LINCOLN, ABRAHAM and STANTON, EDWARD
Document signed appointing Wesley Merritt to the rank of Brigadier General. Washington: 11 May 1864. Engraved document on vellum completed in manuscript, bearing blue wafer seal, signed by Abraham Lincoln as President and countersigned by Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War. The document appointing Wesley Merritt as Brigadier General of Volunteers. Docketing in red ink to upper margin by E.D. Townsend. 18 1/2 x 15 inches (47 x 38 cm). Usual folds, minor spotting, clipping to corners, the signature dark and bold.
Wesley Merritt served in the cavalry of the United States Army during the Civil War, American Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. In the Gettysburg Campaign, Merritt commanded the Reserve Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. During Major General Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864, Merritt commanded the 1st Division Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Shenandoah. A fine and important Lincoln appointment.
Sold for $9,600
Estimated at $4,000 - $6,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
LINCOLN, ABRAHAM and STANTON, EDWARD
Document signed appointing Wesley Merritt to the rank of Brigadier General. Washington: 11 May 1864. Engraved document on vellum completed in manuscript, bearing blue wafer seal, signed by Abraham Lincoln as President and countersigned by Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War. The document appointing Wesley Merritt as Brigadier General of Volunteers. Docketing in red ink to upper margin by E.D. Townsend. 18 1/2 x 15 inches (47 x 38 cm). Usual folds, minor spotting, clipping to corners, the signature dark and bold.
Wesley Merritt served in the cavalry of the United States Army during the Civil War, American Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. In the Gettysburg Campaign, Merritt commanded the Reserve Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. During Major General Sheridan's Valley Campaigns of 1864, Merritt commanded the 1st Division Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Shenandoah. A fine and important Lincoln appointment.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Nov 25, 2025
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle’s November 25, 2025 auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps attracted strong global interest, delivering outstanding results and a sale total that surpassed expectations.
Highlighting the sale was a rare 1910 Doves Press tercentenary edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets printed on vellum that soared past its estimate of $10,000-15,000 to achieve $60,800 amid trans-Atlantic bidding. One of just 15 copies produced on pure vellum, it is an exceptional example of the press’s vellum printing with an attractive binding by Charles MacLeish, enhanced by the distinguished provenance of Cortland Bishop and John Saks.
Also featured was a remarkable 1528 manuscript detailing the colonization of Venezuela by a contingent of conquistadors backed by the German financiers who supported Charles I of Spain in his bid for the Holy Roman Empire. Far outperforming expectations, it realized $35,200.
A standout among several intriguing American flags was a large and rare 21-star United States flag in the unusual Great Star pattern, circa 1819, which more than doubled its $10,000-15,000 estimate, selling for $35,200. The flag was created to commemorate Illinois’s admission to the Union in 1818.
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
