Description:

Garfield James

Garfield twice signed letter, "If this nation goes down in blood and darkness, its epitaph may be written in a very short sentence, 'Died 4 West Point'."

 

Bi-fold autograph letter signed, 8" x 10". A detailed and extensively written letter penned on all four sides of the bi-fold. Dated "Washington Oct. 25th, 1862," and signed by Garfield as "J.A. Garfield" who then additionally signed the letter a second time after his autographed postscript (which he penned vertically along the front page), and added his signature as "J.A.G." Expected folds with a small expert repair to separation along fold.

 

James Garfield as Brigadier General, writes to Col. Lionel Allen Sheldon ("My dear Sheldon"), discussing details of the Cumberland Gap Campaign, mentioning plans to turn Florida into a free loyal state, describing the disheartening general mood, criticizing Generals Halleck, McClellan, and Buell, complaining of the Republican defeat in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, and hoping that the war would end before the next Congress meets. With a postscript, written vertically on the first page, requesting that Rollins be sent to him at Wooster Ohio. Shown in part below:

 

"It has been a long time since I have heard from you, or from any of the 42nd directly. . . . I knew of course it was useless to write you till you were out of the clutches of the rebels. . . . It is marvelous to me that anybody should think of putting the blame of that retreat on the shoulders of Gen Morgan's shoulders instead of Gen Buell's. . . . [It seems to me that Gen. Buell has a great mistake to answer for in regard to the Cumberland Gap expedition. 

"The President and Sec. of War have treated me very kindly, and offered to give me any place I want . . . . They are now talking of sending me to Florida . . . and taking emigrants there to settle on the confiscated plantations and make a free loyal state, a la Kansas. . . . 

"Everybody is depressed and disheartened at the weak and imbecile way in which the war is managed. It looks darker than ever before. If this nation goes down in blood and darkness, its epitaph may be written in a very short sentence, 'Died 4 West Point.' Halleck, McClellan, and Buell are the Trinity of Evils which have been cursing us so long. . . . Now after the fearful blunder at Perryville, [Buell has at cost been set aside. I think McC[lellan may be removed as soon as the N.Y. elections are over. The terrible defeat of the Republican party in Penn., Ohio, & Ind. are very depressing & ominous. If we had had a vigorous administration this need not have occurred. 

"The next congress will doubtless be Locofoco & possibly anti war, but I hope we shall end the war before it meets. . . ."

 

Garfield was promoted to brigadier general, at the age of 30. After Marshall's retreat, Garfield's command was the sole remaining Union force in eastern Kentucky, and he announced that any men who had fought for the Confederacy would be granted amnesty if they returned to their homes and lived peaceably and remained loyal to the Union. The proclamation was surprisingly lenient, as Garfield now believed the war was a crusade for eradication of slavery. While serving in the army in early 1862, Garfield was approached by friends about running for Congress from Ohio's newly redrawn, heavily Republican 19th district. He was worried that he and other state-appointed generals would get obscure assignments, and running for Congress would allow him to resume his political career. The fact that the new Congress would not hold its first regular session until December 1863 would allow him to continue his war service for a time. Home on medical leave, he refused to campaign for the nomination, leaving that to political managers who secured it at the local convention in September 1862, on the eighth ballot. In October, he defeated D.B. Woods by a two-to-one margin in the general election for a seat in the 38th Congress.



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. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

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