Bold Civil War–dated ANS as president signed “A. Lincoln,” one page on an off-white 3 x 1.75 card, December 12, 1864. In full: “Adjutant General please see & hear the bearer.” In fine condition, with mild discoloration. Accompanied by an attractive hand-tinted 19th-century engraving of President Lincoln; presented with Lincoln’s note, this is an appealing and eminently displayable pairing. A highly desirable and certainly uncommon variety of Lincoln autograph, penned shortly after his reelection in 1864. At this time the Civil War was finally winding down, with well over 650,000 deaths, and the Union victory was on the horizon—U. S. Grant had General Lee besieged in Petersburg, and Sherman had completed his famous 'March to the Sea.' This historically significant note, written approximately four months before his assassination, does not appear in the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, and it is an excellent portrayal of Lincoln's role in overseeing the military, even at this late date in the war.
