Millard Fillmore
President Millard Fillmore Appoints the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain to Settle Claims the Two Nations Had Against Each Other ()
- $3,000
In 1852, President Millard Fillmore appointed Joseph R. Ingersoll U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. At that time, trade was common between the nations, but so were difficulties. In the lead-up to the War of 1812 the British seized American ships, the owners of which had claims against the British government for their losses. By 1852, claims against the U.S. by British subjects and against Britain by Americans had accumulated and grown to the point that the two nations determined to work out a settlement of these claims.Document signed, Washington, December 28, 1852, giving Ambassador Ingersoll ?a full power?to treat of and concerning claims of citizens of the United States upon the British government, and of and concerning claims of subjects of Her Britannic Majesty upon the government of the United States?? Doubtless shippers, manufacturers, and others engaged in trade benefited from the positive show of amity and friendship this settlement would have brought about.
More from The Raab Collection
Future President Chester A. Arthur, Quartermaster General of the New York Militia, Writes That Vouchers Approved by the Governor Were Needed to Secure Payment for Supplies for New York Soldiers in the Union Army (During the Civil War, future president Chester A. Arthur, was Quartermaster General of the New York Militia, and thus responsible for supplying New York?s troops during the conflict.)
Chester A. Arthur Col. Charles Van Wick was commander of the 56th New York Regiment, which fought in the Union Army throughout the Civil War.Autograph letter signed, on State of New York letterhead, two pages, New York, July 16, 1862, to Colonel S. W. Bart, Assistant Inspector General of New York, regarding the account of a Mr. Isaac Wood for supplies furnished to the 56th Regiment Volunteers.?Yours of the 15th instant enclosing account for supplies furnished to Col. Van Sykes regiment, is received. The account, before it should be taken up by you, should be made up upon U.S. vouchers like the one enclosed - with the Colonel?s certificate, as I have written it thereon, and also the quarter masters. When these are procured, I presume Mr. Wood?s affidavit added, will be sufficient. If the Governor will then approve it, Capt. Hodges will pay it?Col. Van Wick had authority to purchase supplies for his own regiment, subject to the approval of the Governor, and Capt. Hodges has been instructed to pay them upon such approval.?An interesting letter showing the mechanics of supplying troops during the Civil War.- $2,000
- $2,000
The Civil War Won, General Ulysses S. Grant Praises Union Troops for Saving the Union (“The achievements of our volunteers for the last four years entitles them to the lasting gratitude of all loyal people and I therefore rejoice at the enthusiastic reception which they are everywhere receiving.?)
Ulysses S. Grant He is confident that ?the men will do me the justice to believe that all my sympathies are with them.?Ulysses S. Grant, through his intelligence, determination, iron will, and patriotism, was the military man most responsible for leading the United States through the greatest time of crisis and chaos in the nation?s history. As general of the Army during the Civil War, he commanded hundreds of thousands of soldiers, leading the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy. Moreover, all recognized that his strategy had compelled Lee and the Confederacy to fight the kind of war they could not win. Later, as president, he guided the nation through Reconstruction, helping to bind the wounds between North and South while empowering newly freed African Americans.After Lee?s surrender, as the troops began to come home, municipalities all over the North sought to give them all the kind of reception appropriate to victors. Grant was invited to some of these, so many that he could not attend them all.Autograph letter signed, two pages, on Head Quarters Armies of the United States letterhead, Washington D.C., June 6,1865, to C.T. Jones, H.W. Gray, T.A. Barlow, A.M. Fox and S. G. King, a committee who had invited Grant to a celebratory reception for returning volunteer troops in Philadelphia. Grant had to decline the invitation because he was due to attend the Great Northwest Fair in Chicago on the same date. In his letter to the committee, Grant summed up his deep feelings for his men, and the debt the nation owed the Union troops who had saved the Union.?Your invitation for me to be in Philadelphia on Saturday night at the reception to be given by the citizens to the returning is received. Having already engaged to be present at the Great Northwest Fair now being held in Chicago, Ill., on the same day, it will be impossible for me to attend."The achievements of our volunteers for the last four years entitles them to the lasting gratitude of all loyal people and I therefore rejoice at the enthusiastic reception which they are everywhere receiving. It is not likely that I shall be present at any of these receptions but I know the men will do me the justice to believe that all my sympathies are with them."We don?t ever recall seeing another Grant letter articulating his feelings about the soldiers he commanded, nor about the debt of gratitude Americans owed them for the victory.- $14,000
- $14,000
In a Letter to Edward Livingston From New York on His Great Tour in June 1825, Lafayette Makes Arrangements for His Reception Following the Laying of the Bunker Hill Monument Cornerstone (A rare letter written from the US planning this epic tour, one of only a handful we found having sold going back decades and the first we have carried)
Marquis de Lafayette He wonders whether he should bring a delegation of surviving military staff from the Revolutionary WarIn 1824, with the nation prosperous, exuberant and in the midst of the Era of Good Feelings, nostalgia was strong for the Revolutionary War generation that had made the U.S. independent and was now passing rapidly from the scene. President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, and accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette, the old soldier visited all 24 states of the Union. Everywhere he was received with great enthusiasm and excitement. On August 16, he disembarked in New York and was escorted from the Battery in a carriage drawn by four white horses to City Hall. Then, while in his carriage and placed on a barge with his horses, Lafayette was taken to Brooklyn and cheered by thousands. In the crowd was a 15-year-old boy named Walt Whitman who never forgot that exciting moment. When he arrived in Philadelphia on September 29, Lafayette was greeted by a long parade that included 160 Revolutionary War veterans drawn in large wagons. A few days later, the Marquis visited Brandywine battlefield where he had been shot in the leg. In October, he visited the tomb of Washington at Mount Vernon, then left for Yorktown, where he was greeted by Chief Justice John Marshall. After that, he stayed with Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. At a banquet at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, the Marquis was seated between Jefferson and James Madison. On November 23, Lafayette dined in the White House with President and Mrs. Monroe. He would remain based in Washington until March 1825.At this point his tour took him to the deep south and up the Mississippi and Ohio to the North. In St. Louis, a newly established city in Missouri, where Lewis and Clark began their expedition, Lafayette learned about the American wilderness and frontier life. With Governor Clark as his escort, Lafayette witnessed many wild animals, including grizzly bears that roamed the Missouri plains. After heading North, Lafayette wound through the state of Pennsylvania and into New York.Edward Livingston was an influential figure in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825, a civil code based largely on the Napoleonic Code. Livingston represented both New York and then Louisiana in Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1831 and Minister to France from 1833 to 1835 under President Andrew Jackson. He was also the 46th mayor of New York City.He was also the younger brother of Robert Livingston. Once Thomas Jefferson became president on March 4, 1801, he appointed Robert U.S. minister to France. Serving from 1801 to 1804, Livingston negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.The Life of Edward Livingston is a biography written by Charles Havens Hunt. In it, Hunt notes that for 60 years, Lafayette referred to Edward Livingston as "My dear Edward." It was a lifelong friendship made closer due to the latter's time in France, connections to the French, and mastery of the language. Edward was fluent in French.Joseph T. Buckingham was an acquaintance of both Lafayette and Livingston. He would in the 1830s serve as President of the Bunker Hill Monument Association, which finished the monument. At the time of Lafayette's tour he was a writer and editor in Massachusetts. He was also an event host for the Lafayette Tour.On June 12, Lafayette arrived in Albany and paid a visit to the notables there before continuing East.On June 17, he laid the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument during celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, accompanied by Daniel Webster, who gave a rousing speech.And on June 20, 1825, the Massachusetts Mechanics Association hosted a banquet at the Marlboro Hotel, where Lafayette stayed. Joseph T. Buckingham, the host of the event, invoked Paul Revere?s memory while honoring Lafayette: ?The Memory of Paul Revere ? a Boston Mechanic, who wrought zealously and cheerfully in the great work of Liberty.? The Marlboro Hotel was located on the corner of Tremont and Park Streets, and was later demolished to make room for the nation?s ?rst subway station, Park Street Station. That evening, Lafayette attended the production of ?Charles the Second,? a play by American playwright John Howard Payne.Lafayette's receptions often included delegations of surviving soldiers and officers from the general staff that had served with Lafayette and other dignitaries.Autograph letter signed, in French, no date ("Monday") or place but evidently New York State, approximately June 12, 1825, to Edward Livingston, whom he referred to in his correspondence as "My Dear Edward, Mr. [evidently Joseph T.] Buckingham has asked me to lead with me some officers of the general staff or others; but it seems to me better that they might be invited by the committee. You are familiar with its composition; you are connected with Mr. Buckingham. Arrange this as you would like with him."- $13,500
