GENERAL GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER General Custer struggles to prepare a Civil War brigade report War-dated ALS signed "G. A. Custer," 7.5 x 5.5, no date, [but circa April-September 1864]. Letter to an unidentified Major. In full: "Oblige me by assisting the bearer of this note to arrange the Brigade report. I was absent all day yesterday and this morning. I am unable to understand how & where you get certain numbers which you have placed in pencil in the report." GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER (1839-1876) Although brilliant and daring in the field, Custer was found wanting in the routine duties of command of the Army of the Potomac, as is demonstrated in this letter requesting assistance in arranging a report. "I am unable to understand how & where you get certain numbers which you have placed in pencil in the report," Custer admits to his subordinate. More than a decade later-in June 1876-he had another problem with

THOMAS J. "STONEWALL" JACKSON In this rare, war-dated letter, Jackson handwrote and signed a recommendation that cavalry commander W. E. Jones be promoted to brigadier general during the American Civil War. Jackson wrote this letter less than eight months before his death at Chancellorsville and two years before Jones' death at the Battle of Piedmont. Neither man would live to see the end of the war. Autograph letter signed "T.J. Jackson" in pencil, 2 pages (front and verso), 7¾x9¾ ruled paper. Sept. 24, 1862. Addressed to General S. Cooper, "Adjt. & Insp. General CSA". In full: "Headquarters V. Dist./Sept 24th, 1862/General,/I respectfully recommend/that Colonel W. E. Jones of the 7th Va. Cavly./be promoted to a brigadier general/of cavalry and assigned to the brigade/lately commanded by Brig. Genl. B. H./ Robertson of which Col. Jones regt. formed/a part. Col. J. graduated at West Point/in 1848, was for several years in

CLARA BARTON Eloquently demands protection of the Red Cross symbol. Manuscript Signed: "Clara Barton" circa 1893, three typed pages, 8 x 10½. American Association of the Red Cross President Barton issues a call for a meeting of the Official Advisory Board to consider the protection of the Red Cross Insignia. Her fight had begun shortly after the First Geneva Convention attended by governments from around the world in 1864. Barton fought for the U.S. Congress to ratify the Convention but fearing foreign entanglements the government would not ratify and acknowledge the Convention until 18 years later. After the chartering of the society in 1882, the charitable and international neutral symbol was also used for everything from snake oils, cigars, alcoholic beverages and later, her fiercest adversary, the burgeoning conglomerate Johnson & Johnson Company. This overwhelming misuse and lack of congressional action led Barton to call the first meeting of the association's Board in 1893. Ultimately, the Red Cross would receive limited protection with the organization's official chartering in 1900. Barton's manuscript, in part: "...

MARY WALKER The first female recipient of the United States Medal of Honor provides a collector her signature. Signature: "Mary E. Walker, M.D./A.A. Surgeon, U.S.A./in War of 1861-5./[three dashes]", 1p, 6¼x8½. Beneath the signature, the person who obtained the autograph has typed a description of Walker, who was "a spectator at the trial of Mrs. Melbar, who was being tried for the murder of her five year old son." The collector continues: "After I asked for the autograph, a photographer asked permission posing in front of the building for him. Under her name she put three little dashes and told me that the represented the red, white and blue." In 1865, President Andrew Johnson presented Dr. Mary Edwards Walker a Medal of Honor for her work with the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, Walker, an advocate of women's rights, temperance, and dress reform, became a controversial writer and lecturer. In 1917, at the height of the woman suffrage movement, a federal review board revoked the 85-year-old Walker's Medal of Honor, claiming she had never actually served in the Army. Walker refused to return the Medal, proudly wearing it until her death in 1919.

GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER Important, Civil War-dated ALS, enthusiastically endorsing a new saber shield and urging that the US Cavalry be equipped with it Autograph Letter signed: "G. A. Custer, Brig. Genl.", 1 page, 6¼x8. Washington, D.C., 1864 April 6. To Captain R. R. Moffatt, in full: "Having carefully examined your 'Sabre Shield,' and having considered its merits, as pertaining to my own branch of the service, I do not hesitate in pronouncing it a most invaluable acquisition to the cavalry arm of the service. I am firm in the belief that the possession of it by our cavalry would give confidence and increases courage to those wearing it. The trifling weight of the shield is such as to be almost unfelt by the wearer. I hope it will be adopted at once." George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876) graduated last in his class at West Point in 1858, but promptly redeemed himself through his brave and aggressive cavalry leadership during the Civil War.

FRANK JAMES Extremely rare autograph letter written by Western outlaw Frank James to his wife and son from an Alabama jail (1884), discussing the hardships of imprisonment, his feelings of betrayal by "my pretended friends", and family attendance at his coming trial. Contained in a 9x14½ brown leather folio with a b/w photo of James. Autograph and signed material by James is extremely rare and highly desirable! Rare autograph letter signed "Frank James". 2 pages, 8½x14, 1 sheet, front and verso, ruled paper. Comes in a 9x14½ (27x28¼ unfolded) brown leather folio with a 5¼x6¼ b/w photo of James and a Charles Hamilton letter of authentication. Dated: Mar. 12, 1884. James wrote this letter to his wife and son after surrendering and awaiting trial for bank robbery. "My Dear Wife and Robert... I am truly in hope I may not be ill any more while in jail at least... the only money I spend is for stamps and tobacco... As I write it rains and the heavy peals of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning very nearly raises me out of my chair... I have scarcely any fire and think I will let it die...

