1864 HORACE GREELEY LTR TO SEC OF WAR STANTON -NY DRAFT Start Price USD 900.00 Current Price USD 900.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, November 22, 2008 End Time Monday, December 22, 2008 Location Southeast See more about '1864 HORACE GREELEY LTR TO SEC OF WAR STANTON -NY DRAFT' Description *** This week I will be listing some very interesting antique documents, engravings, maps, newspapers and various and other historic items from my collection, which I have begun selling on eBay. If you'd like to see some of the others, please click on "view seller's other items" (which you will find at the top of this page). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *HISTORIC CIVIL WAR LETTER(original) * * * * * HORACE GREELEY * * * * * 1864 Letter Addressed toEdwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War * * * * * On New York Tribune Letterhead ***** This is a signed letter written by Horace Greeley on the letterhead of his newspaper, the New York Tribune. Dated February 8, 1864 it was addressed to Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, recommending a man for the position of Provost Marshal, to administer the national Draft called for by President Lincoln, in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties in New York. This letter is of great historical importance, correspondence between the most important editor of the Civil War period and one of the best-known Secretaries of War in U.S. history. Also mentioned in this letter are two men who played an important role in implementing the Draft in New York, something which brought about riots and violent resistance. Note: Civil War letters written and signed by Horace Greeley, on his newspaper’s letterhead, are generally sold for much, much more than my asking price, regardless of content [check eBay listings, for example]. Those addressed to major figures, with great historical content, are even more valuable and sold for even higher prices by dealers. [But I’m not a dealer, just a collector looking to liquidate parts of my collection, so I don’t have to worry about what it will cost me to “restock”.] In this letter, Greeley indicates that he understands that the current Provost Marshal, Moses G. Leonard, had resigned, effective the first day of the following month, and he recommends Commissioner James Ryder to fill the vacancy. He says that Ryder, “ being familiar with the business of the office, will be able to go forward with the draft as no new could do….” During the Civil War, the Draft was administered in each Congressional district by a Provost Marshal appointed by President Lincoln, assisted by a Commissioner and a Surgeon. In May 1863, Captain Moses G. Leonard was appointed Provost Marshal for the 10th Congressional District in New York (containing Rockland, Putnam and Westchester counties). The Commissioner for this district was James Ryder (the man named in Greeley’s letter). Leonard prevented a mob from burning the Draft office during the draft riots, and he presided over the district’s first draft call. He resigned as Provost Marshal effective March 1, 1864, prior to the second draft call, and was replaced – not by Ryder, but instead by William W. Pierson. Horace Greeley (1811-1872) founded the New York Herald in 1841, and under his editorship it became one of the leading newspapers in the United States. A reformer, Greeley used his paper to oppose slavery and to promote many reforms. Horace Greeley was a somewhat eccentric man, often a little erratic in the positions he took. When the secession crisis first erupted, he had urged the government to let the Southern states go in peace, but during the Civil War he supported Lincoln and his attacks on the Confederate States were sharp and continuous. His battle cry was “Forward to Richmond,” as he sometimes urged unwise military actions. On the other hand, in 1864 he became involved in a peace movement, and after the War he signed Jefferson Davis’s bail bond. Crusading against the rampant corruption of the Grant administration, Greeley ran for President in 1872, dying shortly after his landslide defeat. Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814-1869) was Lincoln’s Secretary of War during the American Civil War. [And during Reconstruction, it would be Andrew Johnson’s attempt to remove Stanton from that office which would lead to the Impeachment of that president.] This letter is unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine. The letter is on a page measuring 8 inches by 5 inches, headed “Office of the Tribune, New York,” and it is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from one of the nation’s leading autograph experts. I’m a longtime collector, not a dealer, and over the past 45 years I have collected a great variety of historical memorabilia. After retiring, I decided it was time to sell some of the items from my various collections, and I have found eBay a very good way to reach other collectors who might be interested in some of these. Please see my “feedback” for how others have evaluated the quality of engravings from my collection that I have previously sold on eBay. ---- PAYMENT AND SHIPPING Note:In accord with eBay’s latest arbitrary policy changes, I can now accept payment only by PayPal. Within a short time after an auction ends, I email winners regarding payment information, followed up immediately by a PayPal invoice. IN ALL CASES, BUYER PAYS ONLY ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS! This item will be shipped in several layers of cardboard for protection. Because of the resultant weight and the size of the package, for shipping within the United States, Priority Mail is the best (and also fastest) way to send this. For this package, the cost for Priority Mail, with Tracking, is $5.45 postage (which includes no “handling charge” or any such nonsense, just my ACTUAL postage cost). In the event the postage costs more than this, as it sometimes does, I will keep things simple and just pay the difference myself. Postal Insurance is always available for shipping anywhere within the United States (the Post Office charge varying with the amount of Insurance coverage). I go to the Post Office on Tuesdays and Fridays, so shipping generally occurs within 1 to 2 business days of receipt of payment. INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS:Foreign/overseas shipping is not a problem, BUT please consider before you bid that shipments outside the United States have to be at your own risk, as items can’t be insured when sent by regular overseas airmail - an item can ONLY be insured if sent by a much more expensive overseas airpost method. International mailing via air will cost between $4 and $9, depending upon destination. COMBINED SHIPPING: ANY ADDITIONAL AUCTION ITEMS WON WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THIS ONE CAN BE SHIPPED TOGETHER WITH THIS ITEM AT NO ADDITIONAL POSTAL COST! [Please just let me know you plan on bidding on other items so I can delay shipping on any items you already won, in order to be able to combine shipping.] Return Policy: Every item I sell from my collection is guaranteed to be absolutely genuine and this warrantee of authenticity will not expire until I do! Items are also guaranteed to be as described in my listing (which guarantee you will see, if you read the actual comments in my eBay Feedback, is backed by a significant history of satisfied collectors). However, human error is always a possibility, so that in the event an item received is significantly different than described (I did send someone the wrong map last year!), the purchase price will be refunded in full. Any questions, please email before bidding. Thanks! ---- A WORD ABOUT THE SCANS Most of my scans are done at low resolution so that they won't take forever to come up on the computer screen, but this is at the expense of often not doing any real justice to the items I’m offering - as a result my scans are usually a bit weak and blurred, and don’t show much detail. Although they do give a general idea of what an item is like, they often don’t show its quality, which I try to describe accurately in my verbal description. (Please see my eBay “Feedback” for buyers’ comments regarding the quality of the items I’ve previously sold from my collection.) --- IF ANY OF THE PICTURES BELOW DO NOT APPEAR, PLEASE HIT YOUR "RELOAD" BUTTON AND THAT SHOULD DO IT! THIS LETTER IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE BLURRED SCANS SUGGEST Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!