- $13,500
Woodrow Wilson Says ?General Prosperity Lies Always in the Direction of High Wages and Low Prices? (The Progressive Wilson also feels, ?Wages, while apparently drawn from capital and dependent upon capital, are primarily the product of labor; hence it is practically true that labor produces its own wages)
Woodrow Wilson Likely a unique document, as we?ve never seen another anything like thisThe turn of the 20th century was a time in which there was much interest in political economy, and those working in that field were often polled to determine whether a consensus on questions of interest could be had. For example, in 1908 the American Economic Association Quarterly, based in Princeton, N.J., polled political economists, trying to elicit from them a consensus upon certain definitions and statements of principle, touching land, value, and land taxation. The result was published in an article entitled ?Agreements in Political Economy? A similar poll, likely from the same source in Princeton, was taken in 1901, with the political economists receiving a set of questions on which they might agree on a form headed ?Possible Agreements? One of the political economists included in the survey was Woodrow Wilson.In 1901 Woodrow Wilson was a professor at Princeton, holding that position from 1890-1902, after which he became President of Princeton University. He had written a number of books on politics and government, so was an obvious choice for inclusion in the poll. Among the positions taken by Wilson were that wages are primarily the product of labor; labor produces its own wages; the normal price of a labor product is fixed by cost of production of that portion of the supply whose total necessary cost is greatest; and general prosperity lies always in the direction of high wages and low prices.Document signed, headed ?Possible Agreements?, the questions relating to political economy drafted by the publisher, the responses written out by Wilson, Princeton, December 1901.1. ?Wages," while apparently drawn from capital and dependent upon capital, are primarily the product of labor; hence it is practically true that labor produces its own wages. Wilson says ?Yes.?2. ?Ground rent" is what land is worth for use. Wilson writes, ?Yes, though generally in practice less than the use is worth.?3. Public franchises" are exclusive free privileges granted to one or several persons incorporated, and from which the mass of citizens are excluded. These franchises usually pertain to land, including, as they do, (to use the language of the New York Legislative Ford Bill,) all & rights, authority or permission to construct, maintain or operate, in, under, above, upon or through, any streets, highways, or public places, any mains, pipes, tanks, conduits, or wires, with their appurtenances, Wilson responds, ?Yes, though I do not understand the use of the word ?free? by way of depiction in the first line.?4. A tax upon ground rent is a direct tax and cannot be shifted. Wilson says, ?Yes.?5. The selling value of land is, under present conditions in most of the American States, reduced by the capitalized tax that is laid upon it. Willson replies, ?Yes, so far as I understand the statement.?6. Hence the selling value of land is, to the same extent, an untaxed value, so far as any purchaser, subsequent to the imposition of the tax, is concerned. Wilson says, ?Yes.?7. The normal price of a labor product is fixed by cost of production of that portion of the supply whose total necessary cost is greatest. Wilson writes, ?Yes.?8. General prosperity lies always in the direction of high wages and low prices. Wilson answers with a strong ?Yes.?The document is signed ?Woodrow Wilson, Princeton, N.J.?A fascinating insight into Wilson?s opinions on matters of political economy, especially his belief that general prosperity lies in the direction of high wages and low prices. It is also likely unique, as we?ve never seen another document anything like this.- $2,500
- $2,500
Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant?s Original Battle and Casualty Report for Action Around Petersburg, Addressed to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (Amidst the Battle of Hatcher?s Run, during the latter stages of the Petersburg siege, he reports to Stanton, “The enemy attacked a port of the 2d Corps and were handsomely repulsed.?)
Ulysses S. Grant The Confederates, Grant updates Stanton, ?were leaving a part of their dead for us to bury, our losses were three officers & eighteen men killed, eleven Officers & ninety-two men wounded and twenty-two men missing.?Grant writes: ?In front of one Brigade of Mott?s Div. he buried thirty-one of the enemy and counted twenty two graves besides some of which were large enough for five or six bodies each. Gen. Smythe estimates the loss of the enemy in his front at two hundred. Our captures for the day were about one hundred men, half of them taken by the Cavalry and the rest by the 5th & 2d Corps. This afternoon the 5th Corps advanced and drove the enemy back on to this Artillery, probably into his entrenchments, beyond Dabney?s Mill. The casualties for to-day I will report as soon as learned.?Unique in our experience, this being the only battle and casualty report from Grant we have ever seen.By February 1865, the stalemate around Petersburg had entered its eighth month. Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant planned a Union offensive to deprive the Confederates of supplies, and also hasten the fall of Petersburg. The Union objective was to send Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg's cavalry out to the Boydton Plank Road to destroy all the Confederate supply wagons they could find, while the V Corps and II Corps provided support and kept the Confederates occupied to the north and east. Pursuant to plan, Union forces began to stretch their battle lines to the west in an attempt to get Gen. Robert E. Lee's under-strength army to do the same.On February 5th, Union Brig. Gen. David Gregg?s cavalry division rode out to the Boydton Plank Road via Reams Station and Dinwiddie Court House in an attempt to intercept Confederate supply trains. Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren with the Fifth Corps crossed Hatcher?s Run and took up a blocking position on the Vaughan Road to prevent interference with Gregg?s operations. Two divisions of the Second Corps under Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys shifted west to near Armstrong?s Mill to cover Warren?s right flank. Late in the day, Confederate Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon attempted to turn Humphreys' right flank near the mill but was repulsed. During the night, the Federals were reinforced by two divisions.On February 6th, Gregg returned to Gravelly Run on the Vaughan Road from his unsuccessful raid and was attacked by elements of Brig. Gen. John Pegram?s Confederate division. Warren pushed forward a reconnaissance in the vicinity of Dabney?s Mill and was attacked by Pegram?s and Maj. Gen. William Mahone?s divisions. Pegram was killed in the action. Although the Union advance was stopped, the Federals extended their siege works to the Vaughan Road crossing of Hatcher?s Run. On February 7, Warren launched an offensive and drove back the Confederates, recapturing most of the Union lines around Dabney's Mill that had been lost the day before. Thus, the Confederates kept the Boydton Plank Road open, but suffered attrition and were forced to further extend their thinning lines.Autograph letter signed ?U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen.,? two pages, Head Quarters Armies of the United States letterhead, City Point, Virginia, February 6, 1865, amidst the battle, to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, about the first day?s fighting and plans of the next day: ?In the affair of yesterday when the enemy attacked a port of the 2d Corps and were handsomely repulsed, leaving a part of their dead for us to bury, our losses were three officers & eighteen men killed, eleven Officers & ninety-two men wounded and twenty-two men missing. In front of one Brigade of Mott?s Div. he buried thirty-one of the enemy and counted twenty two graves besides some of which were large enough for five or six bodies each. Gen. Smythe estimates the loss of the enemy in his front at two hundred. Our captures for the day were about one hundred men, half of them taken by the Cavalry and the rest by the 5th & 2d Corps. This afternoon the 5th Corps advanced and drove the enemy [Grant strikes through ?inside this intrenchment?] back on to this Artillery, probably into this entrenchments, beyond Dabney?s Mill. Here the enemy was reinforced and drove Warren back. Our troops are still out and will not be returned to their old position unless driven to it by the difficulty of supplying them. The casualties for to-day I will report as soon as learned.?This is a true piece of history - the original report on the Battle of Hatcher?s Run, completely in the hand of Grant, as sent to Stanton. And considering the amount of time Lincoln spent at Stanton?s office, quite likely he would have seen or learned details of the report. It?s the only the battle and casualty report from Grant we have ever seen on the market.- $32,000
- $32,000
James A. Garfield Writes His Best Friend, Telling Him That He Has Been ?closely engaged in the political campaign? (Garfield served as a Congressman from 1863-1880. His time was much taken up by political affairs.)
