JULIA WARD HOWE She signs a mount bearing a 3¾x5½ photo of herself. Photo Mount signed: "Julia Ward Howe". B/w, 4¼x6½ overall, image 3¾x5½ (two surfaces). Photo by Hardy Studios of Boston. An ardent abolitionist, suffragette and advocate of world peace, Julia Ward Howe is best known for writing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (set to the tune of "John Brown's Body"), which was penned in 1861 after her visit to Civil War battlefields. Mount lightly creased at upper left corner. Signed photographs of Julia Ward Howe are scarce and desirable. Lightly creased at upper left corner of mount. Fine condition. read more...

ROBERT E. LEE and MARY CUSTIS LEE Carte-de-Visite photograph signed by the Lee and his wife, to her cousin Susan P. Meade! Photograph Signed: "R.E. Lee" and inscribed and signed on verso: "Susan P. Meade/from her cousin/Mary Custis Lee". Sepia, 2½x4 overall, image 2¼x3½ (two surfaces). Photographer's imprint at lower border: "Boude & Miley. Lexington, Va." In the early 1850s, photographer Mathew Brady photographed Robert E. Lee in civilian clothes. Artist and engraver A.H. Ritchie reproduced the image and then painted a uniform on Lee showing epaulets and Lee as a Major General in the Virginia Militia. The print was originally issued out of Baltimore and was widely circulated in 1861. The photograph offered here is a vignette view of Lee from the Ritchie engraving. "Vignetting" was a way in which a photography studio would avoid copyright problems for reproducing another's work. Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870), among the most revered military leaders in American history, was the son of Revolutionary War hero and Virginia Governor "Lighthorse Harry" Lee. read more...

WILLIAM F. "BUFFALO BILL" CODY His autograph letter, signed as Cousin Will, asking to be sent "some more headache powders" to relieve the headache caused by his financial woes Autograph Letter signed: "Cousin Will", 1 page, 8x10. New Rochelle, N.Y., no date. To "Dear Frank and Nellie". In full [spelling errors in original]: "I've had a lot of hard upset. Twice I've had moneyed men who were ready to put up a $150,000 to back me with a new show. And that man Tammen has scared them out by telling them he had a contract for my services for 1916 which he hasent. But he still thinks if I cant get out with a show I come back and make more money for him, which will never do. However, I haven't given up. But will stay here until know what I can do. The men are still working at the mines. Say, please send me some more headache powders. This nervous strain makes my head ache. I am living here at Rochelle with my nephew and neice. Its only 45 minutes from New York. Love ever." William Frederick CODY (1846-1917) earned the name "BUFFALO BILL" for killing thousands of buffalo as a hired hunter in 1867 and 1868. Cody had begun his wild west career herding cattle at age nine. read more...

WALTER M. SCHIRRA One-piece Flight Training Suit worn by Wally Schirra as he trained for the Apollo 7 space mission, accompanied by a typed letter of authentication signed by the astronaut. Comprises: (1) TLS: "Walter M. Schirra", 1 page, 8½x11. Rancho Santa Fe, California, 2002 May 3. To Who it may concern. In full: "I, Walter Schirra, attest to the fact that this is my original Flight Training Suit, worn by me while training for the Apollo 7 space mission." Fine condition. (2) The one-piece light blue training suit worn by Schirra. Zips completely down the front and has two original patches: Schirra's U.S. Navy leather ID patch on its right and the colorful cloth Apollo 7 patch on its left. There are a number of small circular oil stains on the seat, otherwise, the suit is in fine condition. Apollo 7 was the first manned flight of the Apollo spacecraft, with astronauts Walter Schirra, Jr., Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham aboard. The primary objectives of the Earth orbiting mission were to demonstrate Command and Service 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...

THE FORMER UNION OFFICER IS SUPPORTED BY CONFEDERATE OFFICERS AS HE FIGHTS TO CLEAR HIS NAME   FITZ JOHN PORTER. ALS: "F.J. Porter", 4p, 5x7¾. New York, 1882 January 24. To Colonel Charles Marshall, Baltimore, Maryland. Begins: "My dear Colonel". In full: "I Thank you warmly for your full reply to my letter - I knew or believed that no written messages had passed between Longstreet & Gen Lee to the effect I wrote you - but Longstreet had testified to that effect before the Board. had written it years before. and Col. W.M Owens of New Orleans. had without confering (sic) with Longstreet. stated he heard Gen Lee about 1. PM. tell Longstreet to advance. & Longstreets reply that he wanted to hear from Stuart of the force coming up on this right - and So I took it for granted it was so. I am glad to have the details you give. That Genl Lee had a contempt for Genl Pope and justly I never doubted. He knew Pope. I don't think that any grounds could have induced him to make the moves he did. unless he was vastly superior in numbers to Pope and knew Pope would not be reinforced in time to save him. read more...

ADOLF HITLER and OTTO MEISSNER The Führer signs a typed order bestowing awards for "rescuing humans from mortal danger." Interesting Typed DS: "Af Hitler" as Führer and "Meissner" as Head of the Presidential Chancery and State Minister, 15 pages, 8¼x12. Führer Headquarters, 1944 April 30. In German with partial translation. Exactly one year before his death, Hitler issues a list of persons "to be rewarded with medals for rescuing humans from mortal danger". He orders "the bestowal letters of rescue medals on a ribbon are to be made out under today's date with a facsimile of my signature" for 11 listed numbers. The description of the rescue is listed next to the person's name. Those rescues where "the rescuer's life was not in any particular danger" received lower class medals than the others. Rescues include: "Walter Stallbaum saved a woman, age 40, from drowning in the Mulde river (depth 2.5m) near Pouch, District of Bitterfeld. The rescuer, who is a disabled veteran, had to swim a distance of 50m with the victim against strong current"... read more...

1904: THEODORE ROOSEVELT's ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE CERTIFICATION Official Electoral College certification by the President of the Senate, William P. Frye, also signed by tellers of the US Senate and House of Representatives Printed Declaration signed: "Wm. P. Frye/President pro tempore" of the U.S. Senate and "Julius C. Burrows" and "J.W. Bailey" as tellers on the part of the Senate and "Joseph H. Gaines" and "Gordon Russell" as tellers on the part of the House of Representatives, 1p, 11½x28, Washington, District of Columbia, not dated. Certificate of the Electoral College votes deciding Theodore Roosevelt as President and Charles W. Fairbanks as Vice President. According to the 12th Amendment to the U.S. read more...

"BUFFALO BILL" CODY Handwritten letter to former rival - now partner - Pawnee Bill Lillie -  outlining plans for a California tour of their wild west show. "And if all goes well we could clean up a wagon load of money." Autograph Letter signed: "Col.", 1 page, 8½x11. Saco, Maine, May 30 (circa 1908). On letterhead of Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Far East to "Dear Major" [William Lillie]. In full: "The reason I would not sign up with Craft. They went back on the Contract they had Bacon draw and sent two of their own fixing. You see by the route of Sells Floto that they are playing all of the Country west of the Rockies and North West. And I think we should do it. I think the summer of the Great Panama Fair at San Francisco we could show all that Country. In the Spring three shows. San Francisco July, Aug. Sep. Then Southern Cal. Oct. And if all goes well we could clean up a wagon load of money." William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) earned the name "Buffalo Bill" for killing thousands of buffalo as a hired hunter in 1867 and 1868. read more...