Manuscript Texas Doc. Signed by Roger Q. Mills – US Congressman, CS Officer

Description

Manuscript Texas Doc. Signed by Roger Q. Mills – US Congressman, CS Officer
Offered for your consideration is a manuscript document regarding Texas treasury receipts, signed at the conclusion by a Confederate officer and later United States congressman. Addressed to “
W. T. McLennan
” at “
Warrant Division Treasury
”, the body of the document asks the recipient to “
Please write me a statement and give me monthly receipts into the Treasury from all sources, for each of the months of July August September October November December and January, for the present and last fiscal year
”. It is signed at the conclusion “
Yours Truly
/
R. Q. Mills
”, probably penned while he was serving in the United States House of Representatives. The back bears no printed or manuscript material, though it now features pencil notations identifying the signer. This request is accomplished in period ink on blue lined ledger paper. A sharp, representative example of this politician, who bravely served the Confederacy during the War Between the States. Would look great framed with a period portrait of Mills.
Roger Quarles Mills
was born on March 30, 1832 in Todd County, Kentucky, though after a common school education, he moved to Texas in 1849. There he studied law, passed the bar, and opened a law practice in Corsicana, though at the time he was only 20 years old (the Texas legislature made an exception to their age requirement). He served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1859 through 1860. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mills enlisted as a private in the 3
rd
Texas Cavalry, though he soon transferred to the 10
th
Texas Infantry. Rising through the ranks, by late 1862 Mills was promoted to colonel and given command of the regiment. He was captured at the battle of Arkansas Post on January 11, 1863, sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, before being exchanged in late spring. During the battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863, Mills served as acting brigade commander after General Deshler, in whose brigade his unit served, was killed in action. He was wounded at the battle of Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863, and again at the battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. Following the war, Mills apparently returned to the practice of law. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving from March 4, 1875 through March 29, 1892, two years of that time as the powerful Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. He introduced what became known as the Mills Tariff Bill of 1888. This bill passed the House, but it failed to pass the Senate and never became law (it was a chief issue in the presidential campaign of 1888). Mills was elected to the United States Senate in 1892 to fill the vacant seat of John H. Reagan, remaining in that position until March 3, 1899. Roger Q. Mills died in Corsicana, Texas on September 2, 1911, and was buried in that city’s Oakwood Cemetery.
The presently offered document exhibits signs of period use and subsequent storage, though it appears that part of that storage was in an autograph book. Toning is present across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a beige to light tan hue. This toning is somewhat darker at the edges, particularly at the left. A circular rust stain can be seen at the top center, only visible on the front. The top and bottom edges are ragged, while those at the left and right are straight. Several folds, both horizontal and vertical, are present, with the horizontal ones weakening the integrity of the paper (none of these folds appears to affect the signature). As noted earlier, the back was originally blank, though it now bears a pencil notation at the bottom (this notation is incorrect in one statement – Mills was never the governor of Texas). The residue of two attachments can be seen at the top, probably indicating that this piece was glued in an album at some time in its past. In addition to these attachments, a line of glue can be seen at the left (on both sides) along the vertical line on the paper. Measuring approximately 8 x 8¼ inches, this piece would make a great addition to any collection of Texas politicians.
A .95 charge will be added for postage and insurance.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA