Military and Maritime Autographs

ADMIRAL EDWARD PELLEW, 1st VISCOUNT EXMOUTH Document Signed. British officer of the Royal Navy. Served in the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Naval DISPATCH, signed.  HMS Impregnable. 16th August 1819. To Lieut Phelps, Commanding the Asp, tender. "Memo. You are to receive on board the Tender which you command for a passage to the River the riggers belonging to Deptford yard who have navigated the Scorpion to this port.  Exmouth." Together with a contemporary steel engraved portrait of Admiral Pellew. On paper watermarked with the date "1817".  Approx 20 x 16 cms. Very.....

LORD RAGLAN Autograph Letter Cover Signed. James Henry Somerset Fitzroy, 1st Baron Raglan.  Commander of the British forces during the Crimean War. Autograph "free frank" letter cover.  London. Junes 28th 1824. Date, address and signature in Raglan's hand "Rev Dr Radcliffe, Castle House, Salisbury" and signed "Fitzroy Somerset". Approx 12 x 7.75 cms.  Slight mounting traces to verso.  Very good. A letter written during Lord Raglan's period as a Tory politician. The addressee is almost certainly the Rev George Radcliffe DD, the Prebendary of Sarum, Salisbury. Raglan had been elected as MP for Truro in 1818 and served as Wellington's.....

LORD RAGLAN autograph Letter Signed James Henry Somerset Fitzroy, 1st Baron Raglan.  British (English) soldier.  Commander of the British troops during the Crimean War.   ALS.  1p.  Before Sebastopol. April 9th, 1855.  To [Captain] F. Hughes.   "I am sorry to have to send you a letter I have this evening had from Admiral Edmund Lions to your address expressing his inability to provide a vessel for your conveyance to Kurchan.  Yours faithfully, Raglan".   8vo.  Approx 7 x 4.5 inches.  Lacking integral blank leaf.  Mounting residue to verso. All else fine.   Raglan had been laying siege to Sebastopol.....

FREDERICK ROBERTS V.C. AUTOGRAPH LETTER Signed. British soldier and holder of the Victoria Cross. Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, known affectionately as "Bobs" was, arguably, the most successful British military commander of the 19th century. ALS. 1p. Marked "Private". On stationary with embossed letterhead of the Royal Hospital, Dublin but with the holograph address 17 Dover Street, W. 17th July 1897. To "My Dear James". "Kindly tell me privately how the enclosed proposal is likely to be viewed at the War Office. Believe me, Yours sincerely, Roberts." Bifolium. 8vo. Approx 18 x.....

GENERAL SIR HUGH ROSE Autograph Letter Signed British field Marshal. fought at the Battles of Alma and Inkerman. Commander of the Central Indian Field force in the Indian Mutiny. Defeated the Indian rebel armies at Jhansi, Lahore and Gwalior. ALS. 3pp. No place, Thursday, no month or year.  To Lady Hearsey. "Pray accept my very sincere thanks for your kindness in inviting me to your house, when I was turned out of my own by the Ball [?].  Mr and Mrs [?] are going to share with me tomorrow.  I should feel very happy if yourself and Miss Hearsey would.....

ADMIRAL WILLIAM HENRY SMYTH Autograph Letter Signed. British officer of the Royal Navy. Astronomer, hydrographer and numismatist. ALS. 2pp.  St John's Lodge, near Aylesbury. 18th November 1863.  To "My Dear Sir". "In answer to your question in re. the United S[ervices] Inst[itutio]n I beg to say that I am there - nolens volens - for life!  I am now feeling very easy, but am still under orders to be orderly.  Therefore I am not likely to be present at your Anniversary.  With thanks for the "open bowelled" man I am.  Yours very truly, W.H. Smyth. Why not send O'Byrne a.....

DUKE OF WELLINGTON Autograph Letter and Letter Cover. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.  British soldier and politician. Victor of Waterloo and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. AL. London. November 2nd 1830. To J. Gray, Esq. "The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr Gray and begs leave to acknowledge the receipt of his letter of the 1st inst.  London. November 2nd 1830".  The accompanying letter cover with free frank dated, addressed and signed in the Duke's hand "London, November Second 1830. J. Gray Esq, Cheltenham" signed "Wellington" and with the Duke's red wax seal. Bifolium.  8vo. .....

DUKE OF WELLINGTON Autograph Letter Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, British soldier, victor of Waterloo and twice Prime Minister (1824 and 1828-30)   AL. 1p. London. January [?] 8th, 1836. To [Henry Thomas] Ryall.   "The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr. Ryall and has received his note. The Duke regrets much that he has no portrait of himself by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The best known is that in the possession of the Right Honble. Charles Arbuthnot."   8vo. Approx 7.5 x 4.75 inches. Somewhat distressed with fold separations which have been repaired at some time in.....

DUKE OF WELLINGTON Autograph Letter & Autograph Envelope Signed. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.  British soldier, Victor of Waterloo and twice Premier of the United Kingdom. AL. 1p.  Stratfield Saye. January 8th 1840.  To William Marshall. Together with autograph envelope front, signed and wax seal of the Duke of Wellington with his impressed signet. "The Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr Marshall. He returns his thanks for his communication."  The envelope front is addressed in the Duke of Wellington's hand "Stratfield Saye, January eighth 1840. William Marshall, Esq, Penworthem Lodge, Preston" and signed "Wellington". 8vo bifolium. Approx 7.5.....

DUKE OF WELLINGTON AUTOGRAPH Letter Signed Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, British soldier, victor of Waterloo and twice Prime Minister (1824 and 1828-30).   ALS. 2pp with integral blank leaf. Stratfield Saye. 8th . . . [?] 1836. Name of addressee undeciphered [but to a solicitor in 6 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London].   The Duke's handwriting is, as always, somewhat difficult to read but the letter is a direction to a solicitor to pay to or from the credit of his account with Messs Coutts, Bankers, the balance of a sum due to or by him to a Mr. Williamson [?] and to.....