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site." Some chipping, else fine. Sold for: $537.75. |
| 61044 | Massive Plaster Bust of a Bearded Lincoln. A hollow bust standing 31" tall. Signed on back of base by the maker "Boston Sculpture Co, Melrose, Mass", and dated 1909. A small brass plaque on the front of the base reads "French Club 1923". The surface slip has light overall wear, and there is a shallow chip on the front corner of the base, and one silver dollar sized surface flake on the back of the base. Very presentable display condition overall. Sold for: $3,107.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61045 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Pair of Pendant Earrings Owned by Mary Todd Lincoln. These "earbobs" appear to be made of gold-mounted black onyx. Each consists of a circular piece, about a half-inch in diameter, connected by a gold link to a teardrop-shaped pendant about 1-1/8" long and almost a half-inch wide near its base. The pieces bear, alternately, incised hand-painted figures of a man and woman dressed in what appears to be late medieval costume, with minute floral patterns above the pendant figures. The original hooks (Mrs. Lincoln had pierced ears) have been replaced with gold ear screws. Accompanied by a 7" x 9" sepia photo of the earrings, on the back of which is an unsigned, undated (ca. 1935) handwritten pencil note by the highly respected autograph dealer Forest H. Sweet of Battle Creek, Mich., reading in part: "...Mrs. Lincoln's earrings [showing] old hooks above...which Tiffany replaced with screws so Mom could wear them. They came from C.F. Gunther in a trade...Dr. [W.A.] Evans...sent this picture, original of an illustration in his book on Mrs. Lincoln, for which I loaned him the earrings." Also present is a charming 1970 letter from Sweet's daughter and business successor, Julia Sweet Newman, stating that the earrings were acquired from Gunther by her grandfather Forest G. Sweet. Gunther was "elderly at the time... [and] said he knew they were Mrs. Lincoln's...but he couldn't remember why he knew it. He told Dad that he was sure that Dad would live to prove it... What a pity some men don't record information when they are young and can remember!" Also present: carbon copy of a partly printed packing slip from Edsel B. Ford, Rouge Plant, Ford Motor Company, 1931, for shipment of the earrings to Sweet (he had "offered them to Henry Ford at $2500" according to the letter of Mrs. Newman); a large copy print, by Bachrach, of a Mathew Brady photograph showing Mary Lincoln wearing these very earrings; and two letters from Bachrach studios to Forest H. Sweet, 1931, about the photo. Exquisite personal relics, in very fine condition. Provenance: Gunther; Forest G. Sweet, to Julia Sweet Newman by descent; sold by the family through Charles Hamilton galleries, New York, to Dr. Lattimer.Sold for: $19,120.00. |
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Political |
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| 61046 | Pair of Curved Tortoise Shell Hair-Setting Combs Owned and Worn by Mary Todd Lincoln. Each dark brown and tan comb is about 6.5" x 3.75", with teeth about 3" long. Very fragile; one comb has a tooth broken off (present) and one or two missing, but otherwise they are very good. Together with a metal-beaded hair clip of the period, about 1.5" x 4.25". These items have no documentation, but were number 77 in the original Kunhardt inventory, and may have been among her many relics that originated with Mrs. Lincoln's great-niece, Mary Edwards Brown. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 37.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
| 61047 | Mary Todd Lincoln's Sewing Kit, comprised of a tiny polished wood box decorated with a floral motif on the cover, brass hinges and knob catch; fitted compartments in the lined interior hold a thimble, needle, and another implement (the scissors are no longer present). Overall size about 2.75" x 5" x .5" inch. Together with a rosewood sewing kit case (no implements present) having polished surfaces with floral motif on cover, brass hinges and knob catch. Interior fitted to hold scissors, thimble, etc.; it is accompanied by a small unsigned card, reading "Rose wood case of Grandmother Remann", which appears to be in the handwriting of Mary Edwards Brown, daughter of Mary Todd Lincoln's nephew Albert Edwards and his wife Josie (nee Remann). The Remanns were neighbors of the Lincolns, and young Josie a particular favorite of the future President. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 41 (Lincoln kit) and part of lot 67 (Remann case).Sold for: $1,434.00. |
| 61048 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Mary Todd Lincoln's Black Walnut Commode. The former First Lady is said to have acquired this essential piece of household furnishing while traveling in Europe, and to have used it during the last years of her life. Essentially a cabinet, about 17.5" high x 14" x 14", it stands on brass casters and has red, tan and cream brocaded upholstery on the hinged top cover. When the latter is lifted, an oval inner wooden cover is revealed, and when that in turn is lifted the commode chamber is exposed; this contains a large, plain porcelain bowl that lifts out. The bowl has some age cracks but is basically fine. At the foot of the commode is a narrow drawer, presumably used for storing toilet paper. Some of the inner wood has small cracks and losses, but the commode is strongly built and overall it is in very good condition. Even as a piece of antique furniture, it is a rarity. The commode remained with Mrs. Lincoln until her death in 1882 and eventually passed to her great niece Mary Edwards Brown. Subsequently acquired by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt, it was featured in her article about the Brown family mementoes in Life magazine, 9 February 1959. Together with a notarized affidavit signed by Mrs. Brown, 1957, describing the commode, and some later Kunhardt family letters that concern it. A highly unusual and intimate relic, with perfect documentation. Provenance: Mary Todd Lincoln; Ninian Edwards family, to Mary Edwards Brown; Kunhardt, lot 91; purchased post-auction from the Kunhardt estate by Dr. Lattimer.Sold for: $10,755.00. |
| 61049 | Mary Todd Lincoln's Black Lace Veil, worn on the night of the assassination, together with an authenticating note signed by Elizabeth Keckly, her noted black dressmaker, friend and confidante. Upon leaving Washington in May 1865 Mary Lincoln distributed personal mementoes of herself and her husband to a number of friends and favored staff; she gave the earrings, bonnet and cloak that she had worn to Ford's Theatre to Mrs. Keckly, a former slave whose book Behind the Scenes (1868) furnishes an invaluable glimpse into the Lincoln White House. Mrs. Keckly kept her various Lincoln relics until 1890, when she sold them to Charles F. Gunther. Present here is the bonnet veil, measuring about 18" x 26", woven in an intricate blossom and floral motif with a perimeter of undulating interwoven lines; it is slightly frayed in a few spots along the border, resulting in some small losses and loosened thread, but is otherwise remarkably well preserved considering its delicate nature and age. The veil is accompanied by an extraordinarily rare autograph of Elizabeth Keckly, signed to a small authenticating note (the text in an unidentified hand; no place or date) which reads "This veil was worn the night of A. Lincoln assassination by Mrs. Lincoln". A superior Lincoln relic, with an impeccable and distinguished history of ownership. Provenance: Mary Lincoln; Keckly, via W.H. Lowdermilk of Washington, D.C., to Gunther; Barrett, lot 666; Townsend; Turner, lot 86.Sold for: $52,281.25. |
| 61050 | Mary Todd Lincoln's Mourning Skirt. Black silk skirt with flounces and ribbon ties, said (when exhibited in 1934) to have been Mrs. Lincoln's "second" mourning dress; a later identification label by Dr. Lattimer says she wore this both when her son Willie died in the White House in 1862 and again in 1865 after her husband was murdered. Mrs. Lincoln gave this dress to her friend Mrs. James H. Knowlton of Chicago. Somewhat faded; scattered rents and losses (mostly about the waist) but surprisingly good, considering its age and fragile materials. Lined with cotton fabric, apparently at a later date, for preservation. Provenance: Victoria M. Gelatt collection, exhibited in Chicago, 7-12 February 1934, item number 50; among Knowlton items sold by Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., New York, 2-3 December 1981, lot 532.Sold for: $5,975.00. |
| 61051 | Purported Relics of Lincoln and Mary Todd. An old frame containing eight various clothing buttons, along with an old label identifying them as "affected" by Lincoln, and obtained from the Lincoln's seamstress around 1865. Also in the frame is an 1860 Lincoln campaign token (Sullivan AL 1860-41), with rail-splitting scene on reverse, in very fine condition. This lot also includes several black & white fabric swatches, which came in an old envelope from the Abraham Lincoln Association in Springfield. Written on the envelope in pencil: "pieces of a dress worn by Mrs. A. Lincoln".Sold for: $1,015.75. |
| 61052 | Lock of Mary Todd Lincoln's Hair. Perhaps a dozen strands, housed under glass in an old brass preserver with an oval-matted copy portrait, the whole in an original 19th-century daguerreotype case. The presentation was crafted by Lincoln artist Lloyd Ostendorf, and is accompanied by a signed affidavit on his letterhead, 1968, stating that the hair itself was part of a larger lock sold in the Turner collection, and quoting the original 1926 documentation from Lincolniana dealer Harry E. Barker, verifying that the lock of hair came from Mrs. Albert S. Edwards, custodian of the Lincoln house. Mrs. Edwards (Josie Remann) was "always one of Lincoln's favorites" as a little girl, whom he carried about the neighborhood on his shoulders. She grew up to marry Mrs. Lincoln's nephew Albert and succeeded him as custodian (1915-18) of the Lincoln house in Springfield. Provenance: Mrs. Albert S. Edwards; Harry E. Barker; Townsend; Turner, part of lot 131.Sold for: $1,015.75. |
| 61053 | Three substantial locks of Mary Lincoln's Hair, together with a notarized affidavit signed by Richard S. Hagen of the "Friends of the Lincoln Shrines", Galena, Ill., 1959, attesting that the hair came from a larger swatch "obtained by me from Mary Edwards Brown of Springfield", great-niece of Mary Lincoln, who "has sworn that her grandmother, Elizabeth Todd Edwards, removed this hair from the head of Mary Todd Lincoln shortly before the latter's death." Provenance: King V. Hostick, 1966.Not Sold. |
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Autographs |
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| 61054 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Lock of Hair of Mary Todd Lincoln together with a copy photo of her, both behind glass in brass mat, preserver, and a hinged composition daguerreotype case, 2.5" x 3". Accompanied by a notarized affidavit signed by Richard S. Hagen as agent of "Friends of the Lincoln Shrines, Inc.", June 27, 1958, stating that the "swatch of hair of which this lock if part was obtained by this organization from Mary Edwards Brown of Springfield, Illinois, the granddaughter of...Elizabeth P. Todd, sister of Mary Todd Lincoln. Mary Edwards Brown...has sworn that her grandmother...removed this hair from the head of Mary Todd Lincoln shortly before the latter's death..." An attractive keepsake.Sold for: $3,107.00. |
| 61055 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Copious "Lock of Mrs. Lincoln's Hair", so identified in manuscript note written on the card to which the lock has been pinned, the whole under glass in an oval frame (9" x 7"). Accompanied by a notarized affidavit signed by Richard S. Hagen of the "Friends of the Lincoln Shrines", Galena, IL, June 27, 1958, transferring ownership to King V. Hostick and stating that this hair was acquired from Mary Edwards Brown and was originally part of a "swatch" removed "from the head of Mary Todd Lincoln shortly before the latter's death" by Mrs. Lincoln's sister Elizabeth P. Edwards, grandmother of Mary Edwards Brown. Provenance: Sale of the King V. Hostick Collection, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, Ill., 20 April 1985, lot 136.Sold for: $1,434.00. |
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Political |
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| 61056 | Book Presented to Abraham Lincoln. Volume II (only) of Samuel Sloan, The Model Architect. A Series of Original Designs for Cottages, Villas, Suburban Residences, Etc. (Philadelphia: 1860). Original half leather, folio; numerous fine lithographic plates, some in color. A sheet, pasted in loosely by the title page, bears a plainly period ink inscription "Hon. A. Lincoln, President of the United States, with kind regards of the author. Phila., Nov. 8, 1861." Near the lower right corner, in a different hand and ink, is "Presented to M.D. Dean by Mrs. Abraham Lincoln April 1867", signed "M.D. Dean". The margins of the inscribed leaf are irregular, with some losses in margins, and it is creased vertically, passing through the first inscription, biding is slightly worn. Provenance: Bookseller James J. Kane, New York.Sold for: $1,912.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61057 | A Book Presented and Inscribed by Mary Todd Lincoln. A small 16mo volume, Paul and Virginia. From the French of Bernardin de St. Pierre (New York: Kiggins and Kellogg, no date), in its original blind-embossed brown cloth. Lightly inscribed in pencil on the front flyeaf "Mary Remann / Dec. 25th '56 / from Mary Lincoln". Laid in are some pressed wild flowers and clover picked from the yard of the Lincoln home. Some creases, chipping, overall foxing; the binding worn with small hinge splits; still, quite good. Accompanied by an illustrated juvenile title, My Picture-Book (New York: American Tract Society, no date), inscribed on the front flyleaf "Annie R. Edwards / from Auntie / Christmas 1876" (various defects, but good; an accompanying note in the hand of Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt states "Mrs. Brown told me . . . that this is Henry Remann's writing . . . little 4-1/2 year old Annie Edwards . . . died in January 1877, of scarlet fever." Henry Remann was Willie Lincoln's closest friend and corresponded with him in the White House; he had been given the clothes of the Lincoln's second son, Eddy, when the boy died in 1850 at age four. Some cover wear, else fine. Provenance: Lincoln, Remann and Edwards families, by descent to Mary Edwards Brown; Kunhardt, lot 26.Sold for: $2,151.00. |
| 61058 | Mary Todd Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed in the Third Person, "Mrs. Lincoln". One page, 4.5" x 6.75", "Executive Mansion", 16 January 1864, to "Gen [Francis E.] Spinner". She writes: "Gen Spinner will much oblige the President & Mrs Lincoln by giving the situation of messenger that belonged to William Johnson to Charles, the bearer a most worthy man. Such a favor will be appreciated by them." Docketed on integral sheet by Spinner. Previous cello tape repairs made to splits at folds have resulted in showthrough staining, otherwise very good.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
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Political |
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| 61059 | Mary Todd Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed "Mary Lincoln" (concluding words and signature written vertically at top of first page), one page, 5" x 8", on her monogrammed, black-bordered mourning stationery, Chicago [Illinois], 14 December [1867], to H. C. Deming, about an apparent proposal that she write about her late husband, and discussing the education of their beloved son Tad. "I have been unable to decide, whether under my present ill health and depression of feeling, I will be enabled to undertake the work you have suggested. . . . If next spring would answer as well, I might be able to give the subject some consideration. I scarcely think the coming Presidential campaign, with Grant, as the coming man . . . would affect any historical recollections connected with the life of my deeply lamented husband. When we reflect upon the past, how truly 'inscrutable the ways of Providence are.'" Turning to the subject of Tad, she writes: "I am very grateful . . . for the school circular . . . and feel greatly disposed to send my little son, to Farmington, Conn. Next May. At present, in the public school where he attends, a very young lady, is his teacher. He has arrived at the age, when he should be placed under the care of a gentleman, who understands the training of youths. . . . These western schools, from my observation, are as yet, far removed, from a proper system & management. Yet, I should desire, it not to be known, that I propose sending my son away." Although claiming to find the school's terms "reasonable", she says she must "place every thing, connected with Taddie, before his guardian" and asks "what deduction would be made, for the boy, not boarding at the establishment." It is not known whether Mrs. Lincoln ever mentioned this subject to judge David Davis (Tad's guardian) but in any event it came to naught; he and his mother moved to Europe in late 1868 and stayed two years, Tad attending school in Germany. They returned to America in early 1871 by which time Tad was fatally ill. The addressee, Henry C. Deming, was variously Colonel of the 12th Connecticut, a state legislator, mayor of Hartford and of occupied New Orleans, and a Civil War congressman. Apparently unpublished; not in Turner and Turner, Mary Todd Lincoln, Her Life and Letters. Toned with folds; fine. Provenance: Paul C. Richards Autographs, Gardner, MA, 1978.Sold for: $4,780.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61060 | Mary Todd Lincoln Signed Set of Books The Works of William Shakespeare, Edited, with a Scrupulous Revision of the Text, by Charles and Mary Cowden Clarke, Four volumes (London: 1869). Original full leather, raised bands, gilt border rules on covers. On the front free endpaper of Volume I, Mrs. Lincoln has penned, with uncommon neatness: "Presented to Professor Swing with the kindest regards & best wishes of his sincere friend, Mrs. A. Lincoln, Chicago, Ill., January 1st 1874." The recipient was David Swing, a prominent clergyman and author who had been forced to resign the presbytery of a Chicago church because of his liberal views. Mrs. Lincoln was pleased when Swing characterized William Herndon and Ward Lamon -- her husband's old friends, law partners and biographers, whom she detested -- as "small barking dogs." Of Lincoln himself, Swing declared that "in him, justice and sympathy passed from the little to the infinite..." Spine much chipped, covers somewhat worn, corners bumped, else good; internally near fine, the text block slightly age-toned at margins. An unusually extensive and warm inscription.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
| 61061 | Mary Todd Lincoln Signed Copy of The Complete Poems of Jean Ingelow, (Boston: 1871), original decorated brown leather, raised bands. Neatly signed on preliminary page "Mary Lincoln March 1872." Edges of binding quite rubbed, particularly along the spine; textblock faintly age-toned, some marginal discoloration, but sound and overall very good.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
| 61062 | Mary Todd Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed. Four pages, 4" x 6", on her monogrammed mourning stationery (black-bordered on the first page), 9 Woburn Place, Russell Square (London, England), 23 January (1871) to "My dear Mr. Fowler". Acknowledging a "kind & welcome letter", she mentions her pending departure: "I fear that I shall have to leave on Thursday next. More especially as I have given up my apartments. At my address here, they will scarcely know my destination but Gov. Evans. If you will kindly make enquiries, of this very pleasant American family, they will be at least able to tell you, where Taddie is - he is very anxious to see you. How much I would love to see you again myself - I write most hastily." Subscribed "Your very true friend". Mrs. Lincoln and son Tad had known the addressee, Thomas Fowler, in Chicago. Slightly older than Tad, Mrs. Lincoln described him as having a "kind and noble heart". She had left Tad in England with his tutor and some friends, Fowler perhaps among them, when she went to Germany in autumn 1870. John Evans, former Governor of Colorado Territory (1863-65), had accompanied her back to England. Within a few months of writing the present letter she and Tad returned to the United States. Tad contracted a severe cold on the voyage, which aggravated what was probably a tubercular condition, and he died in Chicago on the morning of 15 July 1871, at the age of eighteen. Not in Turner and Turner. Some separation along center fold. Mounting remnants at the top of page three; otherwise, fine. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 81.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
| 61063 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Anonymous Letter to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles asking him to "request Mr. Lincoln to call home Mrs. Lincoln. She is disgracing herself & mortifying her friends attending Beecher's meetings". One page, 5" x 8", no place or date. Unfortunately the writer and precise circumstances of this rather nasty anonymous letter have never been discovered, but it dates to the spring of 1861 when Mrs. Lincoln visited New York on a shopping trip, accompanied by a small party including her favored cousin Elizabeth Grimsley. The women are known to have attended Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's services at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn as well as Laura Keene's theatre. Accompanied by a small typed note signed by Lincoln collector William H. Townsend, Lexington, Ky., stating that the letter was lot 43 in the January 1924 auction of Welles papers held by Stan V. Henkels of Philadelphia. Mary Lincoln's behavior and style were often criticized, but this is a unique bit of malignity, interesting for its association with the great preacher. The letter is evenly toned with one vertical fold; fine. Provenance: Turner, part of lot 130; Kunhardt, part of lot 13.Sold for: $2,390.00. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61064 | Mary Todd Lincoln Black-Bordered Mourning Envelope which she has initialed "Mrs L" at lower left, marked "Private" at upper left, and addressed to "Mrs Col Eastman / 'Metropolis Hotel' / Chicago". A simple reminder of her lonely widowhood: Mary Lincoln never ceased to use mourning stationery from the time she lost her son Willie, and then her husband, while living in the White House. The addressee was the wife of Col. Francis Eastman, postmaster of Chicago. This envelope probably contained Mrs. Lincoln's note of 26 May 1872, sending Mrs. Eastman ten dollars to buy "flowers for 'decoration day' to strew over the graves of our brave and honored soldiers" but declining to personally participate in the ceremonies because she was invalid. (The letter is cited in Turner and Turner, where Col. Eastman's first name is erroneously given as George.) In rough condition; tears, marginal losses, and old gluestains and paper adhesions from having once been mounted.Sold for: $657.25. |
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Autographs |
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| 61065 | Isaac R. Diller, Lincoln's Neighbor and Playmate of Willie and Tad Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed, one and one-half pages, 8.5" x 11", on letterhead of Sangamon County Bible Society, Springfield, Ill., 10 May 1938, to "Dear Glenn". Together with a printed souvenir sheet, also signed, that shows the famous 1860 photograph of Lincoln standing in front of his home with his sons while little Diller stands on the sidewalk, his head blurred because, during the exposure of the negative, he had turned his head to watch a passing wagon. Diller's letter transmits the souvenir sheet, commenting that it contains "some explanation of . . . why my head did the 'disappearing act'". He notes that he secured the electrotype of the photo while visiting the State Teacher's College in Slippery Rock, Pa. in 1932 to speak of "the four times I remembered seeing Mr. Lincoln. Some people question a six year old boy remembering such things, but our minds were not kept in a whirl with moving pictures, etc. as children of today have, and events made a deeper impression. . . . I treasure the invitation written by Mrs. Lincoln to attend Willie's party in December 1860, and a copy of it was printed in Carl Sandburg's 'Prairie Years'." He asks if an older boy ever took his correspondent to catch birds by putting salt on their tails. "Willie put that one over on me," he confesses, "and probably enjoyed doing so, as he was four years older". Diller states that his "is only reflected glory, but I am glad to have had a slight contact with true greatness." The letter closes with testimony that the "most important" event in his life was being "'Born Again', and I am glad Mr. Lincoln also had that experience, and hope you have had also, as that makes all who have, brothers in Jesus." The letter has folds and is age-toned. The verso contains two pieces of tape along a fold's separations. Near fine.Not Sold. |
| 61066 | Charles Dresser Autograph Endorsement Signed, two lines at foot of a partly printed marriage license filled out and signed by county clerk N.W. Matheny, one page, 7.75" x 6", Springfield, Ill., 18 March 1844. Issued to Francis Clinton and Mary Jane Eaton, whose marriage Dresser certifies was "Solemnized by me on the day and date above written." Cleanly split at folds. This license is identical in style to the one issued a year and a half earlier to Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, and which had been signed by the same principals. Besides performing the marriage ceremony for the Lincolns, Dresser was the original owner of their iconic Springfield house, which he sold to Lincoln in 1844. The clerk who signs this license, Noah W. Matheny, was a brother of James H. Matheny, the close Lincoln friend who stood as "best man" at the Lincoln wedding. Accompanied by a later marriage license of more ornate style, also signed by Matheny and Dresser, small 4to, May 1854, issued to Samuel Blackburn and Jane Fisher. Together with Charles Dresser Partly Printed Document Signed, one page, 7.5" x 9.5", Sangamon Co., Ill., 31 May 1854. A combination marriage license and certificate, the former filled out and signed by county court clerk N. W. Matheny, 31 May 1854, the latter filled out and signed by Dresser, attesting to the marriage of Samuel Blackburn and Jane Fisher. Printed in red with ornate borders that feature tiny cherub heads in the left-hand corners. Hale was a Yale graduate and friend of the famous Beecher family, Minister of the Second Presbyterian Church in Springfield; participated in Lincoln's hometown funeral. Discolorations and some separations at folds, else near fine. Together with Albert Hale Partly Printed Document Signed, one page, 7.5" x 9.5", Sangamon Co., Ill., 23 August 1854. A combination marriage license and certificate, the former filled out and signed by county court clerk N. W. Matheny, 21 August 1854, the latter filled out and signed by Hale as "Minister of the Gospel" two days later, attesting to the marriage of John Prickel and Anna Mangold. Printed in blue with ornate borders that feature tiny cherub heads in the left-hand corners. Hale was a Yale graduate and friend of the famous Beecher family, Minister of the Second Presbyterian Church in Springfield; participated in Lincoln's hometown funeral. Discolorations at folds, else near fine.Sold for: $203.15. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61067 | [Hampton Roads Peace Conference] Thomas T. Eckert Autograph Draft Telegram Signed "Thos. T. Eckert / Maj &c"), two pages, one on letterhead of "Headquarters, Armies of the United States", City Point (Virginia), 8" x 6.75", 1 February 1864 [sic, 1865], "10 P.M.", to "His Excellency A. Lincoln, President U.S." Eckert reports "delivery of your communication & my letter at 4-15 this P.M. to which I received a reply at 6 P.M. but not satisfactory. At 8 P.M. the following note addressed to Lt. Genl. Grant was received" (here Eckert indicates that the note text [7.75" x 5.5"] should be inserted, and continues.) "At 9:30 P.M. I notified them that they could not proceed further unless they complied with the terms . . . in my letter. The designated point of meeting in above note would in my opinion be insisted upon, think Fort Monroe would be acceptable . . . I will return to Washington tomorrow unless otherwise directed." This message concerns the negotiations with the Confederate peace commissioners sent by Jefferson Davis. It was ultimately agreed that they would meet with Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward aboard ship in Virginia, but their conference proved unavailing, and the worst of the fighting continued for two more months. The bottom of page one has been excised; the top of page two has been excised. Fine.Sold for: $507.88. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61068 | Allen Gentry, Boyhood Friend of Abraham Lincoln, Partly Printed Document Signed "A. Gentry", about 7.5" x 3", Rockport, Indiana, 5 April 1862, a promissory note to Evans and Basye for $12.25. Both Gentry and his wife Ann were schoolmates of Abraham Lincoln (who, according to a famous story, once helped Ann in a spelling bee by silently pointing to his eye, indicating the letter she needed). Gentry belonged to a better-off family of the neighborhood, his father being a storekeeper, and on the latter's account Allen and Abe piloted a flatboat of produce down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans in 1828. The trip was uneventful save for one night along the "Sugar Coast" of Louisiana, when they were attacked and injured by seven black men intent on killing and robbing them, an incident Lincoln recalled in one of his few autobiographical statements, saying that after besting their assailants they "' cut cable' 'weighed anchor' and left.'" Fine. Also, Jesse Head Autograph Document Signed. Mr. Head was a the Kentucky minister who wed Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, the parents of Abraham Lincoln. One page, 7" x 5.5", Washington [County, Kentucky.], 3 August 1808. Writing as a justice of the peace, Head certifies that William Short, Esq., has taken the oath to similarly serve in that office. Head's handwritten return of marriages including Tom and Nancy was only discovered in the late 1870s, scotching at last rumors of the President's illegitimacy. Toned with folds; fine.Sold for: $155.35. |
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Photography |
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| 61069 | Ambrotype Portrait of a Young Girl Seated in a Chair, in original brass mat and preserver, folding embossed paper case (broken at hinge) with brass clasp and purple plush cushion. A 20th-century note laid in suggests the girl is "Lizzie Gilmer". Lizzie was the daughter of Col. Dick Gilmer, a Lincoln political acquaintance from Pittsfield, IL.Not Sold. |
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Autographs |
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| 61070 | Mentor Graham, Lincoln's "Teacher" at New Salem, Autograph Document Signed, one page, n.p. [Menard County, Illinois], 18 November 1852. An inventory and appraisal "of the personal property of George Ohmart, deceased" signed by Graham and two fellow appraisers. Aside from the expected livestock, furniture, tools and household goods, the listing includes a tin trumpet and a "conk shell" (the latter valued at 50 cents). Graham and his colleagues have also signed a partly printed oath, affixed to the foot of the appraisal. Scattered discoloration in margins. Graham, one of the most important sources of information about Lincoln's life at New Salem, was also one of the staunchest claimants for his love of Ann Rutledge. Graham conducted the school in the frontier community, and the ill-educated Lincoln sought his assistance with the study of grammar and surveying, at times boarding with the Graham family (a son was supposedly given the middle name "Lincoln" in his honor). Near very good. Provenance: Dr. Charles Wesley Olsen collection sold Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 6 February 1962, lot 193.Sold for: $239.00. |
| 61071 | Ulysses S. Grant Unsigned Autograph Note, in pencil, n.p., n.d. [Mt. McGregor, N.Y., 1885]; written during his final illness, to physician Dr. George Shrady. "I have just vomited up cowcow [cocoa] that I took near an hour ago. Otherwise I am about as usual. I have occupied the porch twice today for an hour or so each time." Unable to speak because of terminal throat cancer, Grant communicated with visitors by way of notes such as this. He spent his last days furiously writing his autobiography, hoping (rightly) that it would recoup his family the fortune he had lost by speculation; much of the classic book was written while sitting, as mentioned here, on the porch of the Mt. McGregor cottage where he died. Accompanied by a 1969 letter of Dr. R. Hasbrouck Shrady presenting the note to Dr. Lattimer. Fine. Sold for: $1,195.00. |
| 61072 | Ulysses S. Grant Unsigned Autograph Note, one page, 4.5" x 2.75", n.p. [Mt. McGregor, N.Y.], n.d., to New York Governor David B. Hill. Grant, the victorious commander of the Union Army during the Civil War and eighteenth president, writes in pencil, "You find me quite a sufferer Governor, though not quite so bad as appearances indicate. This last week I saw a great deal of company and wrote to[o] much. I am now paying the penalty." Mounted to an 8" x 10.5" leaf of Executive Chamber, Albany letterhead on which Hill has penned and signed a certification that the note "was written by General U.S. Grant in my presence at . . . Mt. McGregor on Sunday, July 12, 1885 (eleven days before his death) & handed to me personally by him." and presenting it to Hon. John Boyd Thacher. A poignant memento from Grant's "last battle". Fine.Sold for: $1,434.00. |
| 61073 | Ulysses S. Grant Hair Clippings Accompanied by Update on His Health by the Attending Physicians. Hair kept in a small envelope on which is written in black ink, "Genl. U. S. Grant's hair./ Rec'd. from Dr. George F. Shrady./ Cut during his final illness." With handwritten update in black ink, one page, 7.75" x 4.5", n.p. [Mt. McGregor, N.Y., 1885], April 4 [1885], written during Grant's final illness, only four months before his death due to throat cancer. "J. H. Douglas, M.D." and "George F. Shrady, M.D." both sign the update that reads in part, "He has taken nourishment regularly. His breathing is natural and pulse as usual." Age-toned with some foxing. Both the update and envelope of hair are hinged to a larger sheet (8.5" x 5") of paper. Near fine.Not Sold. |
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Political |
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| 61074 | A Group of Six Ulysses S. Grant Memorial and Campaign Items. (1) A colorful paper advertisement for an 1868 campaign ribbon; (2) A campaign badge consisting of a cardboard portrait in 0.75" x 1" brass foil frame- unusual Grant image probably from 1872. (3-4) Two silk mourning ribbons. (5) A horizontal celluloid and silken Memorial ribbon. (6) A badge from the 1897 dedication of Grant's tomb. Several of the items are neatly mounted. Excellent condition overall.Sold for: $358.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61075 | [Black Hawk War] William G. Greene, Lincoln Friend and Associate, Documents. Greene, one of Lincoln's closest friends at New Salem, clerked with him in Denton Offutt's store and mill when the future president first settled there, served under him in the Black Hawk War, assisted his study of grammar, and helped set up his legendary wrestling match with Jack Armstrong. Lincoln appointed him a revenue collector during the Civil War. Group of miscellaneous papers from Greene's later life, including a deed for lots in Mason City, Ill., signed for Greene by an attorney; 1864 business letter from Collector at Canton, Ill., adding "We are all rejoicing over Union victories in Virginia & Georgia"; partly-printed pension certificate, signed by Commissioner Green B. Raum stating that the pension has been awarded as an "Indian Wars . . . Survivor's Pension" (Washington, D.C.) 1893, issued to "William Greene, late Private, Capt. A. Lincoln's Co. Illinois Volunteers" granting him $8/month; an ancillary 18983 pension notice; 1871 adjustment of account from U.S. Treasury Dept.; and three partly printed 1868 letterheads from "Banking House of Brahm & Greene", Petersburg, Ill., minor business content. Greene testified that Lincoln was "idolized by his men & generally by all the regiment". All documents are near fine to fine.Sold for: $3,107.00. |
| 61076 | Phineas D. Gurley Autograph Letter Signed "P.D. Gurley", two pages, 8" x 10", Washington, 6 November 1862, to "His Excellency President Lincoln". Gurley introduces the bearer, Rev. W.Y. Brown, "the highly esteemed and very efficient chaplain of the Douglass Hospital in this city", who "has taken considerable pains to put himself in possession of many important facts connected with the chaplaincy service, and . . . asks . . . a brief interview with you upon the subject", in which Gurley presumes the President will be "greatly interested". A nice association piece. The Reverend Gurley (1816-1868) was a one-time chaplain of the U.S. Senate and pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., where President and Mrs. Lincoln maintained a pew. Lincoln is supposed to have declared that he liked Gurley's preaching because it had no politics, and he was also buoyed by the minister's utter faith in the eventual good outcome of the war. The two men grew closer following the 1862 illness and death of the president's beloved son Willie. The boy's White House funeral was presided over by Gurley. According to the minister, Lincoln seemed increasingly anxious for reassurance that he would meet his boy once more in the afterlife. When Lincoln was assassinated, Gurley spent the night at the Peterson House, attempting to console Mrs. Lincoln, and intoning a prayer at the president's deathbed when his end arrived. Reverend Gurley was among those invited to accompany Lincoln's remains on the funeral train to Springfield, and the final ceremonies there he delivered the benediction. Fine.Sold for: $567.63. |
