Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 17 x 11.75, October 22, 1885. President Cleveland appoints John G. Walker as "Chief of the Bureau of Navigation." Neatly signed at the conclusion by President Cleveland and countersigned by Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney. The blue Navy Department seal affixed to the lower left remains intact. In fine condition. Walker was a significant figure in the American Navy during the last half of the 19th century. After serving with distinction in the Civil War, his positions included assistant superintendent of the Naval Academy, chief of the Bureau of Navigation, head of the Lighthouse Board, and commander-in-chief of the Squadron of Evolution and of the North Atlantic Squadron. He came under scrutiny while serving as chief of the Bureau of Navigation, when an 1891 New York Times exposé revealed that he was promoting senior officers to positions well beneath their abilities; in doing so, Walker hoped they would retire out of boredom and thereby increase his own seniority. Despite these allegations, he was eventually promoted to rear admiral. A desirable appointment that remains in unusually nice condition.
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