Rare partly-printed DS as president, one page, 16.5 x 13.25, May 31, 1881. President Garfield appoints James R. Woolfenden as "Postmaster at Neosho, in the County of Newton, State of Missouri." Crisply signed at the conclusion by President Garfield and countersigned by Postmaster General Thomas L. James. The gold foil seal and red ribbon affixed at the lower left remain intact. Handsomely double-matted to an overall size of 24 x 21. In fine condition, with intersecting folds and light offset toning from the ribbon.
When President Garfield took office, the Post Office Department was the largest department in the federal government and highly prone to corruption. He made purging the Post Office of malfeasance a primary focus of his administration, leading to the dismissal and appointment of new postmasters around the United States. Because of Garfield's brief tenure in the White House—he would be shot within five weeks of signing the present document—his presidential documents are exceedingly scarce.
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