Description:

Robert E. Lee
n.p., ca. 1865
Robert E. Lee Signed Presentation Portion of Gen. Order No. 9: "I bid you all an affectionate farewell"
MS

Robert E. Lee partial manuscript signed of his farewell address. 1p., 7.75" x 4.875"; no place; circa 1865. The last two paragraphs of General Order No. 9, with which he formally disbanded the Army of Northern Virginia, marking the end of the Confederacy's principal army. Written on blue stationery, similar to that used for the copies distributed to his senior officers, and signed with rank, "R E Lee / Gen." Includes a decorative plaque (9.75" x 9.75") containing an etched transcript of the entire address. Slight fading to text. Manuscript has been silked, with a small separation along a vertical fold at bottom. Minor loss at top left. Presents as whole, with a prominent signature. Full examples have been sold by our firm at over $100,000. This is the real thing that sadly lost the top portion somewhere along the way (but we note that facsimiles occasionally hit the market and were done by R. R. Donnelly & Sons and sell for several hundred dollars, making the displayable completion of this item possible at a fraction of the cost of the few others that exist)!

In full:

"By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the consciousness of duty faithfully performed and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection.

With an increasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous considerations for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.

R E Lee
Genl."

On April 10, 1865, the day after his surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House, Robert E. Lee bade farewell to his Army with General Order No. 9. Written in a tone of dignity and restraint, Lee praised his soldiers for their "unsurpassed courage and fortitude," acknowledged that continued resistance was impossible, and urged them to return home and become good citizens. It stands as one of the most notable valedictory addresses of the Civil War, reflecting both defeat and reconciliation.

Lee ensured its immediate circulation by having copies prepared and distributed through the chain of command, with written versions placed in the hands of his officers to be read to the assembled ranks. Almost at once, the text was carried beyond the army into the broader public sphere, as newspapers across the country reprinted the farewell, often from hastily transmitted copies resulting in numerous slight textual variations such as the one in the first paragraph of this example.

Signed copies of Lee's farewell address remain highly desirable, regardless of condition. An example with paper loss throughout sold for $32,500 in 2018 as it was addressed to Samuel Brown, the Captain of "Lee's Body Guard." We were unable to make out the name/signature in the lower left corner, but further research could determine an important association.

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: 9.75" x 9.75" and 7.75" x 4.875"
  • Medium: MS

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