James A. Garfield Autograph letter signed, Hiram, Ohio, October 15, 1871, to Thomas W. Phillips, his most intimate personal friend. ?Yours of the 11th instant is received. I am greatly rejoiced to hear that Charles is improving, and that we may now confidently look for his complete recovery. I have greatly desired to visit you, and do not yet abandon the hope of doing so before the next session of Congress begins. But I must go to New Hampshire next week and cannot now see my way clear to get to your house. Still I shall do so if I can.?I have been closely engaged in the political campaign for the last two months?Much love to Pam and yourself.?- $1,500
- $1,500
Henry Clay – the Moving Force Behind the Compromise of 1850 – Wants the Fugitive Slave Act to Be Maintained and Upheld (?The Fugitive Slave bill is every where taking strong ground against its repeal or eventual modification. I fear that your remedy of paying a portion of the value of un-reclaimed Slaves, if practicable to be adopted, would be liable to serious objections, and lead in operation to fraudulent results. I hope that the law can be maintained??)
Henry Clay On the South?s fear of emancipation and the need to have the South?s cooperation in revising legislation: ?That feeling was wearing away, but it is aroused again by what has recently passed and is passing in regard to Slavery. It is only in a period of calm, when the passions are stilted, that an appeal can be favorably made to the South. Without its co-operation to some extent, it would be inexpedient to rely altogether on Northern support.??You ?can form no full conception of the violence of the passions boiling over in Congress? as a result of the Compromise?Clay will now turn his attention to the colonization idea - sending slaves back to AfricaThe Compromise of 1850 was a series of measures proposed by the ?great compromiser,? Sen. Henry Clay of Kentucky, and passed by the Congress in an effort to settle several outstanding slavery issues and to avert the threat of dissolution of the Union. The crisis arose from the request of the territory of California (December 3, 1849) to be admitted to the Union with a constitution prohibiting slavery. The problem was complicated by the unresolved question of slavery?s extension into other areas ceded by Mexico the preceding year.Clay?s purpose was to maintain a balance between free and slave states and to satisfy both proslavery and antislavery forces. The plan adopted by Congress had several parts: California was admitted as a free state, upsetting the equilibrium that had long prevailed in the Senate; the boundary of Texas was fixed along its current lines; Texas, in return for giving up land it claimed in the Southwest, had $10 million of its onerous debt assumed by the federal government; areas ceded by Texas became the recognized territories of New Mexico and Utah, and in neither case was slavery mentioned, ostensibly leaving these territories to decide the slavery question on their own; the slave trade, but not slavery itself, was abolished in the District of Columbia; and finally, Congress passed a new and stronger Fugitive Slave Act, taking the matter of returning runaway slaves out of the control of states and making it a federal responsibility. This proved to be a momentous move.The compromise measures were enacted in September 1850. President Fillmore called it ?a final settlement,? and the South certainly had nothing to complain about. It had secured the type of fugitive slave law it had long demanded, and although California came in as a free state, it elected proslavery representatives. Moreover, New Mexico and Utah enacted slave codes, technically opening the territories to slavery.The compromise, however, contained the seeds of discord. The new Fugitive Slave Act required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves, which triggered such a strong negative - even furious - reaction throughout the North that many moderate antislavery elements became determined opponents of any further extension of slavery into the territories. Thus, while the Compromise of 1850 served as a very temporary expedient, it also proved the failure of compromise as a permanent political solution when vital sectional interests were at stake.Autograph letter signed, one page both sides, Ashland, November 22, 1850, to Thomas R. Hazard, a social reformer in Newport, Rhode Island. In it, Clay notes that there were strong forces in favor of the Fugitive Slave Act who would oppose any modification or repeal, and Hazard?s proposal for paying slaveowners for escaped slaves would not work. Clay wanted the act maintained as it was.?I received your favor of the 14th instant which I have perused with much attention and pleasure. It is full of sentiments of humanity, benevolence and patriotism worthy of your heart. I am afraid with you that the Fugitive Slave bill is every where taking strong ground against its repeal or eventual modification. I fear that your remedy of paying a portion of the value of un-reclaimed Slaves would, if practicable to be adopted, would be liable to serious objections, and lead in operation to fraudulent results. I hope that the law can be maintained, unless it can be shown to have unconstitutional defects, which I do not believe.?You overrate, my dear Sir, my ability to allay the agitation; but whatever I have shall be freely devoted to the object, with the most perfect disinterestedness personally. I had intended to direct my exertions, at the coming session, to the great interests of Colonization, and especially to the object of establishing a line of Steamers on an economical plan; but I now apprehend that the agitation and excitement arising out of the Fugitive Law will render the moment inauspicious for any successful effort. The ultra South has seen, in the scheme of Colonization, through the distant vista, a project of general emancipation. That feeling was wearing away, but it is aroused again by what has recently passed and is passing in regard to Slavery. It is only in a period of calm, when the passions are stilted, that an appeal can be favorably made to the South. Without its co-operation to some extent, it would be inexpedient to rely altogether on Northern support. You, in your great delightful retreat at Vaucluse, can form no full conception of the violence of the passions boiling over in Congress.?I shall present your petition with great satisfaction, should I receive it during the next session. I thank you for the seeds which you sent me, and which I safely received. Do me the favor to present my respectful compliments to Mrs. Hazard.? Includes the original mailing envelope addressed in Clay's hand, and franked in the upper right, "Free, H. Clay."The compromise helped preserve the Union for a decade, but it played a role in hightening tensions and bringing on the Civil War. This historic letter offers exceptional insight into Clay's thoughts on the most significant political matter of his time, and one in which he played such a central role.- $5,500
- $5,500
NATO Head Dwight D. Eisenhower Announces That He is Going to Turkey for the Official Reception of Turkey into NATO (He also expresses gratitude for information on a new offshoot of the Atlantic Union, designed to promote peace by federating member states)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Justice Owen J. Roberts resigned from the Supreme Court to advocate for a Federal Union of democracies, and to unite one group favoring world government and the other favoring Union of the DemocraciesFrom 1951-52, Eisenhower was the Allied Supreme Commander in Europe, which title included the post of head of NATO. In 1952, Turkey joined NATO, and Ike traveled to Ankara, Turkey, to seal with his presence the membership of Turkey in Europe.Justice Owen J. Roberts resigned from the Supreme Court in 1945, and was afterwards instrumental in forming the Atlantic Union, which would advocate for a Federal Union of Democracies, but with a gradual approach to final world union by way of regional unions. Two million people signed a petition that the U.S. and Great Britain unify, others wanted to start with the U.S. and Canada. Roberts said that although he approved of NATO, he thought it was a fine tradition but could not prevent war, and that permanent peace required a federation of likeminded peoples. Nor could the UN be relied upon, with the power the Soviets had in that body. In 1952, a new group was formed whose members agreed with Roberts? views, the Atlantic Citizens Congress, whose members were drawn partly from the Atlantic Union Committee, and partly from outside.Typed letter signed, on his letterhead, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, 1 March 1952, to Justice Owen J. Roberts, saying he is departing for Turkey and that he is grateful for receiving information on the new Atlantic Citizens organization. ?Dear Mr. Justice: Although my schedule is extremely rushed by last minute preparations before departing on a trip to the Mediterranean area, I want you to know of my appreciation of your furnishing me a copy of Atlantic Citizens Congress. I am having it placed aboard the airplane with the hope that the long journey to Ankara on Monday will permit me an opportunity to read the booklet thoroughly. Please convey my gratitude to your distinguished associates for the compliment implicit in their request for my views on this project.?Eight months later, Eisenhower is elected President of the United States.- $3,000
