Pennsylvania Document Signed by John F. Hartranft – Medal of Honor Recipient

Description

Pennsylvania Document Signed by John F. Hartranft – Medal of Honor Recipient
Offered for your consideration is a Pennsylvania pay voucher issued to a soldier for service in the Civil War, signed at the conclusion by a wartime general and post-war governor. The document is headlined “
Auditor General’s Office of Pennsylvania
” and was issued in “
Harrisburg
” on “
Sept 13
186
6
”. It instructs the “
State Treasurer
” to “
Pay to
Edward Kirkman
or Order
Twenty
-----
25
/100 Dollars, being the amount of an account for services as
pri Co K
in the
11
th
Regiment, P. V. R. C under Act of April 16, 1862,
and a Supplementary Act of April 22, 1863
, for the payment of certain military claims settled agreeably to law
.” (cursory research indicates that Edward G. Kirkman enlisted on June 7, 1861 and was discharged on Surgeon’s Certificate on April 2, 1863). It is boldly signed at the lower right by “
J. F. Hartranft
” in his capacity as “
Auditor General
”, while the amount is presented in numerical format at the lower left. The left end features a decorative border, while the top and bottom are enclosed by double lines. The back, in common with most other documents of this type, was blank, though it now bears several endorsements, including one mentioning power of attorney. The document was printed by “
SINGERLY & MYERS, STATE PRINTERS, HARRISBURG
”, as evidenced by their imprint at the bottom center. A great item to frame with a photograph of Hartranft and an illustration of the Medal of Honor. A nice, bold signature.
John Frederick Hartranft
was born near Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 1830. He attended Marshall College for a while, though he graduated from Union College as a civil engineer in 1853. He subsequently studied law, and was admitted to the Montgomery County bar in 1860. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Hartranft was colonel of a militia regiment which was mustered into Federal service for three months as the 4
th
Pennsylvania Infantry. On the eve of the battle of First Manassas (Bull Run), the entire regiment marched to the rear, insisting that their term of enlistment was expired. Though Colonel Hartranft and General McDowell personally pled with the men, they continued to refuse. Hartranft, however, volunteered for service with General William B. Franklin, an action which led to his being awarded the Medal of Honor in 1886. He then organized the 51
st
Pennsylvania Regiment, was commissioned its colonel, and served with the unit until his promotion to brigadier general on May 12, 1864, for services at the battle of Spotsylvania Court House. He commanded a division at Petersburg, and on March 28, 1865, was brevetted major general for gallantry at Fort Stedman. Immediately following the close of the war, Hartranft served as the special provost marshal for the trial of the accused assassins of President Abraham Lincoln. Mustered out in 1866, he became very active in Pennsylvania politics. In the twenty years from 1865 until 1885, Hartranft served as auditor general, governor of Pennsylvania for two terms, postmaster of Philadelphia, and collector of the port of that same city. John F. Hartranft died on October 17, 1889 in Norristown, Pennsylvania and was buried in Montgomery Cemetery.
Medal of Honor Citation
: Voluntarily served as an aide and participated in the battle after expiration of his term of service, distinguishing himself in rallying several regiments which had been thrown into confusion.
The presently offered item exhibits signs of period use, followed by what appears to be reasonably maintained long-term storage. Toning is present across the entire surface, imparting to the paper an off-white to light beige hue. This toning is somewhat darker at the edges, especially at the left and right. Several small foxing spots are scattered throughout the document, though none of these are particularly detrimental to the overall eye appeal of the piece. The contrast is average, with the signature being sharper than the other manuscript additions. Several vertical folds are noted for accuracy, none of which seriously affect the integrity of the paper. An “X” punch bank cancellation can be seen to the left of center, with very minor paper loss along the sides. Light show through is noted where the ink is thickest, though at this time there is no associated erosion. The left end is slightly ragged, while the remaining edges are straight. This interesting piece measures approximately 4 x 7⅜ inches, with the signature itself being approximately 2¾ inches long. A wonderful addition to any Civil War or military autograph collection.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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Shreveport, LA