FORD CONGRATULATES THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT: “THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS ON THE NATIONAL ECONOMY IS IMMENSE. THE PROFICIENCY AND EQUITY WITH WHICH CONTRACTING IS PERFORMED HAS MUCH TO DO WITH WHETHER THAT IMPACT IS CONSTRUCTIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE”

GERALD FORD (1913-2006). Ford was the Thirty-Eighth President.

TLS. 1pg. 7 ¼” x 10 ½”. April 5, 1979. No place. A typed letter signed “Jerry Ford” as former President to Perkins McGuire. He communicated on his personal letterhead with a gold eagle at the top: “Please accept my regrets that I am unable to be with you on this special evening. As you know…far better than many…procurement ranks extremely high in importance among the functions of the Federal Government. The impact of government contracts on the national economy is immense. The proficiency and equity with which contracting is performed has much to do with whether that impact is constructive or destructive. These, of course, are among the issues with which you dealt so productively as Chairman of the Commission on Government Procurement. I am advised that the National Contract Management Association is devoting its energies to improving the competence of those engaged in public contracting and the effectiveness of its processes. It is very fitting, therefore, that the association has recognized the contributions of Herb Roback to the achievement of these goals by honoring his memory in this fashion. I have been told that Chet Holifield was selected last year by NCMA to received the first award and that you are receiving the second. I could not possibly think of two more worthy recipients. By these selections, the Herbert Roback Memorial Award has already taken on considerable significance. My heartiest congratulations to you, Perk. This is a well deserved and appropriate tribute for yet another of your numerous contributions to good government.” McGuire, whom the letter is addressed to, served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Eisenhower, and was later appointed by President Nixon to be Chairman of the Commission on Government Procurement. The letter is in fine condition with two mailing folds and a slight stain above the text that affects nothing.

A. M. GAMBLE’S EXPERIENCE WITH PRESIDENT LINCOLN: “I NOT ONLY SHOOK WITH HIM TWICE, BUT IN ADDITION RECEIVED HIS BLESSING”

(ABRAHAM LINCOLN) - A. M. GAMBLE (1838-1922). Alexander Marion Gamble was an army major and served in the Sixth Tennessee Infantry fighting for the Union during the Civil War. After the war he was a teacher and in 1866 was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives.

TMS. 2 pgs. c. 1865. N. p. A typed manuscript signed “A. M. Gamble” depicting his interaction with President Lincoln: “In January, 1865, President Lincoln gave a public reception which I attended in company w with Gen. N. C. McLain, Gen. J. A. Cooper, and Capt. T. C. Honnell. A great crowd was quietly waiting at the W White House. Gen. McLain asked the policeman at the door if we four could be admitted to-gether. He told us to stand aside a moment till the impatient ones could be disposed of. He then placed himself in the door of the first room, preventing anyone from entering till all had passed through, then motioned us to enter. In the second room the President was stand-ing on a platform raised six or eight inches above the floor. He shook hands with Gen. Mc-lain, as if in haste, speaking very low: ‘How do you do?’ Immediately reaching for Gen. Cooper and shaking hands hastily, reached for me. He seized my hand, taking my whole hand in his as I would the hand of a little child. He gave a quick strong squeeze, dropped my h hand and reached for Capt. Honnell. As he shook hands with Capt. Honnell he raised his h head as if pleasantly surprised, and said, ‘Isn't this General McLain?’ Reaching for for McLean, he gave him a hearty ‘up and down shake,’ saying ‘And who is this with you?’ ‘General Cooper,’ replied McLain. ‘General Cooper of Tennessee?’ asked the President, again reaching his hand for Cooper, saying, ‘I have been hearing good reports of the Ten-nesseans.’ General McLain then said, ‘Mr. President, here is another Tennessean, Major Gamble, of the Sixth Tennessee.’ Reaching out and taking my hand, holding it for a moment, looking me in the eye, he said: ‘Major Gamble, I am glad to meet you, would like to see more of you. God bless you.’ Others were coming in, so we passed out. It was said that the President shook hands with more than two thousand people that night. He shook hands with me twice. This I claim as a distinct incident. Thousands have shaken hands with the immortal President, and claim as a distinct honor. I not only shook with him twice, but in addition received his blessing. A M Gamble Major 6th Tenne Infy US 1862-65". This manuscript describes Gamble’s time meeting President Abraham Lincoln. He highlights that Lincoln shook his hand twice and was also blessed by him. This event is clearly very important to Gamble as Lincoln did not talk to any of the other generals in the same regard. He explains that though Lincoln has shaken thousands of hands, he shook Gamble’s twice, a “distinct honor”. This manuscript is in very good condition.

