X-15 PILOTS A piece of space flight history, this 11x14 photograph of the powerful X-15 has been signed by eight of it's twelve pilots; Peter Knight, Milt Thompson, Bob White, Joe Engle, Bill Dana, Scott Crossfield, and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong! Photograph signed: "Peter Knight", "Milt Thompson", "Bob White", "Neil Armstrong", "Joe Engle", "Bill Dana", "Scott Crossfield", 11x14. The X-15 was an experimental rocket-powered aircraft operated by the US Air Force and NASA as part of the X-plane series. The X-15 set a large list of records, including 13 different flights that exceeded the altitude of 50 miles, making the 8 flight pilots qualified for USAF astronaut status. There were a total of 12 pilots for the powerful aircraft, including NEIL ARMSTRONG (altitude 39.2 miles), SCOTT CROSSFIELD (altitude 15.3 miles), BILL DANA (altitude 58.1 miles), JOE ENGLE (altitude 53.1 miles), PETE KNIGHT (altitude 53.1 miles), MILT THOMPSON (altitude 40.5 miles), and BOB WHITE (altitude 59.6 miles). read more...

J. E. B. "JEB" STUART Demanding carbines for his men, Stuart writes an insistent letter to Porter Alexander as he readies his cavalry for the first of their many daring raids behind Union lines. Autograph Letter signed: "J. E. B. Stuart", 1 page, 3¾x6. Headquarters, Cavalry Brigade [Army of Northern Virginia], 1862 May 17. To "Dear Major" [E. Porter Alexander. Chief of Ordnance]. In full: "Have you done anything for that Blakely yet? Please attend to it at once as we are almost in daily use of it. I need carbines of long range, do make an effort to procure me a few hundred or even one or two. The 6th N[orth] C[arolina] vol[unteers] has 10, and other Inf[antr]y reg[imen]ts 20 [more], & various other non-combatants are thoroughly armed & equipped. Eradicate & eliminate for the cavalry." James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart (1833-1864), called Jeb by his friends and by history, graduated from West Point in 1854, serving on the Western frontier. read more...

WILLIAM BARCLAY "BAT" MASTERSON This extraordinary document is a typed manuscript for Dodge City, The Cowboy Capital about Western lawman Bat Masterson, with a total of four handwritten corrections by him, including his very rare full signature. It was written by Robert M. Wright, former mayor of Dodge City, Kansas, and sent to Masterson, a former deputy in Dodge City, for his review. Annotated typed manuscript signed "William Barclay (Bat) Masterson". Black ink and lead pencil notations in unknown hand. 6 pages, 8½x11, bound with a needle at top edge. There are a total of four corrections on the first page. The first is Masterson's signature, correcting the title "W.B. Masterson (Bat)". He also corrected the initials "W.B." in the first sentence with "William Barclay". The other two corrections pertain to his candidacy for sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, which included Dodge City. He crossed out the "6" in "1876" and corrected it with "7". read more...

BENITO JUAREZ The 26th President of Mexico and one of the more important of the nation signs an 1849 proclamation honoring those who fought for Mexico at the Battle of Molino del Rey in 1847, signed in iron gall ink Document Signed: "Benito Juarez" as Governor of Oaxaca, 1 page, 10½x17½. Place: Oaxaca, Mexico. Date: August 8, 1849. In Spanish, not translated. Proclamation honoring officers and men of the Mexican National Guard who fought bravely for their country at the Battle of Molino del Rey, September 8, 1847. Benito Juarez had been elected Governor of Oaxaca in 1847. After being exiled in 1848 after the Mexican War, Santa Anna returned as President in 1853 and sent Juarez into exile. In 1855, Juarez returned, joined Alvarez in a revolution against Santa Anna, who was overthrown and once again, sent into exile. As Alvarez's Minister of Justice, Juarez in 1855 wrote "Ley Juarez", the law abolishing special courts and reducing the power of the army and the church. In 1858, Juarez proclaimed himself de jure President of Mexico, obtaining U.S. read more...

