In the early days of the Civil War, the United States Military was in dire need of experienced military officers. With a number of career military officers, such as Robert E. Lee, joining the Confederate cause, Lincoln looked west for his officers. He selected John Henry Carleton, a member of the 1st United States Dragoons to be a Major in the Union Army. Carleton had previously enjoyed an illustrious military career, serving in the Mexican-American War, Aroostok War, and many other conflicts in the American West. Additionally, Carleton was a key figure in the investigation of the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, in which a troop of homesteading Mormons murdered nearly 140 other emigrants while disguised as a Native American raiding party.

     Lincoln named Carleton a Major in the Sixth Regiment of Cavalry. The Sixth Regiment took part in 16 major conflicts during the Civil War, including Antietam, Gettysburg, and the Appomattox campaign. This commission has been signed by President Lincoln, on the fifth of February, 1862, as well as by Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War. The commission measures 13 x 19 inches and is printed on decorative United States letterhead. It comes in a 23 x 29 inch frame. This item comes with a full LOA from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A04482).

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