Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, April 8, 1861. President Lincoln directs the Secretary of State to "affix the Seal of the United States to the envelope of a letter addressed to His Majesty the Emperor of Russia (Mr. Appleton's recall)." In fine condition, with lightly trimmed edges.
President Lincoln appointed Cassius Marcellus Clay to the post of US Minister to the Russian court at St. Petersburg on March 28, 1861; John Appleton, then serving in the position, would be recalled. However, the Civil War broke out before Clay could depart. As there were no Federal troops in Washington, DC, Clay organized and led a militia of 300 volunteers to protect the White House and US Naval Yard from a possible Confederate attack. Once the area was safely secured by Union troops, Clay and his family embarked for Russia to replace Appleton, who resigned for health reasons. In this diplomatic capacity, Clay is credited with gaining Russian support for the Union during the Civil War.
This document also presents a significant association, as both Lincoln and Alexander II were assassinated. Alexander II also enacted the Emancipation Reform of 1861—the year of this document—abolishing serfdom on private estates throughout the Russian Empire, another similarity to President Lincoln.
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