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Robert E. Lee

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:60,000.00 - 70,000.00 USD
Robert E. Lee

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Auction Date:2013 Jul 25 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Historic war-dated manuscript “General Orders No. 59,” signed “R. E. Lee, Genl,” one lightly-lined page, both sides, 7.75 x 12, “Hd Qrs Army N. Va.,” May 7, 1863. Order reads, in full: “With heartfelt gratification the General Commanding expresses to the army his sense of the heroic conduct displayed by officers and men during the arduous operations in which they have just been engaged. Under trying vicissitudes of heat and storm you attacked the enemy, strongly intrenched in the depths of a tangled wilderness, and again on the hills of Fredericksburg, fifteen miles distant, and, by the valor that has triumphed on so many fields, forced him once more to seek safety beyond the Rappahannock." In the last sentence, General Lee has added, in his own hand, four words: “again” and “fifteen miles distant” which are present in the final version printed in its entirety in Harpers Weekly on May 23, 1863, indicating this most probably is Lee’s final draft of General Orders No. 59.

Lee continues, “While this glorious victory entitles you to the praise and gratitude of the nation, we are especially called upon to return our grateful thanks to the only giver of victory for the signal deliverance He has wrought. It is, therefore, earnestly recommended that the troops unite on Sunday next in ascribing to the Lord of Hosts the glory due unto His name.

Let us not forget in our rejoicing the brave soldiers who have fallen in defense of their country; and while we mourn their loss let us resolve to emulate their noble example.

The army and the country alike lament the absence for a time of one to whose bravery, energy, and skill they are so much indebted for success.

The following letter from the President of the Confederate States is communicated to the army as an expression of his appreciation of its Success: ‘I have received your dispatch, and reverently unite with you in giving praise to God for the success with which He has crowned our arms. In the name of the people I offer my cordial thanks to yourself and the troops under your command for this addition to the unprecedented series of great victories which your army has achieved. The universal rejoicing produced by this happy result, will be mingled with as general regret for the good and brave who are numbered among the killed and the wounded.’”

In very good condition, with intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, scattered toning, heavier at edges from previous display, and some museum quality restoration including imperceptible darkening to front text only leaving parts of front text somewhat feathered in appearance, yet text on the reverse and signature are quite nice and completely unaffected.

Lee issued this General Orders No. 59 the day after the Confederate Army's "glorious victory" in the week-long 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville, often considered Lee’s greatest victory, with near-perfect battlefield decisions and aggressive soldiers who kept the larger Union army paralyzed throughout the battle. Commending their gallantry and vigor under harsh conditions, Lee congratulates his soldiers for their "heroic conduct” in battle. As the Confederacy awarded no medals—believing all of the soldiers were heroes and it would be wrong to single anyone out—the highest honor was to be mentioned in a general order from Lee. This extended even to his most trusted comrade, Stonewall Jackson, who was gravely wounded by friendly fire in the fight. Avoiding direct use of Jackson's name, Lee laments "the absence for a time of one to whose bravery, energy, and skill they are so much indebted for success.” At the time, Jackson hovered between life and death before succumbing to his wounds on May 10. In reflecting on the battle, Lee's powerful words of recognition and admiration honor not only those who survived the fight but commemorate the 13,000 men who lost their lives. A remarkable, cornerstone piece representing one of Lee's most important General Orders.