Gallery of History - Auctioneer of Historical Documents

Click on Image To Enlarge

autographs

Document 3233

ANDREW JACKSON and LEWIS CASS
Last military commission for Robert P. Parrott, the inventor of the Parrott rifle and cannon.
Partly Printed DS: "Andrew Jackson" as President and "Lew Cass" as Secretary of War, 1p, vellum, 13¾x17. Washington, 1836 July 1. Countersigned: "R. Jones/Adjt Gen" at top left. In part: "Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities of Robert P. Parrott, I have nominated, and by and with he advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him Captain of Ordnance in the service of the United States: to rank as such from the thirteenth day of January eighteen hundred and thirty six. He is therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Captain of Ordnance by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging...." In 1820, 16-year-old ROBERT PARKER PARROTT had enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated with honors in 1824, third in his class. Parrott was then assigned to the Third Regiment of Artillery with the rank of Second Lieutenant. He remained at West Point for the next five years as Assistant Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and of Mathematics. He returned to his home state of New Hampshire, serving at Fort Constitution (1829-1831) and then transferring to Fort Independence, Massachusetts (1831-1834). In 1836, Parrott saw staff duty in military operations in the Creek Nation before receiving his appointment as Captain of Ordnance by the commission offered here. Captain Robert P. Parrott was assigned as Assistant to the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and reported to Washington, D.C. He resigned this commission just four months later and became Superintendent at the West Point Iron and Cannon Foundry, Cold Spring, New York, just across the Hudson River from the Academy. While in charge there, he invented a method of strengthening cast iron guns by shrinking wrought iron hoops on the breech and an expanding projectile for rifled cannon that is known by his name. The PARROTT RIFLE and cannon were used extensively by the U.S. government during the Civil War, first being put to the test at Bull Run. In addition to strength, the Parrott was a remarkably cheap weapon to manufacture and was quickly produced in quantity. Secretary of War LEWIS CASS, who also signed this commission, had been a Brigadier General in the War of 1812. After serving as Governor of Michigan Territory (1813-1831), he was in Jackson's Cabinet from 1831-1836, when the President appointed him U.S. Minister to France (1836-1842). Senator from Michigan (1845-1848, 1849-1857) in 1848, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for President against Zachary Taylor. Cass ended his 47-year public career as Buchanan's Secretary of State (1857-1860). ROGER JONES, who signed in the upper left, had received the brevet of Lieutenant Colonel for gallantry in the sortie from Lake Erie in the War of 1812 and was brevetted Major General in 1848. Yellowed in some areas including the signatures, but they are bold. Vertical fold touches the "r" in Andrew and the "w" in Lew. Overall, fine condition.

SEE IF DOCUMENT 3233 IS FOR SALE RIGHT NOW!!

This document was available for sale in a previous auction. It may or may not be currently available for sale. It is also highly likely that we have more of this personality available for sale either in our archives or on our direct purchase website www.historyforsale.com.

For direct purchase information, call 1-800-GALLERY (1-800-425-5379) Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Pacific Time or email inquires to sales@galleryofhistory.com. RIGHT NOW YOU CAN BID ON A SIMILAR ITEM IN OUR CURRENT AUCTION!

Autograph Archive Index