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STEPHEN DILL LEE: (1833 - 1908) Confederate Lieutenant General who directed artillery at Second B...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:400.00 - 600.00 USD
STEPHEN DILL LEE: (1833 - 1908) Confederate Lieutenant General who directed artillery at Second B...
STEPHEN DILL LEE: (1833 - 1908) Confederate Lieutenant General who directed artillery at Second Bull Run and Antietam, later led a corps at Atlanta and in the Carolinas. Extremely scarce war-date A.L. S. 1p. 3"x 7" in pencil, "On Horseback May 2" [1864, n. p., but Louisiana or Mississippi] to a Mr. Bozeman, likely the owner of a local plantation accepting a dinner invitation. Lee's note, addressed by him on verso to "Mr. Bozeman, at Home", is signed in full twice, once in the third person within the text, and again at the letter's conclusion, and reads in full: "Genl. S.D. Lee's Complements to Mr. Bozeman. He will dine with him with pleasure today if his duties will permit, and he thinks they will. Lt. Lee will accompany him. S. D. Lee". Together with an A.L.S. 1p. oblong 8vo., "In Camp" May 2, 1864 in which the adjutant of Confederate General Samuel Gibbs French, also writes to Mr. Bozeman, informing him that Gen.French, (at the time Lee's immediate superior) would also dine with him that evening. The conversation on that evening must have been interesting, for within a week of this dinner French would be reassigned, taking command of the Army of Tennessee, and Lee would take his place, assuming command of the Dept. of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. It should be noted that while postwar material of Lee's is fairly common, war-date material is very rare. Past sale records of the major auctions houses indicate that only one war date L.S., and no A.L.S.'s have been sold in the past twenty years! Because it is accomplished in pencil, Lee's writing is somewhat light, otherwise both letters are in very good to fine condition. $400-600