Civil War Widow’s 6 Piece Document Group - Perry, Allen County, Indiana
$ 62.84
Description
Civil War Widow’s 6 Piece Document Group - Perry, Allen County, Indiana Offered for your consideration is a small group of documents relating to county payments for a woman whose husband died in the service. Five of these documents are partly-printed, while one is fully manuscript. The earliest dated pieces are three small receipts, each issued by “ Perry Township ” on the 10 th day of “ Oct. ”, “ Nov. ”, “ Dec. ”, in “ 1863 ”. These documents are addressed to the “ Auditor of Allen County ” and states that “ This is to certify that Mira Spencer is a destitute person; - a resident of Perry Township, and has a husband Buried in the United States army, and is therefore entitled to the sum of $ 6.00 per month as temporary relief, as ordered by the County Commissioners at their March term, 1863. ”. These are signed at the conclusion by “ J. Hillegass ” in his capacity as “ Township Trustee. ”. A black stamp, applied to each, indicates that these pieces were “ FILED / JAN 9 1864 / GEO. F. STINCHCOMB / AUDITOR ALLEN COUNTY ”. The other two partly printed forms are generally the same in content, though their printing is slightly different. They are both addressed to the “ STATE OF INDIANA, / ALLEN COUNTY .” and state that “ Personally came before me, GEORGE F. STINCHCOMB, Auditor in and for said County, Mira Spencer , and being by me duly sworn, upon her oath deposes and says she is the Widow of Elijah Spencer who was , a Volunteer in the 88 th Regt. Indiana Volunteers and that she is the person described in the Certificate hereunto attached; and further this Deponent saith not. ”. This is followed by Mrs. Spencer’s signature, presented as “ her X mark ”, as well as the statement that the document was “ Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8 th day of January 186 4 ” (the other document is dated “ 7 day of Sept 1864 ”), with the signature of “ Geo. F. Stinchcomb ” as “ Auditor Allen County ” at the conclusion (the signatures on the documents are quite different, however). Each of the documents bears Spencer’s name on the back, as well as a filing stamp similar to those on the earlier documents (though with different dates). The final document is a manuscript note addressed “ To the Auditor of Allen County Ind ” which states that “ This is to certify that Mira Spencer is a destitude person a resident of Perry Township and has a husband Buried in the United States Army and is therefor entitled to sum of Six dollars per month as temporary relief as ordered by the Commissioners of Allen Co. Ind. ”. It is dated “ Sep the 1 st 1864 ” and is signed by “ J. Hillegass ” in his capacity as “ trustee / Perry Township ” (it appears that the document was actually penned by Hillegass). This piece also bears a black filing stamp on the back. This grouping illustrates one of the more poignant aspects of the war – the women who were left behind to fend for themselves and their families, while their husbands were away at the front. Sadly, many of these men never returned, forcing their families to depend on the generosity of others, including local government agencies. Sometimes that was enough, most of the time it was not. An interesting group of documents. Worthy of further research. Each of the presently offered documents exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by years of less than ideal storage. Toning is noted on all of the pieces, generally darker at the edges and along the storage folds. The smaller pieces display folds at the corners, while the larger items have two storage folds near the center. Some of these folds have affected the integrity of the paper, with minor separations noted at the edges (these could be strengthened with archival tape if desired). The edges on the smaller items are irregular, especially the manuscript piece (the top and bottom are ragged, with small pieces being missing, as well), while those of the bigger pieces appear straight as made. The contrast is average for the period, though some of the printed material is light and difficult to read. The smaller items measure approximately 3 x 7⅝ inches, the manuscript piece measures approximately 4¾ x 7 inches, while the largest pieces are approximately 8 x 9⅞ inches. An interesting group to display with related home-front material, or as a research project for the local historian. A $5.95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance. A $5.00 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
