Civil War-dated partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 15.25 x 19.5, September 19, 1861. President Lincoln appoints Clement A. Finley as “Surgeon General in the service of the United States.” Signed at the conclusion by Abraham Lincoln, and countersigned by Secretary of War Simon Cameron. The embossed blue War Office seal remains affixed to the upper left. In very good condition, with overall wrinkling and rippling, a light stain to the masthead, and all of the handwritten portions (including both signatures) faded but legible.
A rare high-ranking commission from President Lincoln, which, given the emergence of the American Civil War, represents a significant and prestigious medical appointment. Clement earned this honor more than 40 years after his first commission as a surgeon's mate of the 1st Infantry on August 10, 1818. He spent years in the field, worked on examining boards, and was present during such conflicts as the Black Hawk War, the Seminole War, and the Mexican–American War.
However, Finley’s tenure as surgeon general was short-lived, lasting just shy of seven months. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and Dr. Finley had a falling out over reported problems with Dr. John Neill, whom Finley appointed as the head of several Army hospitals located in Philadelphia. After a heated meeting with the Secretary of War, Finley was relieved from his office and directed to go to Boston and await further orders. He retired from the military on his own application on April 14, 1862, and was replaced by William A. Hammond 11 days later.
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