“Camp Meigs-Readville Oct. 31, 1862- Charge and Specification against Private John G. Beecher of Co. E. 45th Reg. mass – Charge, overstaying his furlough…” 1862, Camp Meigs, Readville Oct. 31st. Civil War letter. 2pp 7 ¾” x 9 ¾” “said John Beecher received a Furlough Oct. 25th which expired Oct 28th at 7 o’clock p.m. About six o’clock that evening his son applied for an extension of his father’s furlough, which was refused, and was told to tell his father to return to Camp by the first train from Boston, the next morning. He failed to and Thursday a.m. Oct. 30th I left for the city in search of him. I first visited his house in Chelsea, found his wife who reported that he left home on the afternoon of the previous day for Camp. Knowing from this he must be in Boston I returned and go an officer who soon found and arrested him, he was brought to Camp Friday morning by an officer from the city and delivered to me by a corporal of the Provost Guard…” “The undersigned having examined the case of private Beecher finds him guilty by his own confession of the whole charge… I sentence him to 3 days in the guard house on bread & water.” An interesting look at the personal hardships placed on families during the war. The sentence of Beecher is approved and signed “R. A. Peirce, Brig. Gen’l” though we find no listing of Peirce as a general

Typed Document Signed by Thirty Four Democratic members of the Fifty-Third U.S. Congress, including number Confederate Generals. Two pages, 8” x 12 3/4” and 8” x 24 1/4”. The document addressed to “Hon. D.W. Voorhees, U.S. Senator” reads, in part::

“ … The undersigned, being most anxious for the speedy termination of the pending controversy, respectfully and earnestly request you to offer to the pending bill the following amendment: Add after the word repeal to take effect, and be in force, on and after the first day of October, 1894, and add at the end of the bill the following: Section 2. That the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause to be coined as rapidly as practicable into standard silver dollars authorized by the law … all the seigniorage on all the silver bullion in the Treasury … and all silver dollars heretofore coined, and hereafter to be coined … shall be lawful money and full legal tender of payment …. Section 3. That hereafter no issue of United States notes … shall be made of less than ten dollars; and whenever any such notes of less than ten dollars shall be received into the Treasury from any source, they shall be retired and cancelled … and the Secretary of the Treasury shall as rapidly as practicable cause silver certificates of the denominations of one, two and five dollars, as authorized by the law of August 4, 1886, to be issued to a like or greater amount. And when so amended, we will vote for the immediate passage of the bill … ”

List of all signers:

JOSEPH CLAY STILES BLACKBURN (1838-1918) Democratic Representative and Senator from Kentucky. Blackburn served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, attaining a rank of lieutenant colonel before the end of the war. In addition, Blackburn also was appointed Governor of the Panama Canal Zone by President Theodore Roosevelt, serving from 1907 until 1909.

FRANCIS M. COCKRELL (1834-1911) Confederate General and U.S. Senator from Missouri. Cockrell is known for his leadership role during the Civil War’s Vicksburg Campaign. He was captured in Alabama shortly before the war’s close, but was released soon thereafter. In addition, Cockrell served on the Interstate Commerce Commission, the commission that established the boundaries between Texas and the New Mexico Territory and as director of ordnance at the War Department.

CHARLES JAMES FAULKNER (1847-1929) U.S. Senator from West Virginia. During the Civil War, Faulkner entered the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington in 1862 and served with cadets at the Battle of New Market. During his subsequent service in the Senate, Faulkner served as chairman of the Committee of Territories and as a member of the International Joint High Commission of the U.S. and Great Britain.

GEORGE GRAHAM VEST (1830-1904) Missouri Congressman, Confederate Congressman and U.S. Senator. Vest is also well known for his closing arguments in a cause involving damages arising from the killing of a dog named Old Drum in 1870.

WILLIAM LINDSAY (1835-1909) Democratic Senator from Kentucky. During the American Civil War, Lindsay served in the infantry of the Confederate Army.

RICHARD COKE (1829-1897) American lawyer and statesman from Texas. Coke served as Governor of Texas and as a Senator from that state. Coke was a delegate to the Secession Convention at Austin in 1861 and went on to raise a company that became part of the 15th Texas Infantry. He was wounded in action near Opelousas, Louisiana in 1863.

JAMES H. BERRY (1841-1913_ Democratic U.S. Senator and Governor of Arkansas. During the Civil War Berry served as a second lieutenant with the 16th Arkansas Infantry. Berry lost his right leg during the Battle of Corinth in northern Mississippi.

SAMUEL PASCO (1834-1917) U.S. Senator from Florida. At the start of the Civil War, Pasco entered into the Confederate Army as a member of the Florida Third Volunteers. Captured in Mississippi, Pasco was held as a Union prisoner until the end of the war.

