Description:

10th U.S. Cavalry Indian War-Era Announcements of Mourning ca. 1893-98

A group of orders from the Headquarters of the 10th Regiment of U.S. Cavalry announcing the deaths of three soldiers detailing instructions for mourning. 3p, each measuring 5.5" x 8", ca. 1893-98, Fort Custer & Assinniboine, MT. Orders of mourning adorned with black border printed by the Office of the Regimental Commander and/or Adjutant honoring the deaths of 1st Lieuts. Powhatan H. Clarke and Leighton Findley, as well as Capt. Charles E. Nordstrom, two of which have been signed by Adjutants of the commanding officer: "Wm H. Smith" and "M. H. Barnum" respectively, and conclude with an order stating "The officers of the regiment will wear the usual badge of mourning for the period of thirty days". Varying degrees of creasing, darkened toning, and scattered foxing throughout. Overall good condition with interesting contents and ties to the Indian Wars!

The 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment was originally formed in 1866 as a segregated, all-African American division consisting of black enlisted men (nicknamed "Buffalo Soldiers") and white officers, an arrangement typical of the period. In 1877, the regiment saw its first officer of color, however when Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) graduated from West Point and attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Nevertheless, as all of the officers mentioned in these examples of mourning were white, it is unclear if their African American counterparts would receive similar treatment upon death. Before its disbandment in 1944, the 10th U.S. Cavalry actively served in the Indian Wars of the American West, the Spanish–American War in Cuba, as well as the Philippine–American War.

Powhatan Henry Clarke (1962-1893) first enlisted in the army in 1884 upon graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, joining the 10th Cavalry as a 2nd Lieutenant. He would later gain recognition after being awarded a Medal of Honor in 1886 for rescuing a wounded soldier during the Geronimo Campaign in Sonora, Mexico. Before his death, Clarke would act as a subject for Western artist Frederic Remington in two pieces entitled "Lieutenant Powhatan H Clarke Tenth Cavalry" and "Soldiering in the Southwest–The Rescue of Corporal Scott".

Leighton Finley (1856-1894) was transferred to the 10th Cavalry in 1879 where, according to the announcement of mourning, "he distinguished himself in action against hostile indians at Tenajo de los Palmas, Texas…".

Charles E. Nordstrom (d. 1898) first entered the 10th Cavalry in 1867 where he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1869, and later, Captain in 1889. Both of his daughters, Frances and Marie Nordstrom, would become notable stage actresses.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE! 

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 15, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000