LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 December Civil War Auction #674  / 

72388

JEFFERSON DAVIS APPOINTS FRANKLIN BUCHANAN

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,450.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
JEFFERSON DAVIS APPOINTS FRANKLIN BUCHANAN
<B>JEFFERSON DAVIS APPOINTS FRANKLIN BUCHANAN, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, A CAPTAIN IN THE CONFEDERATE NAVY</B></I>. Buchanan had resigned his commission in the Federal Service in the belief that his native Maryland would secede from the Union. In September 1861, in what is purported to be the first Confederate naval appointment, Davis awards Buchanan a captaincy. His first assignment was the famed ironclad warship the C.S.S. <I>Virginia</B></I>, a refitted version of the Union vessel <I>Merrimack</B></I>. Buchanan commanded the <I>Virginia</B></I> in its determined attempt to break the Union blockade by assaulting the Federal fleet headquartered at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The ship came under heavy fire, and Buchanan was seriously wounded in the famed Battle of Hampton Roads, for which he would be promoted to admiral by Jefferson Davis. Buchanan was forced to relinquish command, and the <I>Virginia</B></I> was battled to a draw by the Union ironclad <I>Monitor</B></I> the following day in one of the most famous engagements of the War.<BR><BR>This historically important appointment is unfortunately faded, with both the printed text somewhat light and the Davis signature and other handwritten entries significantly so. Light overall age browning detracts minimally. While not the right item for a condition fanatic, this remains an important Confederate artifact. It has been elegantly custom matted and framed for display, along with a fine Davis signed card. The document itself measures 10.5” x 6.75”, and the entire framed display is 17.5” x 22.5”.<BR><BR><B>Provenance: </B></I>See Admiral Buchanan's Confederate Flag Lot #72374<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Framed - without Glass, Medium (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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