Partly engraved Army officer's commission signed by Andrew Johnson as President of the United States. Washington D.C. 27 July 1868. 1 page, on vellum, with original blue wafer seal. Signed by Secretary of War John McAllister Schofield.

A fine officer's commission signed by President Andrew Johnson, appointing Lewis Merrill as Colonel by brevet to date from 5 March 1865. 

Lewis Merrill (1834-1896) was a prominent military figure who organized a cavalry regiment during the Civil War called "Merrill's Horse," a regiment engaged in fighting guerrillas and partisan units in central Missouri. Though his wartime achievements were impressive and are well-known, Merrill is perhaps best remembered for his service after the war, when he was instrumental in disbanding the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina. There, he commanded various companies in George A. Custer's famous 7th US Cavalry to quell violence and destroy the KKK. For Merrill's actions, he was officially thanked by the War Department.

[Reconstruction, Civil War, Union, Confederate, Civil Rights, Ku Klux Klan, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Militaria]