Description:

Lincoln Abraham

Signed note, penned only 4 days before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and only 1 day after Robert E. Lee's surrender. Lincoln signs a prisoner discharge note, 3.5' x 1.75", dated "April 10, 1865". Boldly signed by Abraham Lincoln as President as "A. Lincoln", declaring: "Let the prisoner be discharged on taking the oath of Dec 8, 1863". Note affixed along top edge to a second piece of paper, otherwise clean and boldly penned with strong contrasting ink.

The note is dated and penned in another hand, likely John Hay's.

The Oath of December 8 was announced by Lincoln in his annual message to Congress in 1863. He would offer a pardon to any man who would swear, without coercion, his allegiance to the Union. The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction provided, then, a general pardon to soldiers in the Rebellion, and to those, too, who deserted the Union cause.

The 'Oath' reads in part:

"I, (NAME) do solemnly swear, in the presence of Almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the union of states thereunder; and that I will, in like manner, abide and faithfully support all acts of Congress passed during the existing rebellion with reference to slaves...So help me God.”

This note is dated April 10, 1865; some five days later, the Rebellion would be over and Lincoln assassinated. Lincoln was known to have signed only a scant few documents in the final days before his death.Auction searches only locate about a half dozen Lincoln signed items dated the same date or later. In fact one dated April 14th sold for around $50,000 over 15 years ago.

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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