Indianapolis & Vincennes RR Stock Cert. Signed by Union Gen. A. E. Burnside (2x)

Description

Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad Stock Certificate
Signed by Union Gen. A. E. Burnside (2x)
Offered for your consideration is a railroad stock certificate issued to and signed by Ambrose E. Burnside, a prominent Union general during the Civil War. The document is headed “
Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad Company
/
STATE OF INDIANA
”, though it was actually issued from “
New-York
” on “
Janry 27
th
186
9
”. There are no vignettes associated with this piece, only a financial obligation which states, (in part), that “
This is to Certify, that
A. E. Burnside
of
Providence R. I.
is the owner of
One Hundred
(
100
) Shares of Fifty Dollars each, in the Capital Stock of the Indianapolis and Vincennes Rail Road Company
…
In Witness whereof, the said Company have caused this Certificate to be signed by the President and Treasurer thereof.
”. This is followed by the signatures of “
A E
Burnside
” in his capacity as “
President
” and “
D. R. Larned
” (Daniel Reed Larned) in his capacity as “
Treasurer
”. The left end of the certificate is dominated by a printed “
Certificate of Guaranty
” within a rectangle, while the right end features a smaller figure, with “
FULL PAID STOCK
” printed within. A 25¢ “
UNITED STATES
/
INTER. REVENUE
” adhesive stamp, bearing a portrait of George Washington, is affixed to the left of center. All of the aforementioned material is enclosed in a decorative border. The back is dominated at the center by a partly-printed transfer, unaccomplished, though signed at the conclusion by “
D. R. Larned
” and “
A E Burnside
”. An additional revenue stamp has been applied to the left of the signatures. It is interesting to note that each of the stamps bears an oval stamp, accomplished in blue ink, with Burnside’s name, address, and the date of the transaction upon it. A pencil notation can be seen at the lower right, though whether this is associated with the transaction or is a dealer’s code is unknown to the seller. An interesting item that is personally associated with a well-known gun designer, Union general, politician, and entrepreneur. Would look great framed with a portrait of Burnside in uniform.
Ambrose Everett Burnside
was born in Liberty, Union County, Indiana on May 23, 1824. Following a local education, he was apprenticed to a tailor and subsequently became a partner in a shop. His father’s political connections procured him an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, from which he graduated in 1847. Assigned to the 2
nd
United States Artillery as a brevet second lieutenant, he spent the majority of his Mexican-American War service in garrison duty in Mexico City. He subsequently served on garrison duty in the southwestern United States where he was wounded in a skirmish with the Apaches in 1849. He resigned his commission in 1853 to engage in the manufacture of a breech-loading rifle of his own design (the venture failed). He then served as a major general of the state militia, was nominated to Congress, and received a job with the Illinois Central Railroad through his friend, George B. McClellan. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Burnside organized a three-month regiment, the 1
st
Rhode Island Infantry. He commanded a brigade at First Manassas and on August 6, 1861, he was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers. He was promoted to major general of volunteers for his successful expedition along the coast of North Carolina. At the battle of Antietam in September, Burnside was in command of his own IX Corps and Joseph Hooker’s I Corps (he performed poorly). He was, however, on November 10, 1862, given command of the Army of the Potomac, though he believed he was unqualified (he was correct). In December, at Fredericksburg, Virginia, Burnside repeatedly sent his soldiers against a strongly defended position, sustaining almost 13,000 casualties. Following a disastrous and abortive march to cross the Rappahannock, Burnside offered the President the choice of accepting his resignation or dismissing several other generals. Lincoln relieved him and appoint Joseph Hooker. Burnside was assigned to command the Department of the Ohio and later, ably defended Knoxville, Tennessee. He returned to command the IX Corps during the Overland Campaign, though at the battle of the Crater, his troops failed to exploit a gap in the Confederate line caused by the explosion of a Federal mine. This finally led to his resignation from the service on April 15, 1865. Following the war, Burnside returned to business concerns, as well as serving as the governor of Rhode Island (three times – 1866, 1867, 1868). In 1874, he was elected to the United States Senate from Rhode Island, serving until his death. Ambrose E. Burnside died in Bristol, Rhode Island on September 13, 1881, and was buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island.
The presently offered document exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by years of what appears to be reasonable storage. Light toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper an off-white to beige hue. This toning is slightly darker at the edges and along the storage folds, though this does not significantly affect the overall eye-appeal of the document. A few small foxing spots can be seen upon close examination of the piece, though these are almost invisible when the piece is viewed at normal distance. Six punch out cancellations are present, three near Burnside’s signature and three in the printed “Certificate of Guaranty” (one of the holes causes some damage to the Burnside signature). The contrast is sharp, though some fading is noticeable. The stamps have lost some of their brightness and the oval handstamps are somewhat difficult to discern. The adhesive from these stamps has slightly stained the paper, though none of the text has been lost. Two small pinholes can be seen upon examination at the upper left. Numerous multi-directional folds and creases are noted, with a few affecting the paper at the edges. These edges are slightly irregular, though if the piece was framed, this would be covered by the mat (this would require special framing if both signatures were to be visible). Measuring approximately 5⅝ x 10⅜ inches, this piece would make an excellent addition to any Civil war autograph collection.
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 purchasing.
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