Rare Civil War Pamphlet, 1861

Updated August 6, 2026

Lot number	33
Category	Firearms & Militaria
Auction	1066: Rare Books & Bookworm, ONLINE-ONLY Sale
Date	August 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT
Auction house	Addison & Sarova Auctioneers
Location	Social Circle, Georgia

Estimate: 15 / 150 MEMORIAL OF CHAS. HOWARD, WM. H. GATCHELL, AND JOHN W. DAVIS, POLICE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES. [Baltimore?], ca. 1861. 8vo. 16 pp. Original wrappers. Very Good. Memorial issued by the imprisoned Baltimore Police Commissioners Charles Howard, William H. Gatchell, and John W. Davis following the opening months of the Civil War. After the Baltimore Riot of April 1861 and President Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, federal troops under General Nathaniel P. Banks occupied the city, and the commissioners (regarded by federal authorities as Southern sympathizers) were arrested and held without trial. The pamphlet presents their defense before Congress, protesting the legality of their arrest and the military occupation of Baltimore, making it an important contemporary document relating to civil liberties, federal authority, and one of the earliest constitutional controversies of the Civil War. Condition: For lots in this online-only auction, condition is stated in general terms only, ranging from Poor to Fine, with Good being average (i.e. an exhaustive list of individual flaws is not included, but only our opinion of the overall cumulative grade is provided.) Most books in this sale have been given a brief inspection only and have not been fully collated (unless the collation is shown.) However, if loss or absence of text is observed during our inspection, then this will always be noted in the description. All lots are sold as-is and not subject to return for any reason. PLEASE READ THE VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOUND IN LOT #1.

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