LOT #47119 |
Sold on Sep 25, 2024 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
Abraham Lincoln Appointment Signed for Brigadier General Thomas Crittenden. ...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
Thomas Crittenden is Promoted to Brigadier General Shortly After Valiantly Leading His Troops to Victory at the Battle of Shiloh
Abraham Lincoln Appointment Signed for Brigadier General Thomas
Crittenden. One partially printed page, 14 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches,
Washington; April 30, 1862. Appointment of Thomas J. Crittenden to
Brigadier General. Signed, "Abraham Lincoln" and
countersigned by Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. With patriotic
and military vignettes at the top and bottom.An important appointment of one of the Union Army's leading generals only weeks after Crittenden commanded the 5th Division of the Army of the Ohio in the Battle of Shiloh. The deadliest engagement in American history up until that point, the Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6 and 7, 1862. At dawn on April 6, three Confederate infantry corps attacked Federal troops led by Ulysses S. Grant. Soldiers led by General Joseph E. Johnston pushed Union troops back throughout the course of the day, only halting at night because their commander believed his army to be victorious. However, that night, forces led by Union General Don Carlos Buell, including Crittenden, arrived to reinforce Grant's men. Buell began his attack at 5 A.M. on April 7, using troops led by Crittenden to slowly advance throughout the day. The battle resulted in Johnston's death and a Union victory, the first to allow Northern troops to penetrate the Rebel interior. The casualties suffered forced both the Union and the CSA to realize that the Civil War would likely be much longer and bloodier than originally anticipated.
Following Crittenden's valiant actions, Lincoln issued this appointment promoting him to brigadier general. Crittenden continued to rise in the ranks of the Union army, achieving the rank of major general shortly after this promotion. Major General Crittenden commanded the II Corp of the Army of the Ohio during the Perryville Campaign and later assumed command during the battles of Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor. After the war, Crittenden was brevetted to brigadier general in the regular army and became the treasurer of Kentucky.
The Crittenden family played a prominent role in the Civil War on both sides. Thomas served alongside his cousin, Union General Thomas T. Crittenden, and opposite his brother, Confederate General George B. Crittenden.
This appointment came at a critical point in which Union forces surged on multiple fronts, as Lincoln sought to bring an end to the war. After the Battle of Shiloh, the Union Navy clinched a victory at Fort Pulaski, giving Federal troops an important foothold on the East Coast. Several hundred miles north, General McClellan kicked off his Peninsular Campaign, pushing west into Yorktown, Virginia. Only five days before Lincoln issued this appointment, Union forces captured New Orleans and established a base at the mouth of the Mississippi River, allowing Grant to launch his Vicksburg Campaign.
Matted and framed to an overall size of 24 1/2 x 29 1/2 inches.
Condition: Creased along folds with one small open tear at the left margin. Red pen notations in the upper left corner from the Adjutant General's office, dated April 31, 1862. Slightly askew in the frame and not examined outside of the frame.
Auction Info
2024 September 25 Historical Manuscripts Including Texana Signature® Auction #6305 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2024
25th
Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 666
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $1,000,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $5,000,000 per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms