December 10, 2019 Edged Weapon, Armor & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2019
This is a desirable set of Confederate discharge papers signed by the Assistant Adjutant General Withers and countersigned by the famed Confederate soldier William Loring, accepting the resignation of First Lieutenant Geo W. Seaman from his position. While little information exists on Mr. Seaman, the 5th Kentucky and William Loring are well known amongst Civil War aficionados. They mustered in 1861 under General Marshall in the Army of Eastern Kentucky, where they fought at Ivy Mountain, Middle Creek, and Princeton before William Preston assumed command of the unit. It appears that just after the Battle of Princeton Court House was when Seaman resigned, as his discharge papers are dated May 27th, 1862, while the battle took place between May 15 and May 17th, 1862. Making this article even more enticing its its association with William "Old Blizzards" Loring, who fought for the United States and commanded areas such as the Oregon Territory, where he fought against Indians. During the Civil War, Loring sided with the South, resigning from the United States Army and being assigned a Brigadier General with the Confederacy and given command of the Army of the Northwest. Loring was wounded at the Battle of Peachtree Creek and surrendered after the Battle of Bentonville. Not yet done soldering, Loring was recommended by Sherman to serve in the army of Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, where he stayed for nine years, modernizing the army and being placed in charge of the coastal defenses. Loring attained the rank of Major General in Egypt before being dismissed in 1878, after which he returned to the United States, where he died after an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate. The association with Loring and the Kentucky Fifth Volunteers makes this a particularly interesting piece, despite Seaman's departure in 1862. CONDITION: Fine for a document of this age. Paper has the expected fold creases that would have come when Seaman folded up his paperwork and stuck it in his pocket. There is a small pinkie nail sized loss at the top crease, left side of the page. Paper has a strong mark at the top left and is appropriately signed on the reverse.
Paperwork
Information on Loring