- $3,000
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in Accordance with Article II of the U.S. Constitution, Formally Seeks the ?Advice and Consent? of the Senate to an International Treaty (The war-date agreement had to do with telegraph, radio, and telephone communication)
Franklin D. Roosevelt ?To the end that I may receive the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification of the revised regulations, I transmit herewith a certified copy of the revision of the General Radio Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunications Convention???A rare letter of any president to the U.S. Senate, and the first seeking the Constitutionally required ?Advice and Consent? that we have ever seenThe International Radiocommunication Conference was the first of the administrative radiocommunications conferences. It dealt with telegraph as well as telephone issues and was held simultaneously with the Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference in Cairo in 1938, under the banner of the International Telecommunication Conferences. The Telegraph Consultative Committee (CCIT) was reorganized and would function similarly to the Telephone Consultative Committee (CCIF). The CCIT would, from now on, be charged with the study of rate questions submitted to it by a plenipotentiary or administrative conference.The unification of code and plain language rates for telegrams within the European regime was adopted. The new fixed rate for coded telegrams was changed to 92% of the existing rate of plain language telegrams. The Telephone Regulations were modified to include the establishment of ?reversed-call charges? and ?urgent aircraft calls.? Urgent aircraft calls would be given priority over all other types of calls except urgent government calls.Participants agreed to use English as a supplementary language in conferences and meetings. The United States offered translating services for both of the conferences and compiled unofficial English translations. A vote determined that the Bureau would be responsible for future translations. A committee was created to resolve issues related to voting and to establish a recommendation for the next conference. A report was compiled and was approved for future voting at conferences.The increased demand and need for frequencies on intercontinental air routes was recognized. It was also decided that higher technical standards for transmitters through improved tolerance and band tables would be established. Limits were placed on the use of spark sets and maritime use was restricted to three frequencies. In addition, modifications were made to the regulations of the Maritime Mobile Service.The Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) was reorganized. It would now be charged with the study of both technical and operations questions. Interval meetings would be held every three years.Changes were made to the Additional Radio Regulations with the establishment of a maximum charge of 20 centimes for radiotelegrams in the aeronautical service and the adoption of detailed regulations for new radio maritime letters.The Final Protocol to the General Radio Regulations was adopted and the agreement was ready to be ratified by the nations involved.A treaty is a binding agreement between nation-states that forms the basis for international law. Thus the agreement that resulted from this Conference was a form of treaty, and treaties signed by the United States must be ratified by the U.S. Senate to become law. Article II of the United States Constitution provides that the president "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur.? President Roosevelt formally sought the Advice and Consent of the Senate to the Conference agreement.Typed letter signed, The White House, Washington, January 27, 1939, ?TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES? ?To the end that I may receive the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification of the revised regulations, I transmit herewith a certified copy of the revision of the General Radio Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunications Convention, signed at Madrid on December 9, 1932, adopted on April 8, 1938 by the International Telecommunication Conferences which convened at Cairo, Egypt, on February 1, 1938 to revise these regulations as well as the Additional Radio Regulations and the telephone and telegraph regulations also annexed to the Madrid Convention but which were not signed for the United States.Accompanying these revised general radio regulations is a certified copy of the Final Protocol to the General Radio Regulations, in which reservations thereto made by certain governments are recorded. The attention of the Senate is invited to the accompanying Report by the Secretary of State and to the Report of the Chairman of the Delegation to the Cairo Conference relating to the General Radio Regulations.?Letters of presidents to Congress are rarities.- $9,000
- $9,000
Charles Dickens Will Serve on the Committee to Honor England’s Great Literary Gazette and Its Long-Time Editor, William Jerdan (This committee of 70 noblemen of England’s literary circles would ensure just compensation for Jerdan)
Charles Dickens ?Jerdan wrote me mentioning certain names and asking me would I be one of such a committee, and what was my advice? I replied that I would be one, and that my advice was that the thing should on no account be made public?"The year 1851 was a momentous one for Britain and Charles Dickens. It's a time of radical change in Britain, when industrial miracles and artistic innovations rub shoulders with political unrest, poverty, and disease. It is also a turbulent year in the private life of Charles Dickens, as he copes with a double bereavement and early signs that his marriage is falling apart. But this formative year will become perhaps the greatest turning point in Dickens's career, as he embraced his calling as a chronicler of ordinary people's lives and develops a new form of writing that will reveal just how interconnected the world was becoming.William Jerdan was the long-time editor of ?The Literary Gazette?, which he conducted with success for thirty-four years. At its peak from the 1820s until the end of the 1840s, The Literary Gazette had unprecedented power and influence.Jerdan's position as editor brought him into contact with many distinguished writers, such as Charles Dickens. When Jerdan retired in 1850 from the editorship of The Literary Gazette, his pecuniary affairs were far from satisfactory. A testimonial of over ?900 was subscribed by his friends; and in 1853 a government pension of 100 guineas was conferred on him by Lord Aberdeen. This committee declared ??That the literary labours of such a man are well deserving of a special mark of public estimation;" and that it had been "resolved to open a subscription for the expression of this opinion by all friends of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, who may have appreciated the devotedness of the Editor of the ?Literary Gazette? and the influence of his writings during this long period" and "To acknowledge his services in a gratifying and suitable manner by presenting him with a lasting token of the esteem in which he is held by the literary world. This task, so honourable to all concerned, has been undertaken by a committee of nearly seventy noblemen and gentlemen, representing every high order and class of intellectual society, and especially by Mr. Jerdan?s distinguished literary contemporaries, who thus unanimously unite in recommending his services in the Press to the notice of the country which has profited by them."Charles Manby was Secretary to the Institution of Civil Engineers from 1839-1856, but importantly had an interest in theater and literature and was often involved with the management of the Adelphi and Haymarket Theatres. Thus he came into contact with Charles Dickens and William Jerdan. A number of letters passed between Dickens, Jerdan and Manby, three great literary men of the day.Autograph letter signed, Devonshire Terrace, April 3, 1851, to Charles Manby, telling him that Jerdan had written to him mentioning possible names of candidates for committee members and asking if he himself would be a committee member. This was likely for the Adelphi Theater, with which Manby was involved and where many stories of Dickens were adapted for the stage. Dickens responded that he would join, but that he thinks it should not be made a public matter. ?All I know of the matter on which you wrote me is this. Jerdan wrote me mentioning certain names and asking me would I be one of such a committee, and what was my advice? I replied that I would be one, and that my advice was that the thing should on no account be made public, my opinion being (this I say to you and did not say to him but reserves for the committee) that it is not a public case?.- $7,500
- $7,500
President Andrew Johnson Declares Thanksgiving in 1868 (Johnson?s proclamation looks for the bitterness arising from the Civil War to end, and states his ?hope that long-protracted political and sectional dissensions are at no distant day to give place to returning harmony and fraternal affection throughout the Republic.?)
