[GRANT, Ulysses S.— GRANT, Julia, First Lady]. Carved Applewood and 18-karat Gold Jewelry Suite, Browne & Spaulding, Jewelers, New York City, 1865.

A UNIQUE SET OF JEWELRY PRESENTED TO MRS. ULYSSES S. GRANT MADE FROM WOOD CUT FROM THE APPLE TREE UNDER WHICH GENERAL GRANT'S OFFICERS MET GENERAL LEE ON THE MORNING OF THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX, 9 APRIL 1865

Comprising a hinged hair comb, a brooch, and a pair of earrings with acorns and oak leaves with black enamel accents set in 18-karat yellow gold, hair comb set with 14 acorns and 24 leaves, earrings each set with 3 acorns and 2 leaves (evidence of later screwbacks), brooch set with 3 (of 4) acorns and 6 leaves (brooch lacking one wooden acorn). Laid in original fitted velvet-lined box marked Browne & Spaulding, upper lid with gilt presentation statement from the jeweler (some light rubbing).

Provenance: Mrs. Julia Dent Grant (presentation case from the jeweler; brooch engraved on back: "Mrs. Genl. Grant from Browne & Spaulding"; pencil note in her hand laid in: "I wish this to go to my dear Grandson Ulysses S. Grant, 3rd Fred's son. J. D. G. May 14th 1901"); by descent to present owner.

On the morning of April 9th, 1865, Lee sent Grant a letter requesting a meeting to discuss his army's surrender. Lt. Colonel Orville E. Babcock and his orderly, Captain Dunn, took Grant's reply to Lee, who they found resting under an apple tree near the Appomattox River. Lee, his Aide-de-Camp Lt. Colonel Charles Marshall, and Private Joshua O. Johns rode toward Appomattox Court House, accompanied by Babcock and Dunn. Marshall and Johns rode ahead of Lee to find a place where the Generals could confer when they encountered Wilmer McLean, who offered that Lee and Grant could use his home. In the late afternoon of April 9th, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant, ending the Civil War.

After the surrender, many historic artifacts were taken by soldiers seeking souvenirs, including portions of the apple tree under which Lee sat. Writing a history of his regiment, John L. Smith publishes a letter he wrote to General Grant, October 3, 1884: "Dear Sir, I have read several articles in the papers of late alleging that the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox was not under an apple tree...on the morning of April 9, 1865, our regiment was lying near the hill. I was early at the spot and secured a piece of the tree. A number of officers were there also...and one of your orderlies was there and got a branch for you at the time. From this latter a set of jewelry was made by the Messrs. Browne, Spaulding & Co., of New York, for your wife, according to a paper I saw at the time" (History of the Corn Exchange Regiment..., 1888, pp. 675-676).

Smith publishes Grant's response in full along with a facsimile of the note, written October 16, 1884: "General Lee was seated on the ground, with his back resting against an apple tree, when General Babcock delivered to him my answer to his letter requesting an interview for the purpose of arranging terms of surrender. Lee was conducted to McLeans' house, within our lines, before I got up [to the front]" (ibid, pp. 676-677).

"A PRESENT FOR MRS. GRANT": On the front page on August 26, 1865, The New York Times remarked on the set of jewelry created for Mrs. Grant: "The acorns cut from the wood of the famous, but no longer existing, apple tree at Appomattox Court-house, under which the terms of surrender of LEE's army were agreed upon. ...The effect of the combination is exceedingly good." Harper's Weekly published an account as well as an illustration of the present set of jewelry on September 19, 1865 (Vol. IX, No., 454, pp. 565-566). Another less-complete set, comprising a brooch and earrings (but without the hair comb), was made by Browne & Spaulding after the present set at William Cullen Bryant's request for his wife. (See the sale of "A Portion of The Library of William Cullen Bryant," Anderson Galleries, 1908, lot 407, later sold Skinner Auctions, 1 March 2015, lot 13).

Property from the Family of Ulysses S. Grant

Gretchen Hause

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Chicago

[email protected]312.334.4229

Gretchen Hause joined the Books and Manuscripts Department at Hindman Auctions in 2017, after working for nearly 8 years as a specialist in the Books and Manuscripts Department at Christie’s in New York. During her tenure at Hindman, Gretchen has handled numerous books and maps for record prices, including the superb Mellon-Garden copy of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, sold in 2019 for the world auction record price of $564,500. She also secured and sold a rare copy of Palmatary’s 1857 pre-fire view of Chicago (the only copy in private hands) for nearly $200,000, and secured and auctioned a copy of Ratzer’s fine Plan of the City of New York for a world auction record $162,500.

In 2023, Gretchen secured the Fine Literature from the Collection of Richard C. McKenzie. The white-glove sale was 100% sold by lot, realizing nearly double the high estimate. In that same year, she served as head of sale for the Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, another white-glove sale which realized more than three times the low estimate. In 2019, Gretchen was responsible for the sale of the Library of a Midwestern Collector. The 86-lot sale achieved a record total for any sale for the department, setting the world auction record for Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, and bringing strong prices for several scientific works, works on computing, and other notable high spots. In 2018, she secured and handled the Fine Cartographic and Printed Americana Collection of Eric and Evelyn Newman, which was 97% sold by lot, achieving the highest sale total at the time for a single-session auction in department history, and bringing several record prices. She also organized the successful sale of The Adventure & Exploration Library of Steve Fossett. The two-session sale realized a department record sold total at the time, and achieved a 100% sell through rate.

Prior to joining Hindman Auctions, Gretchen spent nearly 8 years in the Books and Manuscripts department at Christie’s in New York. While at Christie’s, she contributed to the successful sales of several collections, including the Dorothy Shea collection of fore-edge paintings (96% sold by lot) and duplicates from the Warren H. Corning Library of the Holden Arboretum, which were 95% sold by lot in 2013 to benefit the acquisitions fund. She also helped catalogue the Cornelius J. Hauck Private Botanical Library (92% sold by lot in 2016), and the American Literature collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair, which was 95% sold by lot. She had the opportunity to work on a number of landmark single-owner sales, including those of the collections of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan and Huguette Clark, and the libraries of Kenneth Nebenzahl (exploration and maps), Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow (the art of book illustration), and Jean Perrette (travel and exploration), as well as the sale of the iconic Kelmscott printing press.

Gretchen has attended introductory and advanced bibliography and history of bookbinding courses at Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, and holds a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. She studied primarily British literature, with emphases in medieval and modern literature. Gretchen is a member of the Grolier Club, the Caxton Club, the Washington Map Society, and the Chicago Map Society. She currently serves on the board as Treasurer for the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies. She is an auctioneer, and has nearly 15 years of experience working with rare books and manuscripts. In addition to her commitment to the bibliophilic community, Gretchen is committed to public service as well, and is currently serving a 6-year term as a publicly-elected Commissioner for the Berwyn Park District in her hometown.

Maria Fernandez

Cataloguer, Books & Manuscripts

[email protected]312.334.4236

Fine Books and Manuscripts including Americana

[GRANT, Ulysses S.— GRANT, Julia, First Lady]. Carved Applewood and 18-karat Gold Jewelry Suite, Browne & Spaulding, Jewelers, New York City, 1865.

Lot Description

Condition Report

Preview

Auction Contact

Shipping | Pickup