The June 2-5, 2002, Pre-Long Beach Sale, Sale 14
Lot 1623
Pike, Albert. Carte de
visite, "E. & H.T. Anthony" backmark. Minor foxing, clipped corners, very
strong image. Near fine.
Estimated Value $300-400.
Lot 1624
Randolph, George Wythe.
Letter Signed ("Geo W Randolph"). As Secretary of War. One page,
7¾ x 7", "War Department", Richmond, September 22, 1862. In black ink. To
Jefferson Davis. Being an apparent cover letter for budgetary estimates
involving supplies for the Engineering Bureau. Transmittal folds, top right
corner missing (no text affected), very minor toning and soil to edges, one
spot of old adhesive residue visible through paper at bottom right corner below
text. Matted and framed with a copy of a cdv of Randolph to 13½ x 17".
Overall, very good condition.
A desirable wardate letter, given the
scarcity of Randolph's signature and his brief stint as Secretary of War.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,500.
Lot 1625
Ripley, Roswell.
Uniformed chest portrait carte de visite, mounted to a light pink card
without backmark. Matted and framed to 7 x 8". Pencil ID verso; card is
somewhat toned and there is adhesive residue to the margin above the image;
minor toning and foxing to edges of card. Overall, very good to near fine
condition. Removed from frame for inspection.
Estimated Value $1,750-2,000.
Lot 1626
Robertson, Beverly H.
Carte de visite framed and matted with calling card. Writing verso of the
card is not identifiable, does not appear to be Robertson's hand -- card is
mounted with printed "General Beverly Robertson" facing outward. There appears
to be a developing defect which has resulted in a light strip along the bottom
edge of Robertson's portrait, there is also an apparent mat burn at the same
edge. Card is fine, overall, very good condition. Removed from frame for
inspection.
Estimated Value $600-700.
Lot 1627
Rodes, Robert Emmett.
Carte de visite, uniformed portrait, trimmed to fit decorative card. Matted
and framed to 7 x 8". Very faint toning to edges of card; one corner is
slightly bumped; image shows minor toning, but is in otherwise wonderful
condition. A lovely image of the young general who was killed in action.
Estimated Value $500-600.
Lot 1628
Rosser, Thomas Lafayette.
Autograph Letter Signed ("Thos Rosser"). One page, small quarto,
Minneapolis, September 12, 1884. To General Marcus Wright. Tipped into an album
page. Old adhesive residue visible through sheet; one small hole at top left
corner, else very good condition. Matted and framed with a head portrait carte
de visite of Rosser -- this piece shows some toning and streaking -- and a copy
of a wardate carte de visite of Wright, overall size 14 x 13".
A
wonderful display piece -- two great images with a letter linking them. From
the content of the letter it appears Rosser seeks assistance from Wright:
"...You think that the information which I seek would occupy a copyist about
2 months -- well, that is not a big item and I wish you would go ahead and have
it down as soon as possible..." Since 1878, General Wright had been with
the War Department, charged with collecting confederate military papers and it
seems likely Wright would have had access to material Rosser would need for
memoirs, speeches and the like -- by the 1880s, notables on both sides of the
lines were writing and speaking frequently about Civil War experiences.
Wright's efforts with the War Department were quite successful and resulted in
the publication of several volumes of Confederate history and papers.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,500.
Lot 1629
Semmes, Raphael.
Document Signed ("Raph. Semmes Esq"), matted and framed with one
carte de visite and one cdv copy to 13 x 13". One page, 7¾ x 2½",
Georgetown, December 27, 1843. Being an order of payment for Union Bank
dividends. Minor foxing and toning, docketing on verso faintly visible,
possibly treated. Fine condition. The original cdv features Semmes seated with
his hand on a Confederate flag: minor foxing and toning, very good condition.
The copy cdv features a full-length, uniform picture of Semmes onboard the
Alabama.
A superior display piece featuring Semmes' extremely scarce
signature and a hard-to-find carte de visite image.
Estimated Value
$1,000-1,500.
Lot 1630
Slack, William Yarnell.
Document Signed ("Wm Y Slack") matted and framed with a cdv copy and
a picture of the battle flag of the First Missouri Cavalry to 13 x 17½".
