LOT #47121 |
Sold on Sep 21, 2023 for: Not Sold
Two Letters Regarding the Request for Pardon for Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson.... (Total: 2 Items)
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Description
Two Letters Regarding the Request for Pardon for Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson. Two letters, each one page and measuring 7.75" x 9.75". Both letters are addressed to Colonel William P. Maulsby and are written from Baltimore. The first letter is dated November 29, 1865 and reads, "Enclosed please find a letter from a member of the Purnell Legion in reference to Gen. Bradley T. Johnson's administration of the prison at Salisbury, N.C. I feel considerable interest in his being pardoned by the President, as he is an intimate & dear friend of mine, I having served with him during the war as his Adjutant Genl... Geo. Booth." The letter is written entirely in Booth's hand.The second letter is the very letter referenced by Booth and is dated November 9, 1865. The body of the letter is written in Booth's hand and is signed by William H. Grape, "late Sergeant of Co. A Purnell Legion." The letter reads: "I am informed that Genl. Bradley T. Johnson is an applicant for pardon at the hands of the President and I desire to make a statement trusting it may be of some service to him. I was in the Prison at Salisbury N.C. having been captured in August 1864 on the Wildon Rail Road. Genl Johnson assumed command of the Prison in December & from that time we experienced a very perceptible change for the better and he seemed to take an interest in promoting our comfort. This was the general impression among the prisoners and I am confident numbers of them will be willing to make a similar statement."
Bradley T. Johnson was born to a prominent family in Maryland. When Lincoln was elected president, he sided with the rallying cries of the seceding states. In 1861, he organized a militia in Frederick that was first tasked with protecting pro-Southern state legislators in Maryland, but then Johnson and his men eventually crossed lines to join the Confederate army. They were incorporated into "Stonewall" Jackson's brigade and fought in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Johnson was eventually successful in creating a regiment solely of Marylanders called the Maryland Line and was promoted to brigadier general. Johnson lost most of his men in August 1864 when they were captured by Union forces. Left without a command, he was sent to Salisbury, North Carolina to oversee the prison. Despite Grape's claims in his letter that conditions improved when Johnson took command, the prison saw an increase in deaths due to unsanitary conditions and overcrowding from October 1864 to February 1865. Johnson was eventually pardoned by President Johnson and settled in Richmond, Virginia where he was elected to the State Senate in 1875.
Condition: Both letters have flattened folds and toning. Grape's letter has two areas of heavy ink where he has added his rank. Booth's letter has a small nick of paper along the horizontal fold at the right margin.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 0
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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