Civil War Auction Honors Lincoln's Birthday-- Part 3: A Lincoln Letter of the Army of the Potomac and a Sanitary Fair

The auction house also has a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the Army of the Potomac, the Union army operating in Virginia and protecting Washington, D.C..  It was written after the Battle of Fredericksburg which resulted in a huge defeat for the North.

The Army of the Potomac suffered twice the casualties as the Confederates.  Lincoln wrote to the army that they were still a great army and the country is proud of you.  This was an attempt to build up their morale.

Heritage Auctions says this was one of the most important letters Lincoln wrote.

Another collectible being offered is from the United States Sanitary Commission, an agency that aided families of soldiers who died or were wounded.  The group supported those families by providing finances, food and boarding.

Between 1863 and 1865, an event called the Sanitary Fair  would take place in larger cities like New York, Chicago and Boston to raise those funds.

In 1864, Lincoln attended the Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia.

What Did He Get There?  --Old Secesh

Lincoln Stuff at Auction

From the January 30, 2022, Chicago Tribune advertisement of Heritage Auctions.

Americana & Political Auction:  February 12-13, 2022

**  Handwritten letter from Abraham Lincoln to the Army of the Potomac after the Union disaster at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Opening bid: $250,000.

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**  Abraham Lincoln:  His personal example of his iconic portrait bust by Leonard Volk, presented to him by the sculptor himself.

Opening bid:  $100,000.

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**  Abraham Lincoln Assassination John Wilkes Booth:  $100,000 Reward Poster issued by the U.S. War Department, April 20, 1865.

Opening bid:  $40,000.

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**  Abraham Lincoln:  Exquisite Pocket Knife Presented to the President at the 1864 Philadelphia Sanitary Fair.

Opening bid:  $120,000.

Get Yer Lincoln Stuff Here.  --Old Secesh

Charles Stuart Tripler, U.S. Surgeon-- Part 2: Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac

During the Mexico City Campaign, Tripler  was assigned as medical director of General David E. Twiggs division and afterwards was ordered to organize and command the army's  general hospital in that city.  After the war, he continued serving in New York, Michigan, Kentucky and California.

On an expedition to  to Panama, the soldiers began to get sick from a variety of ailments which alerted Tripler to the inadequate medical procedures being used.

In the Civil War, he was appointed  Medical Director of the Army of the Potomac in August 1861.  He came under fire by the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 and was replaced by Jonathan Letterman.

He was allowed to chose his next post and he chose Chief Surgeon of the Department of the Lakes and stayed at that position for the rest of the war.

Death came to him in 1866.

--Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment Sell for $4.17 Million.

May 26, 2016, ABC News   A telephone bidder bought one of the 48 "Authorized Edition" Emancipation Proclamation copies signed by Lincoln that sold at the Great Central Fair fundraiser for the United States Sanitation Commission that sold for $10 at the fair back in 1864.

The copy of the 13th Amendment sold for $2.4 million and is one of just 14 signed by Lincoln on February 1, 1865.  It is also one of three of the "Senate Copies."  These are also signed by the vice president and 36 senators.

The 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865.

There are just 27 known copies of the original 48 existing.

The Emancipation Proclamation also led to liberated slaves being able to serve in the Union Army and Navy.

Not a Bad Investment and a Whole Lot of History.  --Old Secesh

Emancipation Proclamation Signed By Lincoln At Auction-- Part 3

Abraham Lincoln was a big supporter of the United States Sanitary Commission for whom the Great Central Fair was raising money and had previously donated a n autographed item.  Leland and Boker had corresponded with Lincoln's private secretary John Nicolay for an authorized version of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Both were fervent abolitionists.

The "Authorized Edition" of 48 copies also had Nicolay's signature.  The original only had Lincoln and Seward sign it.

Imagine Making $2 Million for a $10 Investment?  --Old Secesh

The Great Central Fair, 1864-- Part 4: 250,000 and $1.046,000

The Union League of Philadelphia proposed it.  Its Heritage Center has one of the 48 personally signed by Lincoln Emancipation Proclamations.  It was the Union league which arranged for the 48 signed copies to be sold at the fair.

A total of 250,000 visitors came and it was the second most profitable of all the Sanitary Commission fairs held.  The Sanitary Commission cleared $1,046,000 from it.

One reason so much money was made was because of all the volunteer help provided by the women of Philadelphia.

--Old Secesh

The Great Central Fair, 1864-- Part 3: Not the First Fair, Though

From the Hidden City Philadelphia site.

The official name was the Great Sanitary Fair.  It was also called the Great Central Fair.  Its object was to raise money to buy Union troops food, medical supplies, hospital ships and rest homes.  In effect, it served as a dress rehearsal for Philadelphia's Centennial Exposition of 1876.

It covered Logan Square (now called Logan Circle).  The main building of the fair extended the length of the square.  It was encompassed by smaller structures all of which were connected by corridors.

It was not, however, the first fair for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.  The first was held in Lowell, Massachusetts a year earlier.  It was a modest success and the idea spread to other cities.

--Old Secesh

The Great Central Fair of Philadelphia, 1864-- Part 1: A huge Fundraiser for U.S. Sanitary Commission

From  Wikipedia.

The fair took place in June 1864 and was a fundraiser for the United States Sanitary Commission.

Logan Square (now often called Logan Circle) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the site from June 7-28.  It was inspired by numerous other fundraising fairs that took place across the Union.

The main exhibit was located in a 200,000 square foot hall.  There were numerous smaller structures also.  The whole thing was designed by Samuel Honeyman Kneass and William Strickland.    There was also a Union Street that stretched for 540 feet and ran through the middle of the fair.

--Old SeceshFair

About Gen. Meade's Spurs-- Part 3: Spurs and a Pistol

The Great Central Fair raised $1 million for the United States Sanitary Commission.

Many of General Meade's personal items have been donated or sold by family members in the 1990s, including the sword, uniforms, a cased and engraved Remington New-Model Revolver (now at the Autry Museum) and other artifacts.

I'll be writing about the pistol later this week as well.  The auction story has definitely branched out.

The spurs were in the estate of the late George Gordon Meade Easby (Meade's grandson) until a few years ago.

--Old SecSpur

About General Meade's Spurs-- Part 1: Presented By the Great Central Fair to the General

From the Rock island Auction Site.

Lot 1123--  Officer eagle Head Spurs Inscribed to Major General George Meade.

This has never been offered to the public before.  It is one of two known sets of solid silver head spurs known.

The inscription reads:

"Major General  George G. Meade /  FROM THE / Great Central Fair / Philadelphia 1864."

General Meade had the nickname "Old Snapping Turtle."

This was presented to him on June 4, 1864.  The Central Fair took place June 7 to June 28, 1864 and was a fundraiser for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.

--Old Secesh

Other Events Affecting the Civil War-- Part 4: Month of July 1863

Continued from August.

These were ideas put forth at the MCCWRT discussion  group on July 29, 2017.

**  Trent Affair and capture of the CSS Florida in Brazil in a highly questionable action on the part of the Union Navy.

**  Month of July 1863: Vicksburg, Gettysburg and the capture of Port Hudson.

**  Sanitary Commission and advancements in medicine:  hospital ship and Ambulance Corps.

**  Camp cleanliness.  Suturing up wounds with horsehair (after it was boiled).

**  Nevada being admitted to the Union.  Lots of silver coming out of it to finance the war.

**  1864 Presidential election.  Lincoln winning meant that the war was to continue.  Essentially the last hope the Confederacy had at this time.

--Old Secesh