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Day 1: Historic & Early Americana

Fri, Apr 24, 2026 09:00AM EDT
  2026-04-24 09:00:00 2026-04-24 09:00:00 America/New_York Fleischer's Auctions Fleischer's Auctions : Day 1: Historic & Early Americana https://bid.fleischersauctions.com/auctions/fleischers-auctions/day-1-historic-early-americana-20869
Day one of Fleischer's 2026 Spring premier auction includes early American artifacts, documents, signatures, ephemera, and weaponry. Rare material relating to African American history is featured, as well as fine examples of antique photography.
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Lot 262

[CIVIL WAR] 1864 Pro-Lincoln & Anti-McClellan Letter

Estimate: $250 - $500
Starting Bid
$100

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$100 $25
$300 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$50,000 $5,000

Manuscript letter signed by LA Thurber. Montrose, Pennsylvania, 2 October 1864. 4 pages, 8vo. 

 

A from LA Thurber, written to his mother, recounting the events of political parade held in support of Lincoln. Describing at first the political caricatures represented within the parade, Thurber writes of both McClellan and General Lee: "...it was the poorest looking boy that they could find to dress up for McClellan. Then on another banner there was old Lee painted full size on his knees with his hands clasped looking up and a praying his prayer was "Oh Lord stop Sheridon for I am just going" and then the speech from Daniel S. Dickinson was rich." Nearing the end of the 1864 election, tensions ran high as the Lincoln administration faced an exhausted North--it was not a clear path to victory for the incumbent president. 

 

Support of Lincoln was still to be found, as evident in the described parade: "from the lake and every copper house we came to there was 3 cheers for Lincoln, Ladies and all when the deligations[sic] was a going...in the town there was wimmin [sic] waiving ther[sic] handkerchiefs and little childern [sic] not more than 3 years old with little flags in their hands chearing[sic] for Lincoln."

 

An intriguing insight into the tension-filled 1864 as election day drew closer, illustrating the mentalities of an exhausted, war-torn country. 

 

[Abraham Lincoln, Politics, Mary Todd Lincoln, 1860 Election, Election of 1860, 1864 Election, Election of 1864,  Lincoln Assassination, John Wilkes Booth][Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs]

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