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Gen. Howard Prepares for Centennial of Washington's Inauguration.

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 400.00 USD
Gen. Howard Prepares for Centennial of Washington's Inauguration.
A.L.S. of Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard, "Headquarters Div. of the Atlantic," Governor's Island, N.Y., "5th 1889" (no month but before May), on lettersheet 6 x 9 1/4, 1 1/4 pp. To Gen. Tompkins. "Will you have the kindness to let your clerks furnish me with a copy of: 1) Orders or instructions issued from your office for evacuation of our troops for the Centennial; 2) A brief (the mere substance) of each contract for ditto; 3) When you used orders from this office, simply give number & date that I may look them up. I want this information to enable me to write a few lines on the subject of mobilization." A magnificent occasion in N.Y. that Spring, the Centenary included descendants of great American founding families, together with Presidents Harrison, Hayes, and Cleveland, and innumerable luminaries. Interesting use of thin vellum strip on verso, for mounting in Tompkins' letter-book, 1"-wide glue toning at left vertical margin p. 1, from vellum of letter once bound in front of this, uniform cream toning, else about fine. A storied officer, Howard lost his right arm at Fair Oaks, for which he was given Medal of Honor over thirty years later; led at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and many other battles. A commissioner of Freedman's Bureau, founder and Pres. of Howard University for Negroes, Supt. of West Point. He published extensively on history, except for one subject - the Civil War.