Item No. 3541695

In this May 1862 autograph letter signed by George M. Robeson, the New Jersey Militia brigadier writes to Governor Charles S. Olden to recommend his younger brother William Penn Robeson, Jr.—then a lieutenant in the 3rd New Jersey Infantry—be promoted. The elder Robeson begins by discussing “the changes which the promotion of Col. Taylor will of necessity make in the regiment.” Colonel George W. Taylor had been promoted to brigadier general and command of the New Jersey Brigade upon General Philip Kearny’s promotion to division command following the Battle of Williamsburg earlier in the month. Robeson continues:

Taking it for granted that the field offers of the regiment will be promoted in order of seniority (about which of course I know nothing), he says that will, of course, make a vacancy in a captaincy in the regiment, and he, being the senior 1st Lieut of the regiment, is the next in order of promotion according to seniority. He says that Col. Taylor had assured him that he should be recommended to the next vacancy & that if [Lieut.] Col. [Henry W.] Brown goes into command of the regiment, he doubts not that he will recommend him of necessary, as he has always advocated the principles of promotion by seniority, & with the other officers had signed a petition to your Excellency asking that the promotions in the regiment might take that course (which petition I had myself the honor to hand to your Excellency). But not knowing what the course might be, in case of the appointment of a new man as Colonel, he wished me to mention the circumstances of the case to you & call your attention to the fact that he was the senior 1st Lieut of the regt.

Robeson adds that the men “consider these matters of great pride & consequence in the 3rd Regt. & a man passed over would feel himself disgraced & would be considered so by his brother officers.” As further evidence he points out that Colonel Taylor had recently visited and had said “he would take great pleasure in recommending him to the next vacant captaincy.”

The letter is docketed on the reverse and includes a note that the letter was answered on May 30, reading, “assure him that what he says respecting promotion of Lieut Robeson shall have due consideration.”

It would be mid-August before the lieutenant received his promotion Robeson would remain with the 3rd Infantry until December 1863 when he was commissioned major in the 3rd New Jersey Cavalry, where he would advance to brevet brigadier general by April 1865. His brother George Robeson later served in the Grant administration as Secretary of the Navy and was a two-term congressman from his state.

The letter was written on three pages of a 7 3/4” x 9 3/4” bifolium letter sheet in excellent condition. Creased at the original folds. The full transcript can be read below:

Camden, May 29th 1862

To Hon. Chas. S. Olden
Governor of New Jersey

My Dear Sir
A few days since I received a letter from my brother who is the 1st Lieut of Company E, 3rd Regt. N.J.V. in which he speaks of the changes which the promotion of Col. Taylor will of necessity make in the regiment. Taking it for granted that the field offers of the regiment will be promoted in order of seniority (about which of course I know nothing), he says that will, of course, make a vacancy in a captaincy in the regiment, and he, being the senior 1st Lieut of the regiment, is the next in order of promotion according to seniority. He says that Col. Taylor had assured him that he should be recommended to the next vacancy & that if Col. Brown goes into command of the regiment, he doubts not that he will recommend him of necessary, as he has always advocated the principles of promotion by seniority, & with the other officers had signed a petition to your Excellency asking that the promotions in the regiment might take that course (which petition I had myself the honor to hand to your Excellency). But not knowing what the course might be, in case of the appointment of a new man as Colonel, he wished me to mention the circumstances of the case to you & call your attention to the fact that he was the senior 1st Lieut of the regt. Since the promotion of Lt. Buckley, and as such the next in order of promotion upon the principle upon which the others have been advanced. In accordance with his wish I write these facts to you, adding for myself that I know they consider these matters of great pride & consequence in the 3rd Regt. & a man passed over would feel himself disgraced & would be considered so by his brother officers. And further, that when Col. Taylor was last home he came himself to see me & told me (we being old friends) that the promotion of Buckley left my brother the senior Lieut & that he would take great pleasure in recommending him to the next vacant captaincy. Asking nothing for my brother more than may be in accordance with the customs of the regt. (he shall hereafter make himself remarkable in the field) and trusting that his wishes may be found to accord with your ideas of propriety on the subject, I remain
With great respect
Your obed. servt.
Geo. M. Robeson