Andrew Johnson It was President Lincoln that first declared the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States. His successor, Andrew Johnson, chose to continue the tradition, and it has been maintained ever sinceJohnson?s 1868 Thanksgiving Proclamation stated: ?In the year which is now drawing to its end the art, the skill, and the labor of the people of the United States have been employed with greater diligence and vigor and on broader fields than ever before, and the fruits of the earth have been gathered into the granary and the storehouse in marvelous abundance. Our highways have been lengthened, and new and prolific regions have been occupied. We are permitted to hope that long-protracted political and sectional dissensions are at no distant day to give place to returning harmony and fraternal affection throughout the Republic. Many foreign states have entered into liberal agreements with us, while nations which are far off and which heretofore have been unsocial and exclusive have become our friends.?The annual period of rest, which we have reached in health and tranquillity, and which is crowned with so many blessings, is by universal consent a convenient and suitable one for cultivating personal piety and practicing public devotion.?I therefore recommend that Thursday, the 26th day of November next, be set apart and observed by all the people of the United States as a day for public praise, thanksgiving, and prayer to the Almighty Creator and Divine Ruler of the Universe, by whose ever-watchful, merciful, and gracious providence alone states and nations, no less than families and individual men, do live and move and have their being.In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 12th day of October, A.D. 1868, and of the Independence of the United States the ninety-third.?It is interesting that Johnson looks for the bitterness arising from the Civil War to end, stating his ?hope that long-protracted political and sectional dissensions are at no distant day to give place to returning harmony and fraternal affection throughout the Republic.? He also specifically notes that he has caused the seal to be affixed to his proclamation. This is his original order to affix the seal of the United States to the proclamation.Document signed, Washington, October 12, 1868, ordering ?the Secretary of State to affix the seal of the United States to a Thanksgiving Proclamation dated this day and signed by me??Presidentially signed orders to put into effect Thanksgiving proclamations are uncommon.- $8,500
- $8,500
President Ulysses S. Grant Promotes a Civil War Hero to an Officer?s Rank (The appointee was cited for gallant and meritorious service in the battles of Gaines Mill and Fredericksburg, and commanded a battery at Gettysburg)
Ulysses S. Grant James R. Kelly entered the army in 1854 as a private. When the Civil War broke out, he was commissioned as lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery. In June of 1862 be was breveted captain for gallant and meritorious service in the battle of Gaines Mill. Late that year he was breveted major for gallant and meritorious service in the battle of Fredericksburg. He commanded a section of Battery C, 3rd U.S. Artillery at Gettysburg in July 1863. Kelly remained in the army after the war.Document signed, with an eagle, stars, flags and cannon, Washington, February 5, 1873, promoting Kelly to full captain and to rank as such effective December 20, 1872. The document is countersigned by Secretary of War William Belknap.- $3,500
- $3,500
President Chester A. Arthur Sends a Letter of State to an African Ruler, the Sultan of Zanzibar ()
Chester A. Arthur Barghash bin Said was the second sultan of Zanzibar, who ruled Zanzibar from 1870 until his death in 1888. During his reign he signed an anti-slave trade treaty with Britain and saw his sultanate fall under the increasing control of Germany as the European scramble for Africa gathered pace, although ultimately, under the terms of an Anglo-German treaty, Zanzibar became a British protectorate.The United States had a large whaling fleet in the 19th century, and it plied the world?s oceans. The American whaling ship Minerva was wrecked off the coast of Zanzibar, and Barghash saw to it that the Americans were transported to a place of safety.As if to chronicle the voyage, a whale tooth scrimshaw of whaling scenes exists from the Minerva while cruising off Zanzibar.Document signed, Washington, September 28, 1883, directing the Secretary of State ?to cause the seal of the United States to be affixed to envelope containing my letter addressed to His Highness Bargasch ben Said thanking him for the free transportation of distressed seamen from the wrecked American whaling vessel Minerva??An uncommon order for sending a letter of state to an African leader.- $3,000
- $3,000
President Ulysses S. Grant and Vice President Schuyler Colfax: Both signatures together, while in office (This is the first time we have seen one sheet of paper with the signatures of both men)
Ulysses S. Grant A sheet of Executive Mansion letterhead, dated Washington, April 28, 1870, signed by ?Yours truly, U.S. Grant? and ?Yours truly, Schuyler Colfax.? An uncommon combination, this being the first we?ve had.- $4,500
- $4,500
One of America?s Earliest Successful Inventors – Thomas Blanchard – Patents a Method of Construction of Steam Boats to Pass Rapids (The patent is signed by Andrew Jackson as president and Martin Van Buren as Secretary of State, and is the most significant patent we have carried)
Andrew Jackson|Martin Van Buren Thomas Blanchard pioneered the assembly line style of mass production in America, and also invented the first machining lathe for interchangeable parts. In 1825, Blanchard invented America's first car, which he called a "horseless carriage," powered by steam. Turning his attention to steam transportation, Blanchard invented a "steam wagon" before the introduction of railroads. In 1831 he received a patent for an improved form of steamboat, so constructed as to ascend rapids or rivers having strong currents, which was used on the Connecticut River and in the west. During Blanchard's lifetime, he was awarded over twenty-five patents for his creations.This is Blanchard?s 1831 patent for the better construction of steamboats. Document signed, Washington, March 25, 1831, awarding ?Thomas Blanchard, a citizen of the United States?, a patent ?in the construction of steam boats for the passage of rapids.? The fascinating two page original description of the invention is still present.This is the most significant patent document we have carried.- $9,000
- $9,000
Future President Benjamin Harrison is Moved by a Letter From His Grandfather, President William Henry Harrison, to Help a Man Get a Federal Appointment (?The letter from General Harrison which he will show you will explain to you the interest I take in his case.?)
Benjamin Harrison Before he was elected president, a man approached Harrison asking him to use his influence to get him a job in a customs house. Harrison sympathized with him, because Harrison?s grandfather, President William Henry Harrison, had a relationship with the man?s father.Autograph letter signed, on his law office letterhead, two pages, Indianapolis, May 27, 1881 to William H. Robertson, Collector of the Port of New York, the most important and powerful customs house in the nation, asking that a friend be made a Watchman of a Customs House. ?Mr. W.H.H. Lucker of Middletown, New York, wrote you a year or more ago & enclosed a letter from my Grandfather (President Harrison) to his father, which interested me to [act] on his behalf. I do not know him personally but he says he can furnish you with the best evidence of his character from people in Middletown. He desires to get a place as Watchman about the customs house and if he gives you evidence of his personal fitness, I would be much obliged if you can give him a place. The letter from General Harrison which he will show you will explain to you the interest I take in his case.?A very uncommon association piece linking the two Harrison presidents, Benjamin and William Henry.- $2,500
- $2,500
The Very Day that England Declared the War Over, the American Revolution Over, France Officially Calls Off Operations Against the British and Orders French Forces to Return Home from the Colonies (England and France had signed preliminary peace articles 2 weeks prior; Spain recognized American independence the day before this letter)
A bookend to the war for American independence: Thus ended successfully a war in which the French had been instrumental in gaining American independence??The ratifications [of the Treaty of Paris] having been exchanged, all dispatch must be made for the return of the troops, supplies and vessels of the army of M. the Comte d'Estaing. It is the intention of the War Department to bring to Provence all the troops who have departed??Despite discussions of a full alliance, French assistance to the fledgling United States was limited in the early years of the American Revolution. French Foreign Minister the Comte de Vergennes finally decided in favor of an alliance when news of the British surrender at the Battle of Saratoga reached him in December 1777. Vergennes, having heard rumors of secret British peace feelers to the United States, wanted to put a stop to that and offered the U.S. an official French alliance. On February 6, 1778, Benjamin Franklin and other two Americans commissioners, Arthur Lee and Silas Deane, signed a Treaty of Alliance and a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France. The Treaty of Alliance contained the provisions the U.S. commissioners had originally requested, but also included a clause forbidding either country to make a separate peace with Britain. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce promoted trade between the United States and France and recognized the United States as an independent nation.On May 4, 1778, the alliance between France and the new United States of America became effective. The Americans had high hopes for this venture, but those hopes were initially dashed. The French sent a fleet under Admiral d?Estaing in the summer of 1778; but after failing to encounter the British in the Chesapeake Bay and making unsuccessful moves at New York and Newport, it abandoned the offensive. However, the French were determined to play a role in the outcome of the American War and planned to send a significant number of troops and ships for the next campaign. Count Rochambeau was appointed to command of the army that was destined to support the Americans, and on May 2, 1780, he sailed for the U.S.Washington eagerly anticipated the active intervention of the French, and their hoped-for imminent arrival. He planned a joint Franco-American late- summer campaign against British-held New York, and in expectation of his ally?s arrival set about making sure that all of his preparations were complete. William Dobbs was an expert pilot qualified to guide navies into port. On July 2, 1780, Washington called Dobbs to headquarters for consultations on issues of navigation with a large navy. In a letter to Rochambeau, General Lafayette described the discussions at headquarters, saying of Dobbs and a colleague, ?The two persons?who will go aboard your ship?are best known for their integrity and ability? But there was still no sight of the French and no way for them to receive such communications.On July 11 came the momentous news: the French had been sighted in American waters. At about the same time, Rochambeau landed on American soil, disembarking at Newport, Rhode Island. The 1780 offensive against New York did not materialize. But in 1781, Washington?s vision of the Franco-American juggernaut finally took shape. By September 28, the combined armies with the French fleet - some 16,000 troops - had arrived in Virginia, where the army set up camp outside the British defenses at Yorktown and the French fleet blockaded the port so the British could not leave nor receive reinforcements. Just three weeks later, the siege of Yorktown ended with the complete surrender of the British. As a result of this catastrophe to their arms, Britain would sue for peace; the war was effectively over. So Washington?s dream - that the arrival of the French would make the difference and secure American independence - became a reality.The year 1782 saw the approach of a general peace. Franklin rejected initial peace overtures from Great Britain for a settlement that would provide the thirteen states with some measure of autonomy within the British Empire. He insisted on British recognition of American independence and refused to consider a peace separate from France, America?s staunch ally. Franklin did agree, however, to negotiations with the British for an end to the war. Joined by John Adams and John Jay, Franklin engaged the British in formal negotiations beginning on September 27, 1782. Two months of hard bargaining resulted in preliminary articles of peace in which the British accepted American independence and boundaries, resolved the difficult issues of fishing rights on the Newfoundland banks and prewar debts owed British creditors, promised restitution of property lost during the war by Americans loyal to the British cause, and provided for the evacuation of British forces from the United States. The preliminary articles signed in Paris on November 30, 1782, were only effective when Britain and France signed a similar treaty, which French Foreign Minister Vergennes quickly negotiated. France signed preliminary articles of peace with Great Britain on January 20, 1783, and a formal peace - the Treaty of Paris - would be signed on September 3, 1783. In the eyes of the world, the United States was officially in existence.The Comte de Estaing commanded the French Navy in America. At Savannah on October 9, 1779, he attempted a surprise assault on the western fortifications, but deserters had alerted the English, who repelled the combined American-French force with heavy casualties. Estaing was wounded in an arm and leg. The French vessels divided up, and d'Estaing sailed to France. He arrived there in December just in time to enjoy the celebrations for his victory at Grenada. In July 1780 Estaing was sent to Cadiz, a staging point in Spain, to command a joint French-Spanish amphibious expedition. Its object was set as British Jamaica, but the signing of the Peace Preliminaries on January 20, 1783, ende- $15,000
- $15,000
Original, Unpublished Notes for Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia, Prepared for the Invasion, from the Archives of Napoleon’s Senior Aide de Camp Charged with Planning that Invasion (Sent at Napoleon’s direction to General Georges Mouton, the remarkable, 14-page manuscript gives directions to a prospective invading army, listing populations, topography, opportunities for provisioning, bridges to cross, etc.)
