ABRAHAM LINCOLN * PSA * Autograph 1861 War APPOINTMENT Signed SHILOH Soldier

16th President of the United States, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, autograph Civil War date military appointment for James Curtis in handsome, framed display. Dated August 19, 1861, Lincoln appoints Curtis to the rank of "First Lieutenant in the Fifteenth Regiment of Infantry in the Service of the United States", and signs the appointment with full signature as "Abraham Lincoln". Countersigned by Simon Cameron as Secretary of War. With intact original green paper seal at top left, and patriotic vignettes at the top and bottom. 

This document is signed by Lincoln in the opening months of the Civil War, just four months before this document was signed Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina and the Civil War formally began. Appointee James Curtis graduated from West Point and enlisted in the United States Army in 1851, serving until 1857. He reentered military service at the outbreak of the Civil War, receiving this commission as First Lieutenant in the Fifteenth Regiment of Infantry. In October of 1861, he was promoted to Captain. On April 7, 1862, during the Battle of Shiloh, the Fifteenth Regiment distinguished itself as the first newly formed infantry unit to engage in combat in the Civil War. By the war's end, Curtis' regiment had fought in twenty-two major engagements, including Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and the Atlanta Campaign. In recognition of his meritorious service, Curtis was brevetted to the rank of Major.

The Lincoln autographed appointment has been thoroughly examined and CERTIFIED AUTHENTIC BY PSA/DNA Authentication Services EXPERT EXAMINATION. Sale includes original PSA/DNA Letter of Authenticity. UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED GENUINE - simply one of the finest Lincoln signed appointments currently on the market.

In partnership with Signaturist-Ink, this document has undergone comprehensive conservation by the Senior Conservator for the U.S. National Archives, including washing, cleaning, de-acidifying, stabilizing and removing deep inset wrinkles from extended storage. It is framed to the highest standards under a heavy-duty, museum-grade 98% UV-blocking acrylic pane.

Condition is as shown, document measures appx. 13″ x 17″ (visible area) inside appx. 18" x 22" gold wood framed display featuring an acid-free bone white mat and interior gold filet. Some fading to interior handwritten text.

Own a remarkable piece of American history! The perfect gift for the Presidential collector, Lincoln devotee, autograph enthusiast, Civil War or History buff.

Sold as is, as shown