Description:

JOHN W. TURNER
(1833 – 1899) Career U.S. Army officer who rose through the ranks as an artillery commander and staff officer, becoming a brigadier general. Turner took a prominent part in the Appomattox Campaign and early in Congressional Reconstruction was responsible for forces occupying the Department of Virginia. Lengthy, fine content A.L.S. cross signed on final page at right margin, 4pp. 4to., New York, Apr. 19, 1871, to Secretary of War William Belknap requesting his removal from St. Louis as the commander of the purchasing depot and commissary, to move to Arizona. In part: ‘…In reflecting over your remarks to me on my case in your office last week they have left the impression that you viewed my heated request in the light of an indulgence or favor, which I was seeking. It was on this point expressly that I sought a hearing of you, and more particularly now, after meeting me so frankly, as you did, and the expression of your views and your earnest wishes to exact justice in the administration of Army affairs do I strongly feel that I want my case put upon its merits alone...I care not how long another officer may have been at a station, I simply ask for my proper detail, one which does not work a deprivation of the rights and privileges which a service of sixteen years has given me. I ask for no particular station I only ask a just award of service, which I urge my chiefs has not given me in sending me to Arizona.—that it is not a proper detail to give myself on the Pacific Coast as I am the second in rank of your officers of my corps, but still sent to the last post in that coast. I do not think it is a question of how many files separate officers of the same grade, nor what the class rank was at the Academy, a point which the Commissary General makes, that I was only one file senior to one of those officers...I am reluctant to believe that a discrimination has been made against me by my Bureau for the reason that my service during the war was had outside of my Corps, but it certainly comes to me from many different sources, and I have been forced to the conviction for some time past that ultimately I should feel the source of it unless higher power intervened.

I will claim the indulgence of your time a moment longer. Meeting Col. Campbell of St. Louis on this board of Indian Commissioners now in this city, the conversation turned upon the inspection of the Subsistence Items for the Indians to be purchased at Chicago, Illinois and Omaha by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs as this was in the line of my experience for the last four years. I expressed a willingness to do it for them, that I would be willing to give up my leave, which I had asked for not for the purpose of personal indulgence, but to enable me to attend to some immediate private business, but that this was now in such shape that my personal attendance would only be required from time to time probably at many intervals, that I would rather be at work there doing nothing...I understand the Board of Commissioners will make a request for my services temporarily. Whether the request is granted or not will now make but little difference to me, but I do want you to understand, that this is no attempt of politicians to interfere in my behalf. I thought if it was your intention to intervene in my behalf this would be a good way of putting me on duty till some time in the future when possibly my assignment could be more easily arranged than now, particularly in the view of the fact that the commissioning General has announced general changes in the fall. Hoping I have not trespassed on your indulgence, and most sincerely hoping that any future correspondence may not be on my personal matters…'. Very good condition. Turner's request would be ultimately denied, and he remained on duty in St. Louis until his resignation from service on Sept. 4, 1871.

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September 10, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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