Here is a piece of cloth (with a lot of history) that went for $22k.
Stacks' description:
Quote:
C. O Brown, Mesilla, A.T. Twenty-Five Cts. "Payable in U. S. Notes, …" Dec. 2, 1862[?]. Printed on Cloth. Choice Very Fine.
Uniface. Printed in white linen. No imprint. 124mm by 64mm. Typeset within simple black frame. Top, "C. O. BROWN,/MESILLA, A. T." separated with line. Across center, "Twenty-Five Cts". Below, smaller sized text: "Payable in U.S. Notes, when presented in sums of Five Dollars." Below, signature spaces. Signed "Wm. B. Maxwell" in red and at the bottom, issuer's "C.O. Brown" in dark pen. Written No.46. Unlisted in Durand. (Interesting Notes About Territories). Not in Schingoethe Parts 1 to 14. Not in the Ford Collection Part XX Sale. An excessively rare and important note. Stack's has been privileged to offer perhaps the entire core of Mesilla Civil War issues in the span of less than five years. John Ford had three of the notes. Two types of paper Skillman notes (Ford XX Sale) and the cloth note issued by Sumowski sold in Ford XV. Here in this sale we are please to offer this choice quality C. P. Brown cloth note. This is the first we have catalogued and it is truly an exceptional note. William B. Maxwell, to whom the note was issued, was a former Mexican War soldier (discharged in 1847). He settled at Moccasin Spring, A.T. in 1864 but left in 1866 amidst Indian troubles. He spent the rest of his life in Arizona until his death in 1894 at Mesa. Charles O. Brown, being a saloon operator, was a much more flavorful character in Mesilla. He was born in 1829 in Essex County, New York, but the lure of forty-niner gold took him west. In 1850 he got involved with dubious sorts who were selling Apache scalps to the Mexican Government. The leader of this savage band, Captain John Glanton, often hacked into friendly Indians and Mexicans themselves for the bounties. Glanton became the security "beef" for a ferry operation on the Gila and Colorado River areas and dispatched a competing operator in order to run it himself. Ferrying these immigrants was profitable and the operation exploitive. Any local Indians doing ferrying work on the side were taken out and became part of the Apache scalp count. Having enough of this, several Indians ambushed Glanton and his men in their tents and killed them. Brown, who was out chopping wood with some others, escaped to California. Legend had it that $30,000 of buried gold from the raiders was never recovered. Brown had supposedly also escaped by his wits while under arrest prior to the Indian led massacre for a shooting. Around 1858, Brown returned to Arizona with his remaining stake from the raids and opened a saloon and gambling den. For a $500 fee he exclusively ran the booze and cards in town. He went to Mesilla to get married and opened the best saloon in the territory. After the war, as a wealthy man, he pursued recreational interests and continued to do business. He owned one of the finest mineral collections in the territory and was deeply interested in mining and prospecting. Later life befell him with tragedies and saloon fixtures were sold off in 1879. In 1908, he died, allegedly with few assets. The condition of this note is wonderful, as it should be for such a sturdy cloth. Quarter folded with some handling. There is some minor foxing seen more so on the back of the note. This is truly a sensational scrip note woven with fiendish tales and crafted in legend.
The Civil War era history associated with the Mesilla, A.T. issues appeared in Ford XX as follows:
"The Confederate War history this far west is not well known yet is quite fascinating. Early in 1862, a large Confederate force entered what is present day New Mexico. Texas seceded from the Union, Fort Bliss at El Paso was evacuated and captured by the Grays, who continued onwards to Fort Fillmore. Fillmore has also been abandoned by the Union forces. With Mes(or 'x')illa as the capital, the Confederate Territory of Arizona was created.
Meanwhile, farther north, the Union regrouped under Colonel Edward Canby. The Confederates under Brigadier General Henry H. Sibley arrived at their newly acquired stronghold at Fort Bliss, then headed north on the Camino Real to engage the Union. Canby had 3,800 men including Kit Carson's 1st New Mexico Volunteers (mostly Hispanic fighters from northern New Mexico). Sibley counted only 2,500 men and 15 cannons for their battle on February 13, 1862. Both sides suffered greatly amidst harsh winter conditions of dust and bad weather. The Union retreated into Fort Craig, but fortunately for Canby and his men, Sibley could not muster up the resources for a siege. Instead, Sibley had to head for Albuquerque to regroup. The Confederates were eventually defeated on March 28, 1862, at the Battle of Gloreta and retreated to Texas." [citation, R. M. Smythe's 2005 Memphis Sale Catalogue: Lot 1354.]
After the Union had set up shop in Mesilla, the need for private scrip was essential. William Skillman, a Confederate sympathizer initially, remained in operation as a necessary functionary with the rail road and post office in the Territory. The later Sumowski outfit (see Ford XV Sale) was associated with the 1st California Volunteers and may have served as a sutler's store (though not specified on the note). The 1st California initially came out of Oakland, down south to Los Angeles in October, 1861 and saw action in chasing down Showlater's group in the San Jose Valley at Warner's ranch. Other engagements from December, 1861 to April, 1862 period included companies being split for duties at Fort Yuma and Camp Latham. After the Carleton's Expedition they saw their Arizona theater duty. After the Confederate forces were driven from Mesilla, the 1st marched towards Tucson along the Gila River from April 10, 1862 to May 20, 1862 and engaged at Pechecho Pass. After that battle, they marched across the desert to the Rio Grande in July and August 1862, finally arriving at Mesilla itself. They remained until Christmas of that year. The Mesilla currency issues, such as this Brown linen note, are tangible reminders of a little known era in Civil War history