Description:

Rare J.P. Benjamin Civil War-Dated DS Conferring Cross-Military Branch Rank on CSN Commander To Be Attached to J.B. Magruder

A 1p document boldly signed by 2nd Confederate States Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin (1811-1884), as "J.P. Benjamin" at center right. Benjamin's signature, with its impressive underline tail, measures 2.25" x 2.375" alone. Richmond, Virginia. January 16, 1862. Partly printed and partly manuscript on bifold paper with pre-printed "Confederate States of America / War Department" letterhead. The inner pages and the outermost leaf are blank. Approximately two and a half lines of printed texts have been contemporaneously crossed out. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and wrinkles. Isolated minor closed tears or pinprick perforations along folds mentioned only for accuracy. Else near fine. 8.375" x 10.75." Comes with an 8" x 10" glossy, black and white photograph of Benjamin hand-stamped "From the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop Collection" verso.

Judah P. Benjamin served as Confederate States Secretary of War for a relatively short period, from mid-September 1861 through late March 1862, making documents signed by him while in this capacity highly coveted by military collectors. Benjamin had briefly served as Confederate Attorney General before this appointment, and would serve as 3rd Confederate States Secretary of State after his tenure at the War Department.

The document addressed to "Lieutenant Col William McBlair" reads in part: "You are hereby informed that the President has appointed you to temporary rank of Lieut: Colonel for service with Volunteer Troops under Act No. 323 approved Dec 24 1861 amendatory of Act No. 155 approved May 21st 1861…You will report for duty to Gen'l Magruder…"

We posit that the William McBlair of this document referred to William McBlair (1810-1863), a Maryland native and career military officer of the United States Navy who had resigned his commission and joined the Confederate States Navy in the spring of 1861. McBlair had reached the rank of Commander in the United States Navy (a brief career history as follows: 1824 midshipman; 1830 passed midshipman; 1833 lieutenant; 1855 commander) and received reciprocal rank in the Confederate States Navy. His Confederate service records indicate that McBlair was stationed on Craney Island, Virginia in 1861-1862. From August 1861 until May 1862, McBlair commanded four batteries along the James River between Day's Neck and Jamestown Island.

The Act No. 323 explicitly referred to in the document could not be traced by this specific number, but we did find a resolution, passed on December 24, 1861, entitled "An Act to authorize the President to confer temporary rank and command on officers of the navy, doing duty with troops." The act related to "temporary military rank and command conferred on officers of the navy ordered to do duty on shore with troops." [An electronic edition of "The Statutes at Large of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, from the Institution of the Government, February 8, 1861, to its Termination, February 18, 1862, Inclusive…" and originally arranged by James Muscoe Matthews, was made digitally available by the organization Documenting the American South. This December 24, 1861 entry can be found on p. 228.]

It makes sense, then, that Commander William McBlair, who was in tidewater Virginia completing riparian or shore duty at this time, would have been granted a temporary rank equivalent in the Confederate States Army to better enable him to serve under General Magruder. General John Bankhead Magruder (1807-1871) commanded the Army of the Peninsula in this same vicinity from May 1861-April 1862.

McBlair died, presumably of natural causes, in mid-February 1863 in Savannah, Georgia while he was commander of the "C.S.S. Atlanta."

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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