Rare Gettysburg Address Souvenir Signed by Civil War Statesman and Historian James Grant Wilson

Printed broadside-style souvenir reproducing Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, featuring a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and signed in manuscript by James Grant Wilson (1832–1914), soldier, author, editor, and one of the most prominent Civil War-era literary figures. Beneath the printed text Wilson has penned an eloquent endorsement: “Other than God's Holy word — the greatest document of the ages” and signed: J. G. Wilson A striking commemorative piece linking two generations of Civil War memory. Wilson served as a Union officer during the war, rising to the rank of brevet brigadier general, and afterward became one of the leading interpreters of nineteenth-century American history. He co-edited the influential Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, authored numerous historical works, and was deeply involved in veterans’ and patriotic organizations dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Union. His handwritten assessment is especially noteworthy. While countless commemorative printings of the Gettysburg Address were produced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examples bearing substantive manuscript commentary from a respected Civil War veteran and historian are far scarcer. Wilson’s statement elevates Lincoln’s address beyond a political speech, presenting it as a foundational moral and civic text second only to Scripture itself. The printed sheet reproduces the full text of the Gettysburg Address alongside a portrait vignette of Lincoln, transforming the item into both a historical keepsake and a signed testimonial to Lincoln’s enduring place in American civic culture. Condition: Single printed sheet. Minor age toning and light handling wear. Manuscript inscription and signature bold and attractive. Very good condition. An appealing Lincoln and Civil War association piece, combining the Gettysburg Address with a powerful contemporary endorsement by one of the era’s most respected soldier-historians.