| 61077 | [Lincoln Physicians] Anson G. Henry, Lincoln family physician in Springfield, Three Autograph Documents Signed "A.G. Henry": one page, 7.75" x 6.5", Louisville [Ky.], 1831, a promissory note; the others 8" x 3", no place [Springfield, Ill.], 1836, bills for "visits & medicine" made out to the estates of two different decedents. All are toned with some light stains; near fine. Together with a letter to Surgeon Gen. J.K. Barnes from Assistant Surgeon E.M. Schaeffer, 1872, seeking a leave of absence, bearing on integral leaf an approval docket signed by Army surgeon J[OSEPH] J. WOODWARD, who performed the autopsy on President Lincoln and was later physician to Presidents Garfield and Arthur. Toned with folds; fine.Sold for: $239.00. |
| 61078 | Herbert Hoover Signed Souvenir Printing of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, 6.5" x 9", n.p., n.d. With folds and a few stray stains on verso. Very good. Together with a Herbert Hoover signed invitation to "the ceremonies attending the dedication of the Remodeled Tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield on... June seventeenth Nineteen hundred thirty-one". Gently toned, near fine save a bit of light wrinkling at top margin.Sold for: $388.38. |
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Political |
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| 61079 | Andrew Johnson Impeachment Trial Ticket. One pasteboard ticket, 3.5" x 3", printed in orange on yellow by Philips & Solomons of Washington, D.C. This specific ticket was issued for the proceedings of May 5, 1868, just eleven days before the president would be acquitted, and interestingly, this was the very day that General John "Black Jack" Logan proclaimed Memorial Day as a day of observance (first celebrated on the 30th.) Very fine condition with some mounting remnants on verso; one of the more colorful examples found.Sold for: $537.75. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61080 | [Robert E. Lee] A Lock of Robert E. Lee's Hair. A lock of 10-15 strands of hair of Robert E. Lee stored in a small plastic slip. Hair was removed forma larger lock contained within a circa 1870s locket. Affixed to a color reproduction of the locket hair was removed from. With a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Alexander Autographs dated September 21, 2001. Provenance: Butterfields; Alexander Autographs.Sold for: $567.63. |
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Autographs |
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| 61081 | [Abraham Lincoln] John D. Johnston, Stepbrother of Abraham Lincoln. Document Signed "J.D. Johnston", 1 page, 7.5" x 12.5", n.p. [Coles County, Illinois], June 30, 1841. An appeal bond signed by Johnston, Isaac Allison, Ira Higgins and Mary Jane Duncan (who signs with her mark). Duncan had been convicted by a "jury of six lawful men" of "assaulting & beating Margaret Webster" and been fined $7 and costs of suit, "from which judgment [she]...has taken an appeal to the Circuit Court" of Coles County. Duncan and her cosigners bind themselves to pay $22.50 if the appeal is not successful. Small tear at top left corner, with light dampstaining along left margin. John D. Johnston (1810-1854) grew up with Lincoln from the time they were both about nine years old. Although they seem to have gotten along well as youngsters, as they matured and grew apart Lincoln was sometimes exasperated by Johnston's shiftless ways. He wrote him several oft-quoted letters of rebuke, one of which told Johnston that work was "the only cure" for his case. Johnston farmed indifferently, distilled and sold whiskey, and was known as a flashy dresser. Twice married, he eventually moved to Missouri, against Lincoln's advice, and died there impoverished. Provenance: Roy P. Crocker Collection, sold by Sotheby-Parke Bernet Galleries, New York, 28 November 1979, lot 123. Sold for: $239.00. |
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Political |
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| 61083 | [Abraham Lincoln] A Thimble Said to Have Belonged to Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's Mother. A somewhat crudely, and presumably hand-forged, brass thimble, .6" high, which according to an accompanying affidavit was given by President Lincoln to John W. Hutchinson, one of the famed New England singing family known for their concerts on behalf of abolition, temperance, and other reform causes. The notarized affidavit, 1 page, 5.5" x 9", Lake Geneva, Wis., 8 November 1911, is an Autograph Document Signed by Anna Belle Fellows Rich, who transfers to John E. Burton (an early competitor of the "Big Five" Lincoln collectors -- Lambert, Fish, Oakleaf, Stewart and McClellan) the thimble "which my mother gave to me, which was given to her by John Hutchinson my mother's cousin (of musical fame) who received it from Abraham Lincoln who presented it to him as a token of regard, it being he said his own mother's Nancy Hanks." In A History of the Adventures of John W. Hutchinson and His Family (Boston: 1864) written by himself, Hutchinson stated that they attended a White House levee where both the President and Mrs. Lincoln received them cordially. Mr. Lincoln supposedly first saw and met the Hutchinsons back in Springfield, Illinois, and they musically campaigned for him in 1860. This precious memento of Lincoln's legendary "angel mother" -- the illiterate pioneer woman who died of milksick when he was only nine years old, but whose kind hand and teachings set the fundamental course of his life -- is one of the most intriguing and by all appearances the earliest Lincoln family relic in the Lattimer collection. It is accompanied by a file of background material, including: a limited-edition pamphlet (100 copies) by Lincoln authority R. Gerald McMurtry, Lincoln and the Hutchinson Family Singers, mentioning and picturing this thimble (reprinted from the "Lincoln Herald" for December 1944, a copy of which is also present); eight Typed Letters Signed ("Gerald") from McMurtry, on Lincoln Memorial University letterhead, to dealer Forest H. Sweet, discussing the thimble, the Hutchinsons, and Lincoln matters (several with interesting dockets by Sweet); an 8vo sheet of Hutchinson Family business letterhead bearing a jocular Autograph Note Signed by John W. Hutchinson sending his autograph (n.d.; ca 1875), also signed by H.J. Hutchinson; a signature of John W. Hutchinson on small card, 1900, mounted to an album leaf with his clipped newspaper obituary; and an original piece of sheet music printed in Boston in 1843, "The Old Granite State...Composed, Arranged and Sung by the Hutchinson Family", 10 pages, large 4to, with quaint, naive lithograph portrait of the family on the front cover. Provenance: Anna B.F. Rich; John E. Burton; George D. Smith, New York; Henry M. Leland, Detroit, collection sold by Chicago Book and Art Auctions, Inc., Chicago, Ill., 2 June 1932, lot 71; Forest H. Sweet; sold by order of Sweet's widow by Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 24 September 1952, lot 145.Sold for: $4,182.50. |
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| 61084 | Thomas Lincoln Manuscript Document, a "list of fees due Benjamin Helm, clerk of the Hardin Circuit Court & County Court of Hardin County for the year 1803", four pages, 11.75" x 15", Hardin County [Kentucky], 20 February 1804. Endorsements signed by Helm and the county sheriff are written vertically between columns of names and sums. Scores of persons indebted to the clerk are listed, among them Thomas Lincoln -- who owed $1.87-1/2 - as well as numerous relatives of his second wife, Sarah Bush Johnston (the beloved stepmother of the president). Among the latter is Christopher Bush, probably her father but possibly her brother of the same name. Other debtors include John Ashcroft, John Kennedy, Joseph La Follette (apparently the ancestor of the Wisconsin political dynasty), members of the Helm, Hardin, and Linder families, and Christopher Miller, legendary Indian captive who was raised among the Delaware but became a scout for Gen. Anthony Wayne in the old Northwest. Toned with some separations at folds. Some stains. Near very good.Sold for: $2,390.00. |
| 61085 | [Thomas "Tad" Lincoln] Manuscript Letter Written and Signed for Him as "Thomas Lincoln / Your Friend / Tad", one page, 5" x 8" [sight], on "Executive Mansion" letterhead, 6 October 1864, to "Dear Gumpert" (Gustav Gumpert, a Philadelphia candy maker who was a good friend of the Lincoln sons). Framed. Tad informs his correspondent "I send Thomas Cross to see you about the carriage bill. It was sent to me and I a[i]nt got any money to pay the man with." For many years it was assumed this letter was actually written by Tad (it is so described in the Barrett sale catalog), but it is now known that it is entirely in the handwriting of Thomas Pendel, a White House functionary particularly dear to the youngest Lincoln (in part, perhaps, because Pendel fairly resembled Abraham Lincoln). Pendel acted as Tad's secretary at least one other time (also a letter to Gumpert, 4 October 1863, inquiring after "that box you was to send me"; owned by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, Springfield, Illinois). The unusual presence of "ain't" in the letter begs the question of whether Tad literally dictated it using "ain't" as his father often did. A charming, guileless communication, and stratospherically rare even though not a holograph. No unquestioned example of Tad's handwriting is known in private hands, and we are not aware of even a "secretarial" one, save this famous letter. It is thought that Tad could not even write his name until after he had left Washington. Reproduced in Sandburg, Lincoln Collector (page 189). Not examined out of frame, but fine in overall appearance. Provenance: Barrett, lot 528; Dr. Charles W. Olsen, Chicago, Illinois Thomas, the youngest of Abe and Mary Lincoln's four sons, was born in 1853. His father nicknamed him "Tad" because of his babyhood resemblance to a tadpole, with a large head and small body. He grew into a puckish, mischievous boy with "a very bad opinion of books, and no opinion of discipline" (John Hay). Onlookers were astonished, if not appalled, at the indulgence displayed toward Tad and his slightly older brother Willie, even when they invaded his law office, scattered papers, smashed pens, and turned over inkwells. Their rambunctious days together sadly ended when Willie died from "bilious fever" after less than a year of living in the White House. And, as the only son left at home (Robert was at Harvard and then in the military), he became even more coddled by his bereaved parents. His studies all but ceased, the president opining that he had plenty of time to learn his letters when he got older. He interrupted Cabinet meetings at will, asked for and got a lieutenant's "commission" with uniform to match, and enjoyed a succession of pets including goats, rabbits, and a pony. His toy doll, Jack - who of course was a soldier - was occasionally sentenced to death for sleeping on duty but routinely forgiven by the president, who once even gave Jack a pardon written on one of his famous note-cards. Tad's sunny disposition seems to have evoked the affection of his father's friends in spite of themselves, for although they remembered his sometimes irritating antics, they just as often recalled his tender-hearted goodness. Devastated by his father's death, no less than his mother was, it appears that Tad became a serious-minded adolescent, tending to his studies and even managing to testify at the 1867 trial of John H. Surratt, one of his father's accused killers. He accompanied his increasingly unstable mother to Europe as constant companion and helpmeet, during their travels began to show signs of an illness now generally thought to have been tuberculosis. Returning to Chicago he died there on 15 July 1871, just a few months after his 18th birthday. He was interred in the same tomb as his father and brother. Together with Alexander Williamson Scarce Autograph Letter Signed, 5.5" x 8.25", 1902, to A. E. Fostell, mentioning that he is 88 years old, and offering to sell and autograph (for $5) and photo of himself taken "in 1863 while . . . teacher to Lincoln's sons Wm. Wallace & Tad." Williamson was a tutor to the Lincoln boys, as well as friend and factotum to Mary Lincoln during her early widowhood. Age-toned; fine.Sold for: $15,535.00. |
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| 61086 | Copious Lock of Willie Lincoln's Hair tied with a ribbon, behind glass in a daguerreotype case with brass mat and preserver and a copy photo of him in the facing frame. Willie's death in the White House in February 1862 was a blow from which his family hardly recovered; the bright, studious boy had been his father's favorite, and his brother Tad's only regular playmate. Together with an original miniature tinted bust photo said to be of Robert S. Todd, Mary Lincoln's father, contained in a gold locket-type frame, about .75" x 1.5", the verso of which is ornamented with woven strands of his hair, under glass. Provenance: Robert S. Todd, Kunhardt, lot 68.Sold for: $11,352.50. |
| 61087 | Spectacles Owned by Robert Todd Lincoln. Pair of brass bi-focal spectacles in leather case gilt-stamped "Charles Waldin, Jeweler and Optician . . . Burlington, Iowa." According to an accompanying affidavit these glasses were "identified and attributed to Robert Todd Lincoln by Mr. James Hickey, retired Lincoln curator of the Illinois State Historical Library." This pair of glasses, along with a pair that belonged to Robert's father (and which are also in this sale) were given to Joseph Leisenring, a photographer of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, who was a neighbor and friend of the Harlan family. Robert Todd Lincoln's wife, the former Mary Harlan, often spent long vacations in Mount Pleasant with her children, and many of their few known youthful photographs were taken by Leisenring. The glasses appear to be in excellent condition; the case, of course, is a bit worn. A fine memento of a man whose personal relics are almost unknown in the marketplace. Accompanied by a copy of a notarized affidavit signed by David Rowland (Leisenring's great-great grandson), Morgan Co., Ill., 23 August 1985, describing the spectacles and setting out the chain of ownership until their acquisition by Dr. Lattimer. Sold for: $5,078.75. |
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| 61088 | Robert Todd Lincoln, Eldest Son of Abraham Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed "Robert T. Lincoln", one page, 5" x 8". On his "Hildene / Manchester / Vermont" letterhead, 8 August 1912, to Dr. Webb. "I apologize for your having been put to the trouble of reminding me of my promise. I am now able to send the autograph cheque & do so with great pleasure." Although he gave the bulk of his father's papers to the nation, and destroyed some, Robert retained a cache of the president's checks which he selectively doled out to friends -- and friends of friends -- who wanted an Abraham Lincoln autograph, and this letter doubtless reflects one such gift. Fine. Also included is a 5" x 3" change-of-address card for Robert Lincoln. Fine. Provenance: Paul C. Richards, Templeton, MA, 1987. Sold for: $567.63. |
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| 61089 | Robert Todd Lincoln Letter Signed while secretary of war. Three pages, 5" x 8", on departmental letterhead, Washington, 27 July 1883, to Sen. George F. Edmunds. Lincoln had apparently been invited to a farming-related event, perhaps a fair, in Edmunds's home state of Vermont, but declines with self-deprecating humor: "I think it likely that few persons would be better able than myself to show Vermont friends how old a man may be without knowing anything of agriculture; but I will not be able to do it on this occasion." He explains that "our Yellowstone expedition will be certainly prolonged so that we will be not further east than Fort Ellis, in Montana, by the first of September; and if I can . . . I would be glad then to go into Oregon." Lincoln supposes he would be "very kindly received" should he come to Vermont, adding "I know that Col. Cannon's hospitality is famous." An uncommon mention of the Wyoming expedition that President Chester Arthur, Lincoln and fellow nabobs undertook with Gen. Phil Sheridan; a group photo of them lounging in the "wilds" appears in The Lincoln Family Album (Doubleday, 1990). Light smudge at the top of page one; fine.Sold for: $717.00. |
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| 61090 | Robert Todd Lincoln Family Photographs. The eldest son of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, and the only child of four to live past his teenage years, Robert Lincoln (1843-1926) married Mary Eunice Harlan in 1868. They had three children: Mary "Mamie", Abraham II, and Jessie. This grouping includes six photographs; two were taken at Washington, D.C., and four at Chicago. All are fine. (1) Robert Todd Lincoln, cabinet card, 4" x 6.5". (2) Mary Eunice Lincoln, cabinet card, 4" x 6.5". On the verso is handwritten by Robert Todd Lincoln, "Return to R. T. Lincoln 718 Temple Chicago". (3) Three children (Mary, Abraham, and Jessie), cabinet card, 4" x 6.5", n.p., n.d. (ca. 1885). (4) Abraham II next to a penny-farthing, cabinet card, 4" x 6", (ca. 1885). Slight dampstaining to left margin. (5) Mary "Mamie", carte de visite, 2.5" x 4", with "Mary Lincoln/ 1887" written at bottom. (6) Abraham II, carte de visite, 2.5" x 4".Sold for: $3,107.00. |
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| 61091 | [Lincoln Family] Jessie Lincoln (Randolph), Granddaughter of Abraham Lincoln and Youngest Daughter of Robert Todd and Mary Harlan Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed "Jessie", four pages, 4.5" x 7", Plaza Hotel, New York City, 9 June [1892], to "Dear, dear Grandpa" (her maternal grandfather, James Harlan, U.S. Senator from Iowa and Abraham Lincoln's last secretary of the interior). Jessie reports that she and her mother, upon returning from a voyage, were "surprised when Mr. Isham told us Mary [Jessie's sister] had a little boy. We went right from the ship to see Mary and we found her looking just as natural as possible, with the exception of the tiny little baby lying on her arm! It is a very big baby, they say (I must confess it does not look gigantic to me!) . . . nearly eleven pounds. It has black hair and they think brown eyes but they are not sure. . . . Good-bye Grandpa dear with lots & lots of love." Robert T. Lincoln's eldest child, Mary, wed Charles Isham in 1891, and this letter announces the birth of their only child, Lincoln Isham, probably the most private of all of the president's descendants. He supposedly dropped out of Harvard, birthweight notwithstanding, because "his frail body was unequal to the strain." Folds, fine. With a later autograph letter signed ("Jessie L.R."), two pages, large 8vo, Washington, D.C., n,d. [ca. 1930s] on mourning paper, to "Dear Freddie," discussing a lawsuit and declaring it "utterly impossible for us to employ Mr. Davenport - as you well know! - so be careful not to commit us". Very fine. Also great-grandson Lincoln Isham Autograph Letter Signed "Affectionately, Link", four pages, 4.75" x 6.5", n.p., n.d., to his aunt Jessie (with envelope postmarked New York, November 1938, signed "L. Isham" on backflap), a social note mentioning his mother's illness, cousin Peg (Mary Beckwith), and referring, apparently, to a fire at a golf club where his grandfather Lincoln had been a member: "Rather sad the old club burning down. . . . Glad gramp's picture . . . [was] out of the building at the time, stored for the winter, and the cups. Afraid gramp's clubs were burned"; great-grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, 6" x 9.5", "Woodstock on the Piankatank", Hartfield, Va., n.d. [ca. 1944], to "Cleo Darlin'", a wistful and rather coy missive from the playboy of the family: "Who can say that romance does not live - your faithful diary . . . plays its part in memory lane. . . . The intimate and generous past is doing its mighty best to bolster up the lean present of our declining years." He talks of rainy days, crops, farm repairs, the death of a mutual friend, and a gift of citrus which "will certainly help out our ration list" as "our country store does not offer much variety. I am still continuing on in your room and find it much more comfortable in these cold damp days." Together with a check signed "M. Lincoln" by the president's daughter-in-law Mary Harlan Lincoln, 6" x 9.5", Manchester Center, Vt., 1917, made out to "Currency" for $56. Aside from Robert Todd Lincoln, who served as secretary of war, Minister to England, and president of the Pullman Company, the descendants of Abraham Lincoln led very private lives and autographs by any of them are extraordinarily scarce. The president's great-grandchildren all died childless, thus ending the direct bloodline of the Great Emancipator. An unusual group offering a rare glimpse into the lives of the "last Lincolns." All are fine.Sold for: $2,629.00. |
| 61092 | Union General George B. McClellan Autograph Letter Signed "Geo B McClellan / Maj Genl Comg USA", one page, 5" x 8", on letterhead of headquarters, Army of the Potomac, Washington, 5 December 1861, to Miss Harker. "Allow me to thank you most warmly for your flag - it is not only a comfort to me but an encouragement when I find that the young ladies of the land feel so much interest in the cause in which we are engaged. I know that the men will even fight more bravely in a cause when they are supported by the ladies." McClellan served briefly during the Civil War as the general-in-chief; he was relieved by Lincoln for failing to pursue R. E. Lee after Antietam. During the next presidential election in 1864, McClellan was the Democratic candidate against Lincoln. The letter has folds; fine.Sold for: $657.25. |
| 61093 | John S. Mosby, Legendary Confederate "Partisan Ranger". A book from his library, signed "Jno. S. Mosby" on a preliminary leaf. The book, Memoirs of the Life of the Right Honourable Richard Brinsley Sheridan, , by Thomas Moore (Paris: 1835) is Vol. LXXIX of a Collection of Ancient and Modern British Authors. It was later owned by Confederate Brigadier General and cavalryman William H. Payne, who has struck out Mosby's signature with a single line -- not obscuring it -- and signed underneath "W.H. Payne, Warrenton, Va." (also signing atop the title page, as has one T.S. Preston). Curiously, Lincoln assassination conspirator Lewis Powell ("Lewis Payne") was very well known to Gen. Payne and his family. The General recalled him as "chivalrous, generous, gallant . . . particularly fond of children", and said "I cannot explain why he took our name [i.e., as an alias], except that it was endeared to him in some way." Rebound, in modern marbled boards with gilt-lettered leather spine. A nice little book with great associations. Not Sold. |
| 61094 | [Letters from Lincoln's Secretaries] John G. Nicolay Autograph Letter Signed, 5" x 8", Washington, 1891, sending his autograph to Thomas Lyons, signature large and bold; John Hay typed letter signed while secretary of state, on official letterhead, 8vo, Washington, 1904, thanking Rev. H.K. Murray of Aberdeen, Md. for "generous words of appreciation of the work of this Department" (mounted); William O. Stoddard autograph letter signed, two pages, 5.5" x 7", on personal letterhead, Madison, N.J., 1924, to H.R. Zimmerman of the "N[ational] C[ash] R[egister] News", Dayton, Ohio, stating that his "personal association with that great workman, Abraham Lincoln . . . began away back in Illinois and continued . . . while he was . . . preserving the Republic from destruction. What I can best remember of him now is the inner Lincoln, the great inside life that is now so generally recognized. Seeing him from day to day in his continuous toil and trial, I can say that he invariably arose to meet the requirements of each successive occasion or demand." Some light staining and mild foxing; fine. Provenance: Nicolay from Kundhardt, lot 11.Sold for: $358.50. |
| 61095 | Vinnie Ream Very Rare Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, 5" x 8", New York, 24 September 1871, to "My kind friend" (probably Thomas Ewing, Union general and one of the Lincoln conspiracy trial defense attorneys). Ream was a sculptress; she modeled Lincoln from life, the only woman to do so. In this letter, Ream sends flowery thanks for a letter exhibiting "your generous hand and noble heart. . . . We are watching your career earnestly." Together with the concluding portion, only, of another autograph letter signed "V. Ream", four pages, 5" x 7.5", no dateline (docketed 28 June 1871), reporting a life sitting from Theodore Tilton (later cuckolded by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher) and visits from Mrs. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Jay Gould, Generals McClellan, Burnside, and Breckinridge, and "all of the prominent artists . . . and many elegant people . . . I am in hopes that these acquaintances may lead to something substantial." She may secure work for New York parks and fountains once "they know me", and mentions receiving "a very beautiful letter from old Mr. [Montgomery] Blair today. He is indignant at Mr. Powers letter." In closing she calls herself "your helpless little friend". Ream was only 16 when President Lincoln sat for her, during the final months of his life. The ever-jealous First Lady took a dislike to her, and when Ream secured a contract to sculpt a state of Lincoln for the U.S. Capitol, Mrs. Lincoln virtually ordered Alphonso Donn, to whom she had given the suit the president wore on the night of the assassination, not to loan it to Miss Ream, "an unknown person" of "much forwardness . . . unladlylike persistence" and "inexperience". Regardless, Ream's statue was unveiled in 1871 to considerable acclaim. Both letters have folds and are fine.Sold for: $239.00. |
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| 61096 | William H. Seward Signed Carte de Visite. SP "William H. Seward", 2" x 3.5", matted and framed to an overall size of 5.5" x 7.5". Light pencil notation at top left of albumen reads, "Jany 1867".Sold for: $478.00. |
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| 61097 | William H. Seward Letter Signed, 1 page, 5" x 7.75", Washington, 24 March 1858, to John S. Gould, Macedon, N.Y., transmitting a copy of the "Patent Office Report" and promising "from time to time...such documents as may be at my disposal", adding: "As soon as a new supply of the Kansas speech is received they shall be forwarded." Seward had spoken on "freedom in Kansas" three weeks before, partly in response to the pro-slavery Dred Scott decision. In the speech he vowed "we shall reorganize the [Supreme] Court and thus reform its political sentiments..." Inventory sticker affixed to verso of integral page, small pinholes at top corner, otherwise near fine. Together with Frederick W. Seward Letter Signed "F.W. Seward" on Department of State letterhead, 1 page, 4to, , Washington, 19 February 1869, to H.B. Anthony (Senator from Rhode Island), advising on the cost of producing "'pamphlet laws' of each session", distributed by the Department of the Interior but paid for by the Department of State. Lewis Payne tried to shoot Frederick on the night of the Lincoln assassination, then clubbed him when the gun misfired, putting him into a coma that lasted for several days. Frederick was Assistant Secretary of State under his father. He had intercepted would-be assassin Lewis Payne near the elder Seward's bedroom door. Payne tried to shoot him, but when the pistol misfired, used it to cudgel him instead, inflicting wounds that were actually more life-threatening than those upon his father. Also with a group of three telegrams (transmission copies) related to the assassination, sent from Washington by children of Secretary Seward, each about 1 page, 5" x 7.5", with telegrapher's dockets and handstamps. Includes: F[anny] A. Seward, in her own hand on monogrammed stationery, 17 April 1865, thanking Mrs. C.E. Huson of Rochester, N.Y. for a "very kind" offer, noting it "would hardly be necessary for you to take so long a journey. We all hope for the best now" (it has been alleged that the shock of the attempt on her father's life led to Fanny's early death, in 1866, when barely past her majority); W.H. Seward, Jr., 28 April 1865, to his wife, "Father & Frederick are both doing reasonably well. An additional fracture has been found in father's jaw & will be set tomorrow"; W.H. Seward, Jr., 1 May 1865, to his wife: "Frederick had another hemorrhage at three this morning, it was stopped with the loss of less blood than before. Father improves..." Usual folds, with minor separations thereat. Sold for: $597.50. |
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| 61098 | [William H Seward and Edwin M. Stanton] Locks of Hair of Lincoln's Most Significant Cabinet Members, William H Seward and Edwin M. Stanton. Seward's sizeable lock (perhaps 50 strands, nearly 2" long) stored in a folded Autograph Letter Signed about photos from his daughter-in-law Anna Seward, 2 pages, 5" x 8", March 9th (no year; ca 1868), on family crest stationery, to Mrs. (Edwards) Pierrepont. A faint pencil note written near the lock, evidently by Mrs. Pierrepont, reads simply "Gov. Seward's hair." Together with a hand-carried mourning envelope. Stanton's generous lock, about the same size as Seward's, is stored in a folded sheet and accompanied by a mourning envelope bearing a contemporary ink note reading "Mr. Stanton's hair, for Mrs. Pierrepont". Together with a foxed bust engraving of Stanton. Excellent personal mementoes, perfectly documented, and the only such we have seen. Edwards Pierrepont, a socially prominent New York attorney, prosecuted Lincoln assassination conspirator John H. Surratt and was later ambassador to England. Provenance: Mrs. Edwards Pierrepont, to Mrs. M. Pierrepont O'Connell by descent; P. Donald Kemp. Sold for: $956.00. |
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| 61099 | Union General William T. Sherman Autograph Letter Signed "W. T. Sherman", four pages, 5" x 8", on his "912 Garrison Avenue" letterhead, St. Louis, Mo., 2 January 1883 [sic, 1884], to Mrs. [Joseph] Audenreid, the widow of one of his wartime aides. Sherman, wounded at Shiloh, is known for the Atlanta and Carolinas campaigns and his "March to the Sea" and is widely considered the best federal commander of the Civil War. He pens, "I have your letter of Sunday & see that you had one of your blue-black days, occasioned by thinking of Mackenzie and the Rathbone tragedy. Instead of being cast down you should feel grateful that your own afflictions are small in comparison. Mackenzie was coldly & selfishly ambitious, worried and fretted to the annoyance of his friends and finally to his own ruin. As to Rathbone the whole thing is a perfect mystery - unless it be one of nature's laws that every man must have some employment. To wander about Europe on the theory of educating children who would have been better turned loose in a crowd at some common school, and day after day with nothing to do, was calculated to make a man mad. A woman lives in her family, but a man should have some station or employment in contact with other men." He concludes that "the world goes right along - we will all die in good time and can afford to wait." Union General Ranald Mackenzie, a West Pointer with six brevets including ones for Gettysburg and Petersburg, had begun to show "signs of instability" after taking a Texas command in 1883 and was sent to a New York asylum. The "Rathbone" Sherman mentions was Maj. Henry Rathbone, the guest and attempted defender of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on the night of the assassination. Ten days before this letter was written, as the culmination of increasing derangement, Rathbone murdered his wife Clara - who was also his stepsister, and who had likewise been a guest in the Presidential box on the fatal night. An intriguing letter, not only for its analyses but because Sherman himself had been accused of insanity during the first year of the Civil War. His mental distress dissipated when he came to serve under Ulysses S. Grant, whom in turn he kept from leaving the army when angered by ill-treatment at the hands of superiors. Evenly toned with folds; fine.Not Sold. |
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| 61100 | [Edwin M. Stanton] Portrait of Edwin M. Stanton. Oil on canvas, 25" x 30", framed to an overall size of 34" x 39". Chest, up portrait; artist unknown but signed "Filson" at lower left. Some flaking along hairline and beard, with evidence of cleaning to a few areas.Sold for: $1,135.25. |
| 61101 | Edwin M. Stanton's Coin Silver Hunting Case Pocket Watch. Key wound and set, lids with machine-turned lathework, inscribed on inner back cover "E.M. Stanton - 1861 - Lewis H. Stanton". Face marked "American Watch Co.", inner works marked "Appleton Tracy Co., Waltham, Mass., Stratton's Patent No. 140,034"; four hallmarks and "2510" inside lid. The evident giver of this watch was Stanton's son Lewis, and conceivably it was presented to memorialize his father's appointment to Lincoln's cabinet. After Stanton's death the watch passed back to Lewis. A particularly fine personal possession from Lincoln's bulldog secretary of war, one that he must have carried nearly every day from the beginning to the end of the rebellion. If so, it is impossible not to imagine him somberly consulting it as he sat by the bedside of his dying commander-in-chief. The Rev. Phineas D. Gurley, who was also present, recalled that when the president was pronounced dead there fell a silence so profound that "the watches in all the men's pockets" seemed to him to be "ticking loudly". As Gurley then delivered a prayer, Stanton -- who had once snubbed Lincoln as co-counsel in a lawsuit, but come to cherish him while president -- sobbed into the bedclothes, finally raising his head, with "tears streaming down his cheeks", to deliver an immortal tribute: "Now he belongs to the ages." Accompanied by a notarized affidavit signed by Edwin M. Stanton (a great, great grand-nephew of the secretary), 25 April 1978, thoroughly describing the watch and its ownership down to himself. Upon examination of the watch an anomaly appeared, which must be dealt with. The works of the watch are dated 1864, which would seem to conflict with the engraved 1861 date on the case. However, consultation with Heritage timepiece specialist James Wolf quickly cleared this up. This watch is a fairly scarce model introduced by Waltham in 1860, and only Waltham works would fit this case, which definitely dates to the 1860-61 period. However, in 1864 Waltham engineers made a significant improvement to the works of this model. Had the watch been broken in 1864 or shortly thereafter, the original works might well have been replaced, rather than repaired, with the updated version. Indeed it is also possible that Stanton may even have chosen to have the works replaced, as the new model was considerably more accurate than the 1860 version. Based on forensic examination and the impeccable family provenance, it seems all but certain that one of these hypotheses would apply. This watch is one of the truly iconic relics of the assassination night, as many prints and engravings of the death scene depict Stanton consulting it as he noted the time of Lincoln's death and made his immortal pronouncement.Sold for: $11,950.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61102 | Edwin M. Stanton's Bronze Inkstand. Ornate, mid-Victorian design with leaves and budding flowers, marked on the bottom "H. Leblanc"; one original, open, cut-glass ink bottle is present (the other apparently long ago broken). Nicely patinated with only expected wear. A fine personal memento of the great war secretary. Accompanied by a notarized affidavit signed by Edwin M. Stanton (a great, great grand-nephew of the secretary), 11 Septemeber 1978, thoroughly describing the inkstand and its ownership down to himself.Sold for: $1,015.75. |
| 61103 | The Holy Bible Owned by Edwin M. Stanton. New York; American Bible Society, 1857. Thick 4to, original brown leather, raised bands; front cover with ornate gilt decoration, including his name "E. M. STANTON" stamped vertically; The book is inscribed on the front free endpaper with an intriguing presentation "To the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, to testify my appreciation of what I have but lately known, that in former years, his labors as counsel for one accused were wholly disinterested. I.W. French. Aug. 27, 1863." Front cover separated from the book; spine tips well worn, with some overall rubbing to the binding; still, quite good. Accompanied by a photocopy of a notarized affidavit signed by Edwin M. Stanton (a great, great grand-nephew of the Secretary), 25 April 1978, thoroughly describing the Bible and its ownership down to himself.Sold for: $836.50. |
| 61104 | Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton's Prayer Book. The Book of Common Prayer (Philadelphia: 1864), original brown leather, raised bands, gilt title on spine; inscribed on front free endpaper, in an unidentified hand, "Edwin M. Stanton / Christmas 1865". Accompanied by a photocopy of a notarized affidavit signed by Edwin M. Stanton (great, great grand-nephew of the secretary), 11 September 1978, identifying the book and detailing his acquisition of it by descent. Wear on spine and covers; very good.Sold for: $597.50. |
