Partly-printed DS, signed “Jeffer Davis,” one page, 10 x 8, January 24, 1854. A seldom-seen cadet appointment which reads, in full: “The President of the United States having been pleased to appoint Charles H. Morgan a Cadet in the service of the United States, he is to receive as such, and entitled to all the consideration attached to said appointment. This appointment to take effect from the 30th day of June 1853.” Signed at the conclusion by Davis as Secretary of War. In very good condition, with intersecting folds, with two passing through portions of signature, mild toning to edges, and scattered light foxing and spotting.
After graduating from West Point in 1857, Charles Hale Morgan worked his way up the ranks of the Army with his noted participation in the Seven Days’ Campaign and the Battle of Fredericksburg. He was appointed chief of staff, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, to Major General Winfield S. Hancock. He loyally served under Hancock until the conclusion of the war, gaining five brevets for his performance, the most notable of which was for his actions in the Battle of Gettysburg; in May 1865 Morgan was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers. An incredibly rare document signed by Davis as Secretary of War—the only of its kind we have ever seen—appointing a cadet who would later face his Confederate forces in some of the most crucial battles of the Civil War. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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