Description:

Lee Robert 1807 - 1870 Robert E. Lee signed endorsement while on frontier before Civil War
U S ARMY ENDORSEMENT SIGNED BY ROBERT E. LEE AS COMMANDER ON FRONTIER DUTY IN TEXAS THE YEAR BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN.


ON THE OTHER SIDE IS THE DOCUMENT WHICH LEE APPROVES, A DETAILED ESTIMATE OF THE FUNDS NEEDED TO PAY THE TEXAS TROOPS

Endorsement Signed as Brevet Colonel Commanding, U.S. Army, on the back of a complete small folio document, Headquarters, Dept; of Texas, San Antonio, March 1, 1860. The endorsement reads: "Hd. Qrs. Dept. of Texas San Antonio, March 1/60 Approved, and Respectfully forwarded to the Paymaster General, U.S. Army. R.E. Lee Bvt Cpl. U.S.A., Commdg. Dept." A docket above Lee's endorsement describes the document on the other side as an "Estimate of funds to pay the troops on the line from San Antonio to Fort Brown from the 29. February to 30. April 1860...." The partially printed document bears eight entries listing total estimates for pay, subsistence and clothing for: several companies and cavalry; artillery and infantry officers; and hospitals and surgeons. It is signed by Army Paymaster F.A. Cunningham. This item dates from the beginning of Lee s last year in the U.S. Army, which he had made his career. In the late 1850's Lee's regiment was on frontier duty in Texas, although Lee was sometimes at home due to his wife's illness. He arrived back in Texas in February 1860, as Department Commander. Later in the year the movement toward Southern secession rapidly gained momentum. Lee, who did not support secession, was called to in February of 1861 to Washington, where he soon had to decide whether to fight for the union, or for the South and his native Virginia. Fine condition, with a dark, choice signature, 9.75" x 15.5", expected folds with slight separation at fold and a few pin holes. From the Robert Batchelder collection. (priced by him at $7000)




Provenance:

This remarkable piece is offered directly from the estate of Robert Batchelder, among the most important dealers of the 20th century who began his passion in autographs and historical documents in the late 1960's. Each piece will include Robert's original description indicating the noted retail price which could have been 20 years ago, in addition to his inventory folder containing his handwritten notes. Robert's highly diverse background and amazing achievements include a long list of important societal memberships, examples worthy of noting include an honorary member of the Society Cincinnati, a member of the Manuscript Society, the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America), the ANA (American Numismatic Association), the PAGCA (Pennsylvania Antique Gun Collectors Association), the PADA (Professional Autograph Dealer Association), and the UACC (Universal Autograph Collectors Club). He was a graduate of University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and served in the U.S. Army Air Force.

A portion of the commission on Batchelder lots will be donated to the Alzheimer's foundation.

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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.

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June 14, 2017 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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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