Description: Original May 23, 1898, hand written letter from Fort Yates, North Dakota, signed by 1st Lieutenant T. Q. Donaldson. This is a letter of recommendation for one of his former students at the Clemson Agricultural College in South Carolina. Thomas Quinton Donaldson, Jr. was born in 1864 in South Carolina. He graduated West Point in the Class of 1887 and joined the US Army 7th Cavalry at Ft. Riley, Kansas, in September 1887. In 1890 he accompanied his regiment in the Wounded Knee Campaign and, after several engagements, was slightly wounded at White Clay Creek, South Dakota. Lt. Donaldson was one of the youngest officers in the Regiment at Wounded Knee. The 26-year-old had been with C Troop since joining the regiment at Fort Riley in September 1887. He provided concise testimony at the military investigation of Wounded Knee on January 9, 1891, wherein he detailed his role in the battle and focused on measures taken to avoid killing women and children. Donaldson ended his US Army career as a Major General and retired from Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, in 1928. From Wikipedia: Fort Yates, North Dakota. A US Army post at this site was established in 1863 as the Standing Rock Cantonment, intended for the US Army garrison to oversee the Hunkpapa and Blackfeet bands, and the Inhunktonwan and Cuthead of the Upper Yanktonai, of the Lakota Oyate. In 1878 the US Army renamed the fort to honor Captain George Yates, who was killed by the Lakota Oyate at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. The town that developed was also known as Fort Yates. The Army post and fort were decommissioned in 1903. Fort Yates also served as the headquarters of the US Standing Rock Indian Agency, which in the late 19th century was headed by US Indian Service Agent James McLaughlin. Worried about the Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull possibly taking part in the Ghost Dance movement, he ordered the arrest of the chief on December 14, 1890. During the bungled event the chief was shot and killed at dawn in his log cabin by agency non-Hunkpapa Dakota police. This letter would make a great addition to any Indian Wars collection. Very good, folded into 6 parts; writing clean, clear and crisp. NO LOCAL PICKUPS. We try to give an accurate description of any condition issues, provide photos, and welcome questions. Please ask all questions before the end of the auction. If you have purchased multiple items please wait for my invoice before paying; I can combine shipping on most items and save you on shipping costs. International only through eBay Global, if you purchased through eBay Global we cannot send you an invoice, eBay Global will send you an invoice for your item or items. We don’t give partial refunds, so if an item does not meet your expectations please contact us within three days of item’s arrival to arrange return and a full refund. Any yellow and/or white blob in the picture is a reflection of the flash and overhead lights. Please email if you want higher resolution photos or scans. Shipping includes Delivery Confirmation. Payment must be received within 4 days of the end of the auction. I will contact the successful bidder at the end of the auction with shipment cost and payment quotes. We will not make copies of photos, books, or other paper items before or after the item is sold.
Price: 249.99 USD
Location: San Antonio, Texas
End Time: 2024-02-20T15:57:01.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.8 USD
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All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Signed: Yes