| 61105 | Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War under Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed, one and one-half pages, 7.75 " x 9.75", on War Department letterhead, Washington, 26 April 1866, to Maj. Gen. [Henry W.] Halleck, who had been Lincoln's chief of staff. A personal letter, hinting at the contention between himself and President Andrew Johnson. "How often you are in my thoughts it would be bootless if possible to tell. The events . . . since we parted & . . . daily transpiring are as strange as what we passed through together. You are fortunately afar off and at peace, while I am still tugging at the oar as hopelessly & almost as painfully as a galley slave." Noting that the "newspapers tell you all, & more" he remarks that "the upshot you can guess at as well as anybody else. No one can do more." He thinks Congress will "pass no Army bill this session" and that the "St. Louis board appointed by Grant to regulate brevets has dissatisfied more than are pleased, but that result would follow any effort at promotion. I hoped to have the adjutancy for Scott, and succeeded at first, but it was countermanded by the President on the next day & given to Taylor." Reinforced on worn folds. fine. Provenance: Sang, lot 1317.Sold for: $388.38. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61106 | Edwin M. Stanton Letter Signed, while secretary of war. One page, 8" x 10", on departmental letterhead, one lined page, "Washington City", 19 August 1863, to Col. A.H. Bowman at West Point. "The President has determined to fill up the vacancies in the Military Academy from the rebel states, by appointments from other states, so as to have the full amount of cadets for the ensuing session. The appointments will be made immediately. I give you this information now, in order that arrangements may be made accordingly." Just as many army and navy officers resigned to join the Confederate cause, some West Point cadets withdrew at the start of the war, and of course there were no replacements from the south for the duration. Lincoln visited West Point once, in late June 1862, making an inspection tour in conjunction with a conference with Gen. Winfield Scott. Mounting remnants on left, top and bottom. Fine.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61107 | Edwin M. Stanton Autograph Letter Signed, while Lincoln's secretary of war, one page, 8" x 9.5", on War Department letterhead, Washington, 27 July 1863, to Prof. [Dennis] Mahan at the U.S. Military Academy, introducing "my nephew Christopher Wolcot, a cadet to whom you were kind enough to tell me you would give some instruction. Your kindness will be thankfully appreciated" Wolcott (whose name his uncle misspells) remained in the Army until 1881 then became a U.S. Navy engineer. Mahan, professor of military science at West Point, exerted enormous influence through his teaching and writings upon the tactics, strategy and engineering used by the Army, even through World War I. Together with an official envelope, franked by Stanton as secretary of war and addressed by him to Hon. John H. Clifford at Willard's Hotel; and an engraved portrait. With folds and mild stains; near fine. Sold for: $418.25. |
| 61108 | Edwin M. Stanton Partly Printed Letter Signed as secretary of war, on Department letterhead, 1 page, 8" x 10", Washington, 31 May 1865. To A[mos] Stickney, notifying him that he has been appointed a Major by brevet for "faithful and meritorious services during the recent campaigns", to rank as such from 13 March. Stickney, a Missouri native, entered West Point in 1860 and as a lieutenant in the engineers was active with the Army of the Tennessee during the campaign in Georgia. Some chipping with folds; fine.Sold for: $286.80. |
| 61109 | John Todd Stuart, First Law Partner of Abraham Lincoln and Cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln, Document Signed, one page, 7.5" x 6", no place, 19 April 1833. A promissory note, also signed by John Todd, uncle of both Stuart and Mrs. Lincoln. Todd, a Kentucky physician, spearheaded the family's settlement in Springfield, Illinois, and was the father of Mrs. Lincoln's beloved cousin "Lizzie" Grimsley. Irregularly toned from having been overlaid with other papers; fine. Accompanied by two 1850 legal letters and a receipt from Stuart's last law partnership, none in his hand, but signed in the name of Stuart and [Benjamin S.] Edwards; with a few pencil notes concerning the families written by Lincoln tomb custodian H.W. Fay. Sized from 7.25" x 4.5" to 7.75" x 9.75". Some small stains that do not detract from the text; fine.Sold for: $215.10. |
| 61110 | [Todd and Edwards Families] Charles Dresser Autograph Endorsement Signed, two lines at foot of a partly printed marriage license accomplished and signed by Sangamon County Clerk C. R. Matheny, one page, 6.5" x 7.5", Springfield, Ill., 21 May 1839, issued to William S. Wallace and Frances J. Todd. Dresser's endorsement certifies that their marriage was "Solemnized by me on the day and date above written." Identical in style to the license that was issued in November 1842 to Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, whose marriage was also solemnized by Dresser. The clerk signing here, Charles Matheny, was the father of Lincoln's friend James, best man at the Lincoln wedding. This license is about as close as one can come to representing that of the Lincolns, since it is issued to Mary Todd's sister Frances and William Wallace, the brother-in-law for whom the Lincolns named their beloved son "Willie". Wallace sometimes acted as family physician for the Lincolns and was given an Army paymastership by the president during the Civil War. Two horizontal folds; one chip along a fold. Lightly soiled, else near fine. Together with E. S. Brown Autograph Letter Signed, four pages, 3.5" x 5.5", n.p. [Springfield, Ill.?], 1895, thanking "Cousin Al" (Albert S. Edwards, custodian of Abraham Lincoln's home 1897-1915) for a copy of Historical Sketches of the Edwards and Todd Families, praising their research and the "sweet style in which Georgie" (Albert's daughter) has written them. "The Todds are a proud race you know, nor is their pride based on wealth, but upon the rarer, richer qualities which go to make up the man." Considerably toned on last page. Fine. Provenance: Marriage license, Sang, lot 1252.Sold for: $836.50. |
| 61111 | Levi Todd, Grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln, Autograph Document Signed, 1 page, 7.5" x 7.5", Fayette Co., Kentucky, May 1784. A certified copy of a court determination that James Montgomery "is entitled to the pre-emption of one thousand acres of land...on Licking Creek...by virtue of his improving the same...and his being in publick service at the time the commissioners sat in Kentucky District." Todd (1756-1807) served on the frontier as an Indian fighter and as a lieutenant under George Rogers Clark during the Revolution helped capture the Illinois outpost of Kaskaskia on the Fourth of July 1778. Todd led the escort which took its French commandant, Rocheblave, to Virginia as a prisoner-of-war. Todd was later a Kentucky legislator, delegate to the state's several constitutional conventions, and helped found what is now the city of Lexington. Fold wear, foxing; vertical split and small losses at left side inexpertly repaired with cello tape (far from signature) resulting in some staining. Despite faults, a very rare holograph by the pioneer ancestor of the Todd family. Sold for: $119.50. |
| 61112 | Robert Smith Todd, Father of Mary Todd Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed "R.S. Todd", three-fourths of a page, 8" x 9.5", Frankfort [Kentucky], 23 January 1827, to "My dear wife" [Elizabeth Parker Todd]. Noting a failed attempt to send a letter by way of a visitor to Lexington, he writes again "lest you might infer that I had been culpably negligent in that particular. I calculate on being at home on Saturday . . . but at all events on Sunday. Mary Ann is only waiting for a hack to go up & I expect an opportunity will offer tomorrow or the next day. My time has been much occupied by business, which has become exceedingly laborious. I am very anxious . . . to be at home with you and the children." Todd, a Lexington banker and politician, was twice married. Elizabeth, his second wife, had a poor relationship with stepdaughter Mary Ann, who recalled her childhood miserably. The delightful aspect of this letter is the mention of eight-year old Mary, who Todd had obviously taken with him to the state capital. Mary learned to love politics at her father's knee and at his table - where Henry Clay was often a guest - and it was experience that must have helped her choose as a husband the man who became the most honored and beloved of all American statesmen. The letter has some separation along the folds, especially on back page (also has a circular tear on back page). Near very good. Provenance: possibly from Turner, lot 4; Sotheby Parke Bernet Galleries, New York, sale of 2-3 December 1981, lot 571.Sold for: $2,270.50. |
| 61113 | [Mary Todd Lincoln] Edwin B. Webb, Illinois Legislator and Suitor of Mary Todd, Autograph Letter Signed "E. B. Webb", asking for details of a sheriff's tax title deed so that he can examine it at the recorder's office, one-half page, 7.5" x 12", Carmi (Ill.), 19 June 1848, to B.P. Hinch, New Haven, Ill., with manuscript postmark overleaf. Webb was a Whig colleague of Lincoln in the state legislature and a fellow presidential elector in 1840. Known as the "Beau Brummel of Springfield", he pursued Mary Todd with enough ardor in 1840-41 that she wrote about it to a friend, calling Webb a "winning widower" of "modest merit", but too old, and with children who were "sweet little objections" to any love-match. She also intimated that someone -- doubtless Lincoln - "strangely imagined" she and Webb were "attached to each other", but once she had married the future president she was not afraid to tease him about her former "flirtation". A very unusual and uncommon Mary Lincoln association autograph. Toned with spot left by the red seal; fine. Together with Jacob M. Early Partly Printed Bill Signed as endorsement on verso, 7.5" x 3", Springfield, Ill., 1 May 1833. The bill charges "Ridgeway (son in law Cantrall, deceased)" for $8 for "medicine & attendance." It seems to have been converted to use as a draft; there are a couple of endorsements on verso, one signed "J.M. Early / August 12th 1833" Early was a Methodist Episcopal preacher as well as a physician. He settled in Springfield just before the Black Hawk War and led a regiment in that conflict, with one of his recruits being young Abraham Lincoln of New Salem. In1838 Early was mortally wounded in a politically-motivated altercation with a young man named Henry B. Truett. Lincoln served as one of Truett's defense attorneys, while the prosecution was originally led by Stephen A. Douglas - one of the few times the two great debaters ever met in court (it was also Lincoln's first murder trial). Lincoln succeeded in winning an acquittal on the ground that Early had held a "deadly weapon": a chair. That the chair was surely meant as a shield against Truett's weapon - a pistol - didn't faze the jury. Toned; fine. Together with Archer G. Herndon Autograph Letter Signed "A. G. Herndon", one and one-fourth pages, 8" x 9.75", Springfield (Ill.), 11 September 1858, to Sidney Breese. Herndon was an Illinois legislator and the father of Lincoln's last law partner and pioneering biographer, William H. Herndon. He acknowledges a letter by which he was "grateful to find that you had not lost all confidence in our success. . . . I still believe that something will take place which will defeat Douglas. His election would be a curse to the party and a disgrace to the administration and ought to be an . . . everlasting damnation to state and party that elects him." Archer Herndon had been a member of the "Long Nine", the group of unusually tall legislators from Sangamon County -- including Lincoln -- who under his leadership engineered the removal of the Illinois state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. A choice comment written at the height of the Senatorial contest between Lincoln and Douglas. Some separation beginning at folds. Some chipping and discoloration along edges. Very good. Sold for: $203.15. |
| 61114 | [Lincoln Associates] Group Lot of Signatures by Lincoln Associates in Various Formats. Includes: Edward Everett (the "other" orator at Gettysburg), MA statesman, ALS, 2pps., (London) 1845, to Rev. Forstall, asking that the bearer be allowed "to see the library of the museum". Vincent Bogue, steamboat entrepreneur on the Sangamon River] Legal Document concerning his creditors, 1834, not personally signed but with signed docket of Garrett Elkin (one of the "Long Nine" legislators with Lincoln). J. Bunn (Lincoln-family banking and legal associate) ADS, receipt. John T. Stuart (Lincoln's first law-partner) ADS, 29 Aug. 1831, asking for issuance of a summons. James Harlan (Lincoln's last Sec. of the Interior) Signature on album leaf adding in his hand "Mt. Pleasant, IA. Judge of the Court of Commissioners Alabama Claims, January 9, 1884"; (Lincoln-Related Ministers) N.W. Miner, Signed marriage certificate, 1862, and Albert Hale, ADS marriage certificate, 1848. Closely trimmed and mounted signature of Stephen T. Logan (Lincoln's second law-partner). Lyman Trumbull (Illinois Senator) clipped signature, "Lyman Trumbull" mounted to a sheet, 4" x 2.75". R.J. Oglesby, Maj. Genl. U.S.V. (Illinois Governor and creator of the "Railsplitter" campaign), closely trimmed and mounted AQS: "The Country holds in sacred remembrance the character of her soldiers, none but the brave deserve this high honor, as a soldier remember this."Autograph receipt signed by Lincoln's brother-in-law N.W. EDWARDS, 1849 together with about thirty (30) business letters, most to Edwards as Illinois Superintendent of Education, circa 1852-4, from small-town educators throughout the states discussing school meetings, textbook selections the others on legal and business matters a couple from Moore, Morton, & Co., in the hand of Clifton H. Moore (Lincoln legal associate).Sold for: $334.60. |
| 61116 | [Last Surviving Civil War Veterans] Signed Souvenirs by Albert Woolson and Walter Williams. Albert Woolson (1843-1956), served from Minnesota, signs in pencil on a block of four stamps commemorating the "Final Reunion United Confederate Veterans", 4" x 2.25". With a pencil notation along the margin: "July 30 1953 / age 110 yrs", mounted to a card, 8.5" x 5". Together with a signature "Albert Woolson" on a block of two stamps commemorating the final encampment of the GAR. Stamps are mounted to a card, 1.5" x 5.5". Both items very good to near fine. Sold for: $597.50. |
| 61117 | [Lincoln's Assassination] Ezra W. Abbott, M.D., Autograph Manuscript Signed (in title), three and one-quarter pages, large 6.5" x 7.5", on two leaves of lined paper, no place or date. Headed "Reminiscences of the assassination of President Lincoln, by Dr. E.W. Abott", the manuscript largely presents a routine history of that event, obviously influenced by reading and after-knowledge, with a few personal flashes. Abbott reveals that he was in the Ford's Theatre audience, noting that he "saw the gleam of the knife as [Booth] struck Major Rathbone", and he describes how Booth placed his hand on the rail of the president's box, then "stepped over and resting his heel on the ledge brought his other foot over and jumped to the stage. . . The spur on the heel of Booth's boot pierced the flag and was dragged along. Booth making frantic efforts to kick it off struck the stage on one foot instead of both." Abbott claims that Booth melodramatically faced the audience and "with bloody hand above his head . . . waved a gory, glistening blade and shouted 'Sic simper tyrannis! Now the south are avenged'" then limped away. Once the crowd realized what had happened "the writer, recovering himself, ran down a flight of stairs round to the President's box. There upon the floor, his head tenderly supported in the lap of . . . Laura Keene . . . lay the prostrate, unconscious form of President Lincoln. Efforts were made to remove his coat, searching for wounds, and in so doing the coat was cut about the arms and breast. Tenderly raising his inanimate form, the writer and five others carried him . . . to a house across the street." The manuscript then closes with an encomium. Abbott is said to have been given the task of keeping the chart which recorded Lincoln's condition as the night progressed. At some point, the manuscript was removed from a notebook, leaving a somewhat rough left edge. Fine.Sold for: $1,673.00. |
| 61118 | John Edward Buckingham Cabinet Photograph Signed "J.E. Buckingham" on the mount. 4.25" x 6.5", with no photographic stamp. Lightly bumped at corners, otherwise near fine. John E. Buckingham was the doorman at Ford's Theater on the evening of the assassination. He admitted John Wilkes Booth without question, recognizing the actor as a frequent performer. Buckingham also has the notoriety of printing copies of playbills for Our American Cousin and passing them off as having originated on that fateful night. An ironic stretching of the truth being that he used the same press as was used for the original playbill, and did the printing immediately after the shooting. Sold for: $657.25. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61119 | [Lincoln's Assassination: Ford's Theatre] Printed Ticket and Three "RESERVED" Notices, One of the Latter With Traces of Abraham Lincoln's Blood Upon It. The relics are accompanied by an Autograph Note Signed by C.H. Morse, penciled on the front of an envelope, stating that these items "were used at Ford's Theatre April 14, 1865 the night when President Lincoln was assassinated and picked up by myself." The ticket (3.5" x 2"), printed on orange stock with a central image of a half-dollar coin, bears on verso a facsimile signature of theatre treasurer H(arry) Clay Ford. One of the notices, on purple stock (6.25" x 2"), reads "TAKEN.", and bears a signed pencil note on verso in which Morse states that he found it "the next morning" after the assassination. The other two notices, on white stock (5.5" x 1.5"), read "RESERVED" in different typefaces; on the verso of one Morse has penciled: "Used at Ford's Theatre April 14, 1865 night of assassination of President Lincoln with some of his blood upon it". This particular notice bears a number of scattered brownish drops and splatters, which suggest that it was stained during a moment of action (rather than by being purposely smeared later from standing or saturation blood, as some souvenir hunters were reported to have gruesomely done). All items have been hinged to card stock with an overall measurement of 10.5" x 13.5". As far as we can determine the original owner of these has never been identified, but it was almost certainly Charles H. Morse, a Massachusetts native who was about 45 at the time of the murder, and who worked for years as a pension department clerk, ironic in light of the fact that the pension department took over Ford's Theatre, and the collapse of its floors in 1893 would kill nearly 30 clerks. An iconic "blood relic" of Abraham Lincoln's murder. One of the cards is illustrated in Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Collector, page 208. Provenance: Barrett, lot 659; Sang, lot 1240.Sold for: $21,510.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61120 | John T. Ford (Owner and Manager of Ford's Theatre; occasionally acted as booking agent for John Wilkes Booth) Autograph Letter Signed, one-half page, 8" x 10.5", Baltimore [Md.], 29 Aug. [1888] to McVicker, offering the services of [John Sleeper]Clarke, who he thinks "can be made in standard comedy one of the most profitable attractions of the period. . . . His company is absolutely first class." Clarke, an early friend of John Wilkes Booth, had married his sister Asia. Booth's first professional stage appearance was made in a benefit performance for Clarke in Baltimore in 1855. Together with Henry Clay Ford (Treasurer of Ford's Theatre and Brother of John T. Ford) Autograph Letter Signed, 5.5" x 9", Washington, D.C., 19 September 1893, promising a photo of himself for E. Rosenburger (A. E. Fostell) if he can find one, "all of my household goods are in storage at present." Together with James R. Ford (Business Manager of Ford's Theatre and Brother of John T. Ford) Autograph Letter Signed, 5" x 8", Baltimore [Md.], 1894, to E. Rosenburger (A. E. Fostell), sending (no longer present) the only photo he had taken during his 25 years of "theatrical experience", and pointing out that his name does, in fact, appear on the 14 April 1865 theatre playbills. Three fine items. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Sold for: $388.38. |
| 61121 | [Lincoln Assassination] William J. Ferguson, Ford's Theatre Prompter and Occasional Player, Brief Autograph Note Signed "W.J. Ferguson" on correspondence card, 4.5" x 3.5", 1914, advising "we open in 'Madam President'". Ferguson, author of I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln (1930), was scheduled for a small part at Ford's Theatre on the fatal night of Lincoln's assassination. With later penciled writing at top; fine. With Thomas Irwin Hughes Signed Letter on stationery of Hughes & Stegman, government claims attorneys, New York City, 27 April 1865, to his partner Lewis Stegman, reporting that "Republicans and Democrats are all in mourning for the murder of our constitutionally elected President. You know I never was his friend politically but he was President." A line by one "Stanley" at the top of the letter adds "How are you. Thos. J. Hughes, he went to bury our President." Together with its tattered original envelope, addressed to Maj. Stegman, 1st Reg., First Army Corps, Washington, D.C. Toned with folds and fine.Sold for: $191.20. |
| 61122 | [Ford's Theatre] Pencil Autograph Signature "J. B. Wright / National Theatre / 1849", slightly trimmed into, mounted on a small sheet bearing a pencil note by A. E. Fostell identifying Wright as "stage manager of Ford's Theatre . . . the time that Pres. Lincoln was shot". Very good. Also includes a small snapshot copy photo of Lydia H. Muzzy ("Mrs. Mountchessington" in the fatal performance of Our American Cousin) with related 1894 letters by her son A.M. Muzzy and E. Rosenburger (A.E. Fostell); and a 1902 envelope to Fostell. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Not Sold. |
| 61123 | Ford's Theatre Group. Laura Keene Autograph Letter Signed. Keene starred in the fatal performance of Our American Cousin. After Lincoln was, shot, she cradled the wounded him in her lap. One and one-third pages, 5" x 8", Boston [Mass.], 1869, asking that a copy of the "new 'Showman's Guide'" be sent to T. Brougham Baker in Richmond, Va. Soiled, first page detached, mounted on a scrapbook remnant; regardless, an extremely scarce autograph. Lightly soiled; fine. Also: J. B. Wright, the Stage Manager of Ford's Theatre, Autograph Letter Signed. Three pages, 5" x 8", Allston, Mass., 10 June 1870, to John T. Ford. Being "much in want" Wright asks for settlement of an old account that would be a small sum to Ford: "You . . . are rolling in wealth . . . I am glad . . . [as] you have worked hard." He compliments Ford's "indomitable energy and perseverance . . . I know your generous heart and sympathetic nature for I have seen it and felt it." He closes asking if there might be some vacancy he could fill at the Washington Theatre the following season. Inlaid. Fine. Also: George A. Parkhurst, Actor Cast as One of the Bailiffs for the Fatal Performance of Our American Cousin, Autograph Letter Signed, two and one-third pages, 5" x 8", Philadelphia, 1890, asking one Simmons to find him an engagement in comic opera: "I was successful in burlesque many years ago but I then held a government position in Washington and did not wish to give it up." Vertical fold with mounting remnants on back page; fine. Also: Basil Moxley, Doorkeeper at Ford's Theatre, Two Autograph Letters Signed, each about one and one-half pages, 4.25" x 7", Baltimore [Md.], 1893, to Rosenburger (A.E. Fostell). He enumerates his assassination relics, including a lock of John Wilkes Booth's hair "and the top button of his drawers . . . taken from the body by myself", and offering to consider an offer; the second letter agrees to $100 cash for the lot. Toned; fine. Also: W. J. Ferguson, Call-Boy and Actor at Ford's Theatre and Supposedly the Only Witness Who Saw John Wilkes Booth Actually Shoot Lincoln, Autograph Letter Signed, 5.5" x 8.25", 1900, wishing a friend a good engagement and mentioning the pledge he had made for the Actor's Home. Fine with later docketing penciled docketing at top. Also: Tom Taylor, English playwright and Author of Our American Cousin, Autograph Letter Signed, three pages, 4.5" x 7", acknowledging a gift of prints. One vertical fold; fine. Together with Joseph S. Sessford, Ticket-Seller at Ford's Theatre, Nine Autograph Letters, variously signed, sent to E. Rosenburger [A.E. Fostell] from Washington, D.C., between May 1894 and September 1895, about 20 pages in all, small 4.75" x 7" to 6.5" x 10". Sessford's first letter, replying to a query, states that he was in the theatre box office only during the evening of the fateful day. Others mention that he owns some keys, but sold the one for the president's box to Gunther of Chicago; argue relic values, stating that Gunther paid $100 for a "small lot, and he is a very close buyer"; reveal that he never owned an original bill for the assassination night, "you cannot get one . . . for less than one hundred dollars"; note the death of (Thomas) Jones (the rebel agent who ferried the escaping assassin across the Potomac); offer letters of John T. Ford and a possibly unique floor plan of his original Washington theatre; decline an offer for some unspecified items, "such things are now eagerly sought after"; and ask to let him know of anyone who wants "box keys, playbills etc. of Ford's Theatre" since he has more for sale. All are fine. Provenance (all but Sessford archive): Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969; Sessford letters: Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York.Sold for: $1,912.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61124 | [Abraham Lincoln] Ford's Theatre Broadside: Our American Cousin, 5.75" x 18", [Washington], printed by J. A. Polkinhorn & Sons [ca. April, 1864]. A contemporary reprint of the historic playbill pressed for the evening of April 14, 1865 for Ford's Theatre the night Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. This is one of the earlier reprints of this historic playbill, likely produced within weeks of the assassination. Produced on the same press as the originals, they were sold on the street as souvenirs for ten cents a copy to eager purchasers desperate for any touchstone to the fateful event. This variant appears consistent with the example owned by collector Walter C. Brenner, the authority on Ford's Theatre playbills and quite similar to the famous "Buckingham" copy, produced as a souvenir by Ford's Theater doorman John S. Buckingham. This is a copy of the 'first state' of the two playbills printed for Ford's Theatre for April 14. The second, a revised edition of the first that bore the addition of a patriotic song to be sung at the end of the second act, was printed after word arrived that Lincoln would attend that night's performance. Contrary to popular belief, in no case was Lincoln's name or the possibility of his attendance ever noted in the originals. A charlatan printer by the name of L. Brown of Washington who added the type: "THIS EVENING | The Performance will be honored by the presence of | PRESIDENT LINCOLN" This example still fools many unsuspecting purchasers today. Fair condition. Very fragile with several spots of paper loss throughout, chipping and tearing.Not Sold. |
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Political |
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| 61125 | Three Chairs from Ford's Theatre, of the Type in Use the Night of Lincoln's Assassination. While there is no documented provenance, this was the attribution recorded by Dr. Lattimer. We have been able to confirm with Ford's Theatre that these chairs are indeed of the same type as ones they have which date from that era. It is well known that the theatre deaccessioned a number of these chairs many years ago, and it seems possible that these three are from that group. While it cannot be confirmed that these very chairs were in use the night Lincoln was shot, they may well have been. All three chairs are in excellent condition, with modern re-caned seats. Height of each is approximately 33.5", including the back. Sold for: $1,912.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61126 | John T. Ford, Owner and Manager of Ford's Theatre, Autograph Letter Signed, one and three-fourths pages, 6.5" x 8", Baltimore (Md.), 13 June 1859, to "Dear John" on theatrical business; mention of mostly English performers and places indicates the addressee was a native of, or working in, England. Ford declines to conclude with one Studley and asks what "Sheridan . . . will do for us. No hurry about 'soubrette'. Plenty in the country. Would Annie Cruise engage for leading with when necessary some singing chambermaid business, if so the lowest salary. . . . See about Sheridan, is he any relative to Richard Brinsley." Folds; fine. Sold for: $286.80. |
| 61128 | John T. Ford, Friend and Occasional Agent of John Wilkes Book, Letter Signed "Jno. T. Ford", one page, 4.5" x 7" (on a four-page notesheet), n.p., 14 March, n.y. [probably 1859], to "Dear John" (not Wilkes Booth, as a later pencil docket hopefully indicates). Ford was the manager and proprietor of Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated. About casting and theatrical matters, mentioning actors Mrs. Smylie and Miss Skerritt, the plays Town & Country and 9 Points, and the character of "Gladston e" which he calls a "splendid part. The best of the play I think. . . . The works goes on bravely." Mounting traces and staining on gutter fold; about ten words in center of text are faded out or abraded. Near very good.Sold for: $239.00. |
| 61129 | John T. Ford, Owner and Manager of Ford's Theatre, Autograph Letter Signed, 4 pages, 5" x 8", Baltimore, June 28 , 1858, to his stage manager, [John B.] Wright. A fine letter about theatrical matters, briefly mentioning [Joseph] Jefferson and E.L. Davenport, the Arch Street theatre, his "corps de ballet", and Miss Devlin (presumably Mary Devlin, who became the beloved first wife of Edwin Booth). He approves upping the salary of his "proficient and attentive" prompter, Mr. Marshall, and opines that actors should show due "deference to the stage manager, making him the best judge of the character that suits the person." He remarks on planned productions of "The Tempest" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and discusses a prospective player: "Spackman I do not care about, he is very extravagant (western) and in serious parts frequently provokes laughter, but he's an immense study and is willing..." In addition to managing Ford's Theatre, he occasionally served as booking agent for John Wilkes Booth. Very clean and in near fine condition, save a light trace of text ghosting to interior pages. Together with a second John T. Ford ALS to Wright, one page, 4" x 6.25", "Holliday St Theatre, Baltimore", May 25, 1858, asking for a reply to a letter written. With a small mounting trace on verso and lightly soiled. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Sold for: $567.63. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61130 | John T. Ford Autograph Letter Signed "J.T. Ford", on his monogrammed notepaper, one and a half pages, 5" x 8", Baltimore (Md.), 3 August 1865, to "My dear Wright" (J.B. Wright, stage manager at Ford's Theatre on the night of the assassination), who had evidently asked for money owed. Ford was the owner/manager of Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was murdered, and was friend and manager of John Wilkes Booth. "I feel for your embarrassments to that painful degree which experience has brought me," Ford replies, but adds "I am entirely out of money and have not been for four years so much troubled for money. I have not had a dollar from the Govt. and have done no business except renting the theatre to a minstrel band. I had to raise money by borrowing to pay lawyers and prevent a sacrifice of property. Spangler's case cost me about $1200 - part of which is paid, the other I am pressed for. When the Govt. pays me I will be in funds, but that will not be until after Congress meets or if business starts up here." He asks Wright to check up on Louise Anderson, who had backed out of an appearance ("She wrote it was 'sickness and death'"), and closes "Hoping for better luck", evidently for all concerned. Ford had attempted to reopen his Washington theatre in June 1865 but was met with public indignation. Secretary of War Stanton, who feared commercial exploitation of the assassination site, sent guards to shut it down. When Ford threatened legal action the government began renting the property for $1500 a month and bought it in 1866 for $100,000. Ford thereafter devoted himself to his theatre in Baltimore (the one referred to in this letter) and local politics. Ford was a friend as well as sometime manager of John Wilkes Booth, whose acting he always praised highly. Booth had only one starring engagement at Ford's Washington theatre, in November 1863, at which time President Lincoln saw him perform in "The Marble Heart". As seen in this letter, Ford was also a sympathetic friend to his hapless stagehand Edman Spangler, whose innocence he staunchly maintained. This letter, which has been mounted to a 6.75" x 10.25" backing, is toned and in fine condition. Provenance: Possibly from the Fostell collection, which contained other Ford items sent to Wright.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61131 | Henry Clay Ford Signed Cabinet Card Photograph. Signed "H Clay Ford / Washington D.C." on the verso, 4.25" x 6.5", Dec. 10, 1893, Baltimore Photo, Co. stamp on the mount. A bit of foxing to the albumen at edges, and an inventory sticker on verso. Good condition. Henry Clay Ford, brother of theater owner John T. Ford, was the manager on duty the day of the assassination. Ford had met with Booth on April 14, 1865, and shared that Lincoln and Grant would be in the audience that evening for a performance of Our American Cousin.Sold for: $418.25. |
| 61132 | Jeanie Gourlay Struthers Archive of Seven Autograph Letters, most signed in full, various sizes (5" x 6.5" to 7.5" x 11"), places (mostly Milford, Pennsylvania) and dates. Struthers was the actress in Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on the night of Lincoln's assassination. This archive is comprised of the following: one letter to Frank Queen of the New York Clipper, 1867, advising where to forward letters and reporting that "business is very fine" (mounting traces, faults, but very early); four to collector A.E. Fostell, 1908-1909, commenting on Our American Cousin (". . . there was a mistake in the Washington bill. I am down as Mary Trenchard, it should have been Mary Meredith. I saw the piece last winter with Southern. In my time it was change of scene, while now it is one act set, which made a great difference in my part and also in Asa Trechard's"); advising that he get O.H. Oldroyd's book about the Lincoln assassination; reminiscing about "the Marsh troupe of children", playing Australia in the early 1860s, offering family photos to copy, and stating that she has "one of the original [Ford's Theatre] playbills but will not part with it" while offering a souvenir copy sent her by Oldroyd; the last discusses ". . . why I do not give for money what I know about the assassination. . . . Money is always acceptable, but the notoriety I do not like. An actress always likes praise and notice for parts well rendered, otherwise we don't want to get into the papers, at least that is my view"; two to a would-be historian of Ford's Theatre, Mr. Mudd, 1914-1916, the earlier suggesting he get pictures from Fostell and pointing out that "W.J. Ferguson was the call boy of the theatre, but also played parts. His name was in the bill that night to play Lieut. Vernon therefore it is useless for him to deny the fact", and commenting on David Belasco; the later mentioning that she granted an interview to the Philadelphia Public Ledger because "it was time I should give to the public my experience of the night [of] April 14, 1865" and that it brought many letters from old friends including Helen Truman, "which proves . . . I am not the only one living woman. Have you a list of the [cast] members you know have passed away, and have you...a picture of Mr. Hawk, if not I could lend you one . . . . W.J. Ferguson is still . . . living . . . has been corresponding all along with Harry Hawk in England." Together with a 5" x 6.5" autograph note signed, n.p., n.d., mentioning Oldroyd's book; a typed statement of her experience on the assassination night (not signed, but bearing her name in an unknown hand); an autograph letter signed by her brother Thomas D. Gourlay, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1909, rather testily refusing to write out a copy of a letter for Fostell as the original "has a money valuation"; and a small, mounted copy print (ca. 1909) of a vignetted bust portrait of Gourlay as a young woman. All have been well-kept and are fine. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Sold for: $537.75. |
| 61133 | Jeanie Gourlay Struthers Autograph Letter Signed, recounting her experience while performing at Ford's Theatre on the night that Lincoln was murdered. Two pages, 8" x 10", no place, no date [Media, Pa., ca. 1925]. This seems originally to have been the conclusion of a longer letter, but is complete in itself. "I play[ed] Mary Meredith in Our American Cousin the night of the assassination of President Lincoln. I began the first scene of the third act. I have always thought that Booth, knowing the piece so well, selected that particular part to work his way to the President's box." She notes that she first saw Booth in the lobby, having just entered from the street; she thought he "must have been ill, he looked so pale. I continued my scene . . . looked in front again and Booth was gone." She explains how her scene continued with the protagonist, "Asa Trenchard", lighting his cigar accidentally with a will, "the burning of which deprives him of property leaving it to Mary. The interest of the audience is centered on this part of the play, and Booth would find it easier to make his way up the stairs to the President's box without being observed." She notes that the scene "closed in on me. Ned Spangler . . . had just come from holding Booth's horse in the alley. I spoke to him, and then passed through the entrance to the passage way on the left of the audience. I was talking with a member of the company when I heard a shot and great shouting which kept up for some time. I suddenly encountered Booth coming from the first entrance. I saw the knife in his hand, he pushed me over against the scene in passing and went out the door . . . leading to the alley . . . ten or twelve feet from where I was standing. I had no idea what had taken place until I reached the first entrance, when I was told the President had been shot. There was a call from the box for water. My father who played Sir Edward Trenchard took Laura Keene across the stage to a side entrance into the box. Laura Keene raised the President's head in her arms. It was then they discovered from the blood trickling down her dress where the wound was. My father helped to carry the President from the theatre. I was on the stage with other members of the company and shall not forget as long as I live seeing him carried from the box." Mrs. Struthers notes that her sister was also on stage that night "and two brothers in front", one of them aged about fourteen and still living. A closing reference to possible government purchase of the Oldroyd collection (the basis of the current Ford's Theatre museum display) dates this letter, since the United States did in fact buy it in 1926. Scattered light toning, slightly worn across central horizontal fold, but very good. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Sold for: $8,962.50. |
