Important Civil War Letter from Lee to Grant Leads Hindman’s May 7 Auction
An important letter from Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant leads an impressive selection of autographs in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ May 7 Fine Books and Manuscripts auction. The letter, dated February 21, 1865, Richmond, Virginia, discusses their agreement to begin exchanging prisoners until one or the other party has been exhausted of them.
The letter from Lee to Grant ($40,000-60,000) is one of 118 lots of historical, musical and literary autographs opening the May 7 auction, largely from Chicago-area private collections. In addition to examples from Louis XVI, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Verdi and Charles Dickens, the session includes two letters from Abraham Lincoln ($15,000-25,000), Thomas Jefferson ($6,000-8,000) and another from Robert E. Lee as superintendent of West Point ($10,000-15,000).
The sale will feature a total of over 400 lots, including a number of important architectural books, John James Audubon prints, modernist and surrealist art and literary publications, and a small session of memorabilia. Highlights include a first edition of Colin Campbell’s tome,Vitruvius Britannicus ($20,000-$30,000), Herman Melville’s Moby Dick ($8,000-12,000) and Audubon’s Great Northern Diver ($10,000-15,000) and Black-Throated Diver ($8,000-12,000).
Auction Schedule
1338 West Lake Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Thursday, May 7 | 12 PM CT
Preview Schedule
Sunday, May 3 - Wednesday, May 6
Contact
Kathryn Coldiron
312.334.4231
About Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
For over three decades, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has been recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent fine art auction houses having earned an international reputation for achieving the highest prices while setting standards for integrity and quality customer service. Leslie Hindman has remained a constant force behind a global reach of buyers and a team of professionals committed to conducting high profile auctions. The firm was founded in Chicago in 1982, sold to Sotheby’s in 1997 and reopened in 2003. To learn more, visit lesliehindman.com. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is now on bidsquare.com.