One page, 8 x 8", Missouri, November 20, 1841. Being a legal agreement, Slack
signs a bond towards appeal of a judgment. Two horizontal folds, minor wrinkles
at edges, toning. Overall, very good condition.
Postumously made a
Brigadier General on April 17, 1862. A rare signature.
Estimated Value
$1,250-2,000.
Lot 1631
Smith, William.
Document Signed ("Wm Smith"). As Governor of Virginia. Partially
printed, accomplished in manuscript. One page, quarto, Virginia, July 7, 1864.
Being an appointment of four men to justice of the peace in the fourth district
of Montgomery. Two horizontal folds with minor toning at the folds, one of
which runs directly under the signature. Overall, very good to fine condition.
A desirable signature.
An interesting document, as it appoints the four
men to office "to continue until the first day of August 1868" -- a date long
after the Union victory.
Estimated Value $600-700.
Lot 1632
Steuart, George Hume.
Carte de visite. Uniformed chest portrait, as CSA colonel, by E. & H.T.
Anthony. Minor soil and toning to card and image. Overall, near fine.
Estimated Value $400-500.
Lot 1633
Stuart, James Ewell Brown
(JEB). A true prize, Flora Stuart's own portrait of her beloved husband.
Carte de visite-size uniformed portrait, held in a 3½ x 3" green
leather case with a tooled flower basket design. The image is only slightly
toned; the case is somewhat age-worn, but the color is true, the small hook
clasp still works and the lovely frame around Stuart's image shows only minor
aging.
Flora and James Ewell Brown Stuart met on the Kansas frontier: her
father was a career Army officer commanding troops at Fort Leavenworth and the
newly graduated West Pointer Stuart was assigned to the Kansas outpost. Flora,
a gifted horsewoman, began going on rides with Stuart, a deep attachment was
formed and Stuart soon proposed. Married in 1855 and dedicated to each other,
Flora and JEB worked together as the best military couples do and, when Stuart
decided to honor his ties to the Confederacy, his wife supported him
wholeheartedly in spite of her father's decision to fight for the
Union.
Over the course of the War, as Stuart's reputation for bravery and
leadership grew, he knew his wife and children waited and feared for him. At
some point during the conflict, Stuart sat for this portrait, surely knowing he
would give one to his devoted wife. Shot on May 11, 1864, during the Battle of
Yellow Tavern, Stuart died the next day, before his wife could reach his side.
Devastated by his death, Flora kept this portrait with her until the time of
her own death almost 60 years later. Honoring Stuart's memory, Flora never
remarried and stayed in her widow's weeds until her own death.
Descending
down the Stuart line until it was given to the family biographer in 1970, this
image, in its delicate green leather case, is a memento not only of one of the
great generals of the Civil War, but also of one of the great love stories of
the era.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Ralph Mitchell, son of
Adele Mitchell, the noted Stuart historian, indicating the image was handed
down in the Stuart family until Adele Mitchell received it as a gift and that
Ralph Mitchell received it on the death of Adele.
Estimated Value
$7,000-8,000.
Lot 1634
Stuart, James Ewell Brown
(JEB). Carte de visite. Oval seated portrait in uniform, mounted on ivory
card. Oval-style E. & H.T. Anthony backmark. Matted and framed to 6½ x
8". Pencil ID verso; minor toning to image and card, overall very fine. A
beautiful portrait of one of the great figures of the Civil War. Removed from
frame for inspection.
Estimated Value $500-600.
Lot 1635
Toombs, Robert.
Signature ("R. Toombs"). Clipped signature on 2 x 1" slip, mounted
on 5 x 4¾" card. Minor surface soil; very faint toning. Overall very good
condition. Perfect for framing.
Estimated Value $100-125.
Lot 1636
von Borcke, Johann August
Heinrich Heros. Cabinet image, matted and framed to 8 x 11". Striking
full-length portrait in uniform, strong sepia tone. With his plumed hat held to
one side and his other hand resting on his sword, here von Borcke embodies his
reputation as the "Gallant Knight of the Confederacy". Three tiny areas of
flaking with loss of image at upper right corner, two equally small ones on von
Borcke's forehead, one at his ear, and one at the bottom right of the image;
one very small area of apparent adhesive residue on von Borcke's leg and one
diagonal, clean crack at the bottom left corner are the only flaws to this
otherwise beautiful image. Very good condition.
