CIVIL WAR CAVALRY GENERAL KELTON WEAPON INVENTOR LINCOLN LIBRARY WAR DEPT LETTER

Description

INVREF#CL6-31
Here’s a War Department Letter Signed by Gen.
JOHN CUNNINGHAM KELTON
(1828 - 1893)
CIVIL WAR WEST POINT BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL
-&-
COLONEL and MILITARY INVENTOR!
Gen. Kelton was credited with several U.S. Cavalry and weapons inventions!
A native of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, John Kelton began his studies at West Point in the late 1840’s.  He graduated in the class of 1851 and commissioned into the 6
th
United States Infantry.  He served on various frontier posts and also instructed the use of small arms and military gymnastics at West Point in the late 1850’s.
At the outbreak of the Civil War he was a Captain in the 6
th
US Infantry, and kept his regular army rank after he was transferred to the position of Adjutant General under the Union commander in Missouri, John C. Fremont.  As the chief administrator of the department, he would have been constantly been receiving messages from various commanders.
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HERE’S AN LETTER SIGNED BY GENERAL KELTON ON ATTRACTIVE “
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE
” PURPLE LETTERHEAD,
1p
., datelined at Washington, D.C., Feby 24
th
, 1887, TO
FREDERICK DAVID ELY
(1838 - 1921)
US REPUBLICAN PARTY CONGRESSMAN
FROM DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS 1885-1887 and JUDGE.
IN THIS LETTER KELTON INFORMS ELY THAT
“…a copy of the Army Register for 1887 was sent to Cadet Michael J. Lanihan…as requested…”
THE DOCUMENT IS EX-“
THE LINCOLN LIBRARY, SHIPPENBURG, PA
.” MUSEUM, and COMES WITH THEIR TYPICAL TRANSCRIPT OF THE LETTER ON THEIR LETTERHEAD.  IT  MEASURES 8” x 10” and IS IN VERY FINE CONDITION!
THE AUTOGRAPH COMES WITH A LINCOLN LIBRARY TRANSCRIPT OF THE LETTER.
A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO YOUR CIVIL WAR
“
GENERAL IN BLUE
”
MILITARY AUTOGRAPH, MANUSCRIPT & EPHEMERA COLLECTION!
BIOGRAPHY OF GEN. JOHN C. KELTON
John C. Kelton
(June 24, 1828–July 15, 1893) was an officer in the
United States Army
who served as
Adjutant General of the U.S. Army
from 1889 to 1892.
Biography
He was born in
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
and graduated from the
United States Military Academy
in 1851. He was appointed to the
6th Infantry
, in which he served until the outbreak of the
American Civil War
. He served in various staff positions during the war, with the rank of
colonel
of Volunteers.
Kelton was appointed to the Adjutant General's Department in April 1865 and was promoted to
lieutenant colonel
in March 1866. He was appointed as adjutant general of the Division of the Pacific in July 1870, where he remained until September 1885, earning a promotion to colonel in June 1880. In October 1885 he returned to the Adjutant General's Department in Washington, and he was elevated to Adjutant General of the U. S. Army with the rank of
brigadier general
in June 1889. He retired in June 1892.
After retirement, he was appointed as governor of the Soldier's Home in Washington, where he served until his death in July 1893. He is buried in the cemetery there, now known as the
United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery
.
John C. Kelton was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on July 1, 1851. He was appointed as 2nd Lieutenant to the 6th Infantry in which he served two years on the northwestern frontier. Here he served until the outbreak of the American Civil War. In 1855, he was transferred to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where he was made 1st Lieutenant. He was appointed Assistant Instructor of Infantry Tactics at West Point in 1857 and again in 1859 after the war of rebellion broke out in Europe. Shortly after, Kelton was made Chief Purchasing Commissary at St. Louis for supplying troops in the West. He then served as Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of the West with the rank of Captain. In the fall of 1861, Kelton was commissioned Colonel of the 9th Missouri Volunteers. He resigned his volunteer commission on March 12, 1862 and in turn served as Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of Mississippi in 1862. Here he served on the field during the siege of Corinth. Kelton, who was chief of the army in 1864, was promoted in Richmond to Brevet Colonel and again to Brevet Brigadier for his valuable services.
Near the end of the war, Kelton traveled to Washington, where he served as Assistant Adjutant General from July 1865 to July 26, 1870. At that time he was appointed Adjutant General of the Division of the Pacific.
Provenance of Purchse History
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