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JOHN A. DIX, 1876, Card Signed

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Autographs

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"John A. Dix" Signature

JOHN A. DIX.
December 2, 1876, Card Signed, "John A. Dix," 2.75" x 4.25," Choice Mint. This choice condition signature card was signed near the end of John Dix's long career, after he had lost the race to become Mayor of New York City. This card is in original condition because it has been in its original envelope (included in this lot) for more than a century. Though the card is dated in December 1876, Dix apparently didn't mail it until the following April, to early autograph collector Edward P. Lord. The envelope is in nice condition, just as it arrived at Lord's residence. Dix became a Civil War hero in 1861, when serving as Secretary of the Treasury, he telegraphed Treasury agents in the south: "If any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot." This quotation was used on Civil War tokens issued as small change during the war. A lovely signature with an established provenance. (2 items).



John Adams Dix (1798–1879) served in the War of 1812, and later practiced law in Cooperstown, NY. He held various state offices and served during 1845–1849 as Democratic U.S. Senator from New York. In 1848 he ran for Governor of New York on the Free-Soil ticket. President Buchanan appointed him Secretary of the Treasury in 1861, and in his two-month tenure of office, despite secession, he was able to secure loans. As Treasury Secretary, at the outbreak of the Civil War, he sent a telegram to the Treasury agents in New Orleans ordering that: "If any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot." Although the telegram was intercepted by Confederates, and was never delivered to the Treasury agents, the text found its way to the press, and Dix became one of the first heroes of the North during the Civil War. This quotation is found on Civil War tokens minted during the war, although the wording is slightly modified. He was a Major General in the Civil War and later (1866–1869) minister to France. Dix was prominent in railroad affairs and in 1863 became president of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was also the long-time president of the Erie Railroad. Dix served as Republican Governor of New York in 1873–1874, but was unsucessful in his run for Mayor of New York City in 1876.

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