Washington, D.C., January 1, 1825. Single oblong vellum sheet, approximately 11 x 15 1/2 in. (279 x 394 mm) (sight). Partially-printed commission, signed by James Monroe as President, appointing John Torrey Assistant Surgeon in the service of the United States Army; counter-signed by Secretary of War John C. Calhoun. Paper seal intact in bottom left. Creasing from old folds. In mat with engraved portraits of Monroe and Calhoun, and unexamined out of frame, 22 x 21 1/2 in. (559 x 546 mm).

John Torrey (1796-1873) was an American botanist, chemist, and physician. He is considered one of the most important leaders in the development of scientific botany in 19th-century America.