Lot 82
Duke, Basil Wilson (1838-1916) Confederate general. Endorsement Signed ("B.S. Duke") as Brigadier General, Headquarters, Duke's Brigade, near Abingdon, Va., January 11, 1865. One page large octavo. On the verso of a letter from Capt. Hugh G. Gwyn requesting a ten-day leave to be best man at a wedding, Duke signs his approval. Duke enlisted as a private in the "Lexington Rifles," commanded by his brother-in-law, John Hunt Morgan. He was promoted to 2nd lieutenant, then to lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, and served with distinction throughout Morgan's campaigns. He was wounded at Shiloh and captured in the Ohio raid of 1863, being appointed brigadier general after his exchange. He took over Morgan's cavalry after Morgan's death, operating in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia until Lee's surrender, at which time he disbanded his infantry and took his cavalry to join Johnston. He accompanied President Jefferson Davis from Charlotte until his capture. Duke's was the last organized command answering to the Confederate War Department.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
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| Realized $345 |
