1863 CIVIL WAR LETTER & ENVELOPE w/ STAMP - CAPT. LOT ABRAHAM, 4th IOWA CAVALRY

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

1863 CIVIL WAR LETTER & ENVELOPE w/ STAMP - CAPT. LOT ABRAHAM, 4th IOWA CAVALRY ~ Guaranteed 100% Authentic ~ Up for auction is an original Civil War era letter and envelope cover sent to Captain Lot Abraham of Company D, 4th Iowa Cavalry, dated August 16th, 1863. There is a 3 cent postage stamp with a cancel stamp over it. See more info on Captain Abraham below. The letter was sent to Capt. Abraham from his friend "Neal", who writes about family, friends and goings on in his life. He mentions Abraham's letter in which he tells of the death of Lieut. Tucker. Approximate dimensions: letter is 6-1/2" x 8-1/8", envelope is 5 x 2-7/8" Condition: There is some soiling and a small burned area. Please see the photos for additional details and the most accurate description of its condition. Captain Lot Abraham (1838 - 1920) - Civil War soldier, Iowa State senator, and farmer from Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Captain Lot Abraham was born in Butler county, Ohio, on the 18th of April, 1838. After the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, he enlisted for three years' serving as a private of Company D, Fourth Iowa Cavalry. Within six months, however, he had been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, having passed through the intermediate grade of orderly sergeant. At the end of the year he had become captain. The regiment first went with Curtis through Missouri and Arkansas , and later participated in the siege of Vicksburg and was with Sherman on the Meridian expedition in February, 1864. In 1864 Captain Abraham was on active duty under Generals Sturgis and Smith, and in the fall of that year made a trip after Price through Missouri . He then re-enlisted with his company for three years more and from there received his veteran furlough, and in 1865 returned to Nashville , but was too late for the battle there. His command was then attached to Wilson's cavalry corps, and from that point started on the Georgia campaign. Captain Abraham was prominent in his command, and General Upton in his report says of him: “The Fourth Iowa Cavalry, dismounted, under Captain Lot Abraham, passed through the breach, turned to the right, charged the redoubt, capturing ten guns, and then sweeping across the bridge with the flying rebels, captured two howitzers loaded with canister. Mounted companies from the same regiment followed in the rear of Captain Abraham, and after crossing the bridge turned to the right and charged in flank the works at the lower bridge. * * * Captain Lot Abraham, Company D, Fourth Iowa, for his gallantry at Columbus, Georgia, April 15, 1865, and at Selma, Alabama, April 2, 1865, is recommended for brevet major.” These extracts are from pages four seventy-one, four seventy-five and four seventy-seven of volume forty-nine of the official reports of the war of the rebellion. On page four eighty-two of the same volume General Winslow says: “I respectfully recommend that the rank of major by brevet be conferred on Captain Lot Abraham, Company D, Fourth Iowa Cavalry. This officer has frequently displayed great courage, handled his command in a very gallant manner at Columbus and Selma , captured a four-gun battery at Selma repulsing the enemy in his attempt to recover it.” Also complimentary mention is found in other places of the war reports concerning Captain Abraham's service. Following the close of hostilities he was sent to Washington , Georgia , where he paroled Wheeler's cavalry, spending two months there in charge of the government property. He also had charge of the archives of the Confederacy and sent car loads of such material to Washington, D. C. He was discharged at Atlanta , August 8, 1865 . Captain Abraham was married in 1865, soon after his return from the war, to Miss Sarah C. Alden, a sister of John B. Alden, a well known publisher of New York city . He was nominated and elected in 1881 to the Iowa State Senate, serving fromm 1882- 1884. ~ Take a look at my other auctions for more vintage and antique collector's items! I am happy to combine shi... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.