| 61134 | Harry Hawk Autograph Letter Signed. One page, 5.5" x 9", on lined paper, "Boston Theatre", 16 October [no year; ca. 1895]. Hawk was the leading man in Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on the night of Lincoln's assassination. A remarkable mention of the letter John Wilkes Booth gave his friend and fellow actor John Mathews the day before the assassination, which justified his act and named his co-conspirators. Booth had wanted Mathews to deliver the letter to the National Intelligencer newspaper but, upon hearing of the president's murder, Mathews opened and read it instead. Fearing to be implicated in the assassination, Mathews threw the manuscript in the fire but claimed to have memorized it. He reconstructed the text in testimony given at the 1867 trial of John H. Surratt. Hawk, who was alone on stage at the moment Booth fired the fatal shot (and delivered the laugh-provoking line which was the assassin's "cue"), here writes: "John Mathews is the . . . party it was said a letter was given to on that night. I don't know where he is engaged this season. He will answer no questions on that subject." Hawk passingly mentions another cast member but says he does not know "the whereabouts of other members than the ones you know." Although no addressee is indicated, this letter was almost certainly written to collector Al Emmett Fostell, who was indefatigable in tracing assassination-related parties, especially those from the theatrical world. Irregularly toned from having been overlaid by other papers; diagonal paper crease/fold, just touching signature; but quite good.Sold for: $478.00. |
| 61135 | Harry Hawk Autograph Letter Signed, one and one-half pages, 5.5" x 8.5", Philadelphia [Pa.], n.y., to "Sir & Bro." (Al E. Fostell). Hawk, the leading man in Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on the night of Lincoln's assassination, states that he has no picture of himself and suggests where to procure one, promising "as soon as my engagement takes me to New York will order some and will most willingly give you one. . . . I am sorry that I did not meet you here . . . I have nothing of poor Laura Keene's as a remembrance of her or that sad affair. Any one I should hear of possessing any such . . . will refer them to you." Evenly toned with small stains on verso; fine. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton galleries sale of Fostell material, New York, 31 July 1969, part of lot 241.Sold for: $956.00. |
| 61136 | [Abraham Lincoln's Assassination] Joseph Hazleton Typed Letter Signed on Windsor Hospital letterhead, one page, 6" x 9.5", Glendale, Cal., February 15, 1927. Addressed to H.S.J. Sickel of Philadelphia, Pa. likely responding to an autograph request. Hazleton writes: "...I was Programe boy at Ford's Theatre...and was an eye witness to the assassination of our most beloved President. I saw Wilkes Booth jump from the box and make his escape. I saw the wounded President taken from the theatre and carried over to the house of Mr. Peterson, where Mr. Lincoln died the next morning... It was then that Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton made his famous remark, 'Now he belongs to the ages'..." Hazleton was one of the last survivors of those who had worked at Ford's Theatre and seen the assassination. He was not infrequently interviewed in his later years and always recalled Booth kindly; especially one incident when the actor bought him a new cap, explaining to the shopkeeper "One who makes known the players of great parts should be surmounted with a proper crown." Usual mailfolds, with collector's sticker adhered to verso; otherwise very good to near fine.Sold for: $717.00. |
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Books |
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| 61137 | [Laura Keene] Bound Volumes of printed prompter's scripts of various romantic and comic plays, including Laura Keene's arrangement of the Beggar's Opera as well as Carline, the Female Brigand and The Black Domino. Marbled boards, gilt lettered spine; some edge wear, cracking at hinges; text block lightly foxed, else fine. Keene (1826-1873), an English native, was one of America's first great female stage stars and its first to successfully manage her own troupe. She operated theatres in New York, gaining popularity in comedies and musicals, and commenced touring in 1863. Despite her considerable accomplishments she is fated to be remembered for having starred in Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on the night President Lincoln was shot there.Sold for: $388.38. |
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Autographs |
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| 61138 | Laura Keene Autograph Letter Signed. One page, 5" x 8", no place, 14 January 1860, to an unnamed gentleman. Keene was an English-born actress/manager and star of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre on the night of Lincoln's assassination. She was a shrewd businesswoman who toured with her own company and owned rights to Our American Cousin. In this letter she mentions two other plays, declining to "part with The Wife's Secret at present. For The Unequal Match would you be willing to pay 200 dollars. You might then have a copy, but am not quite sure my agent has not sold it to Mrs. Wood." Keene knew the Booth brothers and had acted with Edwin. After Lincoln was shot she carried water to the president's box, cradled his head in her lap while Dr. Leale probed for the fatal bullet, and led the way when he was carried out of the theatre. With a hand-tinted, vignetted bust carte de visite photo of Keene by Fredericks, New York (somewhat faded; mounting traces on verso). The lower part of the letter has some adhesive remains, though the text is not affected. Fine.Sold for: $1,553.50. |
| 61139 | Charles A. Leale Autograph Letter Signed "Chas. A. Leale", 8 pages, 5" x 8", "Armory Square", U.S. Army General Hospital, Washington, D.C., 28 May 1865, to "Friend Dudley [Dr. Dwight Dudley of Maine]" with envelope. An intensely dramatic and observant eyewitness account of Abraham Lincoln's final hours, written by the young physician who first came to his aid at Ford's Theatre. Dr. Leale, who had been appointed an Assistant Surgeon of Volunteers less than a week before the fatal night, sent this letter to someone who was evidently a medical colleague and had inquired about the tragedy. Leale replies at length: "I had charge of the President until his family physician arrived. That night was the only time that I have been to the theatre since I came here and then partly to see Mr. Lincoln and Gen. Grant [early papers had announced that Grant would be the President's guest for the evening]. I took a seat in the dress circle near the President's box, heard the report of the pistol then saw him [Booth] jump . . . with his drawn dagger and rush across the stage. I immediately ran to the box and . . . saw the President sitting in the arm chair with his head thrown back. On one side was Mrs. L. and on the other Miss Harris. The former was holding his head and crying bitterly for a surgeon while the others . . . were standing crying for stimulants, water, etc., not one going for anything . . . I sent one for brandy and another for water, then told Mrs. L. that I was a surgeon, when she asked me to do what I could. He was then in a profound coma, pulse could not be felt, eyes closed, torturous breathing. I immediately with assistance placed him . . . recumbent . . . on the floor. While doing this I put my hand on a part of his coat near the left shoulder saturated with blood. Supposing him to have been stabbed I asked a person near by to cut off his clothes which he did with a jack knife. As soon as his shoulder was laid bare and no wound discovered, I examined his head and first felt a protuberance about one inch to the right of med. line and the same distance above the superior curved line of the occupant. I removed the clot and introduced the little finger of left hand completely through the cranium. I then knew it was fatal and told the bystanders that it was a mortal wound. Dr. [Charles S.] Taft and Dr. [Abraham A. F.] King now came in and we removed him immediately to Patterson's [sic Petersen's] house just opposite. I first intended to have him taken . . . to the White House but I was afraid he would die while going there. Besides, after he was taken out to the street his carriage was not to be found. After we put him in bed we sent for bottles of hot water to apply to his extremities. Before these arrived the room was completely crowded. I . . . saw a Capt. who I asked to have the room cleared which he did . . . all leaving except Mrs. L. and Miss Harris. I went to Mrs. L. and asked her if she would have the kindness to go to the next room for a minute so as to allow us to do all we could and examine his wounds. She did so and several Drs then came in, among them Dr. [Robert K.] Stone, the family physician, who was introduced to me. When I asked him if he would take charge of the President he said that he would when I resigned. The Surg. Gen. [Joseph K. Barnes], Surg. [Charles H.] Crane, and others now came in. I then went to the head of the bed near his left shoulder where I remained until he breathed his last. He was completely insensible from the time that he was shot. . . . They tried to give him a small quantity of brandy but he could not swallow it. Mustard poultices were applied during the night." Leale then abruptly changes scene, noting that he had "a ticket to the Green Room and . . . the carriage next to the Surg. General at the funeral", and comments on the trial of the assassination conspirators: "I went to see them last week at the court room. They are a very inferior looking set of men. Dr. Mudd is the only one that has any intellectual expressions (I hope that if the charges are true against him he will be unable to tell what school he rec'v'd his diploma from). They all look as if they did not have any hope. O'Laughlin is very nervous and trembles terribly. They are all very pale except the Dr." Leale closes with a brief comment about the Grand Review of the Armies (for which, he notes, he had seats on the stand next to President Johnson): "the soldiers were as black as Indians and covered with dust." An exceptional, early, and comprehensive account, one of the finest extant by an eyewitness. Letter is toned with some mild stains. Envelope is toned and lightly stained as well. Both are fine.Sold for: $89,625.00. |
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Political |
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| 61140 | Lincoln Deathbed Relics. A copy of Maunsell B. Field, Memories of Many Men and of Some Women (New York: 1874), 8vo, original gilt lettered, black-decorated brick cloth, first edition. Field, a lawyer, diplomat and judge, was an assistant secretary of the treasury under Lincoln. In writing here about the closing scene of Abraham Lincoln's life, Field says (pp. 325-26): "[T]he President's breathing . . . became faint and low. At intervals it altogether ceased. . . . I was standing directly opposite his face, with my watch in my hand. At last, at just twenty-two minutes past seven, he ceased to breathe. . . . Dr. Gurley dropped upon his knees by the bedside and uttered a fervent prayer. . . . When . . . most of the persons assembled began . . . to withdraw . . I . . . with a few others, remained. We closed the eyes completely, and placed silver coins upon them, and with a pocket-handkerchief we tied up the jaw, which had already begun to fall. Mr. Stanton threw open the two windows of the room." Mounted inside the front cover of the book is a silver 1861 quarter-dollar, one of the coins placed upon Lincoln's eyelids to keep them closed, and mounted inside the rear cover is a large portion of the linen handkerchief used to close and tie his jaws. Field gave these two relics (and presumably the book itself) to Judge Julius Rockwell of Massachusetts, who had served in the 30th Congress with Lincoln, 1847-49. On the front free end-paper is a handwritten note: "The relics presented to my father by Mr. Field in 1868 are contained herein", signed by Francis Williams Rockwell (lawyer, banker and congressman). The latter's bookplate is affixed inside the front cover, and he has written some notes on the front blank. Provenance: Field to Rockwell; James Tait Goodrich, bookseller, Englewood, N.J., 1989.Sold for: $17,925.00. |
| 61142 | [Lincoln Assassination] Cloth From Lincoln's Assassination Coat. Small piece of black fabric, about 1.25 x 2 inches, stapled to a 3" x 5" card. Bears a hand-lettered caption, ca 1900, reading "Piece of broadcloth . . . from the coat worn by President Lincoln at the time he was assassinated April 14th 1865. Presented by Comrade Geo. W. Keeler." The coat that Lincoln wore on the night he was shot was given by Mary Todd Lincoln to White House doorkeeper Alfonso Donn (alt. Dunn), from whose descendants it was eventually purchased for the Ford's Theatre museum. Snippets from the coat were occasionally taken while Donn owned it, most of them apparently from underneath the collar. This fragment seems to be connected with the piece of coat that belonged to Al Emmett Fostell and, apparently, Oliver R. Barrett. Fostell's collection was exhibited in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1904, and it is known that a George W. Keeler, a veteran of the 17th Connecticut (which had fought at Gettysburg) was then active in the affairs of the Bridgeport G.A.R. He is almost certainly the "comrade" mentioned. Provenance: possibly a portion of Fostell, lot 64; compare Barrett, lot 694.Sold for: $3,883.75. |
| 61143 | [Abraham Lincoln Assassination] A Fragment of Cloth from the Rocking Chair in Which Abraham Lincoln Was Assassinated. A piece of rich red patterned brocade, about 2.5" x 1", taken from the covering of the rocking chair that had been placed in the President's box at Ford's Theatre for his comfort. It was kept in a storeroom, and brought out only for his use. The cloth is matted with its original accompanying penciled note, reading "Piece of the chair in which Abram Lincoln was killed". According to the Kunhardt sale description, this piece was originally presented to a Dr. Samuel Ayers by Gen. Lloyd Aspinwall. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 44.Sold for: $3,346.00. |
| 61144 | Lace and Wallpaper from Lincoln's Box at Ford's Theatre. A sizeable piece of Nottingham lace curtain, together with a smaller piece of reddish leaf and flower patterned wallpaper, both taken from Box 7 - the presidential box - at Ford's Theatre following the assassination. Some sources say that Lincoln was getting ready to push, or had just pushed, the lace curtain aside to peer at the audience at the moment Booth's shot rang out. Provenance: Sang.Sold for: $2,868.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61145 | [Lincoln's Death] Peterson House Wallpaper. An ornately patterned and bordered strip of wallpaper, approximately 2" x 11", together with the envelope in which its original owner kept it. The envelope bears an illustrated corner card of Willard's Hotel, Washington, and an inked note describing the fragment as "Relic of wall paper (from Mrs. Col. Olyrood [sic; Oldroyd] custodian) from home where Lincoln died - and from death room - at bottom of & to the left of door as one enters from hall way. 2:30 P.M. Octo 12th 1894". Osborn H. Oldroyd, a pioneer Lincoln collector, had been resident custodian of Lincoln's Springfield home until he earned the displeasure of Robert Todd Lincoln by displaying a photo of John Wilkes Booth, among other offenses. Oldroyd eventually settled in the Petersen House, opening it for tourists at any time of day or night for 25 cents (relics included, apparently). Both the house and his collection were eventually acquired by the federal government. Adhesive residue on verso of multi-colored wallpaper; has two folds. Near fine.Not Sold. |
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Political |
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| 61146 | Wallpaper from Abraham Lincoln's Springfield Bedroom. Two irregular swatches of blue and bronze ornamentally patterned wallpaper, framed together with a much smaller fragment of wallpaper from the room where he died in the Peterson house, Washington, D.C. The deathroom paper is affixed to a narrow, oblong strip of paper on which one J. Wyatt has penned a shameless confession to his sister, 10 September 1911: "This is a piece of the original wall paper from the room that Lincoln died in. I got it when the man that run the place was not looking but could not help taking it. . . . I stood in the very corner of the room he breathed his last in and that's where this piece of paper came from." An uncommon pairing of papers from the house in which Lincoln lived, and the house in which he died. Provenance: Riba-Mobley auction, South Glastonbury, Conn., sale of 26 October 1985, lot 156 Sold for: $3,346.00. |
| 61147 | [Lincoln Deathbed Relic] Oblong "Fragment of pillow slip stained with blood of Abraham Lincoln", 4.5" x 2". A piece of finely-woven fabric bearing rather extensive brownish stains. The quoted identification is written in ink on an old envelope that accompanies the fragment, and which bears on verso the penciled name of an earlier owner, "Mrs. A. Farber, 4219 Regent St." Of all the macabre souvenirs of Lincoln's assassination few were more coveted than his "blood relics", and the most available of these were his deathbed pillowcases. Dr. Robert K. Stone spent most of the night holding Lincoln's head so that his wound could bleed freely, and the pillowcases had to be continually changed as each became saturated. Immediately divided for souvenirs (and subdivided since), none is known to have survived intact. A somber and evocative piece. Provenance: Sotheby's, New York, sale of 2-3 December 1981, lot 527.Sold for: $5,975.00. |
| 61148 | A Piece of Blood-Stained Bandage from Abraham Lincoln's Deathbed. A triangular piece of cloth (about 4.5" at longest edge) with some scattered, faint reddish-brown stains, framed with a notarized autograph document signed by Emma Gurley Adams, three-fourths page, 5" x 6.5", Washington, D.C., 5 February 1914, stating that "This piece of a bandage, used at Mr. Lincoln's death bed . . . by Dr. W.M. [sic, Robert K.] Stone, was given to my father, Rev'd. P.D. Gurley, by Dr. Stone, who was his family physician." Also in the frame are photostatic clippings from the Washington Evening Star, 15 April 1865, mentioning Dr. Gurley's presence at Lincoln's deathbed and Dr. Stone's at Lincoln's autopsy. A choice relic with excellent provenance and associations (Gurley was the Lincolns' Presbyterian minister in the capital, and he delivered the sermon at the President's White House funeral). Provenance: Townsend; Turner, lot 92.Sold for: $6,572.50. |
| 61149 | Fragment of Blue and Bronze Patterned Wallpaper from Abraham Lincoln's Bedroom in his Springfield House. Under glass in an antique oval gilt-decorated frame, with a strip (presumably cut from a calling card) bearing the name, in script, "Mrs. Albert S. Edwards" (niece by marriage of Mary Lincoln, and custodian of the Lincoln house 1915-18). A small handwritten note of about the same size, in an unknown hand, describes the fragment. Uncommon.Sold for: $2,270.50. |
| 61150 | Bloodstained Half of Abraham Lincoln's Shirt Collar. Doubled-over piece of white cloth, about 1.5" x 8", considerably soiled and bloodstained, with one particularly sizeable brownish-red bloodstain at one side. Matted, under glass in a simple black wood frame about 8" x 15". The detachable collar fell off as Dr. Charles A. Leale, the first physician to reach him, struggled to remove the president's shirt and find his wound. Not long afterward, Lt. Newton Ferree of the 157th Ohio entered the box and discovered the collar. Accompanied by Ferree's pocket diary for 1865, about 3.5" x 4.25", with flexible, tuck-flap closure binding. The diary has entries from 1 February to 22 May; the entry for the assassination night indicates that Ferree had followed a torchlight procession to Edwin Stanton's house, where the secretary was serenaded and made a speech. When the procession moved off, "We went . . . to the Falstaff House . . . [About] half-past ten o'clock . . . I went out the front door. I then heard someone over at Ford's Theatre cry out fight. I run over and went in . . . [and] found the audience all on their feet crying out to hang some one. I . . . jumped on the stage and then learned that President Lincoln had been assassinated. I then started to go in the box where the President was but met five or six men carrying him out. I then went in . . . and found it one pool of blood. I picked up the collar which had been torn from the President's neck. . . . When I heard of the President being assassinated it almost set me wild." The balance of the entry discusses his restless night, including a return to the vicinity of Ford's "to hear if the President was still living. He was . . . but died a few minutes after I arrived. . . . It commenced raining a few minutes before this and continued raining all day . . . I . . . spent the day wandering gloomily around the streets. By noon the whole city was draped in mourning." With sad sarcasm, he comments "The South is avenged. Sic simper tyrannis." Together with a framed ensemble of copy photos of Ferree at various ages; a file of miscellaneous related material; and a detailed, notarized affidavit signed by his daughter-in-law, Erna C. Ferree, one page, 8.5" x 13", Pinellas Co., Fla., 25 August 1946, which touches upon his personal history and tells the story of the collar, obviously as she remembered it; she erroneously conflates its discovery with an event some hours later, when in company with his friend William Kent, Ferree returned to Ford's and, incredibly, they discovered on the floor the single-shot Deringer Booth had used to shoot Lincoln. A good contemporaneous account of the scene at Ford's Theatre, coupled with what must be the finest single "blood relic" that exists. Provenance: collar and affidavit, Turner, lot 88; diary acquired by Dr. Lattimer from The Scriptorium, Los Angeles, Cal., 1969.Sold for: $65,725.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61151 | [Abraham Lincoln] Lincoln's Bloodstained Shirt Cuff, With the Period Diary of its Owner, John T. Farnham. The relic itself is a rounded-edge cuff, 9.5" x 4", holed for cuff buttons; it is rather soiled, and spattered in a few spots with small reddish-brown drops of blood. Farnham, a clerk in the Adjutant General's office, has written across it on one side, in ink: "This cuff was cut from the shirt worn by Abraham Lincoln when assassinated at Ford's Theatre April 14th 1865 by J. Wilkes Booth". Together with Farnham's pocket diary, about 3" x 5" inches, and a half-inch thick, bound in flexible brown leather. Signed on the front free endpaper in pencil and noted, in ink, as being his "Field Diary 1864 Oct. 10th to June 21st 1865." Many entries are densely written. On April 14 he notes going to see "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" (unbeknownst to him, Taddie Lincoln was also in the audience, while his parents attended Ford's). "A panic was caused...by the announcement that the President had been assassinated...(shot in the head) with the assassin escaping... A desperate tragedy, and the audience left Grover's before the play ended. I went to Ford's....Mr. L. had been taken across street to private house, insensible. A crowd stood in waiting, in bad humor with rebels. Excited. At 11-1/2 the crowds were dispersed... Saturday 15th. Rain all day and the heavens are clothed in black... [S]aw hearse pass taking the President's body to the White House to be embalmed... Bells toll and crepe is hung on most buildings..." His entry for the 18th mentions running into "Lieut. Genl. Grant, alone. He looked sad and I only recognized him by the three stars on his shoulders... [P]roceeded to White House where thousands were waiting to get in. Passed into East Room and viewed hastily and unsatisfactorily the face of Mr. Lincoln in his splendid coffin... The features looked rather painful and a white powder had been sprinkled on the face. A sad scene." On May 18th, Farnham reveals that he "called on Miss Coleman who gave me as a relic of A. Lincoln, a cuff cut from the shirt he wore when assassinated. I was glad to get the relic." His entries for April 14-15 have a few simple hand-drawn mourning rules. Moderate wear, but basically fine. Exceptional Lincoln memorabilia, worthy of further research. Provenance: Farnham heirs to King V. Hostick, Springfield, Ill.; to Dr. Lattimer.Sold for: $23,900.00. |
| 61152 | Basil Norris Autograph Letter Signed "Basil Norris MD / (Surgeon USA)", one page, 7.5" x 9.5", Washington, D.C., 3 April 1881, to Judge Edwards Pierrepont in New York. Norris transmits (present) a 7.5" x 9.5" printed copy of a letter William H. Seward had written him in 1870 praising "the surgical skill and care with which you treated me in . . . 1865, when I fell under the blows of an assassin . . . while . . . lying helpless in my bed in my own house at Washington. . . . It seems to me to be an important duty . . . to record . . . the gratitude I owe you as a savior of my life." Norris asks Pierrepont to "bring the letter to the notice of solid men of New York", suggesting particularly that "influential members of the Union League" might "make a substantial acknowledgement" of his services "materially, professionally and socially." Evidently feeling slighted, and taking a bit too much credit, he closes with the comment: "I performed all the surgery in Mr. Seward's case, bound up his wounds, and attended him . . . when all other prominent men went to the bedside of the dying President." Doctors Verdi and Norris both gave testimony at the trial of the Lincoln conspirators. Norris was official physician to presidents Johnson and Grant and was one of the cadre of doctors who cared for Garfield as he lay dying. Both letters have folds and are fine.Sold for: $1,434.00. |
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Political |
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| 61153 | Louis H. Pelouze Partly Printed Pass Signed as assistant adjutant general and dated on the very day of Lincoln's assassination. Accomplished in the hand of a clerk on War Department form, one page, 5.5" x 2.75", Washington, D.C., 14 April 1865. Congressman Leonard Myers (of Pennsylvania) is allowed to go "to Richmond Va. to report to the Provost Marshal." Pelouze, originally on the staff of Gen. John A. Dix, was severely wounded at Cedar Mountain and thereafter took up administrative duties. He was among those present in the Petersen House on the night that Lincoln died there (presumably having accompanied Sec. of War Stanton to the scene) and formed part of the escort that took Lincoln's body back to the White House on the morning of 15 April. Toned with mounting residue on verso; fine. Provenance: Sang; Norm Boas Seaport Autographs, Mystic, CT, 1989.Sold for: $776.75. |
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Autographs |
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| 61154 | Henry Rathbone Autograph Signature, "H. R. Rathbone / Bvt Major U.S.A.", on a slip about 2.25" x 6". A fine-looking example which bears a period identification inked underneath. Identification reads "This man was in the box at the theatre with President Lincoln the night he was assassinated". Major Rathbone was a stepson of Lincoln's friend, Senator Ira Harris of New York, and stepbrother to the senator's daughter Clara. The two young people accompanied President and Mrs. Lincoln to Ford's Theatre on the night of 14 April 1865 when other invitees had declined. A moment after the fatal shot Rathbone tried to seize Booth, who used a dagger to severely slash his arm. Nevertheless Rathbone managed to escort Mary Lincoln over to the Petersen House, where he fainted from loss of blood. Rathbone married Clara in 1867, was discharged from the army at his own request soon after, and became U.S. Consul at Hanover, Germany, in 1882. Just before Christmas 1883 he shot Clara, stabbed her to death, then stabbed himself in the chest. Convicted of murder, he spent his remaining days in a German asylum for the criminally insane, where he died in 1911. Rathbone is said to have suffered from the thought that he might have saved Lincoln's life and exhibited erratic behavior for some years. His personal tragedy was certainly a reflection, and may in some degree have been a consequence, of the public one into which he had been thrust years before. Near very fine.Sold for: $776.75. |
| 61155 | [Lincoln Assassination] Assistant Adjutant General William Russell, Jr., Autograph Report Signed "Wm Russell Jr / AAG". One page, 7.75" x 9.5", n.p., April 15, 1865, to Union Cavalry General George H. Chapman. Written on letterhead of "Head Quarters Cavalry,/ Middle Military Division" (Army of the Shenandoah), advising Chapman, as commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division, that "The President was assassinated last night at Ford's Theatre & was reported dying at 1 A.M. The Secy. of War was also stabbed in his bed & is not expected to live. In accordance with instructions from Hd. Qrs. M.M.D., the movement ordered this P.M. is suspended. You will also issue the strictest orders to your pickets to allow no one within or without the lines except those well known. All others will be arrested & forwarded to Hd. Qrs. at once." This letter was doubtless written for hand delivery in the early morning hours of the 15th, before Lincoln had died. The mistaken report that the secretary of war (rather than secretary of state) had been stabbed, plus the order for pickets to arrest unrecognized parties, suggest the confusion and anxiety that rippled across the north in the immediate wake of the dreadful news. Both in and out of the military it was feared that the assassination was a signal for more such stealthy acts and a last, desperate southern uprising. As its colonel, Chapman led the 3rd Indiana Cavalry at Gettysburg and Brandy Station. Made a brigadier in July 1864, he was wounded at and brevetted for Winchester. Russell, the writer, joined the 18th New York infantry in 1861, won brevets for Antietam, Gettysburg and Petersburg, and died of wounds received in action with Indians in Texas in 1870. Evenly toned with folds; fine. Provenance: Joseph C. Rubinfine, circa 1981.Sold for: $5,975.00. |
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Political |
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| 61156 | [Seward Assassination Attempt] Verdi Tullios Autograph Note Signed "T. S. Verdi M.D." One page, 7.75" x 8.5", Washington, D.C., n.d. Dr. Verdi, the personal physician to Secretary of State William H. Seward, grants permission for Paul Morrow to be "buried temporarily in my lot" in Catskill Cemetery. This item might relate to Verdi's service as a New York regimental surgeon. As Seward's personal physician, he tended to the arm and jaw which the secretary broke in a carriage accident on 5 April 1865. Lewis Payne, through casual chat with a household domestic, learned Dr. Verdi's name and used it to gain entrée on the night of 14 April, claiming Dr. Verdi had sent him with medicine for the secretary. His assassination attempt, by knife, was foiled because of a support Seward was resting upon. Dr. Verdi was the first to reach Seward's bedside. He eventually gave testimony at the trial of the Lincoln conspirators. This document, on lined paper, is toned with some minor stains. A 3" x .75 piece is missing from the top right corner, else fine.Sold for: $119.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61157 | [Assassination Attempt] William H. Seward Two Telegram Transmission Copies sent from Washington, D.C., by William H. Seward Jr. to his wife in Auburn, N.Y. Reporting on the condition of his father and brother Frederick; each about onepage, 5" x 7.5", with telegrapher's stamps and dockets. One, 25 April 1865, states "Both much improved this morning"; the other, 30 April 1865, states "Frederick passed a restless night but is . . . regaining strength. He remains entirely conscious. As yet there is no indication of a return of the bleeding although it may occur at any moment and prove fatal if not controlled. Father's jaw has been set and he is comfortable." Both have a slight separation at the bottom of the middle vertical fold; each has a hole in the top left corner. Fine.Sold for: $478.00. |
| 61158 | [Edwin Stanton] Contemporary Copies of Sec. of War Stanton's Dispatches Reporting President Lincoln's Decline and Death, written in an unidentified hand but signed "J.H.", 2 pages, 6" x 10", in pencil on yellow paper. This manuscript, very possibly written by a press telegrapher as news of the assassination came over the wires, includes the two most famous messages sent by Stanton during the death watch, addressed to Gen. John A. Dix, then commanding in New York. The first, datelined from the War Department at 4:10 A.M. on April 15, 1865, reports "The Prest. continues insensible & sinking. Sec. Seward remains without change. Fredk. Seward's skull is fractured in 2 places... Wilkes Booth...shot the President... It appears from a letter found in Booth's trunk that the murder was planned before the 4 March, but fell through then because the accomplices backed out until Richmond would be heard from..." The second dispatch solemnly and simply reports: "Ab. Lincoln died this morning at 22 min. past 7." The manuscript concludes with two other reports, neither attributed and both erroneous to a degree: "...Fred Seward is dead -- 9 o'c this A.M." and "Wilkes Booth is the youngest brother of Edwin Booth, 33 years old." Provenance: Sang, lot 268.Sold for: $10,755.00. |
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Political |
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| 61159 | [Abraham Lincoln] Syringe Set Owned by Dr. Robert K. Stone, Personal Physician to Abraham Lincoln, and Used at His Deathbed. Silver irrigating syringe and assorted needles, housed in the fitted interior of a black leather case measuring 4.75 x 2.75 inches, stamped in gilt on the cover "Robt. King Stone M.D." Stone (1822-1872), born in the District of Columbia, was educated at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania and taught at the National Medical College in Washington during the 1850s. A specialist in ophthalmic and aural medicine, he became the personal physician of the Lincoln family following their arrival in Washington in 1861 and so served them throughout the war. On the night the President was shot, Dr. Stone came to his bedside as quickly as possible but, observing medical etiquette, declined taking charge in favor of the first physician on the scene, Dr. Charles A. Leale. Realizing that Lincoln's case was hopeless, Dr. Stone nevertheless remained with him through the night and until his death in the early morning of 15 April 1865. The case was originally accompanied by a handwritten note of Dr. King (now present only in photocopy) reading "For Thomas, this case was used for my last visit to Pres. Lincoln. Please save it. Your father Robert King Stone". Together with an 8vo handwritten note signed by Faith Waggaman, New York, 1970, stating that the case "belonged to my great uncle, Dr. Robert King Stone...", and a notarized, signed statement by Stanley Jacks, New York, 1972, attesting that he was given the case by Mrs. Waggaman. Accompanied by a substantial number of letters, photos, clippings, and photocopied materials concerning Dr. Stone and the syringe set, as well as an engraved steel printing plate portrait of Dr. Stone (the surface long ago properly coated with paraffin, for preservation, but likely still usable), and a print pulled from it (badly toned and in poor condition). There are also about a dozen family letters, ca. 1830's-80s, nearly all in poor condition, some damaged and/or partly illegible, most broken in folds, some in pieces. Provenance: Leslie Hindman auction of the King V. Hostick collection, Chicago, Ill., 20 April 1985, lot 134. Sold for: $31,070.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61160 | [Lincoln Physician] Robert King Stone Medical Books. Washington, D.C., doctor and educator who was personal physician to the Lincoln family during their White House years, and one of those who tended the president on his deathbed. Two-volume set of Nouveau Elements de Medecine Operatoire . . . par Alf. A. L. M. Velpeau. . . (Paris: 1839), together with a three-volume set of Velpeau's Clinique Chirurgicale. . . ; all in original gilt-stamped full leather. Each volume is autographed "R.K. Stone M.D." at the top of the title page, with his simple name bookplate inside covers.Sold for: $3,107.00. |
| 61161 | [Ford's Theatre] William Withers, Jr. Autograph Letter Signed on "Brooklyn Hotel" letterhead, two pages, 5" x 8", [San Francisco, Cal.], November 9, 1892. Written to Mr. Emmet Fostel regarding the printing of a musical programme and apologizing for not having a photograph to send. Together with a sepia toned photograph of Withers, 4" x 8.5", who is identified in a contemporary hand on the verso as: "Musical director of 'Ford's Theatre' at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln, Washington D.C." H. Duperly photographic backstamp. Letter has some showthrough from bold ink on verso, and a small nick at top, otherwise both pieces are near fine.Sold for: $567.63. |
