Description:

UNION GENERALS DAVID S. STANLEY AND WALTER C. WHITAKER
Good association pair of A.E.S's on an interesting war-date letter, 1p. legal folio, Shell Mound, TN, Dec. 4, 1863, from Lt. Col. J. E. Cummins of the 99th Ohio Volunteers, to Lt. Col. Wiles, provost marshal of the Army of the Cumberland, requesting a pass for his wife and the wife of his regiment's sutler to join the regiment while they are bivouacked for the winter, as he has been in command of the regiment for ten months while the commanding colonel was on recruiting duty. The verso bears the A.E.S. of Brig. Gen. WALTER C. WHITAKER (1823-1887), who was wounded at Stone's River and Chickamauga, and was reportedly so intoxicated at the latter that his regimental commanders were forced to fend for himself. The endorsement, dated the same days as Cummins' letter, reads, in full: ‘Lt. Col. Cummings [sic] is a very efficient faithful officer. The Brigade is here in winter quarters for a while. The presence of his wife will not interfere with his military duties & will contribute much to his domestic happiness. I therefore recommend the granting of of this application.' He signs ‘W. C. Whitaker' at the conclusion, adding his rank, ‘Brig Genl Comdg'. The letter next bears the A.E.S. of Maj. Gen DAVID S. STANLEY (1828 – 1902), a Medal of Honor recipient for Franklin, later an Indian fighter in western Texas, who forwards and recommends the request, signing ‘D S Stanley' with his rank ‘Maj Genl' in black ink. The request is further forwarded, approved and ‘earnestly solicited' in an an endorsement penned at the command of Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, but is denied the next day at Chattanooga in an endorsement from provost marshal Wiles, stating ‘Respectfully returned disapproved. The Genl Comdg directs that no ladies be passed to the front under any circumstances. By order of Maj Genl [George H] Thomas'. Shows original mailing folds, with pencil biographical inscriptions of Stanley and Whitaker below the body of the letter, otherwise in very good to fine condition.

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November 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

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