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