Hand signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, this official Civil War era document appointed Henry S. Williams to the title of Additional Paymaster for the volunteer forces on June 3, 1864. An AAN certificate of authenticity accompanies the document. Henry S. Williams has not been identified. Simple online searches have found two Henry S. Williams listed in Civil War records. According to ehistory.osu.edu, Captain Henry S. Williams served with the 62nd Ohio Infantry. The 62nd Ohio Infantry fought in a number of engagements including Siege of Charleston, Siege of Petersburg, Appomattox Campaign and Battle of Appomattox Court House. A second Henry S. Williams is reported to have served as a private with the 29th Indiana Infantry according to civil-war-soldiers.findthebest.com. The 29th Indiana Infantry fought in the Battle of Shiloh, Battle of Stones River and Battle of Chickamauga. During the Civil War, the U.S. president had the power to appoint paymasters at a rate of one paymaster to every two regiments. Paymasters served under the command of a paymaster general, an officer with the rank of colonel. Under the colonel were two deputy paymasters with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Under the deputy paymasters were 25 deputies with the rank of major. Deputies or additional paymasters were appointed to temporary duty only. According to William C. Moffat, Jr. in the article "Soldiers Pay," "From April 15, 1861 to April 14, 1865 there was a total of men in armed forces of 2,656,553. Total pay disbursed July, 1861 to October 1865 was $1,029,239,000." A private's base pay was $13 per month while a brigadier general's base pay was $315 per month.

Very good. Although some typical age fading has accrued, the printing remains legible. Lincoln's and Stanton's signatures remain vivid and clearly legible. An original Union document signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton that would be a conversation piece for any Civil War militaria collection!