Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 27
A. Lincoln Mint Signed Military Commission for Regular Army West Point Graduate
Description:

A. Lincoln Mint Signed Military Commission for Regular Army West Point Graduate

President Abraham Lincoln signed this commission for West Point graduate Thomas W. Walker, promoting him to the rank of Captain in the 3rd U.S. Infantry. Although Lincoln signed the commission on February 6, 1862, the promotion was effective from May 20, 1861. Walker went on to gain a brevet promotion to Major for his "gallant and meritorious services" at the Battle of Gaines' Mills in June 1862.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Partially Printed Document Signed, Commission of Thomas W. Walker as Captain, 3rd U.S. Infantry, February 6, 1862. 1 p., ?" x ?" Also signed by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Embossed blue paper seal. Endorsed by Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1856, Thomas W. Walker served on frontier duty in Texas and New Mexico from 1857 to 1860. He was a mustering officer in Ohio from April to September 1861. For the next four and a half months, he reorganized his company at Fort Columbus, New York, then moved to the defenses of Washington. He participated in the Virginia Peninsular Campaign from March to August 1862, including the siege of Yorktown, the advance on Hanover Court House, a skirmish on the Chickahominy River in early June, the Battle of Gaines' Mill on June 27, and the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1. He returned with his regiment to northern Virginia, where he participated in the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. He was on sick leave from late January to mid-March 1863, and on recruiting and mustering duty in New York City from March 27 to July 30, 1863. After spending time in the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, he was retired from active service on September 11, 1863, for "disability resulting from long and faithful services, and from disease contracted in the line of duty." He worked as a mustering officer at Davenport, Iowa, from February to July 1864, and as mustering officer for the State of New Jersey from May to September 1865.

At the Battle of Gaines' Mill, a part of the Seven Days Battles in late June 1862, the 3rd U.S. Infantry was part of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, of Brigadier General Fitz John Porter's V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. The regiment was led by Major Nathan B. Rossell and Captains Thomas W. Walker and John D. Wilkins (who was ill and unfit for duty) and was positioned as part of the right flank of the Union forces. Confederates under General A. P. Hill attempted to turn the Union flank. After Major Rossell was mortally wounded, Walker took over field command and withdrew the regiment to its original position in support of two artillery batteries, where they remained until nightfall. Ultimately, the Union Army withdrew across the Chickahominy River. The Confederate victory in the Battle of Gaines' Mill included the largest Confederate attack of the war, saved Richmond for the Confederacy, and convinced General George B. McClellan to abandon his advance on Richmond and retreat toward the James River. Nearly two years later, the Battle of Cold Harbor occurred in almost the same location.

Thomas Woodruff Walker (1833-1890) was born in New Albany, Indiana, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1856. He served with the 3rd U.S. Infantry in New Mexico and Texas from 1857 to 1860 as a second lieutenant. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in April 1861 and served as a mustering and disbursing officer at Cincinnati, Ohio, from April to September 1861. He served with the Army of the Potomac in 1862 and 1863. He was promoted to captain in February 1862, effective to May 1861. Walker was cited for bravery at the Battle of Gaines' Mill in June 1862 and breveted as a major on June 27, 1862. In April 1863, he married Henrietta C. Dayton (b. 1836), and they had a daughter. He retired from active duty in September 1863, disabled by disease. He was elected as the president of Norwich University, the military college of Vermont, on March 4, 1867, but resigned in April 1868, because the Trustees had "utterly failed to comply with the conditions under which I accepted the Presidency of that Institution." He moved to Connecticut and then to New Jersey, where he practiced law. He died in Connecticut and is buried at the U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 29, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000