Napoleon Bonaparte It is based on an 1809 intelligence operation that Napoleon commissioned to chart Persia, Russia and the steppes?A remarkable and apparently unpublished manuscript documenting Russia and its environs in the early 1800s, fascinating for that purpose as well?Acquired from the direct descendants and never before offered for sale"Resistance could only result in the burning by the assailant of a large part of the wooden houses of Moscow"?"Minsk is a town of 10,000 inhabitants of which two thirds are Jewish."?https://vimeo.com/916160568?share=copyIn 1803, Camille Alphonse Trezel obtained the rank of lieutenant in the corps of topographical engineers. The next year he was promoted to assistant engineer geographer. After the Polish campaign, as a lieutenant, he was appointed acting aide to General Gardanne, in the embassy of France to Persia. He was commissioned at this time by Napoleon to take extensive notes, topographical, geographical and otherwise of Persia and its environs. On his return, he came through Russia. On his return to France, he was promoted to Captain in late 1810 / early 1811 and assigned as an aide-de-camp to General Armand Charles Guilleminot; he became lieutenant-commander in 1813. Napoleon aimed to defeat not only Russia but England, and the latter in part through India. Trezel and Gardanne in 1809 were tasked to survey the vast regions that would have to be crossed and to probe the dispositions of the populations, and as evidenced here, did so.Trezel's notes on Persia are published and important primary resources for the period and region. We found no record of the publication of his notes on Russia.In May and June 1812, Napoleon turned to mapping the pending invasion of Russia and finding the correct route. He had few great options. As the published papers of Napoleon state, "Despite the efforts of his geographical engineers, Napoleon never had good maps of Russia throughout the campaign. To compensate for this shortage, the Paris topographical office should have drawn large numbers of the few available maps and given them to the corps commanders. This was not done on the scale that the emperor wanted.? He complained during this stretch that he needed more routes to Russia, that one would not suffice for planning, and he wrote to Generals Clarke and Berthier complaining on this subject.On June 24, 1812 Napoleon commenced his famed campaign in Russia, ordering his Grande Arm?e, the largest European military force ever assembled to that date, into Russia. The enormous army featured more than 500,000 soldiers and staff and included contingents from Prussia, Austria, and other countries under the sway of the French empire. The campaign would be characterized by the massive toll on human life: in less than six months Napoleon lost near half of his men because of the extreme weather conditions, battle, disease and hunger. On both sides, nearly a million soldiers and civilians died.General Mouton, the Count of Lobau, was a prominent general and later Marshall of the Empire for Napoleon. Mouton means "lamb" in French, the source of Napoleon's now famous statement on Mouton: "My lamb is a lion." Napoleon valued Mouton to the extent that for his great Russia campaign he made him senior aide to camp. In 1806 Mouton was a Brigade General. He would remain in Napoleon's service until the end of the Empire, during which time he showed himself to be forthright, direct (?he's no fawner?, Napoleon is noted to have said) but also disciplined, loyal, meticulous and highly organized. He was at Austerlitz with Napoleon and was charged with the preparation of the campaigns in Spain (1808), Russia (1812), Germany (1813), and Belgium (1815). Napoleon also wrote ?Mouton is the best colonel to have ever commanded a French regiment.? In 1812 Mouton took an active part in the planning and enacting of the Russian campaign. When Napoleon left the army during the retreat and returned to Paris, Mouton accompanied him.Manuscript, in the hand of an intelligence officer, likely from the topographical department, from the Library of Georges Mouton, no date but likely late Spring 1812. The manuscript notes the position of Trezel as Captain and aide to camp for Guilleminot, a position Trezel effectively occupied between 1811 and 1812. It appears to be a shortened version of the report from the 1809 intelligence operation that Napoleon commissioned. Our gratitude to the Fondation Napoleon for their generous assistance."Notes on the Route from Warsaw to Moscow by Tykoezinn frontier of the Grand Duchy [of Warsaw] (47 leagues), Grodno (77 leagues), Mir (133), Mink (158), Orzay (208), Smolensk (237) and Moscow (333). Extracts from a voyage made in July 1809 by Captain Trezel, aid de camp of General Guilleminot."The following are quotes from the report:"The country between Warsaw and Moscow can be divided in three distinct parts separated from each other by large rivers or by old political limits recent changed by a great usurpation but which remains in the hearts of the inhabitants of old Poland."The first part enclosed by the Vistule and the Niemen has 77 leagues of length, and the Neiman has 77 leagues of length. The route that goes through it passes by a good number of little towns, among them, the towns of the route that goes through it passes by a good number of little towns, among them, the towns of Siroska, Pultuska, Ostrolenka, and Byalistok are the largest."?"The second from Grodno to Orzay has 125 leagues. It includes old Palatinate of Troki, Minsk, part of that of Vitebsk, all the high parts of the Niemen and also those of the Dnieper to the right bank of the Pleure beyond which starts the Russian government of Smolensk. The route passes by the towns of Norogrodek, Mir, Minsk, Barisow, Toloezinn, Orzay and Doubrovka."The third part between Smolensk and Moscow is entirely in old Russia. It's length by the route is 131 leagues. One finds in succession, the towns of Dorogouer, Viarnie, Gradsk, and Moyaiska- $85,000
- $85,000
Rare Pardon Signed by Queen Elizabeth II (She will extend her Grace and Mercy)
Queen Elizabeth II In 1960, Stanley Davidson was convicted of four offenses of housebreaking and larceny and sentenced to four years in prison at Durham Prison. His case came to the attention of the Queen?s staff who brought it to her attention. She decided to remit a the sentence and release him from custody. In doing so, she says she will ?extend her Grace and Mercy.?Document signed, London, July 3, 1961, being a pardon for Davidson, and ordering the governor of the prison to ?discharge him out of custody accordingly.? This is the only pardon signed by Elizabeth that we have had.?- $2,500
- $2,500
The Unpublished Love Letters of a World War II B-17 Bomber Pilot, the Flying Fortress, to His Wife (Approximately 115 letters from the front line pilot to his new wife, awaiting the birth of their child, touching on life in camp, missions he flew, his hoped for survival, and their love)
Americana Including his photo of her he kept while he flew, along with a dollar bill, separated at the start of his missions, half given to a friend, united only on their mutual survival?He flew 35 missions from the Bury St. Edmunds camp in England, to all over Germany[embed]https://vimeo.com/902085165?share=copy[/embed]?World War II remains the most momentous war in history, with over 50 million people dying in a struggle that, in Europe and the Pacific, lasted over a decade. The warring nations threw everything and everyone they had into the conflict, and it so absorbed the young adults in the United States, who fought and brought victory, that those who were in their 20s and 30s then are known as the Greatest Generation.J. Andrew Smith, Jr. was a young pilot from Goldsboro, NC. With the outbreak of the war, he entered pilot training and was assigned to the 94th Bomb Group, which flew the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign and served chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war. This unit was primarily based out of Bury St. Edmunds. Among the units composing the 94th was the 331st corp. Prior to D-Day in Jun 1944, it helped to neutralize weapon sites, airdromes, and other military installations along the coast of France. On June 6, it bombed enemy positions in the battle area to support the invasion of Normandy, and struck troops and gun batteries to aid the advance of the Allies at St Lo in July and at Brest in August. It covered the airborne attack on Holland in September and hit marshalling yards, airfields, and strong points near the combat area during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945. It bombed transportation, communications, and oil targets in the final push over the Rhine and across Germany.Smith arrived in the UK in the summer of 1944 and began flying missions in October. He flew 35 missions, all over Germany, as the pilot of his B-17 crew. He and his crew named their bomber 'Roll me over'. His was dangerous work.Prior to heading to the UK, he married his sweetheart, Hilda. When he left for the UK, she was pregnant with what would be their first child, a girl.From