American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography, including The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

1p, approx. 12 3/4 x 17 in. (sight), framed to 18 1/2 x 22 1/2 in. (creasing at folds, light toning, unexamined outside frame), Embossed seal at bottom. 

Appointing Hiram Paulding a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Hiram Paulding was a career naval officer who served from the War of 1812 through the American Civil War. Born in Westchester County, New York, he was appointed Midshipman on September 1, 1811. During the War of 1812, he served on Lakes Ontario and Champlain, commanding the second division from Ticonderoga during the Battle of Lake Champlain. In the ensuing decades he commanded ships in regions around the world. After his promotion to captain in 1844, he went to Bremen, Germany, to advise the Frankfort Assembly on naval matters and was offered command of the future German navy, a post that he declined. After a promotion to commodore, Paulding took command of the Home Squadron in the 1850s followed aboard the flagship Wabash. The squadron was instrumental in foiling the expedition against Nicaragua underway by the American William Walker. Just before the outbreak of the Civil War, Paulding was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to head the Bureau of Detail, where he worked to clear the naval ranks of Confederates and establish the U.S. Navy's loyalty to the Union. In April 1861, he was ordered to reinforce the Norfolk Navy Yard. Paulding retired in December 1861 having risen to the rank of rear Admiral, but continued to serve as the commandant of the New York Navy Yard until the end of the war. 

See also Lots 11, 12, 13, and 59.