A very rare and priceless document signed by Abraham Lincoln has been found in the Hawaii State Archives. Scholars are thrilled with the find, but are puzzled how it ended up in Hawaii.
What makes this letter so unique is its association with The Emancipation Proclamation. Although Lincoln signed the Emancipation on January 1, 1863, he had issued a Preliminary Proclamation on September 22, 1862 which basically gave notice of his intended actions concerning slavery in the Confederacy if the states were still in rebellion on the first day of 1863.
This letter found in Hawaii was also issued on September 22, 1862 and is a directive to Lincoln's Secretary of State, William H. Seward, to affix the Seal Of The United States to the Preliminary Proclamation in order to make it official. The Preliminary Proclamation itself is in the New York State Library.
An expert from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum traveled to Hawaii to verify the letter's authenticity. While it will remain in the Hawaii archives, there is a possibly that it will be loaned to the museum in Springfield, Illinois. The image in this post is of the letter.
The mystery is just how did this document end up in Hawaii in the first place? Speculation thus far has settled on a collector named Bruce Cartwright, who is known to have come to Hawaii in 1935 and donated numerous documents to the archives. The truth may never be known.
It is still amazing that new discoveries are made
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great find if it's authentic...in Hawaii of all places. Makes me wonder how people get a hold of historical documents like those!
ReplyDeleteThis is a tremendous find! Further research may determine exactly how this document came to Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteSince you are a Lincoln expert, I thought you should know about the auction in Dallas last Wednesday of handwritten notes of Lincoln's December 4, 1865 State of the Union address? If you could own one of his speeches, which would it be?
ReplyDeleteNaim Peress
www.civilwaretal.blogspot.com
Naomi asked: If you could own one of his speeches, which would it be?
ReplyDeleteIf I were simply acting as a "collector" I'd probably have to say The Gettysburg Address (but which copy?) If I were to decide purely by the content and power of the speech, most definitely his Second Inaugural.
Hi I just found a letter between the picture & the backing of a picture frame purchased at a garage sale. It is a hand written letter dated 1864. And it is signed by A Lincoln. Can anybody tell me how to get this verified ? E-mail me at deltatowing7197@gmail.com with any info. Thanks
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