JAMES Z. GEORGE (1826-1897) American military officer, lawyer, writer and politician. George signed the Ordinance of Secession as a member of the Mississippi Secession Convention and served as colonel in the Confederate Army, during which time he was captured twice. George went on to serve as chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi and represent that state in the Senate. During his time in the U.S. Senate, George helped framed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and encouraged the establishment of the Department of Agriculture.

ZEBULON BAIRD VANCE (1830-1894) Confederate officer, Governor of North Carolina and a U.S. Senator. In addition, Vance was a prolific and influential southern leaders of the Civil War and postbellum eras. During the Civil War, Vance served as Colonel of the Twenty-sixth North Carolina, leading that company during engagements at Richmond and New Bern.

EDWARD MURPHY, JR. (1836-1911) U.S. Senator from New York. Murphy also served as mayor of Troy, NY and was engaged in the brewing business.

CHARLES H. GIBSON (1842-1900) U.S. Senator and Congressman from Maryland.

JOHN MARTIN (1833-1913) American lawyer and U.S. Senator from Kansas.

MATTHEW C. BUTLER (1836-1909) U.S. soldier and politician. During the Civil War, Butler served as a major general in the Confederate States Army, taking part in Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Monocacy Bridge and the Chambersburg Raid. Butler lost a foot during the Battle of Brandy Station. In addition to her service as a Senator in the postbellum period, Butler once again served as a major general during the Spanish-American War.

JAMES SMITH, JR. (1851-1927) U.S. Senator from New Jersey.

WILLIAM B BATE (1826-1905) U.S. soldier and politician. During the American Civil War, Bate served in the CSA, reaching the rank of major general and commanding a division of the Army of Tennessee. During the course of the war, Bate saw action at First Manassas, Shiloh and Chickamauga, among others. Subsequently, Bate served as governor and as a Senator from Tennessee.

WILLIAM N. ROACH (1840-1902) U.S. Senator from North Dakota. During the Civil War, Roach served as a clerk in the quartermaster’s department.

ARTHUR PUE GORMAN (1839-1906) U.S. Senator from Maryland.

GEORGE GRAY (1840-1925) American lawyer, judge and politician. Gray served as a U.S. Senator and as Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

MATT WHITAKER RANSOM (1825-1904) General in the Confederate Army and a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. During the Civil War, Ransom saw action at the battles of Sven Pines, the Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Plymouth, Suffolk and the Siege of Petersburg. He was wounded three times during the war and finally surrendered to Union forces at Appomattox.

EDWARD C. WALTHALL (1831-1898) General in the Confederate Army and a Senator from Mississippi.

STEPHEN M. WHITE (1853-1901) U.S. Senator from California. White was also a charter member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Los Angeles County District Attorney.

ISHAM G. HARRIS (1818-1897) American politician from Tennessee. Harris served as Governor of Tennessee and as a Senator from that state. During the Civil War, Harris served as a staff officer in the Confederate Army. During his time in the Senate, Hariis served as President pro tempore.

JOHN TYLER MORGAN (1824-1907) General in the Confederate Army and Senator from Alabama. During the Civil War, Morgan was present at First Manassas, Chickamauga and the Atlanta Campaign. Morgan was also a Grand Dragon of the Klu Klux Klan, a strong supported of states rights and racial segregation and an expansionist.

JAMES L. PUGH (1820-1907) U.S. Senator from Alabama and a member of the Confederate Congress from Alabama

EPPA HUNTON (1822-1908) Brigadier General in the Confederate Army and a Representative and Senator from Virginia. During the Civil War, Hunton saw action at First Bull Run, Pickett’s Charge, Cold Harbor, the sieges of Richmond and Petersburg and Sayler’s Creek, where he was captured.

JOHN BROWN GORDON (1832-1904) Confederate General, Governor of Georgia and Senator from that state. During the war, Gordon saw action at, among others, First Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Petersburg and Appomattox. In addition be being one of Robert E. Lee’s most trusted generals, Gordon played a leadership role in the Klu Klux Klan in Georgia.

JAMES K. JONES (1839-1908) Soldier and politician from Arkansas. Jones served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and went on to serve in both the Arkansas state senate and as a United States Senator.

CALVIN S. BRICE (1845-1898) U.S. Senator from Ohio. Brice served in the Union Army for a short time at the outset of the Civil War, during which time he saw action in West Virginia. After attending the Miami University and working as a schoolmaster, Brice returned to the Army, this time rising to the rank of lieutenant -colonel before the close of the war.

WILKSON CALL (1834-1910) U.S. Senator from Florida. Call served as a adjutant general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

JOHNSON N. CAMDEN (1828-1908) U.S. Senator from West Virginia.

