Edward Bates, Autograph Letter, Signed

Description

Lincoln’s Attorney General writes a letter of introduction for ironclad builder James B. Eads to Captain John Dahlgren.  

In part: “l make free to present to you two of my friends. 1st my son, Judge Barton Bates, of the Sup. Court of Mo. and James B. Eads Esq. of St. Louis, Mo. My son is a native of Missouri, now on his first visit east of the Mountains, has never before seen tide water, & of course, is ignorant of all the means & machinery of naval warfare. My friend Mr. Earl is thoroughly skilled in steam enginery & in all departments of river navigation. He is the constructor of the principal ironclad gun boats of Miss. Flotilla.”

At the behest of his friend Edward Bates, Eads was contracted to construct the City-class ironclads and produced seven ships in a matter of just five months. These river ironclads were a vital element to Union naval operations. 

Excellent.    

Bates, Edward. Autograph Letter, signed “Edw Bates.”  on Attorney General’s Office letterhead, (Washington)  29 January 1862.  8vo; 1-1/2p. 

*The following Signatures for Cabinet members are also available individually – please contact the shop for details:  Edward Bates; Wiliam Blair; Simon Cameron; William Dennison; William Fessenden; Hugh McCullough; William Seward; Caleb Smith; Gideon Welles. We also have albumen cdv photographs for some of them.