The following item (with which I have no connection) has just appeared for
bid on e-bay:
eBay item 2223486091 (Ends Feb-12-04 14:00:29 PST) - RARE Civil War Honorable
Discharge Lithograph
Unfortunately, the starting price is a whopping $595.00. The descriptive
text is as follows:
This auction is for a Rare Civil War Honorable Discharge Certificate for
Henry W. Cadwell. This certificate is a hand colored Lithograph and reads "
Published expressly for the Army & Navy Record Co., Entered According to Act of
Congress in the year 1883 by the Pettibone Brothers Mfg. Company in the Office of
Librarian of Congress at Washington". At the top of this piece there is a
Eagle with 6 flags and a shield reading "Civil War" and the words Fraternity,
Charity and Loyalty. There are colored Litho scenes of soldiers and battles
throughout the certificate. The body of the certificate is hand written and issued
to Henry W. Cadwell of New York. It lists in detail his history with the army,
beginning with his enlistment in 1862, his Company and Regiment, and his
history and battles through his Honorable Discharge on June 25, 1865. The bottom of
the certificate reads "Presented / Dedicated by Comrade Cadwell to his wife
Marietta and to his second wife Lora and his children Henrietta and Willaim V,
July 1910". The bottom center of the certificate also shows Abraham Lincoln in
a circle shield and reads "A Soldier's Friend". Overall, this piece shows
signs of age wear with some slight damage. There is water staining around the
decorated white border with some slight water staining to the image. This piece
is framed between two pieces of glass (the back is behind open glass and also
shows through). The back has some discoloration, as you can see. The image has
some creasing/fold wear with some small holes on the white border from it's
wear through theh years before it was framed. The bottom left part of the frame
has an original Civil War picture of Mr. Henry W. Cadwell that is on the
outside of the frame. This piece came from the New York City estate of Ms.
Franchellie (Frankie) Cadwell. Henry Cadwell would have been Ms. Cadwell's
grandfather. This is an exceptional piece of Civil War history with family provenance.
The frame measures 29 1/4" tall x 23" wide. The image, to the outside of the
yellow border, measures approx. 22 3/4" tall x 17 1/2" wide. Please inquire for
shipping costs before auction's close (due to the size of this piece), or with
any questions. Thank you for looking.