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Lincoln: William Seward Letter of State & CDV [182023]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Political Memorabilia Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
Lincoln: William Seward Letter of State & CDV  [182023]
SOLD
800.00USD+ (200.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2024 Jun 08 @ 12:32UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Letter of State and carte de visite of William Seward (1801-1872). The carte de visite (2 1/2 x 4 inches) done by Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries Broadway & Tenth St. New York. Lincoln's Secretary of State Seward wrote this three page letter headed, "Department of State, Washington D. C., September 28, 1865, to the Peruvian Ambassador to the United States. "I have the honor to receive the autograph letter from His Excellency the President of Peru, to the President of the United States, bearing the date of May 28, 1865. The kind expression of condolence which are conveyed in your communication to me in reference to the assassination of the late President of the United States. I beg to assure you are most cordially received and sincerely appreciated, etc. William H. Seward." Written by the Secretary of State who was still recovering from wounds from the Lincoln Assassination and barely able to sign his name. John Wilkes Booth had originally planned to kidnap Lincoln, and recruited conspirators, including Lewis Powell, to help him. Booth assigned Powell to assassinate Seward. Booth himself would kill Lincoln. Seward had been hurt in an accident some days before, and Powell gained entry to the home on the excuse he was delivering medicine, but was stopped at the top of the stairs by Seward's son Frederick, who insisted Powell give him the medicine. Powell instead attempted to fire on Frederick and beat him over the head with the barrel of his gun when it misfired. Powell burst through the door, threw Fanny Seward (Seward's daughter) to one side, jumped on the bed, and stabbed William Seward in the face and neck five times. A soldier assigned to guard and nurse the secretary, Private George F. Robinson, jumped on Powell, forcing him from the bed. Ultimately, Powell fled, was captured the next day at the boarding house of Mary Surratt. He was hanged on July 7, 1865,