1861 CIVIL WAR General Orders 24 ROBERT E LEE Resigns SHERIDAN Promoted

  

1861 CIVIL WAR General Orders No. LEE Resignation - PHILIP SHERIDAN Promotion - JEB STUART JOE JOHNSTON EPHRAIM ELLSWORTH War Department Adjutant General.

Offered here is an incredibly rare, complete 24-page original military booklet: General Orders, No. 24, issued by the War Department, Adjutant General's Office in Washington D. Printed just five weeks after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, this staggering document captures the literal tearing apart and rebuilding of the American military infrastructure in real-time. The first 17 pages register the emergency promotions, re-assignments, and appointments of loyal Union officers stepping up to defend the nation. The final pages comprise a massive, tragic "Casualties" directory listing the 111 active officers who resigned, declined, or were dropped from the United States Army to defect to the Confederate States of America. KEY HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT. THE CONFEDERATE DEFECTORS (Pages 18-21). Lee (1st Cavalry): Listed verbatim as resigned effective April 25, 1861. Just days prior, Lee had been offered command of all Union forces.

This document records the formal bureaucratic end of his U. Johnston: The Quartermaster General of the U. Army, recorded resigning on April 22, 1861. He was the highest-ranking regular army officer to defect to the South. Stuart (1st Cavalry): Recorded resigning on May 14, 1861, before becoming the South's premier cavalry general.

First Lieutenant John Bell Hood (2nd Cavalry): Resigned April 16, 1861, later commanding the famed Texas Brigade and the Army of Tennessee. Ewell & Captain John C. Pemberton: Resignations recorded on May 7 and April 29 respectively-both destined for Confederate high command. Second Lieutenant Joseph Wheeler, Jr.

(Mounted Riflemen): Resigned April 22, 1861. "Fighting Joe" Wheeler would lead Confederate cavalry and, in a twist of history, return to the U. Army 30+ years later as a general in the Spanish-American War. First Lieutenant George Washington Custis Lee (Engineers): Robert E.

Lee's eldest son, recorded resigning May 2, 1861. THE METEORIC RISE OF UNION HEROES (Pages 2-8). Sheridan: Promoted to First Lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment of Infantry (Page 8). This entry catches "Little Phil" at the very starting line of his legendary rise to Commander of the Union Cavalry and ultimate architect of victory alongside Ulysses S.

Major John Sedgwick: Promoted to Colonel of the 4th Cavalry on page 4, specifically taking the vacancy (vice) left behind by the resigning Robert E. Sedgwick would become a beloved Union Corps Commander before falling to a sniper at Spotsylvania. Thomas: Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Cavalry on page 5. A loyal Virginian who refused to follow Lee, Thomas would go on to save the Union army at Chickamauga, earning the immortal moniker The Rock of Chickamauga.

HAUNTING ANOMALIES & CIVIL WAR TRAGEDY. Ellsworth (Page 22): Listed under appointments "Declined" for Second Lieutenant. A close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, Ellsworth declined this regular commission to raise the 11th New York Fire Zouaves.

Tragically, just two days after this order was issued, on May 24, 1861, Ellsworth was shot dead in Alexandria, VA, while removing a Confederate flag-becoming the first conspicuous Union officer casualty of the war. Mansfield (Page 10): Promoted to Brevet Brigadier General. Mansfield took charge of Washington's early fortification and was later mortally wounded at Antietam in 1862. Provenance & Elite Collection History.

Ex-Collection: From the esteemed private collection of the late Dr. Donald Hopkins, a renowned and highly respected connoisseur of rare Civil War history and photography. Collector's Note: Pieces with fully traceable pedigree from elite cataloged sales like Heritage Signature Auctions command a significant premium in the historical community. This impeccable line of ownership guarantees the item's ironclad authenticity and stellar historical significance. Authority: Issued by Order of the Secretary of War, signed in print on the final page by L. Thomas, Adjutant General (Page 24). Imprint/Type: Authentic Government Printing Office (GPO) or War Department departmental press typography consistent with mid-19th-century military publications. Notable historical spelling variants present e. Second Dragoons on page 21.

Format: 24-page unbound/softbound military order booklet. Overall Condition: Very Good / Fine antique condition given its age and fragile nature. Binding/Structure: Spine remains intact and tightly bound, showing original stitched binding construct. Paper Quality: Soft, natural cream/toning to the paper stock. Free from the heavy, brittle browning often seen in civilian newspapers of the era.

No major tears, chipping, or missing text. Marginalia/Markings: Text remains crisp, clean, and highly legible throughout.

An incredibly preserved survivor of early-war military bureaucracy. The item is housed in an archival-safe, acid-free protective sleeve.