Particularly rare partly-printed vellum war-dated DS as president, one page, 15.25 x 14, November 12, 1861. Lincoln appoints Daniel B. Hodgsdon to the position of “Third Lieutenant in the Revenue Service of the United States.” Signed at the conclusion by Lincoln, and countersigned by Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase. Heavy intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, moderately heavy overall rippling, handwritten portions of document light, but mostly legible, and some light soiling and foxing, mainly to the edges, otherwise very good condition. Lincoln’s signature remains very legible.
Hodgsdon’s service branch—the United States Revenue Cutter Service—was established in 1790 by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Originally seen as a group of waterborne tax collectors, members of the organization served in a variety of capacities, eventually morphing into the US Coast Guard. Around the time that Lincoln signed this appointment of Hodgsdon, revenue cutters were stationed at every major seaport of the nation, and used during the war to search for smugglers, protect US ports, and assist the Navy in logistical operations. This Lincoln-signed document marked the beginning of a long and distinguished career for Hodgsdon, a native New Yorker who quickly rose through the ranks during the war, reaching captain in 1868 and spending 36 years in the service. An unusual Lincoln appointment from a forgotten seafaring agency.
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