Union general (1805–1871) dubbed the ‘Hero of Fort Sumter’ for refusing Confederate demands to surrender the fort and enduring two days of bombardment before finally submitting. ALS signed “Robert Anderson USS,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, May 31, 1861. Letter to General J. A. Dix. In full: “This will be handed to you by my friend and fellow statesman Lieut. Wm. Nelson, US Navy, who visits the North in the hope of getting arms for the Union men of Ky. He can tell you more of the present condition of things in this part of the country than any one whom you have seen, and I earnestly recommend him him [sic] to your consideration. He has just returned from a visit to Ky. and has seen some of our most prominent men. I would write more, but he will tell you more than I could write and I shall close. Present me to the members of your club, and also affectionately to Mrs. Dix.” In fine condition, with paper loss and light rippling to lower right corner of second page, and some very light handling wear.
A pro-slavery Southerner originally from Louisville, Anderson remained loyal to the Union as the war began. With his actions at Fort Sumter making him a national hero, Anderson earned a promotion to brigadier general. He went on a highly successful recruiting tour of the North, after which he was assigned to the sensitive political position of commander of the Department of Kentucky. At the time, Kentucky—a border state—had officially declared neutrality between the warring parties. Anderson was only three days into that assignment when he sent this letter to John Adams Dix, a major general in the New York Militia who had only recently been given that rank. Dix would later go on to command the Department of Maryland and the Department of Pennsylvania—and in the early days of the war arrested the Maryland legislature, preventing them from meeting and seceding from the Union. Great association between two early heroes of the Civil War. RRAuction COA.
