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Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed. ...
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Sold on Sep 21, 2023 for:
$13,750.00
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Description
Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed. One page on Executive Mansion letterhead, 4.25" x 7.5", Washington; December 24, 1863. A letter written on Christmas Eve directing Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton to allow a citizen to send a letter across Union lines. Lincoln's letter reads in full: "Please allow Hon. Mr. King of Mo., to send a letter through our lines, covering a small amount of expense money & this card." Signed, "Yours truly, A. Lincoln." PSA encapsulated to an overall size of 6" x 9.5".The letter is accompanied by a period manuscript copy of General Orders No. 7, passed on January 29, 1862 by Major General George B. McClellan. The orders forbade "the forwarding of letters to persons living in the enemy's country unless it be to persons held as prisoners by the insurgents."
Because of McClellan's hard line against communication with the Confederacy, Lincoln assumed a certain level of risk in approving Mr. King's request. Presidential orders to pass anything through Union lines were rare and surviving examples tend to focus on permitting civilians to cross the lines for specific purposes. Likewise, during the winter of 1865, the president and Congress entertained the idea of peace talks and issued several permits for individuals to pass through Union lines for the purpose of discussing "upon what terms [the war] may be terminated." This is a unique example made more so for its Christmas Eve date.
A previous dealer identifies Mr. King as Andrew King, a circuit court judge who was later elected to Congress and gained notoriety in the 1870s for becoming the first congressperson to issue a bill proposing a national ban on interracial marriage. During the Civil War, King was a slaveholder living in the dangerous battleground of Missouri. However, we are unable to confirm this identification.
Condition: Creased along folds with toning. Paper loss to the upper left and lower right corners, not affecting text. Special order toned along margins. Remnants of prior mount at top margin and pencil notations on verso.
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: 8
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,953
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