Description:

Winfield Scott Hancock
Fort Sedgwick, VA, November 5, 1864
W.S. Hancock AES Denying a Captain Leave to Visit his "dangerously ill" Wife During the Siege of Petersburg - Also Signed by de Trobriand and Mott
AES

Winfield Scott Hancock AES also signed by Gershom Mott and Regis de Trobriand on a letter from an officer requesting a leave of absence. Letter is 1p. with endorsements appearing on page 4 of the bifolium, 7.75" x 9.75"; Fort Sedgwick, Virginia; November 5, 1864. J. Detweiler, a captain in Company "L", 99th Pennsylvania Infantry requests a leave of absence of fifteen days to visit his wife who is "dangerously ill there being little hope of her recovery." Hancock signs an endorsement on the verso adding a line of text in his hand, "See endorsement Div Commander not appv / Winf…Hancock." With signed endorsements, "R de Trobriand" and "G Mott" also disapproving the request. Light offsetting to letter. With thumbsoiling along exterior folds and stray staining.

From the collection of Larry Berra, son of baseball legend Yogi Berra.

The initial endorsement on the verso lists a total of eight line officers on duty, of which three were requesting leave. Detweiler's request was roundly disapproved by all. At the time of Detweiler's request in late 1864, the 99th Pennsylvania was deeply entrenched before Petersburg. Units were stretched thin, with officers needed to supervise trench duty, picket lines, and fortification work under near-continuous threat. Ulysses Grant's command emphasized maintaining pressure on Confederate forces, and the absence of experienced officers could weaken already strained regiments.

Regis de Trobriand (1816-1897) was a French-born aristocrat, author, and soldier who served with distinction as a Union general during the Civil War. Having emigrated to the United States in 1841, he settled in New York and became involved in literary and intellectual circles before entering military service at the outbreak of war. He was commissioned colonel of the 55th New York Infantry (the "Lafayette Guard") and later rose to command a brigade in the III Corps, seeing action in major campaigns including Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. Promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in 1864, he continued to serve in both the Eastern and Western theaters,

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 9.75" x 7.75"
  • Medium: AES

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 6, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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