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James A. Garfield Military DS 1881

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:0.00 USD
James A. Garfield Military DS 1881
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President James A. Garfield military appointment signed. Dated 14 May 1881, document awards the rank of captain to George W. Crabb of the Fifth Regiment of Artillery. Signed at the lower right, “James A. Garfield,” and countersigned by Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln. Single page document measures 15” x 19”. Paper seal intact at upper left corner. Less than two months after the signing of this document, on 2 July 1881, President Garfield, walking arm in arm with Secretary of State James G. Blaine, was shot twice at close range by assassin Charles Guiteau. One bullet grazed the President’s right arm, passing through his right coat sleeve and doing no permanent damage. However the second entered his lower back, deflected off his rib and lodged near his pancreas, just two and one-half inches to the left of the spine. Mortally wounded, the President languished for eighty days before he succumbed on 19 September 1882. Military appointments from President Garfield are exceedingly rare, considering his short tenure in office. Very light toning to lower margins; otherwise, in fine condition.