A unique and pleasing Robert E. Lee relic, this clipped portion of an official United States requisition document was filled out and signed by Lee during his work as an Army engineer decades before the outbreak of Civil War. It was clipped by Lee's daughter, Mary Custis Lee, and sent to a cousin in response to his request for Lee's autograph.

Lee, then an engineer fresh out of West Point, was sent west in 1837 to attempt to make the Mississippi River more navigable to steamships in the area of Cincinatti. While largely overlooked considering the man's legacy as the field commander of field commanders in American military history, Lee is also credited with successfully opening up the Mississippi river to commerce through a series of clever improvements that widened navigable waters. Lee completed this particular document to demonstrate to his superiors the supplies necessary to do the job.

Below Lee’s signature is the inscription: “Merrill Chapin, 1st Jan 1916, from his affectionate cousin, Mary Custis Lee.”

This signature is certified under our Authenticity Guarantee program. For more details, please visit fleischersauctions.com.



[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, U.S Grant, Abraham Lincoln, Stonewall Jackson] [Signature, Autograph]