Abraham Lincoln commission three weeks after Sumter

Pricing & History

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

Abraham Lincoln signed document, May 9, 1861, Washington , along with Simon Cameron, Sec. of War. In the days immediately following the firing on Fort Sumter and commencement of the Civil War Lincoln hurriedly raises troops for the defense of Washington . This document appoints Benjamin Berkley as a First Lieutenant in the Militia of the District of Columbia . The commission is dated May 9, 1861 but the appointment, as stated in the commission, was effective April 23, 1861. This is one of the first appointments of the Civil War and a reflection of the chaotic events in Washington from mid-April to mid-May 1865. On April 12 the Confederates began the assault on Sumter , which was surrendered two days later. Lincoln , on April 15 th called on loyal states for volunteers, in effect deciding that states would stay in the union even if only by force. The war now joined, Lincoln Â's call for troops immediately provoked riots and armed conflict in the neighboring states, including Maryland , and isolated Lincoln and the District of Columbia . It is obvious from this document that a mad rush to organize defenses in the following weeks led to quick field promotions, leaving the paperwork to catch up later. The call for troops had not yet produced any reinforcements for Washington Â's defenses from loyal states. Lincoln was preparing for siege of the capital. Carl SandburgÂ's The War Years describes the mood on the very day that Benjamin Berkley was promoted. Â"On the afternoon of April 23 Lincoln was alone in his office in the White HouseÂ--or believed he was alone, though John Hay, quiet and unobtrusive, was t And Hay saw Lincoln Â'after walking the floor alone in silent thought for nearly half an hour,Â' stop at a window and gaze long and wistfully down the Potomac in the direction of the expected ships. And as he gazed he broke out with irrepressible anguish in the repeated exclamation Â'Why donÂ't they come! Why donÂ't they come!Â'Â" Two days later relief finally began to trickle into the city but it was still vulnerable from attack on all sides. On May 3 rd Lincoln doubled the authorized size of the federal army and navy. That week more reinforcements arrived, including Elmer Ellsworth and his New York Zouaves. By May 9 th , 1861 t were some 20,000 troops now in the city. Finally, Lincoln had the time and freedom to sit down and make the retroactive appointments like Berkley Â's that probably saved the city and the union. The document itself is in only fair condition with fold separations, some minor loss of paper and some foxing and soiling. To preserve it from further deterioration, an earlier owner had it pasted down to a heavier board and can be nicely framed for display. While mounting to a larger board is generally not desirable, in this case it probably has served to protect a very desirable commission from the opening days of the war. Lincolns Â' signature is quite good, probably a 7 out of 10 in darkness, CameronÂ's is darker. The heaviest horizontal and vertical folds nicely frame the signature block, which fortunately is the cleanest and best preserved section of the document. Document clips with a Cabinet secretary often sell for $4,000 and above. This lot is offered by Custodians of History, Inc. I deal in historic autographs with an emphasis on presidents, Supreme Court, space, colonial and general American history. All items carry a full refund for authenticity for life and a five day return for any reason. Please mark me as a favorite seller to view future eBay auctions, which I run about nine or ten times per year. Be sure to add me to your favorites list !Check out my other items ! | 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.