Lot 27
Lincoln, Abraham, Partly printed document signed as President, 1 page, vellum, 17½" x 13¾", Washington, 7 Aug. 1861. Appointing John A. Dix Major General of Volunteers. Countersigned by Simon Cameron as Secretary of War. Fine; some age yellowing; manuscript portion of the text is light but legible. Cameron's signature is slightly faded but Lincoln's signature is strong. The orange seal is intact at upper left and Adj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas recorded the appointment at upper left.
John A. Dix (1798-1879) was a veteran of the War of 1812, which he entered as an ensign at the age of 14. He retired as captain from the regular army in 1828, after which he trained as a lawyer and settled in Cooperrtown, New York, running his father-in-law's affairs and becoming involved in New York State politics as a Jackson Democrat. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1845-1849, then ran two different railroads and practiced law in New York. In 1859 Dix' free-soil policies caused him to switch to the Republican party and in 1860 President James Buchanan appointed him Deputy Postmaster for New York City [that appointment is also offered in this catalogue]. As Buchanan's last Secretary of the Treasury and with the Civil War about to begin, Dix fired off his famous Flag Dispatch to a Treasury official in New Orleans: "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot"; the telegram was intercepted by the Confederates, but the message made its way into the press and Dix became a hero in the North. With the outbreak of the War, President Lincoln commissioned Dix a major general of volunteers, to rank from May 16, 1861, making Dix outrank all other volunteer officers until the end of the war. At the age of 63, Dix was considered too old for field service; he performed department and garrison duties for the duration of the war, his most important contribution being the suppression of the New York draft riots in 1863. After resigning from the service in November 1865, Dix served as minister to France, then as governor of New York. He is buried in Trinity Cemetery in New York City. Fort Dix, New Jersey, a U.S. Army post, is named after Dix.
Estimated Value $7,500-UP
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