Description:

Robert E. Lee
Richmond, VA, September 5, 1864
Civil War-Dated Robert E. Lee Signature 3 Days After Lee Urged Davis To Consider Allowing Blacks In The Confederate Army
Signature
A signature clip belonging to Confederate General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), signed, inscribed, and dated by Lee as "R E Lee / Richmond 5 Sept '64." On a fragment of blue-lined paper laid down on a cream stock card with embossed upper and lower edges. A small adhesive stain at upper right. Expected wear including minor loss to the mount verso, else near fine. Trimmed to a completed size of 3.375" x 1.75."

Just three days earlier on September 2, 1864, General Robert E. Lee had written Confederate President Jefferson Davis expressing concerns about the size, fighting fitness, and morale of the Confederate Army. Lee recommended that urgent steps be taken to relieve the small, exhausted, and sickly corps of remaining Confederate troops. One of his ideas was to swap out able-bodied white men currently functioning as laborers, mechanics, cooks, and teamsters in the Confederate Army for enslaved African Americans, thus freeing up white soldiers for additional field duty.

Also in September 1864, Lee was beset by difficulties encountered during the ongoing Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg.
Union forces had been threatening Petersburg, a city located 24 miles south of the Confederate capital at Richmond, since the winter of 1864. The Siege of Petersburg lasted over nine months, between June 9, 1864 - March 25, 1865. Union forces would construct over 30 miles of trenches around the Confederate stronghold of Petersburg during the siege. During the campaign, General Ulysses S. Grant also exerted pressure on the Confederate capital itself, as exemplified by the Battle of New Market Heights waged in late September 1864.

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!

  • Dimensions: overall: 3.375" x 1.75"
  • Medium: Signature

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide 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 that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, 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. 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.

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