Description:

J. Polk 3rd Person ANS on Envelope RE: Mex-Am War Promotion

An envelope originally addressed "To his Excellency / James K. Polk / Prest of the U. States / Washington City / D.C." boldly inscribed by its addressee, 11th U.S. President James K. Polk (1795-1849), and signed by him in the third person as "Pres." in the second line. Polk has written over the mailing address at a 90 degree angle, with a note inscribed in his hand as: "Hon. Jesse Miller / Pres. - / In favours [sic] of / Edmund Underwood / of Pen[nsylvania] - + as a / cadetship at 2nd - / Que[s]tioning. - / Feby 1 [?] - 1848: - / War "." With gentle surface wear including light, even toning and a few expected wrinkles, else near fine. 3" x 5.5."

Polk directed this message recommending the promotion of Edmund Underwood (1826-1863) to the War Department. Secretary of War William L. Marcy (1786-1857) oversaw the War Department throughout Polk's entire administration and was deeply involved in the ongoing Mexican-American War (April 1846-February 1848.) Edmund Underwood of Pennsylvania was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment of Infantry of the U.S. Army on March 3, 1848. (See scans of documentation from the "Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America, from December 1, 1845 to August 14, 1848, Inclusive," Volume VII, listing Underwood's promotion.)

President Polk agreed with Jesse Miller (1800-1850), a former U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania and then the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that Edmund Underwood should be promoted based on his Mexican-American War service record. The process of promoting deserving servicemen was sometimes complicated by competing interests, however, as Polk described in a diary entry written nine months earlier, on May 19, 1847. Polk wanted to promote "private soldiers, who had greatly distinguished themselves in battle," subverting the internal army practice of only promoting West Point graduates. Polk initially encountered resistance from the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, but he ultimately succeeded. "My policy is to appoint meritorious private soldiers when they are competent & have distinguished themselves," he wrote in his diary. It appears that Underwood directly benefited from Polk's democratic view regarding promotions, as no records indicate that Underwood was a West Point graduate.

Edmund Underwood served in the Mexican-American War and briefly in the Civil War, though he did not see any military action in the latter conflict. During the years between the two wars, Underwood served in the Pacific Northwestern territories of Oregon and California. Underwood was promoted to First Lieutenant in March 1853 and to Major in May 1861. He retired from the U.S. Army in February 1862 and died at the age of 37.

James K. Polk served as president from March 1845 to March 1849.

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.

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