Civil War–dated endorsement signatures by six Union generals—George G. Meade, Gouverneur K. Warren, James S. Wadsworth, James C. Rice, Silas Casey, and Thomas M. Vincent—on the reverse of a letter to Col. E. D. Townsend by Lt. Col. Robert B. Jordan of the Brooklyn Zouaves, two pages, 9.75 x 7.75, March 29, 1864. Jordan's letter requests that Lt. Hampden Waldron, at the time serving on the staff of General Silas Casey, be assigned to active duty with the Brooklyn Zouaves. On the reverse, a series of five Union generals sign endorsements forwarding and approving the request: James C. Rice ("If the best interests of the service will be promoted by the transfer"), James S. Wadsworth, G. K. Warren ("If Gen'l Casey can spare him"), George G. Meade ("If the services of this officer on the staff of Major General Casey can be dispensed with"), and Thomas M. Vincent ("Respectfully referred to Maj. General Casey"). On an attached sheet, Gen. Casey declines the request, signing below a statement that "the services of Lieut. Waldron are very necessary to me." Thomas M. Vincent also endorses the second sheet, returning the request to Gen. Meade and citing that "Lieut. Waldron is the only officer of his rank on duty with Genl. Casey, and will not at present be relieved." In fine condition.
General Casey's disapproval of the transfer may well have saved the young man's life. The Brooklyn Zouaves soon saw some of the hardest fighting of the war, losing 123 men in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May. Two of this document's signers would be less fortunate: Maj. Gen. James S. Wadsworth would be mortally wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6th, and Brig. Gen. James C. Rice died on the Spotsylvania battlefield on May 10th.
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