Description:

Gideon Welles
Washington, DC, September 7, 1864
G. Welles & H. Paulding Signed Naval Orders
Partially printed DS

Partially printed Naval orders signed "Gideon Welles" as Secretary of the Navy and countersigned by Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding (1797-1878). 1p, measuring 8" x 10", Navy Department, September 7, 1864. The document instructs William Strickland Kenworthy, Acting 3rd Assistant Engineers, to "report to Rear Admiral Paulding for duty on board the U.S.S. Clematis." Exhibits degrees of uneven soiling and handling marks throughout, with isolated tearing along the edge of back leaf. Featuring a blue handstamp of the Navy Accountant's office above Welles' signature. Overall, good to fair.

Provenance: From the collection of Larry Berra, son of baseball legend Yogi Berra.

The U.S.S. Clematis was a 297-ton steam tugboat commissioned by the Union Navy in September 1864. Departing New York that October, she was stationed near Fort Monroe, Virginia before sailing for duty at the blockade off Wilmington, North Carolina. 'Clematis' was retained in service at the close of the Civil War, and continued to serve in the Union blockade's Gulf Squadron until May 23, 1866.

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: 8" x 10"
  • Medium: Partially printed DS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, 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.

May 6, 2026 10:00 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