Officer's commission issued to Rufus Ingalls, promoting him to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at the start of the Civil War. Signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward. Washington D.C. 28 September 1861. 1 page, on vellum.

One of the nicest examples of President Abraham Lincoln's signature we have ever encountered on an officer's commission- its ink is as bold as the day it was written. Most of President Lincoln's signatures on officer's commissions are heavily oxidized; this example is nearly perfect.

Rufus Ingalls (1818-1893) was a career military officer best remembered for being Quartermaster General of the United States Army during the Civil War. His logistical acumen is believed to have heavily contributed to Union victory. Please see lot x, which is an attorney's license issued to Ingalls before he was charged with abducting a 13-year-old Mormon girl from Salt Lake City to marry.



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