JULES MASSENET Massenet handwrote, dated and signed this note with two bars of musical notation in Paris in 1887 Autograph musical quotation signed: "J. Massenet", in brown ink, 1p, 4½x7 (one sheet folded). To an unnamed recipient. In French, translated in full: "We will be there! Cou-nt on me!/ until Monday/ your affectionate/”. Paris, France, May 9, 1887. Massenet wrote two bars of music with lyrics (in French, not translated) on this note above his signature. French composer Jules Massenet (1842-1912) made his name with the comic opera Don César de Bazan (1872). Other operas followed, including The Virgin (1880), Manon (1884, considered by many to be his masterpiece), Le Cid (1885) and Werther (1892). In addition to his ambitious operas and orchestral works, Massenet wrote over 200 popular songs, many of them based on published poems. Lightly toned and creased. Random ink stains. Folded in half horizontally and unfolded. Otherwise, fine condition. read more...

JEFFERSON DAVIS, JOHN H. WINDER and THOMAS J. GREEN Davis signs an autograph endorsement forwarding to Confederate Secretary of War Benjamin a handwritten letter from Green, a former general in the army of independent Texas, warning that Confederate soldiers were carrying CSA weapons home with them. General Winder adds a handwritten note to the same document, ordering that guards be posted at depot and they confiscate these weapons. Civil War-date Autograph Endorsement signed: "Sec of War attention./J D", as President of the Confederate States of America in pencil in upper blank margin of letter to him. THOMAS J. GREEN. ALS: "Thos J Green", 1p, 7¼x9¼. Esmeralda near Warrenton North Carolina, 1862 March 17. To "HIS EXCL./JEFFERSON DAVIS/PRES. C.S.A.". In full, original spelling: "I feel it my duty to call your attention to what I believe is highly detrimental to the public service. read more...

FUTURE CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT WRITES TO FUTURE CONFEDERATE OFFICER ABOUT THE STAFFING OF THE ARMORY AT HARPER'S FERRY, WHICH WAS RAIDED THREE YEARS LATER BY JOHN BROWN. JEFFERSON DAVIS. Manuscript LS: "Jeffn Davis" as Secretary of War, 2p, 7½x9¼ front and verso. War Department, (Washington), 1856 January 17. TO HON. C. J. FAULKNER. In full: "I find an unexpected delay has occurred in the completion of the new models; but have assurance that they will be finished this week, so as to be ready for inspection at the beginning of next week when those designed for Harper's Ferry will be sent thither after which we shall be able to resume full work at that Armory. That class of community who have been for a time suspended from employment will I hope then be relieved from this embarrassment to which you have called my attention. As to the number of clerks required at Harper's read more...

JEFFERSON DAVIS and JUDAH P. BENJAMIN As Confederate President and Secretary of War, both signed this printed document on vellum, commissioning privateers to wage war against the US on the high seas. This copy was signed but never used. Printed early in the war, it includes a handwritten correction of the location of the CSA capital, with Montgomery struck out and Richmond written in. Partly Printed DS: "Jefferson Davis" as President of the Confederate States of America and "J.P. Benjamin" as Secretary of State, 1 page, 16½x11¾. On vellum. Montgomery Richmond, 1864 January 8. In full, with blanks not filled in: "Know Ye, That by virtue of the power vested in my by law, I have commissioned, and do hereby commission, have authorized, and do hereby authoriz[e]____or vessel called the_____ [missing] particularly described in the schedule hereunto annexed,) read more...

GENERAL THOMAS GAGE Important, 3-page ALS (1768) from Britain's military commander in North America to his Indian Commissioner: Strike a deal at the expense of the settlers! Autograph Letter signed: "Thos. Gage", 3 pages, 7¾x12½, front and verso. New York, 1768 January 16. To Sir William Johnson, Baronet. In full: "I have received your letters of the 24th, 26th Dec. and 9th Jan. The opinion you give of the general causes of the discontent of the savages, which originate from our growing power and their jealousy of our designs against them, I know no remedy against, but by doing them all the justice we can. If we can remove the settlers from their encroachments it will be a manifestation of our earnest desire to do them justice. And they have seen a person executed in New Jersey for the murther of an Indian, which must in some measure shew them we do what we can to give them satisfaction for the murter of their peoples, which tho only one example, is more than they have given us for the many white people they have killed at different times. read more...