| 61162 | [Lincoln Assassination] Unusual Manuscript Collection comprising the following: Benn Pitman (official stenographer at the trial of Booth's co-conspirators), Autograph Letter Signed, three pages, 7.75" x 10", on War Department letterhead, 23 June 1865, to Rev. Phineas D. Gurley (the Lincolns' Washington pastor) suggesting that he spearhead an effort to gather "for deposit at Ford's Theatre, the terrible but interesting . . . exhibits in the trial of the assassins" including Booth's hat and "the ball that pierced the brain of the President. . . . The person who found Booth's hat has made an informal application for it, stating that Barnham [sic; P.T. Barnum] of N.Y. had offered him $1500 for it. One object I have in view . . . [for] these national relics is to prevent . . . them getting into the hands of any vulgar, mercenary showman." He suggests a course of action, urging promptness since the military commission will close in a few days, but cautioning in a postscript: "You must not...ask for possession of these things till the findings and sentences are approved by the President." Toned with some separation along folds; fine. Wm. M. Stewart (prominent Nevada statesman), two typed letters signed, in all about five and one-half pages, 8" x 10.5", on U.S. Senate letterheads, 6 Jan. and 29 Feb. 1888, to fellow Senator John Conness, recalling their assassination-night experiences. Stewart describes how they, in company with Sen. Charles Sumner, first learned of the attacks on Seward and Lincoln and proceeded to the White House, where no such news had yet been received. While speaking to two soldiers there on guard duty "a messenger ran up and announced that Mr. Lincoln was shot. You remarked: 'This is a conspiracy . . . they will surely kill Stanton.' You then said to the soldiers . . . 'Go quick to Stanton's house'. . . . [T]here is no doubt but what you saved his life. He went to the door in answer to a ring of the bell and saw a man running away and the two soldiers that you sent approaching." At the Peterson house "I met one of the doctors . . . [who] told me that I could go in . . . if I insisted, but that every additional person exhausted the air and made it more difficult for the President to breathe. Mr. Sumner rushed past me while I was talking to the doctor and went in. I did not see where you went." Stewart further recalls being picked up, while standing near Willard's Hotel, by "Senator Foote, of Vermont . . . [who] told me that it was necessary to have the oath of office administered to Vice President Johnson, and asked me to go with him and get Chief Justice Chase for that purpose . . . [Chase] got into the hack with us. We then drove to the Kirkwood House and went to Johnson's rooms . . . waited for him to dress . . . and the Chief Justice administered the oath." Stewart concludes that Sumner's "capacity . . . to invent sensational stories was known and appreciated, but the fiction that gathers round his memory indicates that his power of misstatement is immortal." Usual folds, toned, and fine. Together with a typed copy of the recollections of Dr. George C. Maynard, a member of the Ford's Theatre audience (and cipher operator in the War Department telegraph office at the time), two and one-half pages, 8.5" x 11". His assassination recollections are rather typical, and doubtless colored by later reading, but he does say that Booth "slid down . . . to the stage, tearing down the flags" and "did not face the audience, nor brandish his knife . . . nor make any heroic speech. He acted like a man who was most anxious to get out of the building." Maynard also makes the rather startling assertion that a man "came out of the box saying 'Lincoln is shot' and holding up his fingers said 'there is a portion of his brain.'" He tells of encountering, the next morning, the procession that took Lincoln's body back to the White House: "The hearse was the only vehicle. . . . There was an entire absence of anything like display. . . . The morning was dark, rainy and gloomy. The spirit of the day was Death." Pages two and three are affixed at the top left. Mounting remnants on verso of page three. Fine. Together with a letter of L.W. (Mrs. Dr. George C.) Maynard, 1927, loaning her husband's original manuscript. Near fine.Sold for: $1,314.50. |
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Books |
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| 61163 | [Lincoln Assassination Newspaper] New York Times, April 15, 1865. The full eight-page edition, published between the time Lincoln was shot and his death a few hours later. Column one headlines read, in order: "AWFUL EVENT. President Lincoln Shot by an Assassin. The Deed Done at Ford's Theatre Last Night. The Act of a Desperate Rebel. The President Still Alive at Last Accounts. No Hopes Entertained of His Recovery. Attempted Assassination of Secretary Seward. Details of the Dreadful Tragedy." Front page printed with mourning rules, four of the six columns on the front page are filled with various reports of the event. In generally very good condition, small tear in the mast head, and fully separated at the center vertical fold. Very clean with just a few spots of foxing. Sold for: $1,434.00. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61164 | Three Military General Orders Reflecting the Assassination of President Lincoln, all issued by the "Headquarters Seventh Regiment, National Guard, S. N. Y.", from New York, each 8" x 11", signed in type by Colonel Emmons Clark and Adjutant J. H. Liebenau. General Order No. 8, one page, April 10, 1865. Issued four days before the assassination, but one day after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox. This order calls for a celebration on April 19 "in honor of the recent brilliant victories of the Union Armies, resulting in the suppression of the great rebellion". General Order No. 9, one page, April 15, 1865. Issued on the day President Lincoln died, rescinds General Order No. 8.: "In view of the great calamity . . . General Order No. 8 . . . is hereby countermanded." General Order No. 10, one page, April 20, 1865. This order calls the Seventh Regiment to "parade, fully uniformed and equipped" on April 24 and 25 "as Special Escort to the remains of our late President." These general orders, contemporaneous with and reflective of the Lincoln assassination, are in fine condition.Sold for: $478.00. |
| 61165 | [Lincoln's Death] Mourning Order. Printed Circular Letter from the Treasury Department, signed in facsimile by Secretary Hugh McCulloch, one page, 7.5" x 9", within narrow black mourning borders, Washington, D.C., 17 April 1865. "It is hereby ordered that, in honor to the memory of our late illustrious Chief Magistrate, all officers and others subject to the orders of the Secretary of the Treasury, wear crape upon the left arm for the period of six months." Beginning as a bank cashier in Fort Wayne, Indiana, McCulloch rose to be Comptroller of the Currency under Salmon P. Chase and was appointed Lincoln's third Secretary of the Treasury barely a month before the assassination. He was among the Cabinet members who visited the President's deathbed at the Peterson House, and continued in office under Andrew Johnson, briefly serving again (1884-85) under Chester Arthur. Mounting remnants on left side of front and right side of back, though it does not affect the text. Fine. Provenance: Barrett 672; Carnegie book shop, N.Y.C.; Kunhardt, 12.Sold for: $1,553.50. |
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Political |
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| 61166 | Pass to Green Room for Lincoln's Funeral. Special pass to Lincoln's official funeral held in the White House. The observance convened on April 19th represents the official Federal service with only six hundred passes (North, South, East, and Green) issued to dignitaries, members of Congress, and leading figures of the day. The number of passes was limited due to the small capacity of the rooms themselves. On heavy white stock, 3.25"x 5" with bold black border. Bold, cleaner than most, and in fine condition. This specimen, for the Green Room, is considered the scarcest. As reported in the May 6, 1865, issue of Harper's Weekly, "The remains of the President lay in the Green Room, in a metallic coffin. On each side of the coffin were four silver handles, with stars between, a vein of silver winding around the whole cast in a serpentine form. This rested upon a canopied catafalque, and was decorated with wreaths of moss and evergreen, with white flowers and lilies intermingled. Around the catafalque, at noon, were gathered the family of the President, the officiating clergymen, the delegates from New York City, the heads of Bureaus, representatives of the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, the Governors of several States, the Assistant Secretaries, a large number of Congressmen, officers of the Supreme Court, and the Diplomatic Corps. Reverend Dr. HALL opened the services by reading from the Episcopal service of the Dead. This was followed by an eloquent and affecting prayer by Bishop Simpson of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This portion of the service was most touching. At the close of his fervent appeal to the throne of Grace the Bishop repeated the Lord's Prayer, in which the whole audience joined as with one voice. The effect was sublime beyond any power of words to express, and the whole audience was melted to tears under its effect. Reverend Dr. Gunther, the pastor of the church which the President and his family were in the habit of attending, preached the funeral discourse. The service was closed with prayer by Reverend Dr. GRAY, chaplain of the Senate." An evocative touchstone to the saddest day in American history.Sold for: $8,365.00. |
| 61167 | Small "piece of the cloth covering Lincoln's catafalque", mounted on a piece of ornately blind-embossed paper (which appears to be an opened-out "ladies envelope" of the mid-19th century), the whole framed with a later typed description; no place of use is indicated.Sold for: $215.10. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61168 | [Lincoln Funeral: Philadelphia] Sepia Albumen Photograph From an Engraving with Printed Caption "PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S HEARSE. / APRIL 22d 1865..." Small printed text on the mount indicates this retouched image was one of a series taken by Henszey & Co., and credits undertaker E.S. Earley with having "designed and constructed" the ornate, canopied, black-and-white draped hearse. It is shown here in front of what appears to be a stone church, drawn by four teams of caparisoned horses, with handlers dressed in mourning garb and a few onlookers, including children; Lincoln's coffin is plainly visible. Light toning and a few areas of dampstaining. Together with a re-print circular [Lincoln's Death: Army Mourning Orders] Printed, black-bordered "General Orders, No. 40" issued "By command of Lieutenant-General Grant", Headquarters, Department of Mississippi, Vicksburg, 28 April 1865, 2 pages, 5" x 8". This order incorporates in its text War Department General Orders No. 66, signed in type by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, which had been issued on April 16th to officially announce Lincoln's death to the armies and declare mourning. Stanton left the procedural details of the latter to Gen. Grant, who here directs gun salutes, flying of the flag at half-staff, cessation of "labors and operations" for a day "as far as practicable in a state of war", draping of colors, and the like. This is a later reproduction of the original orders.Sold for: $956.00. |
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Political |
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| 61169 | Group of Six Handles from Abraham Lincoln's Coffin. Five complete and one incomplete, from the collection of Herbert Wells Fay, long-time caretaker of the Lincoln tomb. The origin of these is unclear, but likely taken from the outer coffin in 1874, when Lincoln's body was viewed and identified for placement in his finished tomb; other relic pieces are known to have been taken from the coffin at that time. One lacking a portion of the back-plate as shown. Provenance: Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobley auctions, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, lot 184.Sold for: $7,170.00. |
| 61170 | Edwin M. Stanton Letter Signed as secretary of war. One page, 7.75" x 9.75", "Washington City", May 26, 1868, on departmental letterhead to Brevet Major General E. D. Townsend. "You will take charge of the War Department and the books, papers, archives and public property belonging to the same, subject to the disposal and directions of the President." The letter bears two autograph endorsements signed by Townsend, each signed "E D Townsend /Asst. Adjt. Genl." One notes receipt of this order at 2:45 P.M. on the 26th of May; the other, dated 27 May, adumbrates: "Having received, at about 3:15 P.M. yesterday, a letter to deliver to the President, which I suppose to be the one . . . informing him that Mr. Stanton had retired from the War Department, and turned the care of it over to me, I delivered it in person. The President asked me when the charge . . . was turned over to me. I replied at about a quarter to three . . . I asked him if he had any orders to give me. He replied 'none.' I consider this as confirming me in charge of the Department until he orders me to give it up." This historic letter is a piece from the background of President Andrew Johnson's impeachment. The Radical Republican Senate, displeased with Johnson's moderate views on reconstruction, bedeviled him on many issues -- including his replacement of Stanton with Ulysses S. Grant -- and ultimately tried and failed, by one vote, to remove the president from office. The letter is evenly toned with folds and affixed to an angled-cut mat (overall size 8.5" x 10.5"). Fine.Sold for: $1,792.50. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61171 | [Lincoln's Funeral] Strips from Lincoln's Catafalque. Two strips of black cloth from the drapery of the catafalque on which Lincoln's coffin rested in City Hall, New York. The strips -- one arch-shaped, about .75" x 2.5" at its maximum dimensions, the other rectangular and slightly smaller -- are affixed to a black-bordered memorial card, 3.5" x 5", which bears a brief printed text including the "malice toward none, with charity for all" quote from Lincoln's second inaugural address; the whole on an old mount bearing a neatly hand-lettered description. The New York City stop of Lincoln's funeral journey, on 24-25 April 1865, resulted in two particularly historic photographs: one shows six-year-old Teddy Roosevelt (the future president) watching the funeral procession from a window in his grandfather's house; the other, the only known photograph of Abraham Lincoln in death, was taken as his coffin lay in City Hall on the very catafalque from which these cloth mementoes were taken. Fine.Sold for: $657.25. |
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Political |
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| 61172 | Piece of Lincoln's Funeral Train. Small piece of flimsy white cloth trimming from Abraham Lincoln's funeral car, about 1.25" x 11". Accompanied by a handwritten presentation note on a narrow strip, ca. 1865, signed "H.", beneath which is a later note reading "From Harriet E. Manchester to Gertrude Kellogg . . . at the time of Lincoln's death". Together with an envelope bearing a pencil notation that the fragment was later received from "Miss Fanny Kellogg, Port Kent, N.Y., 1942." The original giver has not been certainly identified, but Gertrude (1842-1903) and Fanny (1848-1946) Kellogg, neither of whom ever married, were daughters of wealthy Brooklyn and Port Kent merchant, diarist and spiritualist Charles White Kellogg; Gertrude was well-known in New York as an actress. Fine. Provenance: Kunhardt, lot 28.Sold for: $239.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61173 | [Lincoln Funeral: Springfield] Funeral Pass on card stock, printed in varied typefaces, reading "Guards Will Pass / One Person / to and from the / State House, / By the West Gate", signed in type by state officers "Sharon Tyndale, Sec. of State, / Orlin H. Miner, Auditor, / James H. Beveridge, Treasurer." About 3.25" x 1.75" (sight), matted and framed with a woodcut print, clipped from a pictorial magazine of the time, depicting "The Funeral Catafalque at Springfield, Illinois." Lincoln's long funeral journey - which approximated, in reverse, the route his inaugural train had taken four years before -- ended with his entombment in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield on 4 May 1865.Sold for: $2,629.00. |
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Political |
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| 61174 | Framed Ensemble and Lincoln Coffin Relic. A small, square piece of lead, .75" x 2", framed in a display, 23" x 19", with original note of provenance reading "This piece of lead is a piece of the lining of President Lincoln's coffin." Relic-souvenirs were made from the removed inner-lining to Lincoln's coffin - several sheathes replaced after wear-and-tear from constant "use." (A morbid concept - but they hardly let Lincoln's mortal remains "rest in peace.") Abraham Lincoln's coffin was moved 17 times, most resulting from the construction and reconstruction of the tomb at which times the coffin was placed in a temporary receiving vault and later a temporary grave. The coffin itself was opened five times: December 21, 1865, September 19, 1871, October 9, 1874, April 14, 1887, and September 26, 1901. (In 1876 there was an attempt to steal Lincoln's body and hold it for ransom.) The final time it was opened for inspection was at the direction of his surviving son - in the hope of forever putting to rest both his father and conspiracy theories as to the disposition of the body. Robert Todd Lincoln then instructed that it be sealed under ten feet of concrete. The sheets of lead were removed 1887 by the Illinois plumbers who had responsibility for the opening of the coffin, a task they complied with again that final instance in 1901. From the worn piece they forged souvenir coins and these small squares. Those Victorians loved their relics!Sold for: $2,390.00. |
| 61175 | A Piece of Abraham Lincoln's Outer Coffin. Cedar wood relic, about 4.5" x 7.5", with funereal black metal bracket on top, where the coffin lid was attached. This was obtained in 1874 when the National Lincoln Monument (Lincoln's tomb) was dedicated in Springfield, Illinois. At that time Lincoln's coffin was opened for viewing so that his remains could be positively identified by a group of his old friends, including Jesse K. Dubois, who was given this piece as a memento. This is said to be the largest known piece of the coffin. It is accompanied by a manuscript document signed by Lincoln Dubois (Jesse Dubois's son and Abraham Lincoln's first certifiable namesake), dated Springfield, 13 December 1886. The younger Dubois certifies that this is a "piece of the outside casket . . . obtained . . . [in] Oct. 1874." He notes that his father was vice president of the Lincoln National Monument Association and is presenting this piece to J.W. Keyes "with compliments" of the Dubois heirs. The document is very badly toned and faded, split in three pieces with small losses and staining, but is still readable. Provenance: Jesse Dubois; Lincoln Dubois; J.W. Keyes, proprietor of the Lincoln Memorial collection, exhibited at Chicago ca 1889; Fostell, lot 89; George Rinsland auctions, Allentown, Penn., ca 1970/75; Col. William R. Orbelo, San Antonio, Tex. Sold for: $2,151.00. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61176 | Hand-Painted Lincoln Mourning Fan. An absolutely stunning, lady's commemorative fan. Spreads open into a 22" half circle formed by eleven gilt, incised, decorative metal rods, each with an oval medallion and embellished with federal eagles. The end medallion has a concealed blade 4" in length which can be slid back out of sight or pressed forward if needed. A large, golden tassel hangs from the apex of the fan. The fan itself is adorned with fabric 3" in width with scenes from the Civil War and the assassination. In sequential order: the first panel depicts the battle between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac; the second is Booth, Mrs. Surratt, Payne and John Surratt around a table rehearsing their evil plans; the next panel shows Booth shooting the president at Ford's, Rathbone and Clara Harris witnessing the event; the central panel is a scene from the stage performance of Our American Cousin with Laura Keene and two other actors; the next panel depicts Booth's escape on horseback; the next is Booth being shot down while hiding in the barn Garrett's farm; the final tableaux is the burning of Richmond in April 1865. The front has an ornate decorative border that includes small demons. The fan is mounted in a two-sided glass frame such the reverse can be shown as well - a portrait of Lincoln surrounded by angels and cherubs with two idealized memorial columns. The work is titled "To The Martyr Of His Country Abraham Lincoln" with at bottom "President Abraham Lincoln United States." At left is a miniature sheet of music with notes and lyrics in Spanish, the work entitled "Cancion A Abraham Lincoln." Above is the American eagle and the canton "Abanicos Blinados Con Privilegio." At the right can be found "The Patent Plated Fan." A similar fan is found in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts; these were either made in Cuba or Spain for import. As far as Victorian mourning items, this is one of the most lovely display pieces found. There is a long tradition of producing women's fans with American presidents or patriotic themes as subject matter, beginning with a French-made fan celebrating Thomas Jefferson's 1801 Inauguration. In terms of its elaborate construction, beautiful and detailed vignettes, and superb condition, this is surely the finest example of this genre which we have encountered. Simply magnificent. Diameter when open 22".Sold for: $15,535.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61177 | Abraham Lincoln Poems. 1. Abraham Lincoln's Character. Sketched by English Travellers, by W. W. B[room]. Four pages, 6" x 9", n.p., n.d. Excerpt: "The President (Lincoln), who was neatly dressed in a suit of black, is just six feet two inches in height, of spare and upright figure; his hair is black; his eyes have a remarkably calm expression." Page three begins "In Memoriam" poem, written in Brooklyn, April 30, 1865. Previously taped to reinforce the fold; fine. 2. Poem "The Nation is Weeping" by Louise S. Upham, "Published by Chas Magnus, 12 Frankfort St., N.Y." One page, 5" x 8", n.p., n.d. This stirring poem begins, "'Lincoln has fallen! the good and the great!'/ Wail of a people in sorrow; 'Martyr, we crown thee, at heaven's gate;'/ The song of the angels to-morrow." Fine. 3. A copy of Lincoln's favorite poem, "Mortality, or Oh, Why Should the Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?" by William Knox. One page on yellow sheet, 4.5" x 9.25", n.p., n.d. Lincoln loved reading and writing poetry. He first became aware of this poem as a young man when he saw it in a newspaper, cut it out, and memorized it. Chipping on right edge; fine. 4. Also included "General Orders, No. 72" issued "By order of the Secretary of War", Washington, April, 1865. One page, 5" x 7.25". Signed in type by Assistant Adjutant General E. D. Townsend and announcing which "General Officers and Guard of Honor will accompany the remains of the late President from the city of Washington to Springfield." Nine generals are listed, including E. D. Townsend. Uneven left margin (with 1" tear); fine. Not Sold. |
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Political |
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| 61178 | An Unusual Lincoln Mourning Badge. A small 4.5" silk ribbon forms the central element of a striking red, white, blue, and black ribbon badge. This ribbon is not listed in Sullivan and Fischer's American Political Ribbons and Ribbon Badges 1825 -- 1981. Excellent condition.Sold for: $1,912.00. |
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Books |
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| 61179 | [Abraham Lincoln Eulogies] Lot of Two Brazilian Eulogies Titled "As Exequias de Abrahao Lincoln Presidente dos Estados-Unidos da America..." by Jose Manoel da Conceicao. 40pp., 4" x 6", Rio de Janeiro: Eduardo & Henrique Laemmert [1865]. Slight difference in sizing, and different colored wraps, but text is identical. Copy in light blue wraps is signed by William H. Seward on front wrap. Pages are lightly toned, wraps show evidence of wear and negligible chipping.Sold for: $507.88. |
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Political |
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| 61180 | An Unusual Victorian Display Mourning President Lincoln. The central item is a 5.5 " x 4" embossed, open work paper mourning piece in excellent condition. Also displayed are two sections of silver fringe and a black and silver star that presumably had some connection to Lincoln memorial services, but which are unidentified. Framed to a size of 12.5 " by 15" in what appears to be the original frame.Not Sold. |
| 61181 | Mourning Ribbons and Union League Tribute. Another bold mourning ribbon, 1865, 3.25" x 8.25", in fine condition. Together with two Union League silks and badge affixed to cards. The light blue "Union League" ribbon, 2.5" x 7.5", is in fine condition. The red, white, and blue ribbon, 1" x 3.5", in fine condition, has provenance to the original owner. The Union League was the organization that championed Lincoln's reelection efforts in 1864. The wealthy directors of this private, patriotic club personally funded a huge percentage of the political imprints published in support of Abe. Wonderful relics.Sold for: $507.88. |
| 61182 | Lincoln Memorial Ribbons. Two lovely silk ribbons honoring the martyred president. A 2.5" x 12" multicolored woven ribbon with words from the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. A bright, clean specimen folded back at top for pinning, with light foxing; very fine condition overall. This was issued at the 1893 and 1904 World Fairs. Together with a bold, 1865 mourning ribbon, 3.5" x 10", that presents a stark, quite dramatic portrait. Fine condition. A lovely pair of tribute items.Sold for: $478.00. |
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Photography |
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| 61183 | [Abraham Lincoln's Burial Vault] Group of four cartes de visite by J.Q.A Tresize, images include Lincoln's casket in the receiving vault, and the temporary vault. Together with two additional unidentified images. CDV of the casket in the receiving vault has a significant horizontal crease, but retains good detail. Temporary vault image has a tiny pinhole at top, and a detailed diagram on the verso of the burial area mapping out the location of both vaults and the eventual tomb. Sold for: $3,107.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61184 | [Abraham Lincoln Monument] Contemporary Copy of the Specifications of Work and Materials for the Construction of the National Lincoln Monument at Springfield, Illinois. 13pp., 8" x 12.5", circa 1870s, titled "National Lincoln Monument to be erected at Springfield, Ills. by Larkin G. Mead Jr. Sculptor. / Specifications of work and materials. Nov. 25 - 1868." Narrative provides great detail of work, including quality of materials, procedures to be followed and measurements. Plans clearly delineate that in all instances only the finest of materials will suffice. Also included is a copy of the contract engaging William D. Richardson as the builder of the monument. According to the contract, Richardson was paid $136,550 for his work; with payments made on a monthly basis, save 15% to be retained until satisfactory completion. Soiling to first and verso of last page; great content. Sold for: $358.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61185 | Blueprints for the Lincoln Tomb. One blueprint page, 35" x 23", November 20, 1929, for "repairing, restoring, reconstructing Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois." Lincoln's tomb was originally finished in 1874, nine years after his assassination. Still, his body was moved many times and for many reasons: for fear of theft, during tomb restoration programs, and at the request of Robert Todd Lincoln. The tomb was acquired in 1895 by the State of Illinois. In 1901, Lincoln's body was placed in its final resting place, a cement vault in the tomb. This blueprint represents the plans for the final reconstruction of the interior of the tomb, which was done from 1930-1931. Since then, the tomb has been administered by the State of Illinois and has undergone little change. Today, the president, his wife, and three of their four sons rest there. Near very good.Sold for: $1,673.00. |
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Political |
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| 61186 | Several Bits of Wood and Plaster, Housed In a Fan-Shaped Victorian Cardboard Box. Ink notation on underside: "Wood from box containing Lincoln's casket, plaster from inside of tomb. April 25, 1901." A check of the historical record confirms that Lincoln's previous tomb was opened on April 24, 1901, and his coffin was moved from an underground crypt to a sarcophagus which would ultimately be placed in its new resting place in the permanent tomb the following September. Sold for: $836.50. |
| 61187 | Key from Lincoln's Tomb. Ornate jointed bronze "key", or portion of a locking mechanism, about 2.5" long; framed with its original descriptive tag (penciled by Herbert Wells Fay, longtime custodian of Lincoln's Springfield tomb) describing it as "From lock north door." This object was doubtless removed, and saved by Fay, when the tomb was rebuilt in 1931 due to deterioration. Fine, dark green and brown patina; unusual and decorative. Provenance: Herbert Wells Fay collection, sold by Riba-Mobly auctions, South Glastonbury, Conn., 26 October 1985, lot 185.Not Sold. |
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Autographs |
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| 61188 | Two Affidavits Concerning the Last Viewing and Final Interment of Abraham Lincoln's Remains. Each one page, 8.25" x 11". One, signed by John Whitney of Springfield [Ill.] in 1921, explains where Lincoln's grave is located within the monument: "The excavation is about five feet from the front door of the catacomb and directly in front of the same, and fifteen feet in the ground" (for the final interment, made in 1901, Lincoln's casket was encased in steel and concrete at the request of his son Robert, to foil any future attempts at moving or stealing it). The other affidavit, a 1924 Autograph Document Signed by C.L. Willey, witnessed by John F. Willey and H. W. Fay (then custodian of the tomb), states: "I was working for Leon C. Hopkins, plumber, and on Sep. 26, 1901 accompanied him to Lincoln's tomb and I cut the sheet lead that covers the cedar casket. After the party viewed the remains I soldered a larger piece of lead over the opening. Any one could recognize him. His face was dark but a white mould was very noticeable." Together with 1884 note by two St. Louis coppersmiths recording their work on the tomb, originally hidden by them under the copper cap of the tomb obelisk, very dirty and water-stained, glued to an 5.75" x 9.5" explanatory note on monument stationery, 1900; remnants of an envelope addressed to J.C. Power (tomb custodian), ca. 1886; undated typed copy, notarized by Harlington Wood, of a 1904 affidavit certifying that Fleetwood Lindley viewed Lincoln's remains in 1901 (a boy at the time, Lindley lived for more than sixty years afterwards and was known as the "last man who ever saw Abraham Lincoln"); 1928 letter to H. W. Fay from A. S. Stimson concerning the number of times Lincoln's body had been moved. A curious assortment! Sold for: $1,135.25. |
| 61189 | [The Execution of the Conspirators] Canby Brainard Alrich Autograph Letter Signed "C.B. Alrich" on letterhead of Headquarters, Middle Military Division, 10 pages, 5" x 8", [Washington, D.C.], July 7, 1865, to his "Dear Brother" (Levi Alrich). Alrich, participant and witness, served as a private in Co. B, 71st Pennsylvania, and was on Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's staff at war's-end. In part: "...Today and yesterday have been eventful days in this city... Yesterday on my arrival at the office I was dispatched to the Arsenal with the orders for the execution of four of the conspirators viz. Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Atzerodt, and Herold. The order I presented in person to Brvt. Maj. Genl. Hartranft, comm'd'g at the Arsenal. You may think this unpleasant duty. Well, so it was but it had to be performed. Today I witnessed the execution." He notes arriving at the Arsenal at 11 A.M. but waiting an hour and a half in the office of the military storekeeper, then going "in the prison yard... [T]hrough the kindness of the officer in immediate charge I secured a seat in a building about 50 feet from the scaffold at a large window where I had a full view of the whole proceedings. One Regt. was formed in a three-sided square enclosing the scaffold, the fourth side was... the yard wall... about 25 feet high on the top of which... was a close line of soldiers. The scaffold was about 12 or 15 feet high made of rough pine timber, the four... nooses... all suspended from the same beam. About 1:15 P.M. the prisoners were brought out, mounted the scaffold, Mrs. Surratt appeared to lose all use of her limbs, and [was] literally carried by the arms from out the prison to her chair on the scaffold. Atzerodt & Herold were also supported on either side each by two men and used their legs in walking with great difficulty. Payne walked firmly from out his cell to... the scaffold. Mrs. Surratt sat on the right and... leaned her head against the breast of her priest, who held a cross in front of her and conversed in low tones. On Mrs. Surratt's left sat Payne... perfectly composed... On Payne's left was Herold. He trembled violently and seemed to have lost all expression of face, and was of an ashy whiteness. On Herold's left came Atzerodt. He trembled more violently yet than Herold." After prayers by their respective clergymen, and an expression of thanks on behalf of the condemned by Rev. Dr. Gillett for the "kindness always exhibited towards them" by the trial commissioners and those who had charge of them, at "exactly 1:30 P.M. the signal was given and the trap sprung and four mortals were launched into eternity, and their souls brought before their maker. Mrs. Surratt died almost without a struggle, the others struggled more or less. Atzerodt died the hardest... While the cap was over Atzerodt's head he said in a clear and distinct voice 'Gentlemen beware' and afterwards, not so plainly, 'Who is that goes before me.' They were all taken down in about 20 minutes." Noting that he has "written... in a hurry", he states that it "was 96 in the shade here today in one of the coolest buildings in the city." A postscript adds: "Do not mention to anyone that I carried the orders." Together with a copy, in Alrich's hand, of a letter to him from Asst. Adjutant Gen. E.D. Townsend, War Dept., Washington, 8 May 1865, sent "Thro' Maj. Gen. Hancock", provisionally approving Alrich for a Lieutenancy in Hancock's First Corps. Provenance: Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York.Sold for: $17,925.00. |
| 61190 | Samuel Bland Arnold Unsigned Autograph Manuscript, comprising a portion of his autobiographical "Defence and Prison Experiences of a Lincoln Conspirator". One page, 8" x 4.5", n.p., n.d. Bookdealer Charles F. Heartman, who had acquired Arnold's manuscript account of his relationship with John Wilkes Booth, gave it its first full book publication in 1943. The present portion of that manuscript comprises the final paragraph of the chapter "The Trial and Its Object" in the Heartman edition, appearing on page 18 of that work. Arnold states that he will offer "some of the details of my trial, giving my personal views in regard thereto at the time and from subsequent knowledge. . . . I do not give them as facts, but claim they are as much facts as that which was produced upon my trial. . . . [T]he evidence adduced was but a mass of perjury. . . . I have suffered for years, to which no further suffering can be added now, and the time will yet come, tho' late, that my name will be cleared from the foul accusation heaped upon me through the machinations of officials of the United States Government." A bit of fraying at upper left margin and a couple of small marginal nicks just touch two words; slightly discolored, else very good. Together with a bust photo of the white-bearded Arnold, autographed on the lower margin of the mount "Yrs truly / Saml B. Arnold / Age - 70 years & 6 months / March 14th 1905". His writing just barely touches the blindstamp of the photographer, J. Orville Johnson of Washington, D.C. Provenance: Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, sale 22 March 1966, lot 102.Not Sold. |
| 61191 | Andrew Johnson Partly Printed Document Signed as president, one page, 8" x 10", Washington, 1 March 1869. "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to a warrant for the pardon of Samuel B. Arnold dated this day." With less than four days left in his Presidency, Johnson pardoned all of the surviving Lincoln conspiracy convicts who had served their time at Fort Jefferson on Dry Tortugas island in Florida. Arnold lived to write a self-justifying memoir of his place in the conspiracy, which also expressed great bitterness at his imprisonment. Fine.Sold for: $15,535.00. |
| 61192 | Samuel Bland Arnold Autograph Letter Signed "Saml B. Arnold", four pages, 5" x 6.25", Friendship, Maryland, 3 April 1905, to Lincoln collector A(l) E(mmett) Fostell. A friendly letter, explaining that an earlier one was returned as missent, and that he has since suffered "grippe, catarrh, bronchitis & mild . . . pneumonia" by turns, leaving "heavy inflammation upon both lungs" and a "wretched cough, which unnerves me" He expresses the hope that "cod liver oil & the warmth of spring's sun" will be a corrective. Referring to the series of articles the Baltimore American had published about him a few years before, Arnold reports "I have no copy. . . . I have the ms. alone & should I succeed will endeavor to have it published either in pamphlet or book form. I am satisfied a cheap edition would pay the publisher. I know nothing of Jno. H. Surratt's whereabouts. My acquaintance with him is so limited that you may say . . . he is a perfect stranger. I never saw him but three times and never held conversation with him over five minutes, even if that long. I think, however, he is . . . in business in Baltimore. Possibly might find his name in the Balto. directory." Remarking the fine spring weather, he suggests that his health problems may disappear "preparing my garden, in which I delight. . . . Sitting about only brooding over one's trouble, adds thereto. . . . All I want is mild exercise & warm sun, & my nerve power will do the rest. Your letter so friendly is much appreciated. Glad to hear from you at any time." Arnold's hopes for a full recovery were apparently not realized; he died in September 1906. Toned and fine. Provenance: Fostell; Charles Hamilton Galleries, New York, 31 July 1969.Sold for: $507.88. |