Estimated Value
$2,000-2,500.
Lot 1637
von Borcke, Johann August
Heinrich Heros. Two cartes de visite matted side-by-side and framed to
11½ x 9¼". The first carte de visite is of English manufacture: an
oval portrait, a full-length pose in uniform with one hand resting on the hip,
applied to a cream-colored card. A penciled identification of the subject at
the bottom of the page with the printed caption: "3 Cork/Mayfair/London". There
is some minor toning and soil at the edges, and one spot (¾" long) at top
right border. Very good condition.The second card is faded and quite toned,
with noticeable soil and minor foxing; it appears that an unknown hand in the
past may have attempted to touch-up part of von Borcke's hair. Still, a very
desirable uniformed bust profile of von Borcke applied to a cream card. von
Borcke's signature is penned underneath portrait and has faded with the
image. Poor to fair condition.
A beautiful pair framed with a glass back
so that the first carte de visite's back stamp is clearly visible: "The London
Stereoscopic and Photographic Company 110 Regent Street".
Estimated Value
$1,500-2,000.
Lot 1638
Walker, William Henry
Talbot. Clipped signature and Federal rank ("W.H.T. Walker / Lt Col
USA"). 4 x 1½" slip of blue paper. Hand smear to signature does not
obscure name or rank; adhesive residue verso; a later hand has added "Rebel
Gen" beneath the rank. Overall, a scarce signature in very good
condition.
Walker had a long career in the military, beginning with his
time at West Point. Wounded in both the Seminole and the Mexican War, he served
as commandant of Cadets at West Point until his December 1860 resignation.
Active from the outset of hostilities, Walker was killed during the Atlanta
Campaign.
Estimated Value $300-400.
Lot 1639
Weisiger, David A.
Check signed ("D.A. Weisiger") mounted and framed with a uniformed
head portrait carte de visite to 14 x 9". Citizen's Savings Bank certificate of
deposit dated March 9, 1870, Weisiger signs as cashier. Expected folds, minor
toning to left edge, else fine. The cdv shows minor toning, is otherwise in
fine condition.
Weisiger's post-War employment with Citizen's Bank means
the occasional check with his signature is available for purchase, but the cdv
offered here is a scarce image.
Estimated Value $1,250-2,000.
Lot 1640
Wilcox, Cadmus. Three
uniformed cartes de visite, mounted and framed to 14 x 9½". Rare
variants of Wilcox in uniform: head portrait mounted on a plain card, minor
toning to edges, vertical line of soil faint on right edge of image;
waist-length portrait mounted to double-lined ivory card, smudge at right
margin, very faint wrinkle down center; chest portrait of Wilcox with heavy
whiskers mounted on ivory double-lined card, faint toning to edges, very faint
possible album mark around image. Overall, very good to fine condition.
Estimated Value $2,000-2,500.
Lot 1641
Wilcox, Cadmus and Hardee,
William Joseph. Lot of two clipped signatures from illustrious West
Pointers who went on to find fame on the battlefield ("C. Wilcox" and
"W. J. Hardee"). Wilcox' signature is on a 4 x 2½" cream card and
includes the date "Apl 8th /84"). There is a faint pencil ID at the top
edge and the ink is somewhat faded, but it is a bold signature in very good
condition.
Hardee's signature appears as the closing to a letter ("Very
truly yours,"). Signature and closing are in pencil on a blue 5 x 2" slip.
The slip is ripped through the center, running through "Y" in "Yours"
and "H" in "Hardee". Repaired verso with tape; mounting corner residue
extant at top verso corners; faint creasing. The hand is strong, but the
signature has faded over time. Still, Hardee's is a very desirable autograph
and this is a nice opportunity.
Estimated Value $350-500.
Lot 1642
Wise, Henry. Autograph
Note Signed ("Henry A. Wise"). One page, large octavo, Richmond,
September 14, 1858. To Lewis Gotthold, Esq. Transmittal folds with minor edge
separation; chip at bottom edge, worse on integral blank; minor toning to
edges; minor surface soil. Overall, a strong hand and desirable signature, near
fine.
Obviously responding to a request, while Governor of Virginia:
"I have the honor to subscribe myself at your request".
Estimated
Value $300-400.
Lot 1643
Wright, Marcus.
