Description: RARE Civil War WI Judge & Supreme Court Judge Arthur MacArthur Signed Document Up for auction is an extremely rare Supreme Court report signed by Associate Supreme Court Judge Arthur MacArthur Sr. Arthur MacArthur Sr. was a prominent judge and the fourth governor of Wisconsin. As a Judge of the Second Circuit in Wisconsin in 1861 Arthur attempted to get his son Arthur Jr. enrolled in the United States Military Academy, but the institution was full. However, he was able to secure a commission for him as a 1st Lt. and Arthur Jr. was appointed adjutant of the 24th Wisconsin Infantry regiment. Arthur MacArthur Jr. would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Arthur MacArthur Sr. grandson Douglas MacArthur also was awarded the Medal of Honor during WWII. This is a signed publication of “Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (General Term): At the April and September terms of 1873, and at the January, April, and September terms of 1874. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1875. 8vo. This is an association copy presented to Secretary of State Hamilton Fish “with compliments of” the author,” Associate Justice Arthur MacArthur. The inscription, bearing MacArthur’s signature, is dated July 13, 1875. The recipient of the report was Hamilton Fish, the Secretary of State (1869-1877) under President U.S. Grant at the time who was regarded as Grant’s most trusted advisor. Fish served as Governor of New York, and then a member of the senate previously. This being Fish’s copy, the book was later transferred to the holdings of the State Department library. It bears the U.S. State Department Library stamp on its title and “front” pages. It is not known at one point the book was damaged. Several cases of particular historical note are present in the text, one of which (present in part) addresses the Women’s suffrage question. Sara J. Spencer vs. The Board of Registration, and Sarah E. Webster vs. The Judges of Election. Spencer and Webster each brought cases before the court in the District of Columbia arguing that they were enfranchised by the Fourteenth Amendment. Although the text is truncated in the middle of the chapter, the arguments of counsel (largely invoking comparison with the enfranchisement of African American males) are mostly present. Ultimately, the Supreme Case denied the women’s claims, an early setback for a movement that would not be resolved for another two generations. PLEASE NOTE: This is a badly broken and incomplete volume notable for its ownership history, signature and historical significance as an object rather than a collectible book. It is missing both boards and contains the first 176 pages ONLY of the 721pp volume, the last leaf of which is loose; pg 173/174 is torn. The edges of the first two leaves are chipped (the former, with the signatures, acts as the works front cover). This is a rare opportunity to own a piece of history and a treasure for any collection. Arthur MacArthur Sr. Biography Born in Glasgow, Scotland, ARTHUR MACARTHUR was brought to Massachusetts by his mother after his father died. He attended schools in Uxbridge and Amherst, Massachusetts, and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. After studying law in New York City, he practiced in both New York and Massachusetts before moving to Milwaukee, where he was appointed City Attorney in 1851. In 1855 he was nominated for Lieutenant Governor to run with incumbent Governor William Barstow. MacArthur won his election easily, while Barstow’s slim margin of victory was challenged by the Republican Party, resulting in his resignation shortly after taking the oath of office. However, because Democrats held the certificate of election, MacArthur felt bound to take over the governor’s office, and one of his few official acts was to prevent violence resulting from the gubernatorial dispute by removing arms and ammunition stored in the state Capitol. On March 25, 1856, Coles Bashford, the Republican challenger, visited the governor’s office and informed MacArthur that he intended to assume the governorship, peacefully if possible but by force if necessary. Realizing that representatives of both sides of the dispute were in the Capitol and armed, MacArthur did not resist but declared that he was being virtually ejected by force. Having served as governor for just four days, he returned to his position as Lieutenant Governor. In 1857, he was elected judge of the Second Circuit, which included Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, a position that he held until 1869. In 1867 he was appointed U.S. Commissioner to the Paris Exposition, and in 1870, President Grant appointed him to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. While living in the District, he was active in civic functions, serving as president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Children, and president of the District of Columbia Associated Charities. He died in Atlantic City, New Jersey and was buried in Washington, D.C. See photos for condition. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding.
Price: 110 USD
Location: Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
End Time: 2024-12-20T15:32:12.000Z
Shipping Cost: 10.45 USD
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All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Industry: Politics
Signed: Yes
