Auction Name: 2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts & Texana Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 47187

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6328*47187

Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed. One page of a bifolium, 5 x 8 inches, "Executive Mansion," Washington; May 11, 1861. Lincoln writes to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles asking him to review the disciplinary case of Commander Edward B. Boutwell, a thirty-nine year old naval veteran who had been suspended in 1858. In full:

"Some time ago, at the request of Commander E. B. Boutwell, I asked you to look into the case of his suspension, and ascertain whether he might not, without inconsistency, be relieved from the remainder of his suspension. I am now informed that his case is not yet acted upon. I make no complaint of this, knowing you are overwhelmed with business; but I will be obliged if you will attend to it as soon as possible." Signed, "A. Lincoln."

A period note in pencil on the verso reads, in full: "Boutwell had the services of J[ohn] P[arker] Hale, Chairman of Naval Council, to assist him - was crazy and died insane."

Boutwell, who had commanded the sloop John Adams during the Navy's 1855 Fiji expedition, had been court‑martialed in June 1858 on charges of "disobedience to orders, neglect of duty, and scandalous conduct." The court originally sentenced him to dismissal, but the punishment was reduced to five years' furlough pay. During and after the proceedings Navy surgeons described him as suffering from "nervous dyspepsia," and he spent years arguing that illness rather than willful misconduct explained his behavior, repeatedly petitioning the Navy Department and Congress for relief as late as 1876. In response to Lincoln's inquiry, Welles wrote on May 16, 1861 that he knew of no facts that would justify any further mitigation, and Boutwell was dismissed from service on July 31, 1861.

Includes a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.

Condition: Lightly toned with minor mat burn. Ink smudged at a single letter ("I"), not affecting legibility. Pencil note on verso somewhat faded.

Reference: Basler 366.

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