In this lot, you have the opportunity to bid on a true piece of American military, and Montana history in the form of a Lester S. Willson promotional commission document. The form promotes Willson to Brigadier General by Brevet, stating "for gallant and meritorious services under General Sherman, resulting in the fall of Atlanta, Georgia.". The form is dated to March 12th, 1867. Lester Willson left New York in April 1867 taking a much less arduous route to Bozeman. The Bozeman Trail was now closed because of Indian trouble so Lester traveled by Union Pacific passenger train from Chicago to Platte City, Missouri. From there, stagecoaches carried General Willson to Denver, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah and on to Virginia City, Montana. He met with then Territorial Governor of Montana, Thomas F. Meagher in Virginia City and arrived in Bozeman on May 22, 1867. He became an active partner with his brother Davis, Rich and Tuller in running the mercantile business which was now flourishing because of the construction of Fort Ellis just west of town. In January, 1868 he returned to New York and proposed to Miss Emma D. Weeks. By May, he was back in Bozeman helping run the business. In January 1869, Willson returned to Albany, New York to marry Miss Emma D. Weeks on March 2, 1869, and bring her back to Bozeman. Returning via a Missouri River steamboat to Fort Benton, Montana, Lester, Emma and her piano were back in Bozeman by mid-May 1869. They soon moved into a remodeled cabin originally built by Daniel E. Rouse in 1864 in what was at the time one of the finest residences in Bozeman. Tuller left the business in 1868 and Davis Willson in 1870 to rejoin for a short period in 1872. Davis Willson eventually became a Presbyterian minister in the 1880s and the pastor of a small Gallatin Valley church. Lester Willson sold "The Willson Company" in 1914 five years before his death in 1919. The document appears to be hand signed by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, and President Andrew Johnson. Overall, the fine piece of ephemera shows very-good condition for age, showing storage creases, and slight edge wear. The script shows fine detail. The piece measures 19 1/4" x 14 3/4". For a complete representation of condition and for additional images please call 800-686-4216. It is the buyer۪s responsibility to view each image and preview the item to determine condition.