MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM B. HAZEN Scares carte-de-visite of the Union General best known for defending 'Hell's Half Acre' Autograph Signed Photograph: " W. B. Hazen, Maj. Genl.". 2¼ x4. William Babcock Hazen (1830-1887), a West Point graduate (1855), was severely wounded in a battle with the Comanche in 1859, returning from a long convalescent just in time to become a brigade commander in the Union Army at Shiloh. His Ohio brigade fought heroically at Stone's River (December 31, 1862), with a defense of "Hell's Half Acre" which prevented a collapse of the Union line. (He was wounded again at this battle.) Brevetted a brigadier general in April 1863, he led a division under Sherman during the assault on Atlanta and the march to the sea. Stationed on the Plains after the war, he advocated fair treatment of Native Americans, giving sanctuary to a band of Kiowa pursued by Custer. Now a colonel in the regular army, Hazen was an observer with the Prussian Army in its 1870-1871 war with France. Hazen gave testimony against Secretary of War Belknap, making corruption allegations which hastened Belknap's resignation. read more...

FITZ JOHN PORTER Unique near-profile carte-de-visite of the Union General who fought at Antietam and Second Bull Run Autograph Photograph Signed: " F. J. Porter/Maj. Genl." backmark of R. W. Addis, Washington, DC on verso. 2½ x4. Admiral David Porter's cousin, Fitz John Porter (1822-1901) was a West Point graduate who also taught there. He was wounded in the Mexican War and served on the frontier. At the end of August 1862, Brigadier General Porter failed to cut Stonewall Jackson's and James Longstreet's forces and allowed the Confederates to emerge from Second Bull Run with a victory. General Pope blamed the Union Army's failure on Porter, charging him with willfully disobeying his orders. Porter was court-martialed, found guilty in January 1863 and forced out of the Army. After spending the next 23 years trying to clear his name, in 1886, by Act of Congress, his rank was restored and Porter was reinstated so that he could honorably retire. A board of investigation also decided that Porter had shown better judgment by ignoring Pope's orders. read more...

ALFRED T. TORBERT Exceedingly rare carte-de-visite photo of Torbert in uniform by Mathew Brady! Autograph Signed Photograph: "Yours  truly/A. T. A. Torbert, Brig. Genl: Vols." 2½x4 carte-de-viste with backstamp of Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, New York & Washington. Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert (1833-1880), an 1855 graduate of West Point, was appointed a First Lieutenant in the Confederate States Army on March 16, 1861, just before the start of the American Civil War, but the Delaware native declined the appointment and remained a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. By August 1862, he was a Brigade Commander of the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and Torbert was promoted to Brigadier General on November 29, 1862. On April 10, 1864, he was given command of the 1st Division of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. During Major General Philip Sheridan's Valley Campaigns (1864), Torbert commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of Shenandoah. He later commanded the Army of the Shenandoah from April 22, 1865-June 27, 1865. read more...

ABRAHAM LINCOLN While defending a woman accused of murdering her husband (1857), the future President added six lines of text in his own hand to the written deposition of a witness. Autograph Statement unsigned at the conclusion of Manuscript Document Signed: "J.L. Springgate", 2 pages, 7¾x12¼. Woodford County, [Metamora, Illinois], c. 1845-1857. AT THE CONCLUSION, SIX LINES IN THE HAND OF LINCOLN DIRECTLY ABOVE SPRINGGATE'S SIGNATURE, NOT SIGNED BY LINCOLN WHO WROTE, IN FULL: "Re-cross examination by defendants- The morning of the sale, Laws said that he wanted to go and buy horses, and wanted Vandike to go with him and be his security, and then they both, and this witness went to the sale together (The plaintiff objects to the last piece of evidence)". The names of the plaintiff and defendants are spelled differently throughout the document. Headed: "Deposition of Witness to be used in evidence on the trial of the case now pending in the Circuit Court of Woodford County where John A. read more...

JOHN ENDECOTT This exceedingly rare document is from the very earliest history of the American colonies and Massachusetts! It's a five-line complaint signed by John Endecott, colonial governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in Marblehead, Massachusetts in1649. Documents from this early in American history are rarely seen outside of private collections and are highly desirable! Framed to 10x6½ in a gold-colored frame with cream-colored matte. Document signed "Jo: Endecott Gov.". Brown ink and lead pencil notations in top left corner and at left edge. 1 page, 5½x1¼. Framed to 10x6½ in a gold-colored frame with cream-colored matte. Marblehead, Massachusetts, April 24, 1649. Five-line complaint. Endecott (c. 1588-1665), also spelled "Endicott", was a colonial governor (1629-1630, 1644-1645, 1649-1650, 1651-1654 and 1655-1664) and deputy governor (1641-1644, 1650-1651 and 1654-1655) of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the New World. Endecott arrived with 60 other settlers in the Naumkeag, future site of Salem, Massachusetts and already settled by seceders from the Plymouth colony, led by Roger Conant. read more...

