President Tyler Signs Military Commission For Future Union General Joseph J. Reynolds Before His Military Success

JOHN TYLER (1790-1862). John Tyler was the Tenth President.JOSEPH J. REYNOLDS (1822-1899). Reynolds was an Union Civil War general who fought at Chickamauga.DS. 1pg. 14 x 16. February 17, 1845. Washington, D.C. A document signed John Tyler as President and Wm Wilkins as Secretary of War. Tyler appointing Joseph J. Reynolds to Brevet Second Lieutenant of Artillery. Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities of Joseph J. Reynolds, I have nominated, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him a Brevet Second Lieutenant of Artillery in the service of the United States: to rank as such from the first day of July, eighteen hundred and forty three. He is therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Brevet Second Lieutenant, by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging. And I do strictly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers under his command, to be obedient to his orders as Brevet Second Lieutenant. And he is to observe and follow such orders and directions, from time to time, as he shall receive from me, or the future President of the United States of America, or the General or other superior Officers set over him, according to the rules and discipline of War. This Commission to continue in force during the pleasure of the President of the United States for the time being. By the President: John Tyler Wm Wilkins Secretary of War. In the mid-1800s, the Army had a very strict limit on the number of permanent officers allowed by Congress. When cadets graduated from West Point, there were not enough vacancies for them to become Second Lieutenants. Instead, they were commissioned as Brevet officers, allowing them to serve and gain experience while waiting for a permanent slot to open. This document shows the beginning of Joseph J. Reynold's military career; he would go on to become a Major General in the Union Army. He is best known for his role at the Battle of Cheat Mountain in 1861, where his forces pushed back Robert E. Lees first major offensive of the war. The Tyler signature is large and dark and the vellum has sharp folds; the condition is very good. It is professionally framed.