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Lot 119
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President Andrew Johnson phenomenal LS completing a post mortem analysis of Civil War
President Andrew Johnson phenomenal LS completing a post mortem analysis of Civil War
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Description:

Johnson Andrew

2pp letter signed, executed on lightly lined paper with Executive Mansion letterhead. 7.5" x 9.5". Dated "Sept 7th, 1868", and boldly signed by Andrew Johnson as "Andrew Johnson". The two pages are framed with a lovely engraving of Johnson, with each piece double matted with a lovely chocolate toned mat, and framed to an overall size of 30.5" x 15.5". The letter is unusually bright and clean with expected folds, and maintains a signature with lovely strong contrasting ink. Some mold growth on the mat.

A phenomenal presidential letter by Johnson preparing to complete a post mortem review of the highly controversial battles during the last push of the Civil War. The letter written in 1868, clearly 4 years after the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination, show Andrew Johnson pulling in numerous letters and intel for review including those of:

1. Letters surrounding one of the biggest military fiascos of the Civil War, that of the month long campaign moving up the Red River in Louisiana, a battle orchestrated by Halleck's command who was not effectively even present and was under scrutiny by President Lincoln who at the time once described him as "little more than a first rate clerk." and by March 1864, Grant was promoted to general-in-chief, and Halleck was relegated to chief-of-staff.

2. The battle on the Potomac river, which although was assessed a win on the part of General Grant, however Grant lost about 55,000 men during the Overland Campaign, (and Lee about 33,000) keeping in mind that the percentage of loss was substantially higher for Lee who started with less men. Leading up to the battle, Union armies in the West could boast tangible successes, but the Old Dominion remained Lee’s preserve. Lincoln’s answer was to summon Grant, the architect of his Western victories, hoping that he might work his magic in the East. Grant, newly minted commanding general of the United States Army, planned a campaign that capitalized on the North’s advantages in manpower and materiel. No longer would Federal armies squander their resources attempting to capture and hold enemy territory; the destruction of Rebel armies was now their goal. Henceforth, the armies of the United States would move in concert, preventing the Confederates from shuttling troops between fronts. Gone were the days of short battles followed by months of leisure; under Grant, Union armies would fight without quarter until they had destroyed the secessionists’ capacity to resist.

3. The highly controversial decision to remove and appoint Generals Butler and Baldy Smith. An event which created so much controversy that numerous letter extant abound. Originally Grant appointed Smith in 1863, but within 6 months Grant reversed his decision as shown below in a letter written to General Halleck, July 1864:

“Mr. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, has just returned. He informs me that he called attention to the necessity of sending General Butler to another field of duty. … I have feared that it might become necessary to separate him and General Smith. The latter is really one of the most efficient officers in the service, readiest in expedients, and most skillful in the management of troops in action. I would dislike removing him from his present command unless it was to increase it, but as I say, I may have to do it if General Butler remains. …"

The conventional story (via Catton) is that Grant learned about Smith’s unrelenting criticism of others after Smith went on leave. Given the evident fact that Smith and Butler could not work together, one of them had to go. Butler had more political pull, and Smith had bungled the attack on Petersburg.

Needless to say the soap opera saga continued for some time, perhaps explaining why 4 years later, President Andrew Johnson is pulling all the documentation again to fully understand Grant's decision.

A scarce, intriguing letter clearly demonstrating Johnson's need to review the final decisions and battles of the Civil War. Letter shown in full below:

"Executive Mansion

Washington D.C. Sept 7th, 1868

Sir,

You will please transmit to me copies of the following papers now on file in your Department -

Letters of General Grant to General Halleck in January and February 1864, protesting against the ordering of troops to Genl Banks on Red River.

Letter from General Grant to Genl Halleck of the same period in 1864, advancing his ideas of the campaign of the Potomac …

Letter from June 28th to July 5, from General Grant to the Secretary of War and the President in regard to the removals of Genl Butler and appointing Genl Baldy Smith

The field return of the Army of the Potomac and of the 9th Corps (Genl Burnside's) for the last of April and May 1864

I have the honor to be

Very respectfully yours

Andrew Johnson".

An extraordinary, important and revealing piece with incredible presence, framed with a fantastic engraving of Andrew Johnson.

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