1861 Treasury Warrant Signed by Gov. Edward Clark – Protection of the Frontier

Description

1861 Treasury Warrant Signed by Gov. Edward Clark – Protection of the Frontier
Offered for your consideration is an interesting document issued soon after the fighting began in Civil War, signed by the man who led Texas into the Confederacy. Boldly headlined “
TREASURY WARRANT
” and flanked by the serial number and date, this historic piece bears no vignettes, only a partly-printed financial obligation. The body of the document states that “
THE TREASURER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS will pay to the order of
Wm Schneider pr R W Riley Atty
Forty five
Dollars, out of any money appropriated by Act of
February 8
, 18
61
, for
Protection of the Frontier
the amount being for
Pay as a Prvte in Capt Dorsey’s Min Compy
”. The warrant was issued from the “
COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE
” in “
Austin
” on “
August 26
, 18
61
” and is signed at the conclusion by “
C
H Randolph
” and “
George J Durham
” in their capacities as “
Treas’r
” and “
Chf
Clk
&
Actg
Comptr.
”, respectively. A decorative border encloses all of the foregoing elements, with the left edge being somewhat different and larger, with “
APPROPRIATION NO.
2 P
” printed below. The back bears a printed statement which indicates that the terms of the document were “
Agreeable to an Act of the Legislature, approved February 14
th
, 1860, this Warrant will draw Ten per cent. per annum interest until paid.
”, followed by the signatures of “
Edward Clark
” as “
Governor
” and “
George J Durham
” as “
Chf Clk & Actg
Comptroller.
”. It also bears the signature of “
R W Riley
” in his capacity as “
atty
”, presumably signing for receipt of the stated amount. The presently offered piece would look great framed with period portraits of George J. Durham and Governor Edward Clark, though arrangements would be required for both sides to be visible. A wonderful piece of Texana, signed by Clark a little over two months before he would leave office.
Cyrus Halbert Randolph
was born in St. Clair County, Illinois, on December 9, 1817, though he subsequently lived in Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama prior to March, 1838, when he moved to Texas and settled in Houston County. An attorney by profession, Randolph served as justice of the peace for Houston County in 1840 and was chief justice of the county by 1843. He was elected sheriff in 1847, serving one year, and a member of the Texas House of Representatives from November, 1851 through November, 1857. Randolph served as the state treasurer from 1859 through 1865. Cyrus Halbert Randolph died on August 30, 1889 and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery, in Austin, Texas.
George John Durham
was born on May 12, 1820 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, immigrated to the United States in 1835, and relocated to Texas from New Jersey two years later. The next year he became chief clerk in the comptroller’s office, and the following year he moved with the government to Austin. He remained in that position after the annexation, and also served as the auctioneer in Austin in December, 1850, when the government sold town lots to raise money for the construction of the building for the land office. Durham was elected mayor of Austin in 1852, and in 1854, while still in office, he shot and killed a man who had repeatedly threatened him. In 1861 he was a delegate to the state’s Secession Convention, after which he served for a short time as an orderly sergeant in the Confederate Army. He was subsequently recalled to act as the state’s war-tax collector until the close of the war. He was unsuccessful in his 1866 bid for the post of state treasurer, though he served as secretary of the Democratic state convention in 1868. George J. Durham died of typhoid on April 10, 1868, in Austin and was buried in the family plot in that city’s Oakwood Cemetery.
Edward Clark
was born on April 1, 1815 in New Orleans, Louisiana, though he spent his early childhood in Georgia. He and his mother moved to Alabama after the death of his father in the early 1830’s. Here he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In December, 1841, he relocated to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall. Clark was a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845, a member of the first state House of Representatives, and during the Mexican War, served on the staff of General J. Pinckney Henderson, receiving a citation for bravery in the battle of Monterrey. He served as a state senator from 1847 through 1848, secretary of state from 1853 through 1857, and state commissioner of claims in 1858. Clark was elected lieutenant governor in 1859, and when Governor Sam Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, the Secession Convention declared his office vacant. Clark was elevated to the position, and immediately began addressing the issues necessary to place Texas in a war-ready situation. He was very successful, though when he ran for the governorship in 1861, he was defeated by Francis R. Lubbock. After fulfilling his civic duty, Clark received a commission as colonel of the 14
th
Texas Infantry, commanding that unit until wounded in the leg while leading an attack at the battle of Pleasant Hill, causing his discharge. He was apparently promoted to the rank of brigadier general before leaving the service, though it was not confirmed by the Richmond authorities. At the conclusion of hostilities, Clark fled to Mexico for a brief period, after which he returned to Marshall. Following several business ventures, Clark resumed his law practice. Edward Clark died on May 4, 1880 in Marshall, Texas, and was buried in that city’s cemetery.
The presently offered document exhibits signs of significant period use, as well as less than ideal subsequent storage. Light toning is present across the entire surface, somewhat darker at the edges and along the several storage folds. These folds traverse the document both horizontally and vertically, with the vertical ones bisecting all of the important signatures. These folds somewhat affect the integrity of the paper, though no significant tears are presently noted (there are some small separations at the edges, easily strengthened with archival tape). A large ink cancellation dominates the front of the piece, indicating that the terms of the warrant were fulfilled and the document was redeemed by the Texas government. The most damaging aspect to the overall integrity of this piece is the amount of ink corrosion present at the various signatures. The document was executed on relatively thin, white paper, with period ink gall ink being used for the manuscript additions (this type of ink is highly acidic in nature and has a tendency to corrode [eat through] the paper). This corrosion can be seen principally at the signatures and along the cancellation. The edges, in common with many small documents of the era, are irregular, usually having been cut from a larger sheet.
Any additional questions concerning the condition of this piece should be addressed before purchasing.
Measuring approximately 4 x 7¼ inches, this piece would make a great addition to any Texas or Civil War autograph collection. Once quite common, these pieces are becoming much more difficult to locate in today’s market.
A .95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before bidding.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA