Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 168
image_0 image_1 image_2
Conf. Gen. James Longstreet Draws Map of Attack at Battle of Antietam with Note Signed by Judge Advocate General of the Army George B. Davis
Conf. Gen. James Longstreet Draws Map of Attack at Battle of Antietam with Note Signed by Judge Advocate General of the Army George B. Davis
image_0 image_1 image_2
Description:

Longstreet James

Conf. Gen. James Longstreet Draws Map of Attack at Battle of Antietam, with Note Signed by Judge Advocate General of the Army George B. Davis


[CIVIL WAR.] JAMES LONGSTREET, Map of Attack at Antietam, May 1893. Hand-drawn map of attack, with Typed Note Signed by George B. Davis, Judge Advocate, U.S. Army, May 6, 1893. Presented to Colonel Arnold A. Rand.  1 p., 8" x 13". Expected folds and some toning; very good.


This fascinating hand-drawn map by Confederate General James Longstreet illustrates the attack of a portion of his forces at the pivotal Battle of Antietam in September 1862. On May 6, 1893, Major and Judge Advocate George B. Davis added this typescript at the bottom of the map: “The foregoing sketch, representing an attack upon Sedgwick’s Division, advancing at the battle of Antietam, by the Division of General McLaws, under the direction of General Longstreet, was made in this office, by General James Longstreet, and is presented, with all manner of good wishes, to Colonel Arnold A. Rand.”


Longstreet commanded the Right Wing of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, during Lee’s foray into Maryland in the autumn of 1862. The Right Wing consisted of five divisions and reserve artillery. General Lafayette McLaws commanded one of the divisions, consisting of sixteen Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, and North Carolina regiments.


The map illustrates an attack by McLaws’ Division on Union General John Sedgwick’s Division near the Dunker Church that was a key landmark on the battlefield of Antietam. Sedgwick’s Division was a part of General Edwin V. Sumner’s II Corps, and its 5,400 men were the first to ford Antietam Creek to attack the Confederates. Sumner launched Sedgwick’s brigades into the attack in three long lines with only 50 to 70 yards between the lines. Confederate artillery attacked them, and then they received fire from three sides by the divisions of Jubal Early, John G. Walker, and McLaws, forcing them to retreat within half an hour with more than 2,200 casualties.


James Longstreet (1821-1904) was born in South Carolina and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842. After initial service in Missouri, Louisiana, and Florida, Longstreet served with distinction and was wounded in the Mexican War. After the war, he continued to serve in the Army in various posts. At the opening of the Civil War, Longstreet was a paymaster in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but he joined his fellow southerners in resigning from the U.S. Army to join the Confederates. He quickly became a brigadier general in the Confederate army and was promoted to major general by October 1861. Ultimately, he served as one of General Robert E. Lee’s chief subordinates. After disagreeing with Lee’s decision to attack at Gettysburg, Longstreet requested a transfer to the western theater, where he fought under General Braxton Bragg but became involved in squabbles among generals. Early in 1864, Longstreet and his men returned to the Army of Northern Virginia, but Longstreet was mistakenly wounded by his own men in the Battle of the Wilderness and missed the 1864 spring and summer campaign. He returned in October 1864 and remained with the army until the surrender at Appomattox Court House. After the Civil War, Longstreet settled in New Orleans and worked in cotton brokerage and insurance. Despite President Andrew Johnson’s initial refusal to give him a pardon, Congress restored Longstreet’s citizenship rights in June 1868. Many former Confederates came to hate Longstreet, because he worked with the Republican Party and accepted appointment as surveyor of customs in New Orleans from President Ulysses S. Grant in 1869. He moved from New Orleans to Georgia in 1875, and in 1880 received appointment as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire but held the position for fewer than six months. From 1897 to 1904, he served as U.S. Commissioner of Railroads.


George B. Davis (1847-1914) was born in Massachusetts and enlisted in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry in 1863 at the age of 16, participating in twenty-five battles and engagements. Appointed to the United States Military Academy after the war, he graduated in 1871 and received a commission as a second lieutenant in the 5th U.S. Cavalry with service in the West. He served as an instructor of Spanish, French, chemistry, and geology at West Point for five years, followed by another tour of service in the West. He returned to West Point in 1883 as professor of history and law. In 1888, he returned briefly to the West before receiving appointment as a major in the Judge Advocate General’s Department. While in Washington, he received LL.B. and LL.M. degrees at Columbian (now George Washington University) Law School. In 1896, he returned to West Point as professor of law. From 1880 to 1901, he supervised the editing of The War of the Rebellion: The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, published in seventy volumes between 1880 and 1901. The latter year, he received promotion to colonel and a few months later promotion to brigadier general and appointment as Judge Advocate General, a position he held until his retirement with promotion to major general in 1911.


Arnold A. Rand (1837-1917) was born in Boston and educated in Boston and Switzerland. He worked as a banker until volunteering in April 1861. In October 1861, he joined the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry as a second lieutenant and received a promotion to captain in February 1862. He became an assistant adjutant general in June 1863, and later received promotion to lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry. After the war, he was an attorney and businessman in Boston. The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry was part of the cavalry division under the command of Brigadier General Alfred Pleasonton at the Battle of Antietam. Rand served as Recorder of the Massachusetts Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States from 1881 to 1906.


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

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, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

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 5 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 Westport, 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