DAVID TURPIE (1828-19009) U.S. Senator from Indiana.

ALFRED HOLT COLQUITT (1824-1894) Confederate Major General, Governor of Georgia and a Senator from that state. During the Civil War, Colquitt was action in the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days’ Battle. Under Stonewall Jackson, Colquitt also served at South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

JOHN McAULEY PALMER (1817-900) Union General, Governor of Illinois and a Senator from that state. During the war, Palmer saw action at Chickamauga, the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea. In addition Palmer was a Democratic Candidate for President of the United States in 1896.

Also signed for J.M. White by G.G. VEST.

These amendments were proposed to the Sherman Silver Purchase act, which was ultimately enacted in 1890. Although the act failed to allow the free and unlimited coinage of silver that Free Silver supporters sought, it did increase the amount of silver that the government was required to purchase every month. The law required that silver notes be exchangeable for either gold or silver, leading many investors to turn in their silver treasury notes for gold dollars, which in turn led to a sharp decline in the government’s gold reserve. Ultimately, President Grover Cleveland oversaw the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase act in an attempt to prevent further detrimental depletion of the U.S gold reserve in the wake of the Panic of 1893.

A second sheet has been affixed to the second page in order to accommodate all signers. An area darkened by glue affects the signatures of Turpie, Butler and Smith. Hole at upper right of both pages from previous inclusion in folder. Some very minor edge wear. Else Very Fine. A truly significant political document with a myriad of wonderful signatures.

THOMAS NAST. DS. 1pp. 8" x 3". Morristown, N.J. August 22 1892. A check signed "Th: Nast" drawn on "The First National Bank". He paid "Delmonicos Twenty-five Dollars". The check has the usual "X" cancellation marks but the signature is dark and the condition is fine.

CALEB SMITH. ANS. 1pp. 8" x 12 1/4". Indiana. 19th March 1833. An autograph note signed by Caleb Smith at the conclusion of a lengthy autograph legal document signed. Smith penned: "Personally came into open Court Caleb B. Smith who being duly sworn on his oath saith that the matter & things in the above bill of complaint contains so far as Robert Russell and William Clary and Abner S Bond are severally concerned...Caleb B Smith". The note is darkly penned and in fine condition. The overall piece has some light toning that affects nothing.

LORD CHARLES PERRY SNOW. SFDC. 6 1/2" x 3 1/2". n.p. n.d. A Canadian first day cover signed by "C.P. Snow" in black ink. It is in choice condition.

Charles Sumner. ALS as Senator 1pp. 6 1/4" x 8 3/4". Boston. June 2,ཱ. An autograph letter signed "Charles Sumner" to Col.Cunningham: "I have dispatched your letter to my friend Mr. Sedgwick President of the Xtal Palace. George [Sumner’s brother] left New York ten days ago for Detroit & the West. I know nothing of the exclamations of the Southern press on what I said at the Hale festival. I am much occupied here, & long for travel...". The letter is in fine condition overall.

CAROLINE and WILLIAM ASTOR. ADS. 1pp. 8" x 2 3/4". New York. March 14 1871. A check signed "Caroline W. Astor" and completely engrossed by her. The "Chemical Bank" check paid "Mr. Wm. Astor One hundred & sixty four Dollars and one cent". It is endorsed on the verso "Wm Astor". There is a cut cancellation that does not affect either signature and a thin ink line through Caroline's signature, but her autograph is still fully readable.

WALTER P. CHRYSLER. ADS. 1pp. 6 3/4" x 2 3/4". New York. Feb 9, 1931. A "Central Hanover Bank and Trust Company" check signed "Walter P Chrysler Jr.". He paid "The Chieftain Cafe $2.-". The check has the usual punch cancellations that barely affect the engrossment but not the signature. It is in very fine condition with a dark signature.

ROGER SHERMAN (1721-1793). Statesman. Sherman is the only man to sign all four of the following important American documents (from Connecticut): the Articles of Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution. SAMUEL HUNTINGTON (1731-1796). Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Connecticut.

MDS. 1 page, 7 1/2" x 7 1/4". To John Lawrence Esqr. Treasurer of the State of Connecticut. “Sir Please to pay unto George Pitkin Clerk of the Supr. Court One hundred & twenty nine pounds & twelve shillings being the balance of his account for fees & expenditures paid at the adjourned Supr. Courts in the Counties of Fairfield & New Haven Decemr. 1778: and charge the state in amount for the same. By order of Roger Sherman & Samuel Huntington – Assistants.”

Also signed by Jedediah Huntington. A fine and rare association of two Connecticut Signers signing on a single document.