Lot 444

GIDEON WELLES

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GIDEON WELLES

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Estimate: $200 - $300

Starting Bid: $100

(0 Bids)

by Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
June 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Timed Auction
106 East Main Street, Suite 103
Elkton, MD, US 21921

GIDEON WELLES
(1802-1878) Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy who proposed the blockage of Southern ports and the construction of the ironclad fleet. War-date A.L.S., 3pp. 8vo., Washington, Feb. 10, 1862, to George D. Morgan, his brother-in-law. Welles sarcastically responds to a question concerning the name of an engineer on the Burnside Expedition to a journalist from the ‘Evening Post'. He writes: ‘…There is no person of that name among the naval engineers and he must therefore be on one of the Army transports. Of course the Navy is supposed to have the old vessels and the worthless fellows on board of them, and it is not surprising that such mistakes should be made…' He expresses his stance to his writer on the support provided by him by the Evening Post, stating that he would forward the inquiry to the War Department. Part of the text of letter has been cut out, likely an individual's name, otherwise fine. Expertly inlaid.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000