mid 1944 to his return in April 1945, he carried on a near daily communication with his wife in loving, tender correspondence that spoke to their relationship, their yet-to-be-born child, and daily life at camp in Bury St. Edmunds. They also spoke of the war and the dangers he faced. Many in his position did not return. At the start, he split a dollar bill for a fellow pilot, and they promised to be put it back together should they both survive. That, his prayer card and a photograph of his beloved wife were kept in his pocket as he flew and are all part of this archive.The archivePhotocopy of a manuscript map (original not surviving) of the military arrangement at Bury St. Edmunds, Station 468;His military identification card, signed by him;Official list of his "Operational Missions" - all over Germany - from October 1944 till April 7 1945. This speaks to the dangers he encountered flying in distant and perilous airspace.A handful of telegrams, including his announcement to his wife of the end of his tour, dated April 9, 1945. "Job completed - Am very thankful"His social security cardMaterials kept on his during his bombing tours: Two photographs of Hilda, his wife, including at last one carried on him during this flight; Prayer sheet; Dollar bill torn in half and shared with a friend to be united upon their joint survival in the war.The lettersA handful of letters from 1942 and 1943. Including:June 18, 1943 - "I think we will ship out the first of next week so if there is a break in my letters to you you will know that I'm on shipment. It's no telling what we will step into when we get to pre-flight. Only about 80 of us have gotten our classification, out of those are 5 bombardiers and 4 navigators. The seat pilot."July 1, 1943 - "Before the war everybody was happy, because life was peaceful, no boomtowns, or army camps or war war industries to hamper normal life. But now look at this country - lovers separated, people leaving their homes to go work in war industries."80 letters from 1944. The letters begin with him in training (Blytheville, AR), encouraging his wife to buy wedding bands for their marriage. He discusses his training.- February 28: "I'm so sorry that you had to go through so much unhappiness before your Mother agreed to the marriage. We were always meant to be man and wife and the day is so near now."- March 1: "We graduate in 11 days. We have lots of flying to do yet. We go on a cross country tonight down to Little Rock Ark. over to Batesville Miss and back here." This mission would be eventful. On March 2, he writes that his plane malfunctions and goes into details about how and what reports he made to his superiors. He considers himself lucky to be alive.The letters skip to September, where he finds himself in Rapid City. Much discussion of camp life and bomber training. He discusses who he wants in his bomber and in which position.He gets a planeSeptember 23 - "I was assigned a nice new B-17 to be my little airplane for a while so you see your old man got a fine airplane. We can stay happy and love each other so much. You can have our baby and stay healthy and strong and I can help fight this damn war for you and junior and come back to you and never let you leave me again."In late Sept, he leaves the states for England. On October 2, he writes from Iceland. On October 6, he arrives in England. "I might go into town tonight but I don't know yet if I can get a pass. All they have got is places they call pubs where they sell nothing but hot beer. Can you imagine that?"There is near daily discussion of camp life, censoring letters of his soldiers and other events.October 14 - "Some day when our kid grows up to be a man or woman, I pray to God that he will never have to go through what we are going through now. It's going to- $7,800
- $7,800
President Monroe Gives His Nephew Advice on Life, Career, Education, Residence, and Retirement in a Remarkable Letter to the Boy?s Mother (He also states his own plans for his impending retirement from public service: “I shall reside with my family on a farm, about 35 miles above their city, in a high and very healthy country, where the land is good and the neighborhood very respectable.”)
James Monroe He would have written sooner except he was ?engaged in important duties arising from the late adjournment of Congress.???Some plan ought to be adopted with a view to his future station in life, and on this subject I will communicate to you, freely, my sentiments. Having an increasing family, the improvement of their property for their own comfort and the education and advancement of their children, should be their great object. In fulfilling this, duty, your wishes and happiness should be consulted, and respectful attention should also be paid, to those of his aged parents, one of whom, his father, is very infirm, and subject to occasional attacks which menace his existence.??This is the longest Monroe ALS as President that we can recall seeingJames Monroe?s mother died in 1772, and his father two years later. Though he inherited property, including slaves, from both of his parents, the 16-year-old Monroe was forced to withdraw from school to support his younger brothers. He was therefore experienced in guiding and giving advice to youths. One of these brothers was Andrew Augustine Monroe, who married in the 1790s, and in 1799 named his only son after his brother ? James. When in 1805 the elder James Monroe came into sole possession of his uncle?s valuable estate, he gave management of the estate to his brother Andrew, who lived at the 6-room overseer?s house from 1808 to 1817. James continued to feel responsibility for young family members, particularly so in James?s case, as the lad had little schooling and was ill-disciplined by his parents.James Monroe the elder was U.S. Ambassador to France during the Napoleonic Era, and was governor of Virginia in 1811. But he left that year when, in April 1811, President James Madison appointed him Secretary of State in hopes of shoring up the support of the more radical factions of his Democratic-Republican Party. From 1814-1815, Monroe also served as Secretary of War. In 1816 Monroe was elected President of the United States, and took office on March 4, 1817. He served for eight years, a period known as the Era of Good Feelings.At the young James?s desire, his powerful uncle had him appointed to the West Point Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1815. In the army, he served as aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott. After that he moved to New York and became a politician, serving in Congress during the Van Buren administration. He hob-nabbed with the rich and prominent in the city, such as the Schermerhorns, and his grandson married Theodore Roosevelt?s sister (who was also the aunt of Eleanor Roosevelt).When Monroe was Secretary of State, he wrote his nephew a letter giving him advice, moral, philosophical, and practical. The letter may seem stern to us today, but would not have seemed so at the time. And the fact that he wrote it at all shows that a bond of affection existed, as well as real interest in the boy?s welfare.Autograph letter signed, as President, Washington, 18 June 1824, to Mrs. George Douglas, mother of his nephew's wife, apologizing for the delay in replying to her letter due to important duties arising from the later adjournment of Congress. ?I have had the pleasure to receive your letter of the 10th of this month, and should have answered it sooner had I not been much engaged in important duties arising from the late adjournment of Congress. Although | have always taken a deep interest in the we/fare of my brother and his family, and this youth, his son, has been raised in a great measure, under my care, yet I took no part in promoting his marriage, or in any concern connected with It. With your sons &daughters who were here, we were much pleased, seeing that they had been well educated, and of your character & merit, we had formed the most favorable opinion, as well from what we heard from others. As the proof afforded, by the education of your children, & the care which you had taken on their property, since the death of their father. As James was young and inexperienced, & had little more than his profession, indeed | may say that alone, | saw no objection, to any settlement, which might be made of his wife?s property, calculated to secure it to them & their children, which should not degrade them both. On this subject I took no part, while a restraint seemed necessary, I advised him to remain in the army and was very glad that its duties permitted his establishment at the arsenal, as they would be near you, he would have an honorable occupation, be aided in his expenses by his pay, and would commence house keeping in a small house, and on a scale of economy which might be useful to them through life.?I think that the time has arrived when some plan ought to be adopted with a view to his future station in life, and on this subject I will communicate to you, freely, my sentiments. Having an increasing family, the improvement of their property for their own comfort and the education and advancement of their children, should be their great object. In fulfilling this, duty, you your wishes and happiness should be consulted, and respectful attention should also be paid, to those of his aged parents, one of whom, his father, is very infirm, and subject to occasional attacks which menace his existence. To separate himself altogether from them would be a degree of unkindness which you could not approve. And to them, it would also be agreeable to become acquainted with his children. I do not think that he ought to remain longer than a year more in the army. The peaceful state of the country does not require it, and the duties of the military profession would occupy too much of his time, as to prevent the adoption of any fixed plan for the improvement of their property for his own advancement in life, and for the education and advancement of their children. An establishment in the city of New York would in my opinion not be advisable, even if their property was worth double what it is. He was brought up to no profession, bu- $14,000
