American military officer (1803–1862) who, upon hearing of the secession of Texas in 1861, became Confederate commander of the Western Department. ALS signed “A. S. Johnston, Col 2d Cavly & Bvt Brig Genl,” one page, 7.5 x 9.75, October 31, 1860. Letter to Major Hill. In full: “I have this day transferred to my pay accounts for the month of October 1860 to Mr. S. H. Bullen Cashier of the Bank of Kentucky or order, which you will please do me the favor to pay.” In fine condition. The day before penning this letter, Johnston was offered the position of commander of the Department of California, promptly accepting; two days later, uniting California and Oregon, he was appointed Commander of the Department of the Pacific and began preparations to move his family from Kentucky to San Francisco. Five months later, hearing that his adopted state of Texas had seceded (he had served in the Texas Army and as Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas), he resigned his post to become a general in the Confederate army. He would only fight for one year before falling at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862, becoming the highest-ranking officer, Union or Confederate, killed during the entire war. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$75.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
We use cookies on this site to improve your experience. By using this site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.
