1872 WEST POINT USMA DIPLOMA TO INDIAN WAR OFFICER

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FANTASTIC AND RARE! Original 1872 USMA West Point graduation diploma signed by the superintendent of West Point and the cadets army officers/teachers. The document is on parchment paper and is in excellent condition. The cadet is USMA number 2443 of the class of 1872. He served until 1906 and retired to San Francisco and died in 1908.At graduation from West Point he was sent to the US army 16th Infantry and was in Co.I which was at that time undertaking the disagreeable duty of "reconstruction" in the southern US after the civil war. It was during this period the 16th infantry had the duty of suppressing the Klu Klux Klan in the south. By checking the army registers from this era, this veteran never left his new home of the 16th Infantry and he was on "Frontier duty" from 1877 to 1889 with that regt and served at many historic places in the west. He participated in the Ute Indian Campaigns in Colorado and Utah and was awarded a Indian War medal for that service. He served at Ft Reno and Riley as well asFt. Douglas UT and FT.Wallace Ks and Strawberry Valley Utah, just to name a few places he was at. Please see the following link for a brief history of the 16th inf and a mention of this veteran as Regimental adjutant during the indian wars era. http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/R&H/R&H-16IN.htm He also served in the spanish american war in Cuba and in the Philippine Insurrection in the P.I. Col.Allen had 3 sons and they all served in the army and Leven Jr. became a Major General and was a key officer in WWII with command of the 3rd armor division in Europe. Some of his and his sons photographs of that era are in the possession of the University of Utah and a list is available online and the list shows the history this west pointer was involved in. See this link for the contents of the U of Utah library http://db3-sql.staff./lucene/Photo/P0300/P0345.xml/ This wonderful 1872 USMA diploma document is in fine original condition and shows light storage wear from folding and a bit of light fading, but is overall very nice condition for being 135 years old. All the original ink signatures and text writting are clear and the document is signed by then Col. and later Maj General Thomas Ruger of civil war fame who was the superintendant of West Point from 1871 to 1876. General Ruger had a long and historic career himself serving at Chancelorsville and commanding a division at Gettysburg during the civil war. He also returned to duty on the frontier and served with the 18th infanty and commanded the military district of Montana at Ft. Assinaboine and he died at Stamford Conn. in 1907. I have to wonder if he is any relation to William B.Ruger,founder of the famous Ruger firearms company that is also located in Southport Connecticut. I am not able to make out the handwritting of some of the other officers signatures that are on this document and many may well be famous army men from the civil and indian war era. Along with the document are two beautiful original period photos of Col. Allen one as a cadet at the USMA and this being a period cabinet photo that has been trimed oval and placed in a original period oval frame with brass wire stand. Also included is a 1904 era sepia tone photo of him as a Col of infantry this appears to be just before he retired in 1906. All in all this is a very historic West Point graduation certificate and one this accompanied by two origininal photographs of the graduate( which is quite rare) and would make a wonderful addition to your collection or for more historical research. Please feel free to ask for more photos or info and I will be glad to help w I can. Buyer to pay 12.50 for shipping and insurance is at the winners expense and is required. We prefer paypal or money order by mail for payment . We ship one time per week and orders will ship in 7 days or less from date of payment reciept. read more

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