Description:

An important draft of Edwin Stanton's telegraphic dispatch reporting on the official notice of Lincoln's death and the assumption of the Presidency by Andrew Johnson

(ABRAHAM LINCOLN) Important Document, 2 pages, 7.75" x 9.75", Washington, April 15, [1865], accomplished in an unidentified hand, being a draft of one of Edwin Stanton's official telegraph dispatches concerning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the assumption of the Presidency by Andrew Johnson. Second page trimmed to 7.75" x 4.25", horizontal folds light to moderate dampstains, else very good overall.

The draft telegram reads, in full: "Maj Genl Dix, Official notice of the death of the Late president Abraham Lincoln was given by heads of Departments to Andrew Johnson, Vice President, upon when the constitution devolved the office of President. Mr. Johnson upon receiving this notice, at his rooms. Took the oath of Office as President of the United States, and assumed its duties and functions. At 12 o'clock the Pres[ide]nt met the heads of Departments in Cabinet meeting, at the Treasury building, and amongst their business the following was transacted[:] 1 Arrangement for funeral of Pres[iden]t Lincoln 2 William Hunter Esqr appointed Acting Secretary of State, during the disability of Scy Seward and Fred Seward 3 President Johnson formally announced that he desired the present Cabinet to retain their offices. All business at the Departments, suspended[.] The Surgeon reports the condition of Secy Seward remains unchanged. He is doing well[.] The murderers have not yet been apprehended. E. M Stanton Secy of War."

The portion that was crossed out in the present draft ("appeared at his rooms. Mr Johnson was before the bar of the Supreme Court, and was ") was included again prior to publication in an alternate form. The passage concerning Johnson's oath was changed from "was before the bar of the Supreme Court," to "appeared before the Hon. Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice of the United States, and took the oath of office." Furthermore, the numerals outlining the major business of the day were changed to ordinals; "surgeon" was changed to "surgeons"; "funeral of Pres[iden]t Lincoln" was altered to read "the funeral of the late President Lincoln"; "Scy Seward and Fred Seward" was altered to read, "Mr. Seward, and his son, Frederick Seward, the Assistant Secretary"; while "President Johnson" was shortened to "The President"; and the following phrase, "that he desired the present Cabinet to retain their offices." was expanded to read "that he desired to retain the present Secretaries of departments of his Cabinet, and they would go on and discharge their respective duties in the same manner as before the deplorable event that changed the head of the government." The next sentence: "All business at the Departments, suspended" was modified to read, "All business in the departments was suspended during the day." In the following sentence, the phrase "the surgeon reports," was modified to read, "the surgeons report." Finally, a report on Frederick Seward's condition was inserted before the final sentence: "No improvements in Mr. Frederick Seward."<

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. 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.

June 21, 2016 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% 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