THAT BELONGED TO GENERAL OF THE ARMY & PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT. This Meerschaum-type pipe may be more accurately termed a cigar pipe or cigar holder. It measures just over 3 1/4" long and features a beautifully articulated eagle clutching a recently departed rabbit. The pipe was a gift from General Grant to his friend and Aide-de-camp, Colonel Clark B. Lagow. Colonel Lagow was from the same geographical area as General Grant, and they enlisted on the same day in 1861. The two men became lifelong friends, though Lagow died a short three years after the close of hostilities. A handwritten letter, penned in Greensburg, IN, on January 29, 1916, accompanies the pipe. The letter explains that the pipe was given by General Grant to Colonel Lagow and that, after his return to Palestine in Crawford County, IL, Lagow gave the pipe to his brother, David. The letter goes on to trace the descent of the pipe in the family until the letter was written in 1916. This pipe is an extraordinary embodiment of Civil War history, with direct ties to arguably the most famous figure during the war. CONDITION: the pipe was a wonderful mellow cream-colored patina, with rich heat-toning and tobacco deposits on the top and interior of the bowl. There is expected light wear to the exterior surfaces, but no damage to this impressive relic. (02-21299/BF). $5,000-7,500.