| 61193 | Samuel Bland Arnold Series of Five Autograph Letters Signed "Saml B Arnold", written to William B. Kines, city editor of the Baltimore American newspaper. About 15 pages in all, small 5" x 6" and 5" x 7.5", Friendship, Md., 13 Dec. 1902 -- 9 May 1903, most with their original stamped, postmarked envelopes, addressed and marked "Personal" by Arnold. At some point late in his life, Arnold wrote an autobiographical memoir which explained (and justified) his association with John Wilkes Booth, who had been a boyhood schoolmate and good friend. The memoir admitted enthusiastic involvement in the actor's "humane and patriotic" plan to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage for the benefit of the Confederacy, but flatly denied any role in the subsequent murder. Arnold was adamant that his manuscript should not be published during his lifetime. But when another Sam Arnold died in 1902 and was mistaken by newspapermen for the conspirator, the resultant unflattering obituaries prompted the real Sam Arnold to speak up. He allowed Kines to see and utilize his manuscript for a series of articles which appeared in the Baltimore American in December 1902, and the present letters relate to the aftermath of that venture. The earliest complains about a few statements made in the articles: "I have been misquoted. . . . I have plainly stated that when I first engaged with Booth in his scheme, I informed my family that I was employed by him in the oil business. This was said to remove any suspicion. . . . All my family were totally ignorant of the whole affair." An assertion that he had denied being "in any manner connected with Booth or others, is in flat contradiction of avowed utterances . . . I denied nothing. I told the truth then, I proclaim it now. . . . This mistake does me a gross injustice and is evidence against me not contained either in my ms. or produced before that military tribunal & should be corrected." As far as letting his manuscript "in toto" be published as a book or pamphlet, Arnold supposes that would "incur considerable expense to you . . . hence if to you it would be worth something, it certainly ought to be the same for me." He reveals that when he was released from prison in 1869, (Severn) Teakle Wallis (a well-known Baltimore legislator who had spent a year of the war imprisoned for disloyalty) "requested me to write up the facts now contained in my ms. and that he would . . . review the same and arrange it for publication, without cost to me. I . . . intended doing so, but my undesirability of again coming before the public left the work undone. I thanked Mr. Wallis and . . . settled back as a recluse." He supposes the offer could have earned him enough to set up in business. "Now of course it is too late, age and infirmities are against me." Nevertheless he declares that if he had means to publish it properly he could "dispose of a copy to every household" in his district. "There is not a state in the union in which it could not be sold. It would become a part of the history of the U. States, and show to each rising generation what all governments are capable of doing in bloody war." He concludes that he "can not surrender the ms. to you without a price or royalty. I am fully satisfied from the eagerness displayed in the country to read the articles now being published, that your paper will be handsomely paid." On 18 December Arnold extends thanks for an article correction that will "place me right within the country", but devotes most of his letter to a colorful account of the escape from Fort Jefferson of his fellow prisoner, Col. George St. Leger Grenfell (an English adventurer and intriguer who had joined the Confederacy and served on the staff of Gen. John Hunt Morgan, legendary raider). Arnold recalls how, during a "terrible gale the Col. informed that he intended making his escape, as everything was . . . ready for the undertaking. I endeavored to dissuade him, telling him a more favorable opportunity would present itself, and to attempt it now was surely death. His remark was, better a watery grave, than death dealt out by inches at the fort. . . I bade him goodbye, and God protect him." Arnold names the men who accompanied the Colonel, taking "a small 16 ft. boat, used for rowing around about the fort. I am perfectly convinced that each met a watery grave, before they were out of sight... His escape caused intense excitement. . . On my return to Balto. in 1869 I received a letter from his sister . . . making inquiry about him. . . Silence since then establishes, I think, that the entire party were drowned." Responding, apparently, to a question about the rumors that Booth had in fact escaped, Arnold opines that "Jno. W. Booth no doubt is dead and his bones now lie in...Greenmount Cemetery. He was shot in Garrett's barn. Herold . . . was his pilot through lower Maryland [and] still followed him and surrendered before Booth was shot. In my mind there is not the slightest doubt as to his demise." Writing on 15 January, Arnold asks to keep a letter Kines had received from Maj. L.O. Bridewell, C.S.A., explaining: "In 1863 I was employed by him in the Quartermaster Depot of the Confederate States at Augusta, Ga. His letter corroborates that part of my narrative and the cause of my return to the states. . . . The Major was a perfect gentleman as well as a good soldier. I never expected to hear of him again. . . . His letter is quite a tribute to my personal character." Noting that he has three firms interested in publishing his memoir (the most important one named being the Bowen-Merrill Company of Indianapolis), he asks if Kines will "place a market value upon it. I might hold out for the sum you may name and if not successful, fall back to the figures they may propose." He says he cannot see Kines now, since he only makes one annual trip to Baltimore, in October, but "I certainly shall call to see you, as from correspondence . . . between us, I feel that I know you well and look upon you as a friend." He closes stating his belief that "many copies of my narrative could be sold in the south, especially", with "much profit" to any firm undertaking it. The last letter dismisses a published "New Yorker's story. . . . [I]t is not likely that Jno. Wilkes Booth would have communicated to a perfect stranger such a startling disclosure [his intent to murder Lincoln] & . . . should he have done so, & the millionaire Corby failing to make [it] known to the proper authorities . . . makes him . . . as guilty in the crime as Booth himself. Strange such a story remained until for nearly 40 years. . . . I stand by the confession of those in the crime, that assassination was never contemplated until sprung upon them at 8 o'clock in the evening and carried into effect at 10 o'clock the same evening. I am constrained to believe that Booth was at the time he committed his unholy crime, demented, brought about through the collapse of the southern cause, for the success of which every beating pulse of his heart throbbed. He was naturally erratic and of a visionary mind & the south crushed - crazed him. . . . This is my firm & fixed conviction." Apropos of the "George story" (David E. George, a recent Oklahoma suicide, had supposedly confided that his true identity was John Wilkes Booth), Arnold laconically comments: "The west is productive of many startling stories." A significant archive, with uncommonly direct and detailed mentions of Booth and the assassination. All letters are toned and fine; envelopes are stained, expected of the turn of the century postal service.Sold for: $1,912.00. |
| 61194 | Lafayette C. Baker, Head of the "National Detective Police" (a forerunner of the Secret Service) Letter Signed "L.C. Baker" as "Col. & Agent" of the War Department, one page, 7.5" x 7", on department letterhead, "Washington City", 5 May 1865, to Maj. (James Rowan) O'Beirne, Provost Marshal. "I am desired by the Secretary of War to request you to report to him in person immediately." Both O'Beirne and Baker played a role in the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth and shared in the assassination reward money. Baker selected the men who ran Booth to ground, and although he did not accompany them, he did take charge of the assassin's body when it was brought to Washington and supervised its original burial. Baker's penchant for prevarication, obfuscation, and intrigue made him a natural protagonist for twentieth-century conspiracy theorists who saw him as a mastermind behind the assassination. With folds and very few small stains; fine. Provenance: Sang; Timothy H. Bakken; George Rinsland Americana Auctions, Allentown, PA, 1980.Sold for: $1,015.75. |
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Books |
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| 61195 | [Abraham Lincoln Assassination Trial] John A. Bingham: Argument of John A. Bingham, Special Judge Advocate, in Reply to the Arguments of... Counsel for Mary E. Surratt, David E. Herold..., Charged with Conspiracy and the Murder of Abraham Lincoln... Washington: Government Printing Office, 1865. First edition. 8vo (5.75" x 8.75"), original printed wrappers. Presentation copy signed by Bingham on the front wrapper. Later bound in cream cloth with a carte de visite John Wilkes Booth laid into the inside front cover. Very clean copies with a few tears at seams in the opening and closing pages in no way affecting text.Sold for: $1,314.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61196 | The Earliest Known Signature of John Wilkes Booth, penned in his copy of The History of Peter the Great . . . from the French of Voltaire, by Smollett (New York: 1847), 16mo, original green-and-black-patterned blindstamped cloth, gilt title on spine; Volume I (only). The book is boldly signed in full on the inside front cover "John Wilkes Booth / Sept 1848" in two lines, both sketchily underlined for emphasis. We know of no earlier autograph of the future actor and assassin; this example was written at the age of 10-1/2, and displays youthful exuberance as well as a seeming pride in possession. Wilkes had somewhat indifferent schooling, did not take to such as he had, and to a great extent was self-taught from his father's extensive library. Miscellaneous pencil markings and words scattered through the text appear to have been made by Mary Ann Booth, Wilkes's mother. The ticket of A. P. Burt's Cheap Bookstore, Baltimore, is pasted in the upper left corner of the inside front cover, which also bears three blobs of wax and paper remnants (one near, but all clear, of Booth's very fine, dark signature). Spine ends chipped and frayed, corners bumped, but very good and sound. This volume is said to have come into the hands of a Mrs. Sasse, a friend of Mary Ann Booth, and descended in her family.Sold for: $8,962.50. |
| 61197 | John Wilkes Booth's Schoolboy Arithmetic Book Signed several times. His copy of Smith's New Arithmetic. Arithmetic on the Productive System, Accompanied by a Key and Cubical Blocks by Roswell C. Smith (New York: 1850), 311 pages, small 8vo, bound in illustrated printed boards with gilt-stamped leather spine. At the top of the front cover, Booth has signed his name as "John W. Booth" (which is slightly affected by marginal chipping). On the back inside cover, at top, is an uncompleted signature "John W. Boo" (his ink appears to have run out), and at bottom he has drawn an ornate tablet scroll bearing a small signature "John W. Booth / Bel Air / Harford Co / Md / Feb 1st 1854" and squiggle lines. Written just before he turned sixteen, a year and a half before he made his first essay upon a professional stage. Endleaves lacking; spine defects; but still, quite sound and very satisfactory. A quaint example, one of his earliest known signatures.Not Sold. |
| 61198 | John Wilkes Booth Autograph Letter Signed "John W. Booth", 1 page, 8.5" x 10", "Tudor Hall" (the Booth family home in Harford County, Maryland), August 8, 1854. To "My dear fellow" (Samuel William "Billy" O'Laughlen, brother of Michael O'Laughlen who would join John Wilkes Booth's plot to abduct President Lincoln), a revealing letter which, aside from some adolescent boasting, touches upon a significant incident from his youth. "In these last two weeks, I have had more excitement than I have had for a good while. First and foremost I went to a champagne drinking, and you had better believe that the road (home) seemed longer that night than it ever did before. 2dly we had a client [tenant] on the place whom we could not agree with. We had several sprees with him. In one he called my sister a liar. I knocked him down, which made him bleed like a butcher. We got the sheriff to put him off the place. He then warranted me and in a couple of weeks I have to stand trial for assault and battery..." He mentions visiting the Rocks of Deer Creek, and on Sunday going "to that large camp meeting with the hope of seeing you...but I was disappointed... The Indians were up here the other day with their great bear. Excuse my bad writing and...for not writing to you sooner..." The encounter with the "client" Booth mentions was doubtless the same one his beloved sister Asia recounted in her memoir The Unlocked Book. Their mother, after being widowed, rented the family farmland, stock, and hired slaves to a man who abused all, and insulted Mrs. Booth and her daughters when they protested. Young Wilkes went to adjust matters and seek an apology, but ended up breaking a stick over the man's head. The only consequence he seems to have suffered was being bound over to keep the peace. Billy and Michael O'Laughlen were friends of Booth from boyhood, when they were neighbors in Baltimore during the acting family's intermittent residence in that city. The letter has been mounted along the left margin to a strip of lined paper, with file holes made just barely affecting the actual letter. A few minor separations at folds, and some soiling. Ink remains quite bold. Near fine. Sold for: $28,680.00. |
| 61199 | John Wilkes Booth Autograph Letter Signed "J.W.B. / alias Billy Bow Legs", 1 page, 8.5" x 10", Harford [County, Maryland], April 30, 1854. To "My Dear Friend" (Samuel William "Billy" O'Laughlen, brother of future Booth conspirator Michael O'Laughlen). A rare letter written ten days before his sixteenth birthday. He is doubtless writing from "Tudor Hall", the new house which his father had built on the family farm in rural Harford County. The letter is signed with a nickname whose origins are uncertain: John may have inherited to some degree his father's bandy-legs, but it doubtless owes something to the already well-known Seminole warrior who led his people in their third war (1855-58) against the encroaching Americans (ironically the real Billy Bowlegs would later fight alongside the Union army and against Booth's beloved Confederacy). The present letter of high spirits and humor indicates that the teenaged Booth was already familiar with drinking establishments; foreshadows his involvements with the opposite sex; and reflects an indifferent education. "...I have been here from school so long that I have forgot how to spell and write, so you must excuse it. There was a ball in Bel-Air night before last. I was invited but did not attend on account of the storm. The country is beautiful now, everything is in blossom and in about three weeks time squirrels will be fit for shooting. I should like you to come up then and give them a round. It was very stormy up here all last week, and the lightning knocked down nearly every telegraph post... I have got my eye on three girls out here. I hope I'll get enough. The next time you go to the Ne Plus drink my health and charge it to me... Give my respects to all who ask after me, and to those that don't, tell them to kiss my Bumbelbee. Thine till death." A capitalized postscript pleads, or orders: "ANSWER SOON." Booth's mention of squirrel-shooting suggests that one legacy of his father, at least, had been cast aside: the elder Booth, a whole-souled lover of nature, had forbidden the killing of any living thing on his farm, even flies. A thin strip of lined paper has been affixed along the left margin; with some soiling and a bit of paper loss affecting just two words at the close of the letter. Very bold ink and in near fine condition. Sold for: $17,925.00. |
| 61200 | John Wilkes Booth's Signed Stage Script ("prompt copy") pamphlet The Son of the Night: A Drama, in Three Days: and Prologue by Charles Gayler. (New York: Samuel French). A volume from "French's Standard Drama" series. Boldly signed "J W Booth" vertically on left side of the title page, and partly into two words. Some moderate paper flaws affect the title but barely touch the signature. This book probably dates from Booth's "apprentice" years on the stage in Baltimore and Richmond in the very late 1850s. In folding solander case with gilt descriptive label on cover. This volume, with a number of other Booth family books, came into the possession of Wilkes's youngest brother, Joseph A. Booth, and were kept for decades in his family home at Long Branch, New Jersey. Provenance: Charles Hamilton galleries, New York, auction 23, December 1967.Sold for: $11,950.00. |
| 61201 | John Wilkes Booth Autograph Letter Signed "J. Wilkes Booth", about one and one-fifth pages, 6.5" x 8" (penned on the first and third pages of a four-page lettersheet), "Exchange Hotel, Montgomery" [Alabama], n.d, to "Dear Miss." This letter was doubtless written in the autumn of 1860, during Booth's only engagement in Montgomery, and it displays the gallantry that was part of his legendary appeal for the fair sex. "I wish to thank you, and I do so. But thanks have in them but little worth, and nothing substantial and I know it, for thank God I am not yet a Bateman [possibly referring to an English producer who once had a run-in with Edwin Booth] and may I never be. So I wish to remunerate you, for your kind services. Yet [I] am not able to give what I should like, or what you deserve (for to use the language of the day - which I trust you will pardon - I am very hard up, my friends having - in a manner - gone back on me). So all I can do, which I assure you I am ashamed of, is to offer you this worthless token. Yet I beg you will accept it, not for its worth, but for the spirit in which it is given. And also keep it, that it may remind you I am still your debtor." He subscribes the letter "With all respect." Most of the second leaf has been irregularly torn away, near to but clear of Booth's signature; likely this was done to excise the name of the addressee, or some other compromising information. Stains and foxing, but all text is completely legible; near fine.Sold for: $11,950.00. |
| 61202 | [John Wilkes Booth] A Set of Books Given to John Wilkes Booth by His Mother. The History of Napoleon Bonaparte by John S.C. Abbott (New York: 1859), two volumes, large 8vo, marbled boards, half calf with gilt titles on spine. Each volume is inscribed on verso of frontispiece in the hand of Mary Ann Booth "A Birthday Gift / To / J Wilkes Booth / From / His Mother / May 10th 1861". A wonderful association piece. John Wilkes was his mother's favorite child, and he returned the affection. Before committing the act that would bring infamy upon his family name, he took the trouble to write her a "farewell" letter explaining his motives, subscribing it "Come weal or woe, with never ending love and devotion..." And, as he lay dying, Booth is supposed to have said "tell my mother I died for my country." These volumes were among the Booth family books acquired from Mary Ann Booth by a friend, Mrs. Sasse, passed down through the latter's family, and given circa 1950 to Dr. Marvin Samuels. Sold for: $2,868.00. |
| 61203 | John Wilkes Booth Envelope, Boldly Addressed in Booth's hand to "J.H. Simonds, Esq / Mechanics Bank / Boston, / Mass.", 5.75" x 3", bearing a three-cent stamp tied by a grid cancel and a good Philadelphia, Pa. February 28, 1863 circle town mark. Receipt and answering docket by Simonds at lower left. Roughly opened, torn along top, with a tear through the "d" in "Simonds". Booth has fitted the stamp as close as he could into the upper right hand corner (ironically, a habit Lincoln also seems to have had), resulting in some wear to its top and right-hand perforations. The addressee, Joseph Simonds, was a good friend and correspondent of Booth, trusted to invest some of his considerable acting income, and together they speculated in oil lands during the feverish Pennsylvania oil boom of the mid-1860's. A rare opportunity to acquire a Booth holograph other than a costly signature or handwritten letter. Sold for: $2,629.00. |
| 61204 | John Wilkes Booth Autograph Signature and place of residence ("J Wilkes Booth Baltimore") neatly penned on a piece of paper clipped from a hotel register. Pasted to an old framer's board above three other clipped entries from the same register, in clerical hands, for Col. Nelson A. Miles, Gen. Joseph Hooker, and "Abraham Lincoln", the latter followed by a clerical date notation "Wednesday 20th May 1863". Matted, with a small photo of the notorious actor. Booth performed in Washington, D.C. in mid-April and again in late April and early May 1863, consistent with the date on the Lincoln portion. It has been suggested that these clips came from a register maintained at the National Hotel, which was located on Pennsylvania Avenue several blocks from the White House. Lincoln is known to have visited the hostelry at least once, to greet some Indiana troops; he likely visited it on occasion to confer simultaneously with military guests, for whom it was a popular stopping point. Booth also stayed here, most infamously during the days leading up to the assassination. Light aging, mounting traces, but very good. Provenance: collection of Dr. Charles Wesley Olsen, sold by Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 6 February 1962, lot 38.Sold for: $8,962.50. |
| 61205 | John Wilkes Booth Autograph Signature "J W Booth & Lady . . . Boston", written on a large folio leaf extracted from the guest register of the "AQUIDNECK HOUSE" hotel, the hostelry's name printed atop each side in ornate type, n.p. [Newport, Rhode Island], 5 April [1865]. Signatures of other guests fill both sides of the leaf, and a clerk has noted after each name the room number they were assigned and, by letter code, their time of check-in. These entries show that Booth "& Lady" were given "apartment" number 3 at "B" time (breakfast) but did not stay long, since at "L" time (luncheon) the same day their room was given to a Joseph Smith of Fort Adams. Interestingly, James Walker of Cambridge, Mass., the former president of Harvard, has signed the register only a couple of names below Booth. This piece has engendered much speculation as to the identity of Booth's "Lady", with most scholars concluding she was Lucy Hale, the daughter of abolitionist senator and one-time Presidential Candidate John P. Hale of New Hampshire, who Lincoln had just appointed American minister to Spain. His daughter's beauty and studied indifference had attracted the attentions, more or less serious, of Robert Todd Lincoln, John Hay, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., among others, but she had chosen John Wilkes Booth above them all. The couple were understood by intimates to be affianced, despite her dislike for his profession, his distaste for her familial politics, and her parents' opposition to the match. Lucy is supposed, through her father, to have supplied Booth with a pass to Lincoln's second inaugural on 4 March (which he reported to his little band of conspirators would have been an excellent chance to kill the president), and they may have attended the Inaugural Ball. On the day they visited the Aquidneck House, Booth and his lady friend took a long walk after signing in. He was despondent over the fall of Richmond, which Lincoln was visiting at that very moment. Upon returning to the hotel, Booth told the clerk his lady was not feeling well and that dinner should be sent to their room; they were gone by the time it came. Ten days later Lincoln was dead and Booth in flight. Once he, too, was dead, a heavily veiled Lucy Hale visited the Montauk with her father to view the body, from which she secured a lock of hair; her father soon took her to Spain, leaving any embarrassing questions an ocean away. Supposedly Lucy wrote Edwin Booth that she would have married John Wilkes "even at the foot of the scaffold". As it was, she wed William E. Chandler of New Hampshire, who served in the senate and as secretary of the navy, but the match seems not to have been very happy. Lucy's photo was one of five found tucked into Booth's diary when he died; she kept his letters until her death in 1915, directing in her will that they be burned. Lightly stained and toned; near fine. Provenance: Barrett, part of lot 646; cited in Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Collector, and (erroneously as a clipped signature) in Michael Kauffmann, American Brutus. Provenance: Sang lot 1074.Sold for: $22,705.00. |
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Political |
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| 61206 | Rare Prompt Book, The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana . . . in Five Acts, by Dion Boucicault. "Printed, not published"; no place or date; original blue wraps with printed title, sewn; creased, somewhat frayed and worn, especially along right side. A spurious pencil signature "J. Wilkes Booth" appears at the top of the title page, but nevertheless, this is a rare printing of one of the best-known plays of the Civil War era; it is mentioned on the Ford's Theatre playbills of 14 April 1865, since it was due to be performed there the very next evening for the benefit of Jeanie Gourlay. Fragile; front and back covers are chipped along the fore-edge. Pages are toned; near good.Sold for: $448.13. |
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Autographs |
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| 61207 | John Wilkes Booth and Girlfriend Photographs. No imprint, quite clean, full board, together with a prohibitively rare carte de visite of one of his girlfriends. At the time of his death, a search of Booth's body revealed a pair of revolvers, a belt and holster, a knife, some cartridges, a file, a War Map of the Southern States, a spur, a pipe, a Canadian bill of exchange, a compass with a leather case, a signal whistle, an almost burned up candle, an 1864 date book kept as a diary, and carte de visite photographs of five women: and his fiancée, Lucy Hale (daughter of ex-Senator John P. Hale from New Hampshire)and four actresses: Alice Grey, Effie Germon, Fanny Brown, and Helen Western. This is Western (1843-68) in costume dressed as a man. Slight trim to board, by Fredricks 1863; a fine rarity.Sold for: $388.38. |
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Antiques |
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| 61208 | [John Wilkes Booth] Collapsing Stage Dagger, Owned and Used by John Wilkes Booth. Consists of a large, round, hollow hilt, made of two joined pieces of what appears to be brass-washed tin, with a wide brass guard and iron knife blade; the hilt is designed to have an inner spring mechanism that allows the blade to retreat into it, thus making it appear to an audience that the blade is actually sinking into a victim. While realistic, the springs in such daggers sometimes failed, giving both actors and audience more of a thrill than they bargained for. This dagger descended in the family of Wilkes's youngest brother, Joseph A. Booth, and is said to have been used not only by Wilkes but by their famous father, Junius Brutus Booth. Its somewhat unsophisticated manufacture argues for an early date and thus its origin with the elder Booth. With a typed letter of provenance signed by Franklyn Lenthall, curator of the Boothbay Theatre Museum in Boothbay, Maine transferring ownership to Dr. John K. Lattimer. The dagger is listed thus: "The Booth Family claim this dagger was definitely used by John Wilkes and possibly by the father..." Provenance: Franklyn Lenthall, curator of the Boothbay (Maine) Theatre Museum, 1988. Sold for: $3,585.00. |
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Political |
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| 61209 | John Wilkes Booth's Sleeveless Leather Jacket. Technically known as a "jerkin" -- a close-fitting, hip-length jacket -- this was part of the actor's theatrical wardrobe. Jerkins were common garb in the 17th and 18th centuries, the time setting of a number of the roles in which Booth played. The jerkin is hand sewn and still bears five of its original metal ornamental buttons. It is accompanied by a small card bearing an autograph note signed by McKee Rankin stating that "This leather 'Hawbuck' or jacket was worn in several characters by John Wilkes Booth and came into my possession after his death and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln." Rankin (1844-1914), a prominent Canadian-born actor, manager, acting teacher, and playwright (one of his works was Abraham Lincoln) married Kitty Blanchard, who as a member of the company acted with Booth during his engagement in Louisville, Kentucky, in January 1864. Her extensive reminiscences of him were published in the American Magazine for January 1909. Rather worn, with some tears and small losses, but basically very fine for a garment of this material, age and use, and an incredibly rare survival. Some years after John Wilkes's death his brother Edwin managed to gain possession of - and completely incinerate -- his personal effects, including virtually all of his theatrical wardrobe. This may be the only, and it is certainly the best authenticated, piece of John Wilkes Booth's stage clothing in existence. Provenance: Rankin; subsequently in the "Davenport collection"; Turner, lot 91.Sold for: $4,780.00. |
| 61210 | A Piece of the Splint Made by Dr. Samuel Mudd for John Wilkes Booth about 2" x 1.5", made of thin wood reinforced with fabric. John Wilkes Booth appeared at Dr. Mudd's house in Maryland before dawn on 15 April 1865, seeking aid for his swollen left leg, which he said was injured when his horse tripped and threw him against a rock. Booth proved to have snapped his fibula a short distance above the ankle. Since it was not a weight-bearing bone and the break was clean, Mudd simply applied a splint -- made with wood taken from his wife's bandbox - and had his gardener make a pair of crutches for the injured man. Accompanied by a George S. Worcester Autograph Letter Signed, one page, 8" x 10", Boston [Mass.], 11 April 1885, presenting Capt. S.C. Wright with this "portion of the splint mentioned by me as being taken from Booth's leg after his death. . . . [T]he cloth attached to part of the splint shows a discoloration caused by Booth's blood." The splint fragment itself, exhibiting obvious wear and stains, is affixed to a small inked note that says it was "applied by the rebel Dr. Mudd" and attributes Booth's injury to his leap from the president's box at Ford's Theatre (it is impossible to determine if one or both versions are true; an initial leap injury may have been aggravated by a fall while mounted on his horse). Together with a small photo of the assassin; all of the items are mounted to a larger paperboard - the letter evincing some glue stains -- and are contained in an antique wood frame. Worcester, a Major with the 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, was involved in the initial search for John Wilkes Booth but was not one of the party who captured him at Garrett's farm. The addressee may have been Samuel C. Wright of the 29th Massachusetts, who received a Medal of Honor for Antietam. Provenance: Brian Riba Auctions, July 1991, lot 14.Sold for: $7,170.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61211 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 9" x 22.75", Philadelphia, February 23 & 24, 1863, for John Wilkes Booth's first appearance in Philadelphia. Playing at Mrs. John Drew's Arch Street Theatre, Booth played one of his great tragic roles as Duke of Gloster in Richard III. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed the bill raves that Booth's character in Richard III, is "A Part which he has been received , to the Principal Cities of the Union, with the most Enthusiastic Favor, BY INTELLIGENT AND CROWDED AUDIENCES." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. The broadside has an uneven left edge. Framed to an overall size of 10" x 24"; very good.Sold for: $2,270.50. |
| 61212 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 5" x 16.5", Boston, October 8, 1863, for John Wilkes Booth's performance at Willard's Howard Athenaeum where he played the role of Pescara in Apostate, or, the Moor of Grenada. . Booth, who had become a major national star only three years earlier, had already played highly successful runs in Boston. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed, the bill raves that Booth's portrayal of Pescara "Stands Without a Rival." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865 without even a second glance from the management. A small piece of the bottom left corner is missing; fine.Sold for: $657.25. |
| 61213 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 5" x 15.5", Boston, October 10, [1863] for John Wilkes Booth's performance at Willard's Howard Athenaeum in the role of Phidas in Marble Heart! Booth, who had become a major national star only three years earlier, had already played highly successful runs in Boston. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865 without even a second glance from the management. Light stain in bottom left corner, else fine.Sold for: $657.25. |
| 61214 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", Boston, April 28, 1864, for a performance of John Wilkes Booth in the role of Claude Melnotte, in The Lady of Lyons at the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. This particular playbill was part an unusually long run Booth did at the Boston Museum, which would prove to be his last long-running engagement before begin planning the plot that would result in Lincoln's murder. Affixed to a mat (7.5" x 19.5"). Age-toned; fine.Sold for: $730.15. |
| 61215 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", Boston, April 29, 1864, for a performance of John Wilkes Booth as Duke of Gloster in Richard III the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. This particular playbill was part an unusually long run Booth did at the Boston Museum, which would prove to be his last long-running engagement before begin planning the plot that would result in Lincoln's murder. Affixed to a mat (7.5" x 19.5"); toned and fine. Not Sold. |
| 61216 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", Boston, January 29, 1863 for a performance of John Wilkes Booth as Charles de Moor in The Robbers at the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed the bill raves that Booth portrayal had caused an "EXTRAORDINARY FURORE [SIC] Excited by this Young Artist's Histrionic Efforts, has never been equalled [sic] by any Star in the Museum..." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865 without even a second glance from the management. Affixed to a mat (7.5" x 19.5"). Age-toned, except for a small spot at top; fine.Sold for: $896.25. |
| 61217 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", Boston, April 27, 1864, for a performance of John Wilkes Booth as Pescara in Apostate at the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed the bill raves that Booth's "former triumphs in Boston have been handsomely endorsed by the most empathic success in the all [sic] principal cities of the country." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. Affixed to a mat (7.5" x 19.5"). Age-toned, fine.Sold for: $836.50. |
| 61218 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", Boston, May 23-25, 1864, for a performance of John Wilkes Booth in the dual roles of Louis and Fabian Del Franchi in the Corsican Brothers at the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed the bill raves that Booth's "former triumphs in Boston have been handsomely endorsed by the most empathic success in the all [sic] principal cities of the country." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. This particular playbill was part an unusually long run Booth did at the Boston Museum, which would prove to be his last long-running engagement before begin planning the plot that would result in Lincoln's murder. Somewhat unevenly trimmed along edges; toned. Matted to an overall size of 8" x 15.5". Near fine.Sold for: $657.25. |
| 61219 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 4.5" x 13", February 2-4, 1863, for a performance of John Wilkes Booth as Raphael in Marble Heart at the Boston Museum. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed the bill raves that Booth, in the role of Raphael, was "the most Successful of this Gifted Young Tragedian's Impersonations." Ironically, it would be partly Booth's celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865 without even a second glance from the management. Affixed to a mat (7.5" x 19.5"). Age-toned, with slight discoloration at top; fine.Sold for: $896.25. |
| 61220 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 6" x 15", Boston, May 12, 1862, printed by F. A. Searle for a performance of John Wilkes Booth in Richard III at the Boston Museum with Booth in the role of the Duke of Gloster. Booth, who had become a major national star only two years earlier, was to be in Boston for a limited engagement of "TWO WEEKS ONLY." Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. Small chips; matted to an overall size of 14" x 22". Fine.Sold for: $896.25. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61221 | John Wilkes Booth Playbill. Broadside, 6" x 14.5", Boston, May 21, 1862, printed by F. A. Searle for a performance of John Wilkes Booth as Charles De Moor in The Robbers. Booth, who had become a major national star only two years earlier, was in Boston in May 1862 for only two weeks, this being the final week of his engagement there. Prior to his assassination of Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the leading star of his time, his celebrity eclipsing many of his contemporaries. Indeed, the bill raves: "the extraordinary furore [sic] excited by this Young Artist's histrionic efforts has never been equalled [sic] by any other star tat the museum." Ironically, it would be partly this celebrity that would allow Booth to enter Ford's Theatre the night of April 14, 1865, without even a second glance from the management. Some chips along right edge, else fine. Sold for: $776.75. |
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Political |
