Description:

LINCOLN''S INCREDULOUS REACTION TO THE SURRENDER OF FORT SUMTER
Outstanding content A.L.S. from Israel L. Smith, boyhood friend of Abraham Lincoln, 3pp. 8vo., Washington, D.C., April 14, 1861, to his wife, on the occasion of a visit with Lincoln, recording the newly-inaugurated President''s reaction to the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. In small part: "... We have exciting times here in relation to the firing on Fort Sumpter - and the streets are lined with people discussing it. Every inlet to the City is guarded by a Company of Soldiers ready to give the alarm... Now in relation to the reports of Sumpter being taken for surrendered they are all false as I know - For I was up at the President''s until 11 o''clock Friday night & the most part of yesterday and last night until 10 o''clock I spent with Mrs. Lincoln... I did not see the president last evening - but Capt. Good... told me that there was nothing official in relation to the reported Capture and that the President laughed heartily at it - so you need not believe any of the reports you hear - for the president would not send a reinforcement if he could not get a communication from them - and all these stories are gotten up by the Charlestonians who have charge of the tellegraph and send reports to suit their own purposes...[all sic]". Of course, Fort Sumter had surrendered to Confederate forces the day before this letter was written, sparking the Civil War. The letter shows original mailing folds with some splitting thereto, else very good. Also present is the original transmittal envelope.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

December 20, 2017 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000