Lot 219

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Schofield John



John M. Schofield ALS to Later Founder of Howard University

 

2pp ALS inscribed overall and signed by Union Civil War commander John M. Schofield (1831-1906) as “J.M. Schofield, Maj Genl” at top of second page. Letter written In Newport, Rhode Island on September 28, 1865. Docketed verso. The cream blue-lined paper has an embossed "Congress Parsons Co." stationer's mark in upper left corner. In near fine condition, with expected paper folds and minor edge toning, the page measuring 8" x 10."

 

See excerpt with original spelling and punctuation below:

 

"General

 

This will be handed you by the Hon. K. Rayner of North Carolina, whom you doubtless know well by reputation. Mr. Rayner was President of the Board of Visitors [of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point] in 1853, when I graduated, He then made a Union speech which I shall never forget. His opposition to secession continued firm and decided until separation was regarded in the truth as an accomplished fact. He then yielded, as nearly all in the South did, but I believed remained about as nearly loyal as it was possible for any one to be in North Carolina.

 

From my personal acquaintance with Mr. Rayner, as well as from my knowledge of his public record, I most cheerfully recommend him to your favorable notice…."

 

Schofield graduated 7th among over 50 West Point graduates on June 17, 1853, although he had been previously dismissed from the academy for misconduct. Rayner's 30pp commencement speech was later published and printed in New York.

 

Kenneth Rayner (1808-1884), a planter, lawyer, and Whig politician from North Carolina, opposed both slavery and secession. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1839-1845, and his passionate speeches alienated fellow Southerners. Discord sometimes resulted in fights and even duels. While Rayner eventually accepted the inevitability of Southern secession, he became a Republican after the Civil War and served in the Grant, Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur administrations.

 

Oliver Otis Howard (1830-1909) was a distinguished Civil War commander who had lost an arm at the 1862 Battle of Fair Oaks/Seven Pines. Howard ran the Freedmen's Bureau, which attempted to reintegrate emancipated slaves into Southern society, after mid-1865. Howard later served as president of Howard University between 1867-1873.

 

During the Civil War, Schofield first fought Confederate guerillas in Missouri, and then participated in eastern campaigns. Schofield's promotion in 1895 acknowledged his lifetime contribution to the U.S. Army.

 



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