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| 61222 | Junius Brutus Booth Playbill. Broadside, 8.75" x 20", September 9, 1851, for a performance of "Mr. Booth" as Iago in Othello at the Boston Museum. Junius Brutus Booth, a theater manager and celebrated actor, was the patriarch of the Booth family of actors, which included his sons John Wilkes, Edwin, and Junius Brutus, Jr. The popular actor, once described by Walt Whitman as "the grandest historian of modern times", died a year after this performance. Age-toned, with tears and chipping along edges; near very good.Sold for: $448.13. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61223 | Edwin Booth Autograph Letter Signed "Ever yours / Edwin" to "Dear Lorimer" (James Lorimer Graham), three pages, 4.5" x 5.5", n.p., n.d., [New York, mid-April 1865]. A poignant, anguished note penned, probably, within a few days of Abraham Lincoln's murder. Edwin Booth is the supreme American tragedian, theatre manager, founder of the celebrated Players Club in New York, and elder brother of John Wilkes Booth. "God bless you - that's all I can say. My heart is about crushed by this fearful blow - but God has given me a strength to bear it & I do not rebel. The deep & universal sympathy I have received from all quarters buoys me up with a hope & consolation which, of course, does not heal the frightful wound, but which lends me courage to look at the future calmly & manfully. Could I give but one little particle of this faith & tranquility to my poor, heart-broken mother I should be able to bear the very worst, but alas! she can only think of her boy - her darling, and catches at every straw that may give her hope that all this is but a hideous nightmare. See me some day. I am shut up in doors, & shall remain quiet for a few days. Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Graham who, I know, feels for me in this affliction." The addressee has docketed the letter on its otherwise blank last page: "In relation to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth - J.L.G." Graham, briefly U.S. Consul General to Italy, was best known to his contemporaries as a literary and artistic dilettante, conversationalist and collector. He was a close friend of Edwin Booth, who usually called him "Lorry". The editor William Dean Howells told a story that Edwin once innocently picked up a cast of a hand displayed on Graham's shelves; he asked Lorry whose hand it was, and softly, silently replaced it when Graham was obliged to reply "It's Lincoln's." Edwin Booth, already shy of the public, became even more reclusive after the assassination and never spoke of his lost brother or the tragedy he had enacted. He even burned John's possessions, despite the fact that they included theatrical costumes used by their beloved father, the eccentric genius Junius Brutus Booth. And yet, Edwin kept a portrait of John Wilkes in his bedroom until the day he died. An exceptional letter, perhaps the finest obtainable by a Booth, relative to the assassination. Toned with very few light stains; fine. Also includes signed card (4" x 3.5", "Edwin Booth/ Aug. 1881") and autograph note (4.75" x 4.75") signed "Edwin". Both are fine.Sold for: $10,755.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61224 | Junius Brutus Booth Autograph Letter Signed "J B Booth", near one page, 7.75" x 10", Baltimore [Maryland], 19 February 1852, addressed on postmarked integral leaf to Wm. Fennell at the "Gas Office" in Philadelphia. Booth forwards "Mr. Quinton's note to me for $150. When it is due & settled, pray inform me." A postscript promises "Any similar matter I may be able to do for you in this city, I will cheerfully undertake." Booth, an English-born American tragedian who was often acclaimed as the greatest actor of the nineteenth century, was the father of John Wilkes and Edwin Booth who, against his wishes, followed him on to the stage. Written in the final months of Booth's life. He died the following November on a Mississippi River steamboat while headed home from what turned out to be his last performance, in New Orleans. Very scarce in any form. With seal under the address on the back page and folds; fine.Sold for: $597.50. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61225 | [Junius Brutus Booth] Broadside Headed in Large Type "LION THEATRE. / SECOND NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC!" Signed in type by "Wm. Barrymore, / Stage Manager." Single sheet, 11.25" x 10", Boston, May 19, 1836. Junius Brutus Booth, whose eccentric life was speckled with controversies, is shown here involved in yet another one, the circumstances of which have never been discovered. Barrymore, the issuer, was English-born and an actor and manager of some repute; his surname was adopted and immortalized by the American acting family. In the present broadside he informs the public, "to allay unnecessary excitement", that "the prosecution of Mr. Booth for $3,000 damages, was instantly met by a spirited number of friends, and good and substantial bail promptly tendered. The merits of the case will be submitted to...the decision of an impartial jury. In the mean time Mr. Booth, free from all the perplexities that have surrounded him, will have an opportunity of exercising those transcendent talents which he so eminently possesses." Lightly soiled with some surface creasing, matted to an overall size of 14" x 11.5". All that is known of this matter is that the plaintiff was Thomas Barry, a well-respected stage manager at the Park Theatre in New York, who had come to work in Boston a few years previously. Booth's biographer posits that the problem was an "internal dispute". This broadside was likely printed in the shop of the Boston Post, which the following day ran in its columns an advertisement for Booth's appearance in "Richard III", to which was appended this very same "notice to the public." Believed to be unique. A wonderful piece of theatrical ephemera, not least for linking the greatest of the Booths with the original "Barrymore". Sold for: $310.70. |
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Autographs |
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| 61226 | [Trial of the Assassination Conspirators] Colonel Henry L. Burnett, Special Judge Advocate for the Military Tribunal that Booth's Associates, Partly Printed Document Signed, as Brevet Colonel and Judge Advocate, one page, 8" x 10", Washington, D.C., 18 May 1865, to "Mr. Lee" at the War Department, summoning him to "appear as a witness before . . . [the] Military Commission, convened . . . in the case of the United States against David E. Herold, et al, on the 18th day of May at 2 o'clock, 1865, at the court room, penitentiary, near Arsenal, Washington, D.C., and not depart without leave." A form at foot, intended to certify that that the witness had attended, is left blank. The party summoned here was almost surely John Lee, a police detective sent by Provost Marshal O'Beirne to guard Andrew Johnson at the Kirkwood House. There Lee had searched George Atzerodt's room, discovering the clues which incriminated him, established Booth's participation, and directed the search for the assassin towards southwestern Maryland. Although Lee testified at the trial on 13 May, concerning his discoveries, he does not seem to have been called on the 18th. Lightly soiled on verso with folds. Some chipping and tears along edge. Near fine.Sold for: $1,075.50. |
| 61227 | Samuel Bland Arnold Series of Four Autograph Letters Signed "Saml B Arnold", written to Lincoln student and author Isaac Markens, who had requested his picture; four and one-third pages in all, 5" x 7", Friendship, Maryland, 19 January - 14 February 1903. First advising that he has no photo of himself other than one taken in Augusta, Ga. in 1863, sent him by his old Confederate quartermaster (whom he names only by rank), Arnold offers a copy, and a week later promises to send it with an autograph as requested, "as a memento of one who so unjustly suffered, not through any act of his own, but through acts of others." On 5 February he transmits the picture (with an autographed slip he says Markens can affix to it with photographer's paste), and on 14 February writes: "Yours of the 11th acknowledging receipt of photo received. Let its face recall the torture inflicted upon an innocent man, at the hands of his country during its darkest hours. I know of no way whereby you can procure the photo of John H. Surratt. To me he is almost unknown, never having had converse with him over 10 minutes in my life. I look upon him as a perfect stranger." Together with a copy of the vignetted bust photograph of the youthful, mustachioed Arnold, a later oval copy print on gray mount, to the foot of which is affixed an autographed slip, 5" x 2", reading: "From a photo taken in Augusta, Ga. Decr. 1863. / Enlarged at Washington, D.C. Jan. 1903. / Very truly yrs. / Saml B Arnold". A newspaper clipping reporting his death [1906] is affixed on verso. Letters and image are fine. Provenance: Bruce Gimelson, Fort Washington, PA, 1966.Sold for: $1,553.50. |
| 61228 | Boston Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth, Cabinet Photograph and Autograph Letter Signed. The original image, a head and shoulders pose, was taken in May 1865 and shows Corbett in his uniform jacket (its sergeant stripes barely visible on the arms), but without cap or other military accoutrements. This cabinet-sized print, larger and clearer than the original cartes-de-visite, is on a mount marked at foot "M.B. Brady, Washington, D.C." In the letter, one page, 5" x 8", Corbett writes from Camden, N.J., 13 July 1878, to a "Dear Lady", stating in part, "I thought it hardly right for me to be honored in writing an autograph, in my present condition in life. But as I have just answered a similar request, I could not reasonably deny yours." Corbett's reluctance seems disingenuous, since he had never been publicity shy and even tried to capitalize on his fame by lecturing, until word spread that his "lectures" devolved into religious rants. Corbett belonged to the 16th New York Cavalry, the unit that finally cornered Lincoln's assassin on a Virginia farm. Since no orders preventing it had been given, Corbett was never disciplined for shooting Booth, and he shared equally with his fellow troopers in the federal reward money. Declared insane after brandishing a gun in the Kansas state legislative chamber where he was a doorkeeper, Corbett was declared insane. He soon escaped from his asylum -- and from history as well, since he was never heard of again. A small October 1887 newspaper clipping glued at the foot of this photo, on recto, reports on his insanity. The photograph is fine. The letter is irregularly toned from having been overlaid with other papers; fine.Sold for: $2,031.50. |
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Political |
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| 61229 | Gifts Presented to Booth's Captor by Booth's Killer. Sgt. Boston Corbett was one of the twenty-six men of the 16th New York Cavalry who accompanied Lt. Edward P. Doherty when they cornered John Wilkes Booth at the Richard Garrett farm on the early morning of 26 April 1865. Corbett has gone down in history for one thing: the fact that "Providence directed" him to shoot and kill Lincoln's assassin. Remarkably enough, Corbett and Doherty seem to have become friends in their later years, as witnessed by the two items in this lot. One is Corbett's silver metal whiskey flask, with a deeply embossed flower and leaf-design and a collapsible-tumbler cap, which is engraved on its top with the intertwined initials "BC". Corbett presented the flask to Lt. Doherty "as a token of his affection" according to Doherty's son. The second item is an autograph note signed, to which is attached a bushy brown-and-white rabbit's tail. The jocular, if eccentric, note reads: "Last Friday I shot a jack rabbit with my revolver. Took this from him. He made me Sunday dinner. Boston Corbett. Concordia Co., Kansas. Sept. 20, 1886." One wonders whether he shot the rabbit with the same revolver he used on Booth! A sticker on verso bears a typed caption by Doherty's son, certifying its origin. These items remained with the Doherty family for a century before they were acquired by Dr. Lattimer.Sold for: $8,365.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61230 | Boston Corbett Clipped Signature with Rank Added in His Hand and Photograph. Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth, was a sergeant in the 16th New York Cavalry, the unit that finally cornered Lincoln's assassin on a Virginia farm. Since no orders preventing it had been given, Corbett was never disciplined for shooting Booth, and he shared equally with his fellow troopers in the federal reward money. Declared insane after brandishing a gun in the Kansas state legislative chamber where he was a doorkeeper, Corbett was declared insane. He soon escaped from his asylum -- and from history as well, since he was never heard of again. The verso of the signature contains later pencil-written notes; very fine. The photograph has pencil-written notes on verso, too, plus mounting remnants; fine.Sold for: $1,792.50. |
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Political |
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| 61231 | Boston Corbett Clipped Signature with Rank Added in His Hand. Corbett, the man who killed John Wilkes Booth, was a sergeant in the 16th New York Cavalry, the unit that finally cornered Lincoln's assassin on a Virginia farm. Since no orders preventing it had been given, Corbett was never disciplined for shooting Booth, and he shared equally with his fellow troopers in the federal reward money. Declared insane after brandishing a gun in the Kansas state legislative chamber where he was a doorkeeper, Corbett was declared insane. He soon escaped from his asylum -- and from history as well, since he was never heard of again. Stained with folds; very good.Sold for: $776.75. |
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Autographs |
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| 61232 | [John Wilkes Booth] Blanche Chapman Ford Autograph Statement Signed. In full, reading simply, "I can assure you of the positive identification of John Wilkes Booth's body." Penned on the upper half of an 6.5" x 9" leaf, with red pencil dateline "Mohawk Theatre, Schenectady, Dec. 31, 1912" in the hand of Lincoln collector John E. Boos; on the verso Boos has typed an identification of Mrs. Ford and a brief summary of his interview with her. Blanche Chapman Ford was an actress and sister-in-law of John T. Ford, the owner of Ford's Theatre. Accompanied by a somewhat later typescript (by Boos), four pages, 6.5" x 9", quoting some of her reminiscences: "'I was a girl of 8 when Mr. Lincoln was killed. . . . My mother and father were actors, and . . . I lived in the Booth family for a while before the government allowed [John Wilkes's] body to be claimed and buried in the family plot." She describes going with Booth's mother, sister Rosalie and brother Joseph, John T. and Harry C. Ford, and her own sister Ella to view his remains. "The body lay in a rude box . . . shriveled and dried, giving it a mummified appearance . . . wrapped in a rotted army blanket. The men slowly examined the corpse, because [of] rumors . . . that the assassin had escaped, and the mother was very anxious to make sure the body was that of her boy." She tells how Joseph Booth pulled down the jaw to locate a single false tooth and John T. Ford felt "carefully along the boot" for the corpse's broken ankle. These, together with its "raven hair", left "everybody...satisfied the man the world hated lay before them. I picked up a piece of the blanket. Mrs. Booth seeing me place it in my handbag asked me to cut off a lock of the hair. Mrs. Booth divided it among those present." Blanche wed Harry C. Ford, the manager of Ford's Theatre, and as a widow in the 1920s reclaimed from the U.S. government the rocking chair in which Lincoln had sat on the fatal night; it was later sold to automaker Henry Ford. All pages are age-toned and fine. Provenance: Boos Archive, in the King V. Hostick collection sold by Leslie Hindman, Chicago, IL, 20 April 1985; Riba Mobley Auction, Glastonbury, CT, 4 March 1989.Sold for: $1,792.50. |
| 61233 | Captain Edward P. Doherty, Leader of the Detachment that Cornered and Killed John Wilkes Booth, Signed Photo. Vignetted head-shot photo (a later copy of a wartime image) on cabinet card, no photographer's markings; signed underneath the print, on the mount, "Edward P. Doherty / Captain 16th N.Y. Vol. Cavalry". On the verso is an Autograph Inscription Signed dating the image to "April 28th 1865 . . . the day after I brought the body of J. Wilkes Booth and the prisoner Herold, two of assassins of A. Lincoln to Washington, D.C." This statement he has signed more fully, as "Edward P. Doherty, / Capt. 16th N.Y. Cav. / Captor of Booth & Herold." Toned; fine.Sold for: $1,208.15. |
| 61234 | Captain Edward P. Doherty Autograph Inscription Signed "Edward P. Doherty / Grand Marshal GAR" on verso of a cabinet card photograph showing him standing and facing Sgt. Boston Corbett, the killer of Booth, both in uniform; New York, 30 May 1895. Doherty presents the photo to an unnamed "friend and comrade and asst. A[djutant] General, on my staff" (of the Grand Army of the Republic), noting: "This copy of a photograph of myself and Boston Corbett was taken in Washington on . . . 27 . . . April 1865 a few hours after I delivered the body of John Wilkes Booth and the prisoner David E. Herold, two of the assassins of Abram [sic] Lincoln . . . on board the iron clad Montauk at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C." Shaved at foot, taking a good deal of Doherty's handwritten rank. As Captain of the 16th New York Cavalry, Doherty had led the detachment which cornered John Wilkes Booth and Davy Herold on the Virginia farm of Richard Garrett. Although Herold surrendered, one of Doherty's men, Sgt. Boston Corbett, fatally wounded Booth with a pistol shot. Fine. Provenance: Steven S. Raab, Ardmore, PA, 1996. Sold for: $2,031.50. |
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Political |
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| 61235 | Richard H. Garrett, Owner of the Farm where John Wilkes Booth Was Killed, Autograph Letter Signed, one-half page, 6" x 7.5", Port Royal, Va., 26 March 1863, to Col. G.W. Munford, then serving as secretary of state of Virginia. Garrett acknowledges a "favor of the 20th inst. enclosing a commission from Gov. [John] Letcher appointing me a notary public for the Count of Caroline" and transmits $2.50, "the fee for issuing the said commission." Garrett, a prosperous farmer outside of Port Royal, innocently played host to John Wilkes Booth in the belief that he was a wounded Confederate soldier, but once he was rejoined by a companion who had at first left him - Davy Herold - and both fled into the woods when startled by passing Union cavalrymen, suspicions were aroused. Denied permission to remain in the Garrett house, the pair were instead locked in a nearby tobacco barn. During the night of 25-26 April 1865 a force of federal cavalrymen descended on Richard Garrett's farm; he cautiously responded to the pounding at his door, and when he failed to promptly tell the troopers where the two men were, was called a "damned old rebel" and threatened with hanging. This was averted by one of his sons, who led the federals to the barn. Herold surrendered quickly, but the defiant Booth stayed in the barn even as it was burned around him. The firelight made it possible for one of the soldiers outside, Sgt. Boston Corbett, to see and shoot him. Paralyzed and in agony, he was laid on Garrett's front porch, where Mrs. Garrett and daughters bathed his face from time to time, and where he died after sunrise on the morning of the 26th. The letter has folds and is lightly stained and toned; near fine.Sold for: $836.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61236 | [Pursuit of Booth] James A. Hardie Partly Printed Pass, accomplished and signed as Brevet Brigadier and Inspector General, one page, 5.5" x 3", on "War Department" form, Washington, D.C., 16 April 1865. Writing the day after Abraham Lincoln had died, Hardie passes "Major O'Beirne, Special Prov. Marshal and assistants to Port Tobacco & vicinity, by the Potomac River on important service. All officers are enjoined to render him any aid he requires." To forestall inter-service difficulties Hardie has written on the verso: "Naval vessels on the river are requested not to detain Major O'Beirne & assistants." The urgent tone of this pass is understandable, since the "important service" mentioned was the initial pursuit of John Wilkes Booth, which had been entrusted to Provost Marshal James Rowan O'Beirne. His operatives had discovered Booth's connection to George Atzerodt, a resident of Port Tobacco, and the natural conclusion was that the assassin may have headed in that direction. O'Beirne ultimately received a $2000 share of the Booth reward money. Lightly soiled; fine. Provenance: Sang; Timothy H. Bakken; George Rinsland auctions, Allentown, Pennsylvania.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
| 61237 | Frederick Stone, Lawyer for Dr. Samuel Mudd and David Herold at the Assassination Conspiracy Trial, Autograph Letter Signed ("F Stone") while a Congressman from Maryland. Stone was a conspiracy suspect in his own right. Three pages, 7.75" x 10.5", the first page on 41st Congress letterhead illustrated with a cut of the capitol, Washington, D.C., 15 February 1870, to "My dear Jennie", his wife. A pleasant, chatty family letter. He mentions getting his first letter written by "dear little Jin", which he has put "away carefully", and notes it has been "raining hard & a most gloomy day & I never felt more the want of a home than I have today." He discusses expectations for adjournment, his mother's illness, asks John "to take special care of my lambs", promises Harris "a bundle of cigars if he will hurry up my posts & rails", and regarding an invitation to a ball from Col. (John W.) Forney says it "looks so strange to see ladies in ball dresses that the few I do know I can't recognize. . . . I really think (& this is my judgment & not exclusively my love) that with your nail off you could 'hoe your own row' with any I have yet seen." Stone, a barrister and judge from a very prominent family (descended from Declaration signer Thomas Stone) was almost surely a member of the "Confederate grapevine" in Maryland. After Dr. Samuel Mudd was dead, Stone claimed that the doctor had, in fact, known John Wilkes Booth well and probably belonged to his abduction plot. This startling revelation was colored by another one, following Stone's own death, which indicated that he had been involved in Booth's abduction plot himself, at least to the extent of securing John H. Surratt a loan to buy a boat needed for the kidnapping, and paying it off when Surratt necessarily fled after the assassination. Seen in this light, Stone's participation in Mudd's defense may readily be seen as an attempt to monitor what the doctor might reveal. Folds; fine.Sold for: $239.00. |
| 61238 | Joseph Holt Group of Five Autograph Letters Signed. Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt insists he recommended mercy for Mrs. Surratt. Jurist appointed by Lincoln to be Judge Advocate General of the Army September 1862, in 1864 he was made a brigadier general and made head of the Bureau of Military Justice. In was in this capacity that he prosecuted the conspirators in the assassination. His handling of the trial originally brought him great popularity but the subsequent disclosure of perjury by some government witnesses and the charge that he had suppressed evidence favorable to Mrs. Surratt brought him into disfavor. Holt maintained that he had recommended clemency for Mrs. Surratt but President Johnson nevertheless ordered her execution. In 1887 James Speed, Attorney General at the time of the trials, made public correspondence related to the episode and Holt, a lifelong friend of Speed, expected to be vindicated. In this he was disappointed. As related in D.A.B., "A few years before (Speed's) death, he became an unwilling party to a controversy with Joseph Holt on the question of President Johnson having received the recommendation for mercy in the Mary Surratt case. Against the almost frantic appeals of Holt to Speed to say publicly that Johnson saw the recommendations, Speed resolutely refused on the ground of the rule against divulging Cabinet proceedings." Three (3) ALSs and two (2) LSs, consisting of eighteen (18) pages octavo, Washington, 1888-1893, to Mrs. Gouveneur. The correspondence was initiated by Gouveneur who had examined Speed's writing on the matter and her sending Holt a summary of her conclusions apparently favorable to the embittered Holt. In his first letter, 26 August 1888, Holt thanks her for "so thorough an examination of the Speed correspondence . . . you have a head which, obeying the inspirations of your heart, enables you to discern and appreciate the truth and extricate it from the entanglements of chicanery and fraud . . . I have been working for years . . to remove my name from the obloquy of an accusation, than which nothing falser . . . ever fell from the lips of man or Devil. It was a severe shock for my faith in human nature when Gen. Speed, with who I have maintained relations . . . for some fifty years suddenly allowed himself to become a compliant coadjutor of Andrew Johnson in his diabolical plot to destroy me during all that time he knew me innocent." In later letters he continues "how can I sufficiently thank you for your generous interests in the trouble of mine - what has been a thorn in my side for so many years . . . I have had (many indications) of the subtle and widespread circulation given to the Johnson-Speed calumny . . . it seems to me that the poison is beyond the reach of any human antidote and that I must look to God alone for shelter from it." A fine collection recalling an oft controversial chapter in American history. To this day historians still question whether or not President Johnson ever saw the appeal, much less bothered to read it. (As a rabid abolitionist, it is doubtful that Holt would have had any great sympathy for Surratt and may have never extorted himself on the matter.) Three letters have paperclip imprint at top; all are toned and fine.Sold for: $956.00. |
| 61239 | Joseph Holt Letter Signed "J. Holt.", about one-half page, 5" x 8", Washington, 17 May 1873, informing John Neafie "that I was appointed Secretary of War in Dec. 1860 & Judge Advocate General 3d September 1862." Accompanied by a carte de visite photo of Holt, one full figure, seated, on unmarked mount. Holt once practiced law in Lincoln's ancestral home of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; was President Buchanan's commissioner of patents, postmaster general, and briefly secretary of war; and a fierce anti-secessionist. Lincoln made him Judge Advocate General in 1862, and as such Holt proposed that Booth's co-conspirators be given a military trial and led the prosecution. It is an intriguing if unlikely possibility that the addressee was John A.J. Neafie, a tragedian under whom John Wilkes Booth had appeared in minor roles. In 1861 they engaged in a fierce, performance-for-performance contest (each at a different Cincinnati theatre) that Neafie won on press notices but lost to Booth in terms of attendance and public appeal. Bold text; fine. Sold for: $167.30. |
| 61240 | Joseph Holt Autograph Letter Signed "J Holt.", about one and one-half pages, 4.25" x 7", no place, "Thursday", no date, to "Dear Miss Thing". Holt graciously acknowledges the "agreeable surprise" of a basket of apples, which he finds "as grateful to the taste as they are beautiful to the eye", and returns the favor by sending a bottle of blackberry cordial "made in our own house & . . . a favorite beverage of mine." With an Autograph Signature ("J. Holt. / Judge Adv General / March 19th 1874.") penned on the verso of one of his script calling cards, and an envelope addressed to Holt as J.A.G. in Washington, marked "Private", bearing a 3-cent stamp cancelled New York, docketed and initialed "J.H." by Holt along the left edge. Toned with some later penciled notes in top left; fine.Not Sold. |
| 61241 | [Lincoln Assassination Trial] David Hunter Trial Pass Signed "D. Hunter". One page blank pass, Washington, 1865, 3.5" x 2". On May 1, 1865, President Andrew Johnson signed a controversial Executive Order to form a nine-man military commission to adjudicate John Wilkes Booth's conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and attempted overthrow of the Federal Government. The trial, lasting from May 10 to June 30, was presided over by General David Hunter. The other members of the commission consisted of Lew Wallace, August V. Kautz, Alvin P. Howe, Robert S. Foster, James E. Eken, T.M. Harris, C.H. Tompkins, and David R. Clendenin. The prosecution was chaired by Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt. The proceedings concluded with the pronouncement of guilty verdicts for all the conspirators. Mary E. Surratt, Lewis Thornton Powell (alias "Payne"), George A. Atzerodt, and David E. Herold were sentenced to death; Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Michael O'Laughlin, and Samuel B. Arnold were sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor; Edman Spangler was given six years at hard labor. The executions were carried out on July 7, 1865. Spangler, Arnold, and Mudd were pardoned in 1869; O'Lauglin died the previous year while incarcerated. Hunter (1802-1886), a close Lincoln friend, accompanied the president-elect for a portion of his inaugural journal from Springfield to Washington and commanded the detail that escorted the return of his body to Illinois. Considered one of Lincoln's more controversial generals - a man absolutely despised in the South - Hunter first entered military service after graduating from West Point in 1822. During the War he held several posts including: commanding the 2nd Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia; commanding brigade, Division of the Potomac; commanding Western Department; commanding Department of Kansas; commanding Department of the South; and commanding the Department of West Virginia. He was severely wounded while leading one of two divisions on the flank march at the 1st Bull Run. After his recovery and service in other posts - including replacing the command of General John C. Fremont - in late 1862, Hunter found himself in South Carolina. Hunter would infuriate Confederates in that state by announcing the "abolition" of slavery in the department and forming the 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry. Washington, still hoping for a peace proposal, disavowed his policies. He earned a regular brevet to brigadier for his victory at Piedmont under U.S. Grant. Hunter's policy of burning Confederate land and properties - including the torching of the Virginia Governor's residence and the Virginia Military Institute - earned him a death sentence if ever captured. His presiding over the trial of the conspirators was his last active role in military service. Mounting remnants on verso. Slight trim to card, minor age, foxing; fine.Sold for: $597.50. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61242 | David Hunter Signed Pass to the Lincoln Conspirators' Trial. One pass, 4" x 2.75", Washington, May 26, 1865. This pass is manuscript completed for the admittance of Augustus Seward, son of Secretary of State William Seward, wounded by Lewis Payne during the attempted assassination of his father. On May 1, 1865, President Andrew Johnson signed a controversial Executive Order to form a nine-man military commission to adjudicate John Wilkes Booth's conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and attempted overthrow of the Federal Government. The trial, lasting from May 10 to June 30, was presided over by General David Hunter. The other members of the commission consisted of Lew Wallace, August V. Kautz, Alvin P. Howe, Robert S. Foster, James E. Eken, T.M. Harris, C.H. Tompkins, and David R. Clendenin. The prosecution was chaired by Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt. The proceedings concluded with the pronouncement of guilty verdicts for all the conspirators. Mary E. Surratt, Lewis Thornton Powell (alias "Payne"), George A. Atzerodt, and David E. Herold were sentenced to death; Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Michael O'Laughlin, and Samuel B. Arnold were sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor; Edman Spangler was given six years at hard labor. The executions were carried out on July 7, 1865. Spangler, Arnold, and Mudd were pardoned in 1869; O'Lauglin died the previous year while incarcerated. Hunter (1802-1886), a close Lincoln friend, accompanied the president-elect for a portion of his inaugural journal from Springfield to Washington and commanded the detail that escorted the return of his body to Illinois. Considered one of Lincoln's more controversial generals - a man absolutely despised in the South - Hunter first entered military service after graduating from West Point in 1822. During the War he held several posts including: commanding the 2nd Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia; commanding brigade, Division of the Potomac; commanding Western Department; commanding Department of Kansas; commanding Department of the South; and commanding the Department of West Virginia. He was severely wounded while leading one of two divisions on the flank march at the 1st Bull Run. After his recovery and service in other posts - including replacing the command of General John C. Fremont - in late 1862, Hunter found himself in South Carolina. Hunter would infuriate Confederates in that state by announcing the "abolition" of slavery in the department and forming the 1st South Carolina Colored Infantry. Washington, still hoping for a peace proposal, disavowed his policies. He earned a regular brevet to brigadier for his victory at Piedmont under U.S. Grant. Hunter's policy of burning Confederate land and properties - including the torching of the Virginia Governor's residence and the Virginia Military Institute - earned him a death sentence if ever captured. His presiding over the trial of the conspirators was his last active role in military service. The pass contains some small, light stains. Later handwritten information on verso. Fine.Sold for: $3,107.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61243 | Joseph K. Barnes Autograph Letter Signed "J K Barnes / Surg. Genl", one page, 4.5" x 7", on his office letterhead, War Department, Washington, D.C., 6 November 1867, to Secretary of War W.W. Belknap, transmitting "a full set of the publications of this office." Barnes, a Pennsylvanian who had served in the U.S. Army since 1840, became surgeon general in August 1864. He was present at both President Lincoln's deathbed and autopsy, and he personally performed the autopsy on John Wilkes Booth, removing from the assassin's neck two damaged cervical vertebrae and adjacent spinal cord, a specimen that he gave to the Army Medical Museum and which is still owned by its successor the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Separations beginning at folds; some light soiling. Very good. Together with William Hunter Autograph Letter Signed "W Hunter" as second assistant secretary (of state), on department letterhead, Washington, 18 October 1870, to A. Boyd of New York, acknowledging a request for "a printed copy of the special order of the president of May 1, 1865, relative to trying the assassins, and of the special order No. 216 of the same month on the same subject", which has been "referred to the War Department, that being the Department from which said orders are supposed to have emanated." The addressee, Andrew Boyd, published the first Abraham Lincoln bibliography this year. Fold with a small ink smudge at the bottom of the page; fine.Sold for: $286.80. |
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Political |
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| 61244 | Dr. Samuel Mudd Autograph Letter Signed "Saml. A Mudd", three lined pages, 5" x 8", "Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Fla.", October 21,1865, to "My Dear Jere" (his brother, Jeremiah T. Mudd), discussing his life in prison. An alleged co-conspirator of John Wilkes Booth, Dr. Mudd attended him on his flight after the assassination. In part: "Since I wrote you last we four [himself, Sam Arnold, Michael O'Laughlen and Edman Spangler] & another prisoner under a life sentence . . . have been locked in a room every night closely guarded & not allowed to leave the door during the day without . . . a guard. This is said to be owing to a rumour . . . that a plot . . . is originating, either at Havana or New Orleans, to rescue us . . . The nation certainly is growing mad to believe in such nonsense; & we the victims of its credulity, feel greatly the sting caused by the sensationalist & political intriguers hostile to our well-being." Mudd asserts no one "can say naught against" their conduct so far, "other than my individual effort to get away, and I plead my apprehensions - the insecurity of life, the humiliation of being guarded by an ignorant, irresponsible & prejudiced negro soldiery . . . as a justification. We are now guarded entirely by negro soldiers & a few white officers, a skin's difference." He asks Jere to inquire into the rescue rumors and any War Department orders that may effect them; they think the rumors "were gotten up purposely to have an excuse to treat us with more rigor & hardship", and he points out that rescue would only be possible if the fort was starved out by a "large fleet & land force." He comments that if they had been guarded by the white 161st New York "no thought of leaving should have been harbored for a moment." After noting receipt of various items and letters he cautions "be careful what you write . . . I will not be able to write as often, owing to my altered position. I am very well - hoping the circumstances that led me to make the foolish attempt to extricate myself from this woeful place may be ameliorating." A postscript asks to know "whether my attempted escape will have a tendency to prolong my stay here, or . . . lessen the influence of friends. I have done nothing more than any other man would under similar circumstances . . . I am resolved not to leave this place unless released by proper authority." A fascinating letter blatantly displaying Mudd's racism, and various personality traits -- such as self-pity -- that have grated on his detractors, both then and since. Mudd was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor for complicity with Booth, but in fact first worked as a prison hospital nurse and steward. On September 25, 1865, he tried to escape on a transport ship and consequently was put in leg chains and made to do true hard labor (events which roughly coincided with the arrival of the black guards of whom he complains). Mudd's treatment was ameliorated after his wife appealed to President Johnson, who finally pardoned him and the other conspirators upon leaving office in 1869. Some separation at the folds, else fine. Provenance: Barrett, part of lot 720; Sang, lot 506.Sold for: $14,340.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61245 | Thomas A. Jones, Chief Agent of the Confederate Secret Service in Maryland, Autograph Manuscript Signed "T A Jones". One page, 5" x 8", n.p., n.d. [1890's?], on lined paper. A remarkable statement, likely written to supply an autograph, perhaps when Jones, who aided the escape of John Wilkes Booth, briefly appeared at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The statement quietly underscores the staunch honor and loyalty in which Jones took surpassing pride: "Captn. Williams offered the reward on Tuesday 18th of April 1865 in Brawner's Hotel in Port Tobacco, Md., and on the 22d of April 1865 at night I took Booth and Herold to a point on the Potomac River, known as Den'ts Meadow, in Charles County, Md. and from thence landed them on a point at the mouth of Machodoc Creek, in King George County, Va." Jones had risked his life as a Confederate agent, spent time as a northern prisoner "on suspicion", and been impoverished by the war, hence this manuscript's pointed reference to the reward for John Wilkes Booth. Capt. William Williams, one of the detectives scouring the Port Tobacco area under the direction of Maj. James R. O'Beirne, met Jones in the barroom of the Brawner Hotel and declared "I will give one hundred thousand dollars to any one who will give me the information that will lead to Booth's capture", to which he incorruptible Jones replied simply, "That is a large sum of money and ought to get him if money can do it." Jones wrote years later that if he had sold out Booth, the actor's "pale face . . . would have haunted me to my grave." Contains mounting remnants on verso; near fine. Provenance: likely Fostell, lot 76.Sold for: $1,553.50. |
