American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

GRANT, Ulysses. S (1822-1885). Partly printed appointment signed ("U.S. Grant"), as President of the United States. Washington, DC, 21 March 1870. 15 x 19 1/2 in. (significant damage and loss to left side of document, with creases and some staining to the rest of the document). Appoints Benjamin F. Tilley a master in the Navy. -- CLEVELAND, Grover (1837-1908). Partly printed appointment signed ("Grover Cleveland"), as President of the United States. Washington, DC, 5 September 1887. 15 1/2 x 19 1/4 in. (heavy creasing and dampstaining throughout). Document appoints Benjamin F. Tilley a lieutenant commander in the Navy to date from 4 September 1887. -- ROOSEVELT, Theodore (1858-1919). Partly printed appointment signed ("Theodore Roosevelt"), as President of the United States. Washington, DC, 7 October 1901. 14 1/2 x 19 in. (severe damage/loss to left side of document, with heavy creasing and dampstaining to other portions of document). Appoints Benjamin F. Tilley a captain in the Navy to date from 22 September 1901. -- Together, 3 presidentially signed Naval appointments for Benjamin F. Tilley.

[With:] 8 1/2 x 13 in. oval silver gelatin half portrait of Benjamin F. Tilley in naval uniform. New York: Pach, ca 1896-1901. (significant horizontal scratch to surface extending across portrait, with other minor surface nicks and scratches throughout, significant damage, staining, spotting, and separation to paper layers of mount). Mount recto signed "Pach, N.Y." -- 9 7/8 x 12 1/2 in. albumen photograph on 16 x 21 in. cardstock mount featuring five Naval officers posed outdoors. Boston, MA: Black, n.d. (toning to image, spotting, dampstaining, and wear including a few tears and area of loss to mount edges). Mount recto bears photographer's imprint. Four of the featured officers sit on champ chairs/stools while one stands at center behind them. Each officer is armed with a sword. -- Together, 2 photographs.

[Also with:] 35 1/2 in. (overall) presentation cane with 1 7/8 in. gold-plate scroll handle inscribed, "Benj. Tilley / Nov. 17th 1832-1882" and 3/4 in. ferrule (2 3/4 in. metal banded repair to center of cane).

Provenance: Archive previously sold by Cowan's Auctions, with 3 manuscript log books. The log books were donated to the University of Missouri by the consignor, and are therefore not included in this lot.

Benjamin Franklin Tilley (1848-1907) enrolled in the US Naval Academy in 1863, amidst the turmoil of Civil War. Graduating in 1866, he entered the Navy as a midshipman, serving in that capacity first on the USS Franklin, and thereafter on the USS Frolic. He worked his way through the ranks, from ensign to master to lieutenant, all by 1871. He served aboard the USS Plymouth during the Railroad Strike of 1877, defending the US consulate in Santiago during the hostilities in Chile in the 1890s, and capturing two Spanish ships during the Spanish American War as a commander. Perhaps Tilley's most notable role was as Acting Governor of American Samoa after the cessation of the Samoan Civil War, partitioning the territory into three districts and imposing US laws and numerous regulations on the population. He was ultimately promoted to rear admiral just before his death of pneumonia in 1907.