Partly printed document completed in secretarial manuscript. Military brevet commission to Alanson E. Niles, Company E, 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Stamped signature of Andrew Johnson. Washington, D.C., 27 June 1868. 

1 page, 15 3/4 x 19 in., mounted and framed to 21 3/4 x 24 in. Undersigned by John McAllister Schofield as Secretary of War. With blue presidential seal and patriotic illustrations. Docketing to recto. 

A framed commission to grant Alanson E. Niles the rank of brevet captain as of 2 March 1867. Niles earned this rank "for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania." 

Niles mustered into Company E on 31 May 1861 as captain of “The Tioga Rifles.” He received several promotions while on active duty, reaching the ranks lieutenant colonel and major of the Veteran Reserve Corps. In June 1862, Niles was captured and confined as a prisoner of war in Mechanicsville, Virginia, most likely during the Seven Days Battle. He was exchanged on 27 August 1862 for John Wilkinson of the Confederate Navy. 

During the Battle of Gettysburg, while with his regiment at Little Round Top, Niles was wounded in action on 2 July 1863. It is unclear when he healed and returned to active duty, but Niles eventually mustered into the Veteran Reserve Corps in April 1864 and mustered out in January 1867, followed by a subsequent term in the U.S. Army from 1866 to 1870. In addition to his brevet captain rank, as shown by this commission, Niles earned the ranks of brevet colonel and brevet lieutenant colonel on 13 March 1865. He died on 8 October 1891. 

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Gettysburg, Little Round Top, Culp's Hill, Pickett's Charge, Devil’s Den]  [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] 

Some rips along the creases.