ORIGINAL SIGNED LETTER OHIO GOVERNOR WILLIAM DENNISON CAMP CHASE TO GEN. HERRICK

Description

Up for sale is an original signed autographed letter from 24th Ohio Governor William Dennison to Walter F. Herrick of the 43rd Ohio Infantry who would rise rise in the ranks to Brig. General. The letter from Governor Dennison is directing Herrick to report to Camp Chase, Ohio with haste and promoting him as the 1st Lieut. and head Quarter Master of supplies at Camp Chase. The letter is hand dated August 9, 1861 and written in period ink. The letter still has great clarity with minimal fading. The State of Ohio letter head paper likewise is in good solid condition with minimal stains and no tears.
Nice item to add to your collection, of one of the harder to find signatures of Ohio Governor and Post Master for Abraham Lincoln's cabinet.
Please view photo's for condition, and ask any questions before close of auction. Thank you
No out of country shipping. > Sorry
William Dennison Jr.
(November 23, 1815 – June 15, 1882) was a
Whig
and
Republican
politician from
Ohio
. He served as the
24th Governor of Ohio
and as
U.S. Postmaster General
in the
Cabinet
of
President
Abraham Lincoln
during the
American Civil War
.
He organized Ohio's mobilization in the opening days of the war, and was generally effective, despite having a small staff and no prior military experience. His efforts led to the creation of several large training camps for newly raised troops, one of which would be named for him (
Camp Dennison
). Dennison tried but failed to be elected to the
United States Senate
in 1861, when he was defeated by
John Sherman
.
Without being asked by the
War Department
, he sent Ohio troops under
George McClellan
into western
Virginia
, where they guarded the
Wheeling Convention
, which eventually led to the admission of
West Virginia
as a
free state
. He also took the initiative to seize control of Ohio's railroads and telegraph lines early in the war to allow military usage, angering
Peace Democrats
in the Ohio Legislature. He denounced
secession
and Ohio's
"Copperheads"
, established a consistent supply of arms and equipment for the new troops, and was a vocal supporter of Lincoln's policies. During his term, he raised over 100,000 troops and organized 82 three-years
regiments
for the
Union army
.
However, errors by the Governor and his subordinates led the state's alliance of Republicans and
War Democrats
to drop Dennison as a candidate in 1862. The parties turned instead to
David Tod
, a War Democrat. Historian Richard H. Abbott wrote, "No Ohio chief executive [before Dennison] had ever exercised such powers and fulfilled such duties with a greater sense of public responsibility and determination. Nevertheless...politics dictated his demise."
Dennison accepted this turn of events with good grace, capably advised his successor, and provided valuable services in helping recruit black troops for Ohio units. He served as Chairman of the
Republican National Convention
in 1864. He was appointed U.S. Postmaster General by President
Abraham Lincoln
, and served from 1864 to 1866, leaving the Cabinet after he decided he could no longer support the policies of President
Andrew Johnson
.