Lot 71

Lincoln Proclaims National Day of Fasting, General Orders No. 39 w/ Bonus No. 28

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Lincoln Proclaims National Day of Fasting, General Orders No. 39 w/ Bonus No. 28

Estimate: $300 - $400

Current Bid: $100

(1 Bid)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Abraham Lincoln
[Louisiana], ca. April 19 & 30, 1863
Lincoln Proclaims National Day of Fasting, General Orders No. 39 w/ Bonus No. 28
Document

A pair of General Orders, no. 28 and 39, addressed to the 19th Army Corps by Assistant Adjutant General Richard B. Irwin (1839-1892). 3pp of a bifolium, 5.25" x 8.25", [Louisiana], April 19 & 30, 1863. The first, no. 28, addresses the troops on the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, while the second, no. 39, offers a proclamation from President Lincoln regarding a national day of fasting. Signed in print by Irwin and Lincoln, respectively. Expected creasing and folds, with light edge toning throughout. Else, very good with interesting contents.

In part:

"We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us…

It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, and to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

…I do, by this, my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the people to abstain from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite at their several places of public worship, and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion."

Richard Biddle Irwin was mustered in as a Private in Company A, 3rd District of Columbia Militia on April 14, 1861. He was later commissioned a captain in August and assigned an aide-de-camp to General McClellan. After being re-assigned to the staff of Major General Nathaniel Banks in 1862, Irwin would serve as Assistant Adjutant General for the 19th Army Corps. He retired from the field in 1864 and was soon employed as an editorial writer for the New York Tribune, where he wrote several works on important leaders and battles of the Civil War.

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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  • Dimensions: 5.25" x 8.25" ea.
  • Medium: Document

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