Raynors HCA 2019-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2019
RENO Marcus Albert (1834-1889) was a United States career military officer who served in the American Civil War and under George Armstrong Custer in the Great Sioux War against the Lakota (Sioux) and Northern Cheyenne. Reno is most noted for his prominent role in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This has since been a subject of controversy regarding his command decisions in the course of one of the most infamous defeats in the history of the United States military. Pressed Carbon Retained Autograph Letter Signed, "M. A. Reno Capt. & Chf. Staff" to his commander, Gen. “Brig. Gen’l Custer, 1p. 12mo., "Hd. Qrs. Cvy Mich...On pike near Halltown, Va.", Aug. 26, 1864. Reno writes in part, "General, If you are at Antietam Ford and General [James] H. Wilson at Shepardstown [WV], move your Brigade to Shepardstown, & relieve Gen. Wilson who will go to support General [William W.] Averell - By Command of Brig. Gen. [Alfred T.] Torbert". Trimmed to accommodate a fit within a small envelope and with clean, original folds. ... plus, Triple-matted with a fine 6" x 8" (approx.) photo of Reno in uniform by western photographer David F. Barry, all set into a brown wood frame. This letter was apparently written through the use of a manifold (see: https://www.officemuseum.com/copy_machines.htm). A sheet of carbon paper would be layered between a sheet of writing paper (the piece offered here) and a semi-transparent sheet. The writer would "pen" his message with a stylus on the transparent sheet, creating a copy on the bottom, plain paper writing sheet and at the same time creating a "mirror" copy of his text on the verso of the transparent sheet. Because the sheet was transparent, the copy could be read from the front. The "ink" on the piece we offer is on the surface of the paper, thus our piece is the actual text that was handed to Custer on the field, with the "transparent" copy retained by Reno for the record. A very rare piece, and an amazing association! On the reverse of the frame is a label “Appraisal from Antique Roadshow Palm Springs, CA, June 7, 2008, Reno Photo (Barry) + Reno Note, $3,000-$4,000”.
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