President Chester A Arthur CIVIL War Promotion General Order 1861

  
President Chester Alan Arthur served as a Brigadier General & Chief Engineer with the New York Militia and as Union Army Quartermaster Officer during the Civil War. Although offered command of 4 regiments he reluctantly declined at the request of New York Governor Morgan who needed Arthur to manage raising supplies and troops for the New York Volunteers. An Original Civil War General Order # 1, issued by Adjutant General J Meredith Read at HQ State of New York, Albany, Jan 1, 1861 listing new military appointments including Chester A Arthur as Engineer In Chief.

1p 8 x 5 ptd. Left edge trimmed, edges with age darkening, Overall VG. Arthur is also remembered as the ally of the notorious political boss Roscoe Conkling and an important player in the Presidential Election of James A Garfield.

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 in the field on portable printing presses operated by soldiers.

The orders were then issued to regiments, 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 or cut slits in the left margin 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. General Orders and other imprints. All items are unconditionally guaranteed to be authentic and in the condition as described. I have been a longtime member of the Company of Military Historians, the New England Antique Arms Association, the Ephemera Society of America & the Civil War Veterans Historical Assn. I SELL ONLY ORIGINAL ITEMS. PLEASE READ DETAILS OF THE ITEM DESCRIPTION. I TRY TO DESCRIBE ALL ITEMS ACCURATELY.