| 61246 | Andrew Johnson Partly Printed Document Signed: "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to a warrant for the pardon of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd dated this day." One page, 8" x 10", Washington, 8 February 1869. Mudd was the first of the three surviving convicted conspirators to be pardoned, President Johnson citing in his case the humanitarian service he had rendered when a yellow fever epidemic swept his prison at Fort Jefferson, Florida, in the summer of 1867. One of the epidemic victims was Michael O'Laughlen, who had been convicted along with Mudd and Sam Arnold. Mudd's case still attracts strong partisans, largely due to the efforts of descendants to try and clear his name, and has been the subject of numerous books as well as the highly fictionalized movie "Prisoner of Shark Island". Gen. David Hunter, one of his trial judges, and Frederick Stone, one his attorneys, agreed that Mudd was his own worst enemy, and that is the kindliest judgment of many scholars. Mudd was, at the least, guilty of perjury, and may have been involved in Booth's abduction plot to some degree; whether he knew of an intent to murder remains an open question. Fine.Sold for: $16,730.00. |
| 61247 | [Pursuit of Booth] James Rowan O'Beirne, Initial Pursuer of John Wilkes Booth, Autograph Message Signed "Jas. R. O'Beirne / Maj 22 Regt V.R.C. / Pro Mar DC". One page, 5" x 6", n.p., n.d. [Maryland, ca. 26 April 1865], to Sec. War Edwin M. Stanton; in pencil. A corrected, retained copy of what was probably sent as a telegram. "Just returned from Zekiah swamp & have the honor to report for further orders. Booth & Herold having been captured I respectfully submit if in your opinion my mission is not ended." O'Beirne was the provost marshal of the District of Columbia. Lightly soiled with ink stain in top left. Near very good.Sold for: $3,107.00. |
| 61248 | [Pursuit of Booth] James Rowan O'Beirne, Provost Marshal of the District of Columbia and the Initial Pursuer of John Wilkes Booth, Delivery Copy Telegraph Message, written in pencil by an operator and signed in the name of "Edwin M Stanton / Secy of War". One page, 8" x 5.25", no place, no date [April 1865], to Major [James R.] O'Beirne, who, as Provost Marshal of the District of Columbia, had received the first orders to pursue the assassins of President Lincoln. Stanton advises: "You may return but I think some account ought to be obtained of the horses if the search was diligent." This very likely refers to the horses ridden by John Wilkes Booth and Davy Herold, which Herold had led into Zekiah swamp and shot lest they betray the fugitives' hiding place. Two items. Provenance: Sang; Timothy H. Bakken; George Rinsland Americana Auctions.Sold for: $956.00. |
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Military & Patriotic |
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| 61249 | Manacles Worn by Assassination Conspirator Lewis Payne. Pair of iron manacles, composed of a stiff central bar with cuffs at either end, designed to keep the hands rigidly apart. Known as "lilly-irons", this pair is said to have been worn by the would-be assassin of William H. Seward, Lewis Thornton Powell, better known (both then and since) by one of his numerous aliases, "Lewis Payne" or "Paine". Barely 21 years old when he entered into Booth's conspiracy, Payne was the Florida-born son of a Baptist minister. As a Confederate soldier he was wounded at Gettysburg and served under Col. John S. Mosby. His impassive stoicism was constantly remarked by observers, even while he was kept in these uncomfortable manacles throughout the assassination trial, and he even displayed jauntiness as he walked to the gallows on 7 July 1865, snatching the hat off a bystander's head and placing it on his own. In a fitted broadcloth case, with gilt title on spine. Provenance: Sang, lot 202 (receipt included).Sold for: $11,352.50. |
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Autographs |
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| 61250 | Christian Rath, Executioner of the Assassination Conspirators, Autograph Letter Signed, one page, 6" x 9.5", Jackson, Michigan., 26 December 1901, to Al Emmett Fostell. advises that "John Surratt lives in Baltimore, Md., his sister Carrie did [i.e., died?] in Washington, D.C. . . . has an aunt there. Genl. Hartranft... is dead." A postscript returns thanks "for the Merry Christmas & to you a happy N. Year." Rath, a Captain in the 17th Michigan, had been a sheriff before the Civil War and as such occasionally performed the duty of hangman. For this reason he was assigned to execute Lewis Payne, Mary Surratt, Davy Herold and George Atzerodt. A gallows large enough to hold them all at once was built under Rath's direction in the yard of Washington's old penitentiary He personally knotted and tied the ropes that were put around their necks, and on 7 July 1865 relayed the signal for the gallows trapdoors to drop, ending their lives. Also: Union General John F. Hartranft, who was in charge of guarding the Lincoln conspirators during their trial, and who read them their order of execution on the gallows, Autograph Letter Signed, while governor of Pennsylvania, on 8" x 10", "Executive Chamber" letterhead (top of page missing portion, mounting remnants on verso), Harrisburg, 1873, asking an unnamed Colonel to deliver an address. Near fine. Provenance: evidently Fostell, number 75. Sold for: $836.50. |
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Photography |
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| 61251 | Christian Rath, Executioner of the Lincoln Conspirators, Signed Albumen. Elegant chest,up studio albumen, 3.75" x 5.5", on a 5" x 7.25" mount with J.W.. Paine embossed stamp beneath. Boldly signed "Christian Rath late Capt. 17th Mich Vols." across top. Various notes on verso, including later date identification as belonging to Dr. Lattimer in red ballpoint. Few surface scratches, otherwise very good to near fine.Sold for: $1,015.75. |
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Political |
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| 61252 | [Lincoln Conspirators] Edman Spangler Rare Autograph Signature, penned on a slip of paper about 2 " x .5"; slightly stained and mounted on a 5" x 2" sheet. Bears a note in an unidentified hand reading "One of the conspirators against the life of A. Lincoln, and now serving his term in the Dry Tortugas, 1870". Spangler, scene-shifter and stage carpenter at Ford's Theatre, had known John Wilkes Booth from boyhood and, while working for theatre manager John T. Ford, often tended the actor's mounts. On the murder night Booth sent word for Spangler to hold his horse at the rear door; the "good-natured . . . willing" stagehand did so, but soon handed the animal off in order to resume his regular duties. This was the chief hard evidence that caused Spangler to be convicted for aiding and abetting the escape of the assassin. He was sentenced to hard labor at Fort Jefferson on Florida's Dry Tortugas island. Pardoned in 1869 despite earlier efforts by John T. Ford to secure his release, Spangler eventually went to live on the farm of his fellow prisoner, Dr. Samuel Mudd, and died there in 1875. Possibly clipped from Ford's Theatre business records, and likely the only Spangler autograph in private hands. Fine. Provenance: Walter R. Benjamin, Autographs.Sold for: $1,673.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61253 | Andrew Johnson Partly Printed Document Signed: "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to a warrant for the pardon of Edward [sic, Edman] Spangler dated this day." One page, 8" x 10", Washington, 1 March 1869. Spangler was the Ford's Theatre stagehand convicted for helping Booth escape. This document, like almost every other contemporary mention of him, mistakes his given name. With light staining around the edges; fine. Sold for: $15,535.00. |
| 61254 | Edwin M. Stanton and Gideon Welles Partly Printed Pass Signed by Both, allowing "Col. Baker & Major Eckert & guard on the iron clads Montauk & Saugus". Accomplished by a clerk on a War Department form, 1 page, 5.25" x 3.5", Washington, D.C., April 28, 1865. Stanton's title as Secretary of War is printed on the form, Welles has written his own as "Secy Navy". The autopsy of John Wilkes Booth had been held aboard the Montauk the previous day, and one of the officers mentioned in this pass - Col. Lafayette C. Baker, head of the secret service - had fooled curious onlookers by staging an apparent disposal of the assassin's remains in the Potomac River (his body was in fact stealthily taken to the old Washington penitentiary and buried beneath its floor). The other officer mentioned here, Maj. Thomas T. Eckert -- head of the War Department telegraph staff -- had conceived using the old penitentiary to hold Booth's co-conspirators, since it was one of the most secure spots in the city. It is possible that on the occasion of this pass he and Baker visited the Montauk and Saugus in conjunction with their removal. Davy Herold, Lewis Payne, Michael O'Laughlen and Sam Arnold were taken from the ironclads to the penitentiary the very next day, April 29. Provenance: Walter R. Benjamin Autographs, Hunter, NY, 1983. Sold for: $2,629.00. |
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Political |
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| 61255 | [Assassination Trial] Edwin M. Stanton Partly Printed Pass on "War Department" form, accomplished and signed by Stanton as secretary of war. One page, 5.5" x 3.5", Washington, D.C., 4 May 1865, "To the officer in charge of Ford's Theatre" allowing "General Holt and Judge Bingham into Ford's Theatre to inspect it, also Col. Burnett, Judge Advocate." The assassination conspirators were tried by a military tribunal established under an executive order from President Andrew Johnson. Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt led the prosecution, although he left most of the actual courtroom presentation and examination to his assistants, John A. Bingham and Henry L. Burnett, both Ohioans who held, or had held, rank as Major and Judge Advocate in the volunteer army. Presumably the three visited the ghostly theatre in search of insights or particular information that would aid their prosecution. A unique pass directly associated with the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. Lightly stained; fine. Sold for: $4,481.25. |
| 61256 | [Hanging of Conspirators] Several pieces of cloth of different sizes and colors, plus a loose gathering of rope fibres, all used in hanging convicted Booth co-conspirator Mary E. Surratt. Accompanied by a note reading "This is the rope & bandage of the assassins of Abraham Lincoln", written in the hand of William H. Stokely, a soldier of the 34th Ohio who, near war's end, was a messenger at the headquarters of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock. That apparently provided access to these and other relics, since it was Hancock who gave the signal causing the gallows trapdoors to open, swinging Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Herold and Atzerodt to their deaths. Also present are a copy photo of Stokely in old age and photos of two pages from a diary in which he reminisced of the war. The diary states "I was in Washington when the assassins of Lincoln were hung, still having at this writing [1908] some of rope and bandage that was around Mrs. Surratt's hand. Had a piece of rope of each . . . Atzerodt, Pain, Harold and Mrs. Surratt, who was all hung at once." Provenance: Stokely family to Lloyd Ostendorf; to Dr. Lattimer.Sold for: $2,629.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61257 | [Mary Surratt Trial] Five Printings Concerning the Trial and Conviction of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. federal government. The Trial of Mrs. Surrat, by John W. Clampitt. Clampitt, along with Frederick Aiken, represented Mary Surrat at trial. Clampitt had previously known Mrs. Surrat. 8vo, only pages 223-240 are bound in this book. Fine. New Facts About Mrs. Surratt edited by Allen Thorndike Rice. The Mrs. Surratt title contains the first publication of letters between Joseph Holt and James Speed about the charge that Holt had withheld from President Andrew Johnson a petition signed by five of Mrs. Surratt's conspiracy trial judges, asking that her death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. Holt hoped Speed would corroborate his version of events, but the former attorney general declined to do so, citing the privileged nature of Cabinet discussions. Fine. Argument of John A. Bingham, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1865. Bingham was a member of the prosecution. Fine. Two copies of An Argument to Establish the Illegality of Military Commissions in the United States and Especially of the One Organized for the Trial of the Parties Charged with Conspiring to Assassinate the Late President, prepared by Reverdy Johnson, presented June 19, 1865, thirty-one pages. Reverdy represented Surratt before a military tribunal. One copy is missing the back cover; the other copy has an affixed yellow paper with Johnson's signature. Very good.Sold for: $1,195.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61258 | Mary Elizabeth Surratt, Convicted Lincoln Assassination Conspirator, Rare Autograph Letter Signed "M. E. Surratt", one and one-half pages, 7.5" x 9.5", n.p., 12 April 1853, to "Dear Father". Surratt, the first woman ever executed by the United States, writes to her priest expressing concern for her husband John, who was fond of drink and -- to her thinking -- insufficiently religious; she had attended a Catholic girls' school and faithfully attended mass. This letter acknowledges one from the priest and thanks him for unspecified "good advice . . . I think myself it is the only way to get him to do what is only half right. I am glad to inform you that he has been to church three times within the last two months and the last time he went in to see Father Donlon to my great joy and surprise and had a long talk with him and Father promised to come up to see him soon . . . I hope he will be up in a few days, and the long wished-for story may be told. Dear Father please pray for him. O pray that God may release his dear family by the conversion of his dear soul. Sometimes I try to think there is a great change in him but then again he forgets all his promises and goes on as bad as ever but I hope, I pray that the Blessed Lord will . . . give me peace and strength to bear it all as I may attend to education of my dear children both of soul and body." She closes hoping to have her correspondent "with us once more. I must end my letter as I am suffering with a violent headache", and subscribes the letter: "Do not forget to pray for a poor sinner sometimes." In December of this year John Surratt bought the Washington, D.C., property that Mary would move into as a widow and maintain as a boarding house. Their son, John Harrison Surratt, Jr., was a Confederate courier, and it seems that her own wartime sympathies and activities ran along the same lines. When her son became acquainted with John Wilkes Booth -- and their fellow plotters George Atzerodt and Lewis Payne briefly became her boarders -- she was, unwittingly or otherwise, swept up in a conspiracy that cost her her life. In a few places, the ink, while still wet, was lightly smeared. Fine condition.Sold for: $5,676.25. |
| 61259 | Anna E. Surratt Autograph Petition Signed Requesting the Remains of her Mother Mary Surratt, 1 page, 5" x 8" with docketed integral sheet, [February 1869]. To "His Excellency the President of the United States" (Andrew Johnson). "The undersigned most earnestly and respectfully addresses your excellency on a matter which has been for more than three years to her a source of great affliction. She seeks the privilege of removing the remains of her deceased mother, to have them interred in consecrated ground. She fondly hopes that your excellency will not allow your authority in the premises to expire without granting this request, prompted only by filial love and devotion to the memory of her dear mother." This pathetic appeal did not go unheeded. The integral leaf bears a contemporary docket indicating that a copy of Miss Surratt's petition was "sent to the War Department with the following endorsement: 'The Honorable the Secretary of War will cause to be delivered to Anna E. Surratt the remains of her mother, Mary E. Surratt, for the purposes set forth in the within communication. / Andrew Johnson / Febry. 5th 1869.'" Mail folds, light soiling, with a tiny inkstain affecting a single word. Otherwise near fine. Johnson, who had made amnesty available to most ex-rebels and thus helped bind the nation's wounds, used the last weeks of his administration to attend to the sensitive issue of the Lincoln conspirators. He pardoned Mudd, Arnold and Spangler, allowed the Booth family to have the body of John Wilkes, Anna to have that of her mother, and the relatives of the other conspirators likewise. A poignant document, memorializing, in its way, the first woman to have been executed by the authority of the United States, and one whom her partisans still claim to have been innocent of the crime for which she was hanged. Sold for: $21,510.00. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| 61260 | [John Surratt] Surratt Trial Pass on Card Stock, 3" x 1.75 inches, [Washington, D.C., 1867]. Printed in three distinct typefaces, reading simply "SURRATT TRIAL. / Admit the Bearer. / Geo. P. Fisher." Lightly soiled with a small vertical crease at one corner. Near fine. John H. Surratt, first met John Wilkes Booth in the fall of 1864 while working as a civilian Confederate courier. He found himself enthralled by the audacity of the actor's plan to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. He was soon a key member of the conspiracy, but after one attempted Presidential abduction was foiled, he returned to his work for the Confederacy. According to witnesses Surratt was in Elmira, New York, spying on the federal prison camp there, at the time of the assassination. He fled to Canada, thence Italy, where he was discovered in 1867 and brought back to the U.S. to be tried for murder. The case was presided over by Fisher, a Judge of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, but resulted in a hung jury, with two-thirds for acquittal. Attempts to indict him on other charges fizzled and Surratt went free. Aside from a lecture delivered in 1870, he scrupulously stayed out of the public eye and avoided discussion of his past. He died in Baltimore in 1916, the last living conspirator. Sold for: $2,868.00. |
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Books |
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| 61261 | [Surratt Trials] Two Printed Pamphlets, Argument of Hon. Edwards Pierrepont to the Jury, on the Trial of John H. Surratt for the Murder of President Lincoln (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1867), stitched, titled wraps; and New Facts About Mrs. Surratt edited by Allen Thorndike Rice. Pierrepont, a prominent New York attorney, prosecuted John H. Surratt after his capture in Europe and return to the United States, but Surratt was saved by virtue of a hung jury and was never subjected to retrial. The Mrs. Surratt title contains the first publication of letters between Joseph Holt and James Speed about the charge that Holt had withheld from President Andrew Johnson a petition signed by five of Mrs. Surratt's conspiracy trial judges, asking that her death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. Holt hoped Speed would corroborate his version of events, but the former Attorney General declined to do so, citing the privileged nature of Cabinet discussions. Argument is missing a small piece of the front and back covers. New Facts has been taped along spine. Both are very good.Sold for: $478.00. |
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Autographs |
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| 61262 | John Surratt/Henride St. Marie Manuscript Telegram, written and signed for William H. Seward in a clerical hand. One page, 8" x 3.5", 5 February [1867], to the U.S. Consul at Nice, who is directed to: "Buy tickets for Surratt [lined out; "St. Marie" inserted] and send him forward by first steamer for New York or Boston. Your account will be paid." The error naming "Surratt" is an interesting slip, since he was at this moment aboard the U.S.S. Swatara, soon to land in Washington. Surratt claimed to have been in Elmira, N.Y. when he learned that Booth had murdered Lincoln; he fled at once to Canada, thence Italy, where he joined the Papal Zouaves. There he was recognized by fellow soldier Henri de St. Marie, a French Canadian who had met him in Maryland (their introductory acquaintance, Louis Weichmann, claimed that St. Marie purposely trailed Surratt from Canada, lured by the $25,000 reward then on his head). For informing on Surratt, the American government secured St. Marie's release from the zouaves, paid him a reduced reward, and brought him to the United States to testify in Surratt's trial for the murder of Lincoln, which ended with a hung jury and the conspirator's release. Half inch tear at top; near fine. Provenance: Robert F. Batchelder, Ambler, PA, catalog 43, 1983.Sold for: $717.00. |
| 61263 | John Harrison Surratt Autograph Manuscript signed in the title ("By Surat") the misspelling evidently his pen-name, four pages, 5" x 8", n.p., n.d., on lined paper. A comic poem in Irish brogue, entitled "Paddy's Ode to the Prince", this was almost certainly copied by Surratt from an outside source dating to the 1860 North American tour of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). It takes the form of a cheeky monologue directed at the Prince by an American Irishman, who comments on Wales's shortness, "black Canajans" (Canadians), Barnum's museum, oysters, a visiting delegation of "nayger Japs", the fact that even the Pope wouldn't be able to vote without (citizenship) "papers", and "an English prince begotten by a Dutchman" (a reference to the German origins of Queen Victoria's family). The Irishman asks "wha-d'-ye think / Of Christian dhrink / Now tell me that me tulip! / When thro' a straw / Your Highness saw, / The flavor of a julep?"; mentions mayor "Fernandy Wud" and his New York city aldermen who have "little sinse / But, for expinse / There's not a set of boulder men!"; and concludes with this appeal: "And when the throne / Is all ye'r own / At which ye're daily steerin, / Wid all the care / What ye can spare / Remimber poor old Erin." A delightful and unusual example of Surratt's rare holograph, suggesting his sense of humor. Folds. fine. The manuscript is accompanied by a simple printed pass to the "Surratt Trial" issued in the name of Geo. P. Fisher (Judge of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia), 3" x 1.75", on card. Fine. Provenance: Surratt and Weichmann, Sang, lot 574.Sold for: $4,481.25. |
| 61264 | John Harrison Surratt (the Husband of Mary Surratt and Father of John (Junior), the Chief Co-Conspirator of John Wilkes Booth) Partly Printed Document Signed "John H Surratt", two and one-half pages, 8" x 12.5", [Washington, D.C.], 24 May 1860. Surratt, "of Prince Georges County . . . Maryland (at present in the city of Washington)", conveys a certain described "ground and premises" in the city to Henry Naylor, to be held in trust pending Surratt's payment of two notes, for $307.84 and $302.26, given the same day to Adam Gaddis Jr. and to Gaddis and his brother Lemuel, "trading under the name and firm of A. Gaddis Jr. & Company", both notes being payable in twelve months with interest. The document is witnessed by two justices of the peace. John H. Surratt was the postmaster of tiny Surrattsville, Maryland, where he and his wife Mary also operated a farm and ran a tavern until his death in 1862. Mrs. Surratt subsequently moved into the premises conveyed by this document, on H Street, and began renting out its rooms, thus giving the property the name by which it is known to history: the "Widow Surratt's Boarding House", the so-called "nest that hatched the egg" of assassination. It was here that John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators - including Mrs. Surratt's own son -- laid some of their dark plans, and it was here that Lewis Payne, a former boarder, was arrested after his failed attempt to fulfill his assigned role, that of assassinating Secretary of State William H. Seward. Page two has separated at center fold, except for one piece of tape. Near very good. Together with John H. Surratt III, Son of the Conspirator, Autograph Letter Signed ("J. H. Surratt"), one page, 7.75 " x 10.5", on letterhead of the "Baltimore Steam Packet Company / Traffic Department", illustrated with a small cut of the line's flag, Baltimore (Md.), 16 October 1901, to John C. Smith in the city. Surratt advises that the line has three passenger steamers and one freight steamer. "We recently sold the Strs. Virginia and Carolina and are now building a new steamer on same lines as Alabama 320 feet long. I recognize your picture. It is a good one." John H. Surratt III followed his father into employment at the "Old Bay Line". His mother, Mary Victorine Hunter, wed John H. Surratt, Jr. about 1871. She belonged to the family that included Francis Scott Key and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Age toned; fine.Sold for: $717.00. |
| 61265 | [John Surratt] Commander William N. Jeffers, U.S. Navy, Letter Signed, three pages, 8" x 13.5", written aboard "U.S.S. 'Swatara' . . . Villa Franca" [Italy], 5 January 1867, to Rear Adm. L.M. Goldsborough, Commanding European Squadron. Jeffers reports that in obedience to Goldsborough's orders he saw American Minister Rufus King at Rome, and at his request "received on board one St. Marie a Canadian by birth, claiming to have been a soldier in the Union army - the man who denounced Surratt. He states that he feared assassination at the hands of the companions of the conspirator. Since he has been on board I find that he is a babbler - a fellow of little head, less principle, and evidently actuated in the affair by the prospect of the reward." He further reports sailing to Alexandria, Egypt, where he "found . . . John H. Surratt . . . in close confinement, in the custody of the Consul General" (Charles Hale) with "no probability of any officious interference." Remarking that he was "much exercised" to find "a suitable place of confinement on board so small a vessel" for Surratt, since he "considered it essential that no communication whatever should be had with the prisoner, or where he could overhear . . . conversations of officers & crew", Jeffers states that he finally placed Surratt in a portion of his own quarters, "in single irons", where he claims the prisoner "is more comfortably situated than any of the junior officers." Citing Surratt's promise, "'You will have no trouble with me sir'", Jeffers describes him as "somewhat dejected" and states candidly "there would be no hesitation in proceeding to extremities to prevent his escape." Consul General Hale delivered Surratt to the Swatara on 21 December 1866, and the little wooden gunboat duly landed him in Washington on 19 February 1867. A few days later, while testifying at a Congressional inquiry into the capture of Surratt, Jeffers declared his "utmost contempt" for St. Marie, who had refused to go ashore in Alexandria to identify Surratt (claiming it would "hurt his feelings") and whom Jeffers had returned to Villa Franca, declining to land him anywhere else because for fear of his indiscreet talk. Some fold wear, but fine. Sold for: $896.25. |
| 61266 | William Seward Telegram Signed while secretary of state, one page, 7.75" x 7.5", no place, May 18 [1867], to John A. Andrew, Boston, Mass. "You are desired to be counsel for United States against John H. Surratt. Trial at Washington May 27th. Counsel terms satisfactory. Do you accept. Answer without delay." The transmission copy, with various ink and pencil sending notes. Andrew, Civil War governor of Massachusetts and a tireless advocate for abolition and black rights (he was the first to raise black troops following the Emancipation Proclamation), had retired from the public spotlight by this time and did not accept Seward's offer. The trial in fact began on 10 June and lasted for two months in the summer heat, with the prosecution being handled by a team of whom New York lawyer and jurist Edwards Pierrepont was the foremost member. Later penciled writing in top and bottom left corners. Mounting remnants and taped repairs on verso. Folds; fine. Sold for: $2,629.00. |
| 61267 | Autograph Letter Signed "John S. Young Chief of N.Y. Detectives" concerning the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth. One lined page, 7.5" x 10", on letterhead reading "Headquarters Department of Washington, / Office Provost Marshal General, Defences North of Potomac" but datelined by Young "Head Quarters Bryantown" [Maryland], 25 April 1865, to Major [James Rowan] O'Beirne. The addressee was in fact the Provost Marshal at Washington, but he had apparently furnished Detective Young with some of his stationery. Young - one of a number of local police operatives "loaned" to the federal government to assist in tracking John Wilkes Booth - here reports that "at 9:30 o'clock this A.M. I received information that Booth & Herold had been seen about 4 miles from here in the direction of Beantown. They came out from the pine woods on foot and remained on the edge of the wood and beckoned for a negro woman to come . . . and asked her for some food, then went back into the woods again. I immediately sent a detachment of about 25 cavalrymen and all of the detectives - with the party who have the information - then about five companies of the colored infantry and 300 of the 8th Illinois Cavalry in different detachments. Will send you word immediately if they are captured." Illustrative of the many wrong leads that kept pursuers busy, Young wrote this letter two days after his quarry had in fact rowed across the Potomac to Virginia, and they would be captured - by others - during this very night. The letter has some slight separation at folds; some stains, though text is completely readable. Near fine. Sold for: $2,629.00. |
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Photography |
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| 61268 | [Lincoln Assassination] Group of Eight Photographs Related to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Includes: Large Mounted Albumen of the President's Box at Ford's Theatre, 7" x 9.25", mounted to an overall size of 11" x 14". Albumen is near fine, with a few chips to corners of mount and light toning. Later Mounted Silver Print of Lewis Payne, 7.75" x 10", mounted to an overall size of 10" x 12". Right corner broken and re-attached, surface scratches and small tears to surface, heavy wear to mount. Peterson Boarding House Cabinet Card, handsome souvenir photo circa 1940. Identification on the verso identifies it as the "House in Which Lincoln Died". A few mounting stains on verso, otherwise near fine. Cabinet card of the Bed Spread identified on the verso as being "used on the bed at the time of the death of Pres. A. Lincoln..." With facsimile stamped signatures by John E. Buckingham and John T. Ford on the verso. Near fine. John Wilkes Booth carte de visite, tightly trimmed, no photographic stamp; and a second Booth carte de visite of Booth standing against a column, with Silsbee, Case & Co. backstamp, small nick to albumen, but with excellent contrast and detail. Lewis Payne Photograph, sepia image after the photograph by Gardner, 5" x 6.75", mounted to an overall size of 6.75" x 8". Identified on verso in blue ink, with a few mounting remnants and a small chip to a single corner. Together with a small albumen of "Surratt's Tavern - Surrattsville, MD.", mounted to an overall size of 4" x 5.25". Fine.Total of eight items. Not Sold. |
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Autographs |
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| 61269 | [Booth and Conspirators] Contemporary Document Copies including James Rowan O'Beirne Unsigned Autograph Document. O'Beirne was Provost Marshal of the District of Columbia; Major, 22nd Veteran Reserve Corps and had charge of the initial pursuit of John Wilkes Booth. In pencil on lined blue paper, five and one-half pages, 8" x 13", Washington, D.C., 27 December 1865. A retained draft of his claim upon the "reward for . . . Jno. Wilkes Booth, David E. Herold, & G.A. Atzerodt, the conspirators and assassins who took the life of President Lincoln & attempted the lives of the Vice President & the several secretaries." A prolix narrative, much corrected and interlineated, which cites a number of named witnesses as well as other documents. O'Beirne first recounts his activities on the murder night: "Immediately upon hearing of the melancholy assassination . . . I proceeded to the place where he was lying . . . & rendered such service as was in my power", fetching the "physician a quantity of brandy thro' which respiration was first restored to the President. I was detailed by the Secretary of War to call at his hotel for Mr. [Andrew] Johnson . . . & escort him to the death bed of President Lincoln, which duty I discharged . . . conducting him safely back alone without a guard thro a dense crowd. . . . I remained near our beloved & lamented President until his death hour & in constant proximity to Mr. Stanton . . . as I had reason to believe he was not out of danger." He notes that his thorough search of the Kirkwood House, where Vice President Johnson was staying, led to the discovery by one of his detectives of items in Atzerodt's room that "cleared up all . . . doubt" as to the "guilt of Booth, Herold & Atzerodt." On 16 April Secretary Stanton ordered him to "use all efforts for the capture of Booth & fellow assassins" and "from this hour [I] followed him . . . until he was captured by Lieut. E.P. Doherty." Among other things for which O'Beirne seeks credit (and cash), either because of his own actions or orders to subordinates, are discovery of the boat in which Booth and Herold crossed into Virginia; their involvement with Dr. Mudd and discovery of Booth's boot at his house; the arrest of John Lloyd (tenant keeper of Mary Surratt's tavern) and seizure of Booth's carbine "for which Mrs. Surratt was to call"; the arrest of Louis J. Weichmann, "an accomplice . . . whose status was subsequently changed"; and furnishing the information of Booth's whereabouts, thus leading to his capture. This information was transmitted, he notes, by Gen. Grant's chief cipher operator, S. H. Beckwith. "We indicted a telegram which he arranged in cipher. Having cut the telegraph wire & having a portable battery, the news was sent on. . . . I was the first & only one whom Mr. Beckwith had . . . met &, he gave me to understand, from whom he could obtain information." Although "eager to return at once to Virginia" O'Beirne says he waited for a response from Washington, which came in the form of orders to remain at Port Tobacco (he notes, sourly, that "having been the first pursuer of Booth" he thus had to abandon "pursuit only 10 hours previous to his capture"). He summarizes his main contributions as "developing the confraternity of the assassins"; arresting Weichmann and Lloyd, "important witnesses . . . who would not have been forthcoming . . . had they not been arrested . . . at the appropriate time"; the arrest of Mudd and gathering clues which "finally brought [him] to justice"; finding information that led to the arrest of Atzerodt; and, above all, furnishing "the information which positively led to the capture of Booth & Herold." The crux of his claim is a remark made to him by Secretary Stanton: "I was by him warmly congratulated. . . . He spoke in . . . substance as follows: 'You have done your duty nobly & you have the satisfaction of knowing that if you did not succeed in capturing Booth, it was at all events . . . the information which you gave that led to it." Slight separation at center vertical fold; near fine. This handwritten manuscript is accompanied by three clerical ones, in all about three and one-half pages, 8" x 12.5", which are his retained true copies of appendices that accompanied his claim. Each is annotated "official" and personally signed by Asst. Adjutant Gen. R[obert] Williams. One lists "Articles found in the room of G.A. Atzerodt at the Kirkwood House" including "coat belonging to Booth or Herold", a large heavy Colt revolver, cartridges, a Bowie knife, "bank book of J. Wilkes Booth", handkerchiefs marked "'H' for Herold" and "Mary Booth", and a franked envelope (these clues were what linked Atzerodt to the conspiracy, and by chance they put detectives on Booth's escape trail; Aterodt had been assigned to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson). The others are statements from witnesses Patrick Brennan and U.S. Marshal Robert Murray verifying Stanton's comment that O'Beirne's telegram had "truly and mainly been the means which led to the capture of Booth and Harold." This bureaucratic paperwork did in fact pay off -- O'Beirne shared in the reward monies. Age-toned with vertical folds; fine. Provenance: Sang; Timothy H. Bakken; George Rinsland Americana.Sold for: $3,585.00. |
