Civil War Union Courier\'s Signature Receipt Book ~May to August 1863 ~Gettysburg
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Civil War Union Courier\'s Signature Receipt Book ~May to August 1863 ~Gettysburg:
$270.88
Offered here is an original Union courier\'s signature receipt book spanning dates from May to August, 1863. This small, lightweight pocket book measures 4\" x 6.5\" and contains 64 pages. It was used by brigade staff of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, of Dan Sickles\'s 3rd Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The book was used by couriers when delivering orders, packages, circulars, deserter reports, \"sealed documents,\" and other communications typically from brigade to regimental headquarters; but also occasionally from brigade to the assistant adjutant general for the 2nd Division, then Major Charles Hamlin (a son of Vice President Hannibal Hamlin), who had a variety of clerks sign but also signed once himself, on May 30.
The column on the left shows who the intended recipient (Consignee) is, typically the \"Commanding Officer\" of a given regiment, followed on the right by the date, hour, \"Contents\" or description of what was being delivered, and on the far right a signature of the officer receiving. The regiments of the 3rd Brigade were the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th New Jersey, along with the 115th Pennsylvania. The signatures virtually all belong to members of those regiments, sometimes the colonel and other times a staff officer. In addition to Hamlin\'s, signatures of Brevet Brigadier General George Burling (6th NJ, and later the brigade\'s commander at Gettysburg), Colonel Louis Francine (7th NJ), Colonel John Ramsey (8th NJ), along with scores of other officers and clerks from each regiment are included.
The book is in excellent condition and retains its full, original binding. The cover is a thin brown leather and says, in decorative hand printing:
A.A.G.O.3rd BRIGADE2nd DIV. 3rd CORPSRECEIPTBOOK\"D\"
The pages are generally clean and free of tears. There are two small portions where a previous owner clipped a signature, but they don\'t appear to have been from officers above the rank of colonel. All pages but the first are full of entries, so considering this book was in constant use between the time just after the Battle of Chancellorsville, through the Gettysburg campaign, and into August 1863, it\'s in truly remarkable condition.
This item was purchased from the estate of the late Norm Flayderman, who is well known as having been the authority on Antique American firearms.
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Please see my other items for more interesting Civil War antiques.
Civil War Union Courier\'s Signature Receipt Book ~May to August 1863 ~Gettysburg:
$270.88