Lot 338

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Description:

Gideon Welles War Dated LS Promoting Harvard Medical School Graduate to Rank of Assistant Surgeon

1p letter signed by Gideon Welles (1802-1878), U.S. Secretary of the Navy, as "Gideon Welles" at center right. Written at the Navy Department in Washington, D.C. on August 14, 1861. On pale blue bifold stationery with partly printed "Navy Department" letterhead. Docketed at top and bottom. Inner pages are blank. Expected light paper folds, else near fine. 7.625" x 9.75".

Dr. Charles Henry Burbank (1837-1885) was appointed Assistant Surgeon on May 9, 1861. A graduate of Harvard Medical School (Class of 1859), Burbank served in the U.S. Navy throughout the Civil War up until his death from malarial-triggered heart disease in January 1885. This letter was directed to Dr. Burbank aboard the U.S. Frigate Santee, a gunboat first launched in 1855 and dispatched as part of the Confederate blockade. Dr. Burbank was promoted to the rank of Surgeon in 1864, and he had reached the rank of lieutenant and medical inspector upon his death.

Gideon Welles, or "Neptune", as Abraham Lincoln affectionately dubbed him, served as Secretary of the Navy during the entire duration of the Civil War and into the Johnson administration. In the Lincoln cabinet, Welles focused on reorganizing a naval service riddled with Confederate defections, and mobilizing recruits, vessels, and supplies. Throughout the war, Welles and his navy blockaded Southern ports, weakening an economy already overly dependent on cotton exports. Welles remained at his post until 1869.


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.

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August 19, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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