Autograph Letter Signed ("Marcus Wright"). One page, quarto,
Washington DC, May 16, 1910. On War Department letterhead. To Cal Cook.
Transmittal folds; toning to upper edges, one rectangle of toning in lower half
of letter, possibly from transmittal envelope (not included). Very good
condition, but for toning, fine.
One of the most prolific writers about
the Confederacy, Wright contributed over 50 biographical sketches to
Appleton's Cyclopedia and authored at least six books about the Civil
War. This letter apparently refers to one of the books he will be publishing:
"...Let me renew my request that I send you my manuscript, you can judge of
its merits to better negotiate for it's sale, I am terribly in need of the
money..."
Estimated Value $200-300.
Lot 1644
Young, Pierce Manning
Butler. Silver print cabinet card, possibly 1890, probably unpublished,
mounted on an orange card with pencil ID on the bottom margin. Matted and
framed to 7 x 8". A few minor plate defects and a small abrasion, otherwise
very good condition. Removed from frame for inspection.
Estimated Value
$700-800.
Lot 1645
Young, Pierce Manning
Butler. Chest portrait carte de visite mounted above a clipped signature
("PMB Young/Georgia"). The uniformed portrait is mounted on a cream
colored card with a double stripe border. There is dampstaining at the bottom
edge of the card, the image is unaffected; minor toning to the edges; one
½" long, narrow chip at the top right corner and one small hole at the
top right edge, else the cdv is in very good condition. The signature is in
fine condition and may be from Young's time as a congressman, given the
identification of "Georgia". The pieces have been matted and framed to 9
x 13".
Estimated Value $600-700.
Lot 1646
Confederate Generals
Composite. Large (6 x 8") cabinet card composite image of Confederate
generals' portraits with Jefferson Davis as the center figure. Matted and
framed to 12 x 10". The 39 generals pictured include Jackson, Johnston,
Colquitt, Bragg, Archer, Buckner, Cooke and Lee. Backmark by "C.R. Rees & Co,
Richmond, VA". Minor toning to mat, else fine. Removed from frame for
inspection.
Estimated Value $3,000-4,000.
Lot 1647
CSS Ram Stonewall.
Stereoview mounted on pink card, matted and framed to 12 x 8". Dampstaining
around edge of card does not damage image; minor chipping around edge of card;
bottom right corner of right-side image shows some ink marks and a small chip
at the bottom edge of the photo. The image itself is in very good condition.
The Confederate armored ram Stonewall had a very brief period of
service in the Confederate Navy. The only seagoing armored ship commissioned in
the Confederate Navy, the Stonewall was built in France, sold to the Danes,
returned by the Danes, bought by the Confederacy and surrendered to the U.S.
Navy in May 1865 in Havana, all without seeing any action. After the war, the
Stonewall was sold to Japan, where she was in service until 1891.
Estimated
Value $600-700.
Lot 1648
Letters from the Civil War
Homefront. Lot of two letters, one obviously from the South. The southern
letter, signed "EMM," is four pages (with another quarter page
intertext), written from "Wildwood" August 13, 1862. The second letter,
signed "From your affectionate mother, ASR," is dated Arlington, August
17, 1861. Both letters show some toning and edge separation at the folds, but
are in very good condition, overall.
Our first letter talks about
Poindexter's troops and the requisitioning of horses, as well as trying to
arrange leave for an ill relative. A crisis has also arisen with "Mr. M,
" in part: "...Mr. M. went in voluntarily long ago and took the Conventional
oath intending religiously to keep it, not had he violated it. Tis a bad state
of affairs truly when an unprincipled negro's testimony should be received to
the injury of his master; whose rule in all cases has been to injure no
man..."
The second letter reads from a mother concerned with her son's
physical and spiritual health: "...Do you like the guard duty as well as you
did, and, do you have to be on guard nights. I am afraid you tell us the best
part and keep back the hardship and privations you meet with..." (a
poignant note given how early in the War this letter was written -- any
privation would be so much worse in four years, and the mother would probably
know all about it from other sources). "...I want that you should write as
often as you can for you cant think how anxious we feel about you and Rufus. I
know that you will take as good care of yourself as you can without my asking
you for our sakes at home. It is dark and I must close now..."
Estimated Value $200-250.