CIVIL War General Winfield Scott Hancock Petersburg Assault General Order 1864

  
The Civil War Second Army Corp saw the heaviest fighting and took the largest losses of any Union Army Corp of the War w heavy losses at Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and during US Grant's Overland Campaign suffered over 11,000 casualties in the Battles of the Wilderness & Spottsylvania alone (with a 68% Casualty Rate Overall). On Sept 10, 1864 Colonel DeTrobriands Brigade of the 2nd Corps assaulted the infamous rebel picket lines at "The Chimneys" near Forts Sedgwick & Mahone, Petersburg. An original Civil War General Order issued by Major General Winfield Scott Hancock and printed on an army soldier operated field press at "Headquarters Second Army Corps Before Petersburg, September 17th 1864", expressing gratitude for his men's capture of the enemy picket lines, naming the units involved- the 99thyPennsylvania, 20th Indiana & 2nd US Sharpshooters and names 2 conspicuous officers killed in the action- Lt Col Miekel (namesake Fort Miekel) & Lt Ellsler.

1p 8 x 5 ptd/ink, sgd by Captain U. Comes w service info- Captain Ulysses S Eddy, an 1861 18 year old enlistee rose to the rank of Captain and served to 1865 with the 4th New York Heavy Artillery which fought as Infantry in the Overland Campaign Battles of 1864 including Spottsylvania, and the Petersburg Siege. Minor edge wear, age stains, 2 punch holes in left margin, Overall VG.

General & Special Orders were issued to communicate commands and information to the Army. Each order, issued in writing by a command, was then printed for distribution to each unit, either at an army department headquarter or by commanders at local headquarters, sometimes in the field on portable printing presses. The orders were then issued to regiments, often to be read aloud to the troops. General Orders were printed as issued with date & location; at the end of a year the regimental adjutant might retain them loose or simply string bind them by punching holes and stringing on ¼" red cloth string tape (the source of the old expression "government red tape).

Sometimes an officer or HQ clerk might take a group of orders to a local print shop or bookbinder and have an accumulation bound with leather or cloth covers. Usually, American Military Orders of the 19. Century including Civil War era were printed on an 8 x 5 sheet of quality rag paper.

NOTE: Any repair to a paper item is listed. I use only museum curator approved archival repair tape. All items are unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic and in the condition as described.