SEVEN WEEKS AFTER SURRENDERING FORT SUMTER, COLONEL ROBERT ANDERSON WRITES TO GENERAL LORENZO THOMAS ABOUT A RECENT MEETING WITH PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S LIFELONG FRIEND, JOSHUA SPEED   ROBERT ANDERSON. Important ALS: "Robert Anderson/Col. USA", 1p, 7¾x9¾. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1861 June 4.To General Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant General USA, Washington, D.C. In full: "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Genl Orders (Adjt Genls Office) No 25.6&7 and G.O. No. 7 Hd Qrs of the Army, and also of a letter from the Hon. J.K. Moorehead to the Hon. Secy of War, with enclosures, referring to certain parties in Louisville Ky reported to be engaged in furnishing or forwarding, Revolvers, Tents, Knapsacks &c to the rebels, Mr. Joshua Speed, a firm Union Man and a man of sound judgement, to whom I showed these papers, advises that no steps be now taken in this matter-greater harm than benefit to the cause would result from it. A letter from Surgeon Wright USA. the Senior Medical Office in this Dept. is, herewith, forwarded.

JEFFERSON DAVIS Five days after General Lee's surrender, the Confederate President, determined to fight on, signs instructions to General Beauregard, framed in the Gallery of History style to 37x21. ALS: "J.D." as President of the Confederacy,on verso in lower ¼ page of 8½x5 telegraph form,South of Yadkin River, 1865 April 14. On telegram form headed "The Southern Express Company/Forward Packages by Passenger trains and Steamers, and Dispatches by Telegraph,/to all parts of the Confederate States". Telegram from Brigadier General S.H. Ferguson to General Beauregardcompletely in the hand of a telegraph clerk, including signature.In full: "Have Crossed Almost all my horses on RR bridge with a little work wagons Can be brought over by hands will push on after enemy & have advised Genl Johnston to put his Command at work to repair Rail Road if this is approved orders had better be given = neither find passable today. S.H. Ferguson Brig Genl". Initialed "DH" by the telegraph clerk.

NAVY SECRETARY GIDEON WELLES ORDERS THE NAVY TO TRANSPORT CAPTURED FUGITIVE JOHN SURATT BACK TO THE US TO STAND TRIAL FOR CONSPIRING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT LINCOLN GIDEON WELLES Telegram, unsigned, 1 page, 8½x11. 1866 December 6. Telegram partly printed in Portuguese, received from Gideon Welles in Washington, D.C., for transmittal to Admiral Goldsborough, American Squadron at Lisbon, Portugal. Manuscript text of Welles' message (unknown hand): "Send steamer to Alexandria, Egypt to receive Surautt [sic] from Consul Hale and bring him to Washington." [Welles' name has also been misspelled by the telegraph office.] Docketed on verso: "Hon. G. Welles/Secy of the Navy/6th Dec. 1866/Send steamer to/Alexandria, Egypt". Gideon Welles (1812-1878), a Jacksonian Democrat who joined the new Republican Party in 1854 because he detested slavery, was Secretary of the Navy throughout the Presidencies of Abraham Lincoln (who called him "Neptune") and Andrew Johnson (1861-1869).

FRANK JAMES From Gallatin, Missouri, while awaiting trial for murder and armed robbery, James handwrote this remarkable and very affectionate 20-page letter to his wife, even quoting Shakespeare. This rich content letter includes references to some of James' friends and former partners Ebenezer Magoffin, and Bill and Frank Gregg. Curiously, James signs with the alias he used as an outlaw, "Ben". Autograph Letter signed: "Your true husband/Ben", 20 pages, 5x8. Castle St James [Gallatin, Missouri], July, circa 1883. A loving letter from Frank James to his wife, on his affection for her and recent happenings. In full: "My dear wife: Do you know your letter of last Sunday was the most interesting communication I have had from you since you left me. I think you are awakening to the fact that I love you much more than a "little bit" as you express it. Let me whisper to you right now that I feel a hundred times better since you have written as you have. How kind and good you can be when you want to. I have felt very much like spanking you several times of late, when you would say for instance "I sometimes believe you do love me a little bit".

CIVIL WAR: UNION CAVALRY SABRE. Sword, overall length 43½ inches, and scabbard. The sword, which has a steel blade, has a brass hilt and wire and leather wrapped grip. The scabbard is steel. Sword is marked on ricasso: "Ames Mfg. Co. Chicopee, Mass. US JH 1858". On April 14, 1858, Ames Manufacturing Company in Chicopee, Massachusetts received an order from the Ordnance Department for 800 "New Pattern" Light Cavalry sabres. All 800 of these sabres, including this one, were delivered in October 1858, making them the first one percent of the 81,300 Light Cavalry sabres that Ames would produce for the Ordnance Department during the Civil War. This is likely the sword of an enlisted man, as their swords were usually dated on the ricasso. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Army was divided into three components: the infantry, the artillery and the cavalry. In the early stages of the war, the cavalry supported the artillery and infantry by scouting, gathering intelligence and generally serving as the "eyes and ears" of the Army. As the war progressed, however, the cavalry took an increasingly offensive role, and by the end of the war the Union cavalry was recognized as fearsome offensive force.

JEFFERSON DAVIS Davis writes to Colonel Robert Scott concerning a text of his Civil War recollections, intended for publication. Davis speaks of his dissatisfaction with General Beauregard's actions during the war. Here he claims he told Beauregard: "The last sentence of my telegram conveyed to Genl. Beauregard my dissatisfaction at the change and doubt as to the expected result." Autograph Letter signed: "Jefferson Davis", 2 pages (front and verso), 5x8. Beauvoir, Mipi, 1884, October 11. In full: "Yours of the 8th inst. has been this day received, and the enclosure compared. It is in the main correct, the alterations you will find restored by pencil erasure and interlineation. You were correct in the supposition that it was a telegram; and that together with the fact that it was addressed to one fully informed of my views, will account for its brevity. The telegram to which mine was a response, was, I believe, the one which announced a change of the plan of campaign; which Genl.