GEORGE WASHINGTON Washington handwrote and signed this document, showing that he paid £100 for his neighbor's wheat, only five months after being selected to be a delegate at the Continental Congress. This document has his full name of "George Washington" instead of his more common signature of "G. Washington", which makes it especially rare. Autograph document signed in text: "George Washington". 1 page, 7¼x4¼. [Fairfax County, Virginia, 1774 December 23]. In Full: "Then Received from George Washington the Currt Sum of One hundred pounds in part payment for Wheat sold him by" to which the seller has signed: "Thomas Triplett". Penned at top left (unknown hand, possibly Triplett's): "Receivd Decr 23d 1774". THOMAS TRIPLETT was a descendent of French Huguenots who came to America to escape religious persecution. Triplett grew wheat on his plantation in Fairfax County, not far from Washington's Mount Vernon plantation. read more...

JAMES LONGSTREET Items from the general's order book during the Suffolk campaign of May 1863, seeking to locate General Hood and ordering prompt movement of "every serviceable horse in the City of Petersburg". With his corps detached from Lee's army, Longstreet captured vital supplies but missed the Battle of Chancellorsville. Longstreet's conduct in this campaign aroused heated debate after the war. Matted and framed to 9½x15. Autograph Document signed three times: "J Longstreet", 2 pages, 6½x8½. Richmond, Virginia, 1863 May 6. A series of entries from Longstreet's military order book, detailing commands to be sent to subordinates, signed by Longstreet himself. The pages contain three separate communications. In the first, Longstreet asks one of his captains, in part: "What arms and ammunitions do you need? In the second, he inquires about one of his division commanders. In part: "Is Gen. Hood in Petersburg? If he is [illegible] with him at the office of the operator that he may receive there ... read more...

JOSHUA LAWRENCE CHAMBERLAIN Writing 25 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, the hero of Little Round Top gives a judicious but convincing answer to a question of whether Union Corps Commander Daniel Sickles acted wisely or foolishly by advancing his men on the 2nd day of the battle. Typed Letter signed: "Joshua L. Chamberlain", 2 pages, 8½x11. New York, N.Y., 1888 August 16. On letterhead of the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad to M. S. O'Donnell, Massachusetts. In full: "Yours of the 15th has just reached me here, having been forwarded from Brunswick, Maine. The military wisdom and effect of the movement and position taken by Gen'l Sickles with the 3rd Corps at Gettysburg is a matter of controversy. The facts are these: He advanced his corps, just before the action of the 2nd of July commenced, and before our general line was fairly taken up, to a broken piece of ground some half mile in advance of the left of the line General Meade intended our left wing to occupy, on the ridge of hills which stretches southerly from Cemetery Hill to Round Top. read more...

ANDREW JOHNSON Signed 12½x15¼ photo mount dated by him October 5, 1867, and containing an albumen copy (10x11½) of a photograph of Johnson as President, seated at a writing desk Photograph Mount signed: "Andrew Johnson/Washington City/Oct. 5th 1867". Sepia, matted 12½ x 15¼ overall, 10 x 11½ image (two surfaces). Signed below photo, on the mount. Johnson represented Tennessee in the U.S. House (1843-1853) and Senate (1857-1862, 1875) and served twice as that State's Governor (1853-1857, 1862-1865). His second term was as a Military Governor appointed by President Lincoln. A pro-war Democrat fiercely opposed to secession but also opposed to imposition of a stringent Reconstruction regime on the defeated South, Johnson was nominated and elected in 1864 as Lincoln's second Vice President on a National Union ticket. Following Lincoln's assassination, Johnson succeeded to the highest office for a stormy term (1865-1869) in which he was increasingly at odds with the Republican majority in Congress. He was impeached by the House read more...

ERWIN ROMMEL. TLS: "Rommel" as Major, in pencil, 1p, 8¼x7½. Dresden, 1933 April 3. In German with full English translation. To publishers Mittler & Sons, Berlin. In full: "Due to overwhelming work and my absence from the city, I am finally able to answer your letter from April 16 today. I thank you for forwarding the pre-war correspondences. For the final selection of Zug & Company correspondences, I have looked at your choices and will come to a final decision on which to use. I would be happy to receive a new copy of F.u.G. Even though I had worked with this in the beginning, the final version is not that familiar to me. The new F.u.G. brings many new things especially names, terms or possibly drawings. With our pre-discussed business contract, I am still in agreement. I doubt I can get to it before mid-June with my work set to begin. When would you like the final draft?" In World War I, Rommel distinguished himself as a great front-line leader. By the time of this letter, he was considered a fine teacher. Four years later, he published his respected work on training and military tactics, Infanterie Greiftan read more...

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. Beauregard accepted at Augusta, and thence, was to procede to execute. 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...