ARTHUR GORMAN, THE PROXY FOR PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON, ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THE HOUSE & SENATE DOCUMENTS FOR THE RECENT CONGRESSIONAL SESSIONS

ARTHUR GORMAN (1839-1906).  Gorman was a politician from Maryland, serving as an United States Senator from the state, as well as the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. He was also instrumental in the development of professional baseball in Washington, DC.

DS. 1pg. 8” x 6”. June 13, 1866. No place [presumably Washington].  A document signed “A P Gorman” on behalf of President Andrew Johnson.  The document states “Recd of J.W. Forney Secy of the Senate 2 bags containing the Senate & House Documents for the 1^st & 2d Sessions of the 36 Congress also the Senate & House Documents for the 37^th Cong 1, 2 3d Sessions A P Gorman for Andrew Johnson”.  John W. Forney was secretary of the United States Senate from 1861 to 1868.  The document is on lined paper and is in fine condition.

AN ATTRACTIVE COPY OF THE PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF U.S. GRANT

ULYSSES S. GRANT (1822-1885).  Grant was the Eighteenth President and the head of the Union Army during the Civil War. 

A two volume first edition of Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant.  They are bound in green cloth and gilt stamped.  The boards have minor wear and the corners are bumped.  There are fold outs of Grant facsimile letters.  The internal pages have slight foxing but are in fine condition.

NOT LONG AFTER GENERAL GRANT’S DEATH, NEW YORK VETERANS WANT TO HOLD “MEMORIAL SERVICES IN HONOR OF OUR LATE COMPANION AND COMMANDER GENERAL U.S. GRANT, U.S.A.”

ULYSSES S. GRANT (1822-1885). Grant was the Eighteenth President and the head of the Union armies during the Civil War.

WILLIAM CHURCH. Colonel Church was the Editor of the U.S. Army and Navy Journal.

D. 2pg. 8” x 10”. October 8, 1885. New York. A document regarding a memorial service for President Grant not long after he died. It is on “Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States” letterhead and reads: “At a stated meeting of the Commandery held on the 7th inst, the following Resolution was adopted and Committee appointed: ‘Resolved, that a Committee of five be appointed by the Commander to take into consideration the subject of holding memorial services in honor of our late Companion and Commander General U.S. Grant, U.S.A., and that said Committee have power to arrange for such services and to invite members of other Commanderies to participate therein.” The document then lists the five members of the committee; Church, General M.T. McMahon, General Israel Vogdes, Commander Edward Hooker and Colonel H.C. King. The document has light soiling and smudges, and is in fine condition.

DAYS BEFORE THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY OF GREENVILLE, FUTURE PRESIDENT WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON AUTHORIZES RATIONS SENT TO THE POTAWATOMI

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON (1773-1841). Harrison was the nineth and shortest-serving President. He held office for only a month.

(POTAWATOMI NATION). A Native-American nation from the Great Lakes area, especially Michigan and Wisconsin, the Potawatomi belonged to the Northwestern Confederacy. This was an association of nations that formed after the American Revolution to protect their interests against those of the new United States. The Confederacy battled U.S. forces in the Northwest Indian War of 1786-95, which ended in defeat for its native participants. The Treaty of Greenville ended the war and forced the Confederacy to accept American governmental rulership and the loss of lands. The Potawatomi were involved in the fur trade and other trading.

ADS. 1pg. [Fort] Greenville, [Ohio]. July 25, 1795. An autograph document signed “Wm. H. Harrison” as aide-de-camp to Major General Anthony Wayne. It reads “The commissary will issue for the Putawatimies [sic] forty five pounds of flour & beef. Wm H Harrison”. This brief military document was written just a few days before the Treaty of Greenville, named for this same Ohio fort, formally ended the Northwestern Confederacy. Harrison had served in the war’s final battle and would sign the treaty as Wayne’s witness. It is in very good condition with a small hole.