1860s Historical Memorabilia

A handwritten signed letter by the renowned English author Charles Dickens Charles John Huffman Dickens (1812-1870) is regarded as the greatest English writer of his age. His broad ...

This hanging military wall map of the eastern half of United States was published by H.H. Lloyd & Co., in New York, in 1862. The map shows America during...

Appomattox Court House from Surveys under the Direction of Bvt. Brig. Gen. N. Michler, Maj. of Engineers. By Command of Bvt. Maj. Gen. A.A. Humphreys, Brig. Gen. & Chief of Engineers, 1867. Surveyed and drawn by Maj. J. E. Weyss, assisted by F. Theilkuhl, J. Strasser & O. Thompson. Published by NY Lithographing, Engraving & Printing Co. Lithographed by Julius Bien. This is a scarce large format plan of the battlefield and region around the famed Appomattox Court House, published by the U.S. War Department in 1867. This extensively surveyed and informative map extends south to Evergreen Station and north to the Bent Creek Bridge area. Noteworthy for a map of this time is the inclusion of dozens of landowners on the map, including Wilmer McLean. The map also identifies roads, bridges, railroads, drainage and woodlands, giving viewers a comprehensive impression of the battlefield. The map is drawn on a scale of 3 inches to 1 mile. In April 1865, General Robert E. Lee and his army found themselves in Virginia, harassed mercilessly by Federal troops and continually cut off from turning south to reach Gen. Johnston's army in North Carolina. After a defeat at Five Forks, Lee’s only defensive move was to escape with his troops west along the Appomattox River, eventually arriving in Appomattox County on April 8th. His objective was the South Side Railroad at Appomattox Station where food supplies awaited. Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. George A. Custer reached them first, capturing and subsequently burning three supply trains. Lee hoped for more supplies further west at Lynchburg, so he refused written requests by Grant to surrender his army. On the morning of April 9th, Confederate Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon’s corps attacked the Union cavalry blocking the road toward the railroad. Initially, Gordon had success in clearing cavalry from the road, but Union infantry moved in and he was unable to make further progress. Gordon sent word to Lee around 8:30 a.m. that he needed Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s support to make additional headway. Upon receiving this request—and having watched the battle through field glasses—Lee then said, "Then there is nothing left for me to do but go and see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths." Messages were soon exchanged and Lee and Grant agreed to meet at the Wilmer McLean home at Appomattox Courthouse that afternoon. There, the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia was signed. Three days later, a formal ceremony marked the disbanding of Lee's army and the parole of his men, ending the war in Virginia. The events here triggered similar surrenders across the south, ending the fighting of the Civil War. Mounted in the frame along with the map is a print of Matthew Brady...

This informative map of the Seat of War in Virginia, &c., sheet 2 covers the area in northern Virginia between the Maryland border to just south of Harrisonburg and Fairfax. A British published map, this was one in a series of three maps of the Virginia and Maryland area. The series was produced in response to the British demand for information about the Civil War. Between 1857 and 1863, the British newspaper the weekly dispatch published a series of maps. Over 100 maps were produced, and in the early 1860s, the maps were gathered together to form The Dispatch Atlas. The atlas contained county and country maps, as well as several city maps. Each of the maps featured a distinctive image of a half-globe with a winged mercury...

This informative map of the Seat of War in Virginia, sheet 3 spans the area from Petersburg and Richmond, reaching west to Lynchburg and Staunton. A Britis...

"United States. North America. The South Central Section. Comprising Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Western Territory, and Part of Missouri.” By G. H. Swanston. Published b...

This is an 1865 issue of “Military Map Showing the Marches of the United States Forces under the Command of Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman” which covers the years...

U.S. Navy Commissioning Pennant with 7 stars, possibly made aboard ship, circa 1864-1865. Commissioning pennants are the distinguishing mark ...

31 stars in a rare pentagon medallion, made for the 1860 campaign of independent candidate john bell, who ran against Abraham Lincoln on the constitutional union ticket, probably made by H.C. Howard in Philadelphia: 31 star American parade flag, printed on glazed cotton, made for the 1860 campaign of John Bell and Edward Everett, who ran as independents on the Constitutional Union Party ticket. The 1850-1865 era marked a pivotal time in American party politics. It bore witness to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854, and the end of both the Whigs and the American Party (Know-Nothings), had basically disappeared by 1860. Lincoln was the Republican candidate, running on the anti-slavery platform. He was hardly the favorite in the beginning of the campaign, winning the party’s nomination from the 3rd ticket. When the Democrats convened in Charleston in 1860 to nominate a presidential candidate, Douglas succeeded in adding his moderate planks to the party platform. Several Southerners stormed out of the convention, breaking off to form their own party with John Breckinridge and Joseph Lane...