Description:

Salmon P. Chase
Washington, DC, June 26, 1861
Salmon Chase ALS, PSA GEM MT 10, Promotes Lieut. Mortally Wounded at Battle of Cedar Creek
Slabbed signature

Autograph Letter Signed, Washington, DC, dated June 26, 1861, by Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln and the later Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Salmon P. Chase to "Lieut. Henry M. Baldwin." Boldly signed by Chase as "S. P. Chase", and written entirely in Chase's hand on a cream stationery. In this brief note, Chase writes: "Dear Sir, I take pleasure in enclosing herewith your commission as a 2d Lieut. in the 5th Regt. of Artillery. Yours truly, S. P. Chase." The letter is attractively encapsulated by PSA/DNA, which has graded the signature a pristine Gem Mint 10. Slight toning, expected folds, else fine. The letter measures 5.125" x 4" and is encapsulated to an overall size 6.5" x 10".

Civil War Union Army Officer Lieutenant Henry M. Baldwin was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Battery M, 5th United States Regular Artillery, on May 14, 1861, at just 21 years old. He served with distinction throughout the war until being mortally wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, on October 19, 1864, one of the final major engagements in the Shenandoah Valley campaign. Baldwin succumbed to his injuries twenty days later, at only 24 years of age.

Salmon Portland Chase (1808–1873) served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln and later as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. This 1861-dated letter falls at the opening months of the Civil War, when Chase was overseeing the monumental financial reorganization required to fund the Union war effort. Known for introducing the first national currency ("greenbacks") and for his staunch anti-slavery convictions, Chase was a central figure in Lincoln's cabinet and one of the most influential statesmen of his era. His autograph from this crucial wartime period carries exceptional historical significance.

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: 6.5" x 10"
  • Medium: Slabbed signature

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