EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THB[CIVIL WAR] McClellan Orders His Maj. General Uniform in 1861
![[CIVIL WAR] McClellan Orders His Maj. General Uniform in 1861](https://s1.img.bidsquare.com/item/xl/3591/35916251.jpeg?t=1W2W4c)
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
About Auction
LiveApr 25, 2026
Featuring rare artifacts, documents, ephemera, photography, and weaponry relating to the American Civil War. Fleischer's Auctions info@fleischersauctions.com
View Full Catalog (361)
- Lot Description
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN ORDERS HIS MAJOR GENERAL’S UNIFORM AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
Autograph letter signed by George B. McClellan (1826–1885), as major general of volunteers in command of the Ohio militia, to “Messrs. Richardson, Spencer & Keman [?].” Cincinnati, Ohio, 29 April 1861. 2 pages, 8vo.
A historic early-war McClellan letter, capturing the moment at which a future commanding general was quite literally outfitting himself for the conflict ahead.
Written just days after assuming command of the Ohio militia, this early-war letter finds McClellan ordering the accoutrements of his new rank: a major general’s uniform, including trousers, sash, belt, and epaulettes. He makes plain the urgency of the request, directing that the items be prepared “at once” and forwarded “by express with the least possible delay.” He further notes that the coat he had ordered several days earlier should be sent along as well, if it had not yet been dispatched. The letter conveys, in compact and practical form, the haste and immediacy of the war’s opening weeks, as newly appointed commanders moved quickly to assume their public and military roles.
In the first days following the outbreak of the Civil War, McClellan was actively courted by the governors of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio as a potential commander for their state forces. It was Ohio governor William Dennison, however, who secured him first, making the offer directly during a chance meeting in Columbus. McClellan accepted, and on 23 April 1861 he was commissioned major general of volunteers and placed in command of the Ohio militia. This letter, written less than a week later, belongs to that brief but important transitional moment, before McClellan’s rapid rise to national prominence as one of the Union’s most visible early commanders.
[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [Militaria, Accouterment, Equipment, Uniforms]
- Shipping Info
-
All packages valued at over $250 are shipped with a signature required upon delivery. All packages handled and shipped in-house by Fleischer's Auctions are not insured unless insurance is requested. Successful bidders who would like their packages insured are responsible for notifying us that this is the case and are responsible for paying the cost of insurance.
-
- Payment & Auction Policies
-
Available payment options
-
-
- Buyer's Premium
