Union Impressment of a Horse, Martinsburg, Virginia. Two Manuscript Documents.

Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia), May 31, 1862. Original manuscript document signed by S.G. Perkins, Captain 1st Vermont Cavalry, measuring 4.25 inches by 7.75 inches, approximately 67 words recorded in ink on laid paper. With brief cryptic annotations & stamped "Received" mark on the verso.

"Rec'd at Martinsburg, Va. May 31, 1862 of John Miller one gray mare five years old for the use in case of great emergency of Co. H 1st Vt. Cavalry by consent of Col. De Forest, 5th New York Cavalry commanding detachment.Lieut. Davids (?), AQM, Cav'y Brigade 
Dep't of Shenandoah will give a final receipt of this.
[Signed] S.G. Perkins, Cap't, 1st Vt. Cavalry."

Old folds, small losses (not affecting text), splits at folds without loss, soiled & foxed, otherwise Good.

With:

Washington, D.C.: January 16th, 1866, Brevet Brigadier General James A. Ekin to John Miller, Esq, at Martinsburgh (sic), Virginia, on partially printed Quartermaster General's Office letterhead completed in manuscript. Approximately 105 words recorded in ink on a single sheet of ruled paper measuring 9.75 inches by 15.5 inches, folded once vertically forming 4 pages of which 3 are blank. Boldly signed by James A. Ekin.

"The receipt of Cap't S.G. Perkins, Co. H, 1st Vt. Cavalry, in your favor, for one horse alleged to have been impressed for Government service, May 31st, 1862, received at this office April 21st, 1865, is herewith respectfully returned to you.This claim must be submitted to the Quartermaster General, under the Act of July 4th, 1864, supported by the evidence required in General Orders No. 35, from this office, August 29th, 1864.By order of the Quartermaster General, Very respectfully, your obedient servant, James A. Ekin, Brevet Brigadier General, Q.M. Dep't."

Moderate edge wear, creasing, two spurious horizontal folds, lightly soiled, foxed & stained, otherwise Very Good.

A fascinating pair of manuscript documents showing another element of the Civil War. John Miller, identified here as from Martinsburg, was probably a druggist in Winchester in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley who operated a long-standing mercantile establishment in partnership with his brother Godfrey. The later document bears the signature of James A. Ekin, the Union Army general best remembered as a member of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

We apparently will never know whether Mr. Miller was compensated for the use of his horse.