PALMER, William J.

Letters 1853-1868 Gen'l Wm. J. Palmer.

Item #62842

PALMER, William J. Letters 1853-1868 Gen'l Wm. J. Palmer. Compiled by Isaac H. Clothier. Phila.: [Ketterlinus], 1906. 1st ed. 128pp. Portrait frontis., plates. Orig. cloth, T.e.g. Faint foxing to endpapers, else near fine. Presentation inscription on front endpaper, "To William C. Sproul from his friend Isaac H. Clothier 1906." Sproul was governor of Pennsylvania from 1919 to 1923. William J. Palmer (1836-1909) was a civil engineer, soldier, industrialist, and philanthropist. Raised as a Quaker in Philadelphia, Palmer was enthralled with the railroads and began working for them at 17. Among his early successes was convincing the Pennsylvania Railroad to change from wood to coal as fuel for its trains. At the outset of the Civil War, Palmer's strong abolitionist leanings led him to take a commission in the Union Army and raise the 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. At the Battle of Antietam he was captured behind enemy lines. Though the Confederates did not realize he was acting as a spy, his actions were suspicious enough for them to imprison him in Castle Thunder. He was freed in a prisoner exchange and rejoined his regiment in February 1863. In March 1865 President Lincoln appointed him a brevet general. On 24 February 1894, Palmer was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions as colonel leading the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Red Hill, Alabama, on 14 January 1865 with under 200 men attacking and defeating the enemy, and capturing about 100 prisoners without losing a man. After the war he helped found several western railroads, which ultimately became part of the Union Pacific.

Price: $750.00