ALS signed “W. T. Sherman, General,” three pages on two adjoining lightly-lined sheets, 5 x 8, Headquarters, Army of the United States letterhead, October 12, 1878. Letter to Dr. Bertolet, Acting Assistant Surgeon of the US Army. In full: “When I was in Santa Fe you gave me a bottle of Cough Mixture two or three tastes of which completely stopped my cough. I carried the bottle with me the whole round and when I reached Washington found my family here–including a boy in his 12th year who…had at night spells of Asthmatic Coughing. I gave him some of the…Medicine and it worked perfectly. Now my object is to obtain the Prescription in such form that it can be prepared by any apothecary. The bottle is marked ‘Dr. Bertolet No. 85, Aug. 28, 1878-Cough Mixture for General Sherman.’ If you will send me this, you will place me under additional obligation.” In very good condition, with short splits to ends of horizontal mailing folds, and scattered light toning and soiling, heavier to first page. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in Sherman’s hand, as well as an original unsigned carte-de-visite portrait of Bertolet.
Sherman’s Santa Fe visit coincided with the Lincoln County War, a now-famous range war which took place in Lincoln, New Mexico and led to the notoriety of gunman Billy the Kid. During the aforementioned trip to the American southwest, Sherman obviously picked up a bug—one quickly eliminated by a concoction prepared by Bertolet. In addition to his posting as an acting assistant surgeon, the good doctor was also the attending surgeon at District of New Mexico, treating high-ranking officials like Sherman as well as those wounded three months earlier in the Battle of Lincoln, the largest armed conflict of the Lincoln County War. Unique link between the Civil War general and the Old West! Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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