Item No. 4051299

In this December 1864 letter to Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson, Brevet Brigadier General John H. Hammond makes the case for his rank being formalized in the Senate. The full letter reads:

Head-Quarters Military Division of the Mississippi,
Nashville, Tenn., Dec 13th 1864

Hon Henry Wilson
Senator—Mass.

My Dear Sir
I wrote to you some time since telling you of my promotion by Brevet. I have been assigned to the command of a Brigade of Cavalry & have now temporarily a Division. This since Nov 24th and have been doing hard service all the time. I find that the order for duty only says that I go on duty, but does not add according to brevet rank. Now I am only a Major and A.A.Genl, and my pay of course totally inadequate. I hope that if the thing is possible you will get my Brevet rank changed into sure enough Brig Genl, as I am doing the work of one in the cavalry service. Can it be done, do you think?
With great Respect Your obt Servt & friend
J. H. Hammond Brig Genl

The document measures about 8” x 10”. Light foxing. Creased at the original folds.

At the outbreak of the war, Hammond had served briefly with the 5th California Infantry. Within weeks he was promoted and placed on the staff of General William T. Sherman, eventually becoming chief-of-staff. Hammond’s brevet commission was received in October 1864, and he was transferred to command of a cavalry brigade in General George H. Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland. The letter offered here was written just two days before Thomas’s army was engaged at the Battle of Nashville.