- $14,000
The Early Days of Japanese – American Relations: President William McKinley Officially Authorizes Implementation of One of the Early Treaties Between the Two Countries, Dealing With Intellectual Property (This is the first treaty authorization document between the United States and Japan that we have had, or in fact have ever seen)
William McKinley Japan started emerging into the modern world with the accession to the throne of the Meiji Emperor in 1868. The country quickly began to modernize and industrialize, and one aspect of this was to protect intellectual property. In 1884, a trademark law was promulgated. The Patent Monopoly Act came the following year, and protection for designs was passed in 1888. These were authorized by the Meiji Emperor, who lived until 1912.After years of contention, the dawn of the 20th century saw U.S. and Japanese interests aligned. Both nations supported the idea of an ?open door? for commercial expansion in China. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904?05, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt would act as a mediator at Japan?s request, and the two sides of the conflict met on neutral territory in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In the same year, U.S. Secretary of War William Howard Taft met with Prime Minister Katsura Taro in Japan. The two concluded the secret Taft-Katsura Agreement, in which the United States acknowledged Japanese rule over Korea and condoned the Anglo-Japanese alliance of 1902. At the same time, Japan recognized U.S. control of the Philippines.The first treaty, a general one of Comity and Commerce, took place in 1854. But more formal relations were required to protect mutual interests. The two nations sought to regularize business relationships, and an important aspect of that was to provide for mutual protection of intellectual property. In 1897, a treaty was negotiated with the United States to that effect. The treaty was negotiated, ratified by the Senate on February 1, 1897, and ratified by the Meiji Emperor of Japan on March 6. 1897.Just days later, President McKinley finalized the treaty process. Document signed, Washington, March 9, 1897, ordering implementation of the treaty between the United States and Japan regarding patents and trademarks. Specifically, President McKinley authorizes and directs the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to ?my Proclamation of the Convention between the United States and Japan concluded January 13, 1897, for the immediate reciprocal protection of patents, trademarks and designs.?This treaty, from the ?honeymoon? period for U.S./Japanese relations, did not last long. By the time Theodore Roosevelt left office, tensions were already beginning to arise.This is the first treaty authorization document between the United States and Japan that we have had, or in fact have ever seen.- $14,000
- $14,000
Ronald Reagan, in a Handwritten Letter as President, References Moses’ Parting of the “Red Sea” (He jokes that he would wear rubber shoes, since “the bottom may still be wet”)
Ronald Reagan He awaits a report on the Communist government in China?An increasingly rare and insightful unpublished ALS of Reagan as President, which also shows how he handled his correspondence, offered for sale for the first time hereRonald Reagan is closely associated with his strong Christian faith. He knew the Bible and believed in it. He used the symbol of the parting of the Red Sea with some frequency in speeches before and during his presidency.Douglas Morrow was a Hollywood screenwriter and film producer. He earned an Academy Award for his script for 1949?s The Stratton Story, a biography of baseball player Monty Stratton, who was disabled in a hunting accident. Reagan played the lead role in the film, and the men stayed close. Morrow?s other films included Jim Thorpe ? All-American and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. He also wrote for a number of television series.Autograph letter signed, November 10, no year, on White House letterhead, to "Dear Doug." "Just have a few minutes between chores and this is easier than waiting for the chance to dictate."Just give me an "overnight" on the Red sea but bring your rubbers; the bottom may still be wet"I'll await your China report - in the meantime thanks for your kind words. Nancy sends her regards and give our best to Margot." Signed "Ron."This unpublished letter was acquired from the Morrow descendants and has never been offered for sale.- $5,000
- $5,000
Longtime Quartermaster General Thomas S. Jesup Writes the Commander of Fort Armstrong, Iowa About the Construction of a New Barracks (He criticizes the project, saying ?the house that was authorized by the former and erected by the latter is entirely without authority would not be tolerated in any other service??)
Thomas S. Jesup With the pacification of the Indian threat in Illinois, the U.S. Government ceased operations at Fort ArmstrongThomas Sidney Jesup was a United States Army officer known as the "Father of the Modern Quartermaster Corps". His 52-year (1808?1860) military career was one of the longest in the history of the United States Army. In 1836, while Jesup was still officially Quartermaster General, President Andrew Jackson detached him first to deal with the Creek tribe in Georgia and Alabama, and then to assume command of all U.S. troops in Florida during the Second Seminole War (1835?1842). His capture of Seminole leaders Osceola and Micanopy under a false flag of truce provoked controversy in the United States and abroad.Fort Armstrong was one of a chain of western frontier defenses which the United States erected after the War of 1812. It was located at the foot of Rock Island, in the Mississippi River near the present-day Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. In 1832, the U.S. Army used the fort as a military headquarters during the Black Hawk War. It was normally garrisoned by two companies of United States Army regulars. With the pacification of the Indian threat in Illinois, the U.S. Government ceased operations at Fort Armstrong and the U.S. Army abandoned the frontier fort in 1836.Letter Signed, 2 pages, Quartermaster General?s Office, Washington, November 20, 1834. ?The case of the erection of new quarters at Fort Armstrong in obedience to your reiterated order to the assistant quartermaster at that post, having been submitted by the third auditor to the secretary of war for his decision was referred to me and in relation to which I made the following remarks, viz. ?It will no doubt be remembered that the designated last year for an amount sufficient to cover the expense of new quarters directed by order of Lieutenant Colonel Davenport and to construct additional quarters and barracks at Rock Island and that the amount was stricken out of the estimate in the House of Representative. In examining the accounts therefore for the expenses increased in building it was found that the authority required by the regulations was wanting and hence my remarks on the accounts. General Atkinson might have authorized and Lieutenant Colonel Davenport have erected a palace with as much propriety as the house that was authorized by the former and erected by the latter is entirely without authority would not be tolerated in any other service that can - it is not the amount in this case but the principle which is objectionable but as it is believed the regulations will correct such irregularities in future and as the appropriation for the quartermasters department will bear the expenditure I recommend that the accounts be allowed. Th. S. Jesup, QMG 18 Nov. 1834,? has been endorsed by the Secretary of War ?Allowed?.- $1,200
- $1,200
President Millard Fillmore Appoints the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain to Settle Claims the Two Nations Had Against Each Other (): https://rarebookinsider.com/rare-books/president-millard-fillmore-appoints-the-u-s-ambassador-to-great-britain-to-settle-claims-the-two-nations-had-against-each-other/
