This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/4/2014
He fired the first shot in defense of Ft. Sumter in the opening battle of the American Civil War. He was a key figure in the Battle of Gettysburg. He obtained a patent for the cable car railway that still operates in San Fransisco. However, he most certainly did not invent the game of baseball, despite the findings of the Mills Commission in 1907. That report indicated that Abner Doubleday had devised "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence obtainable to date." Nonetheless, his name remains intrinsically ingrained in the history of the game, and his autograph continues to be highly desirable. The offered item is a memo addressed to Wm. L. Ford Esq, and signed by Doubleday at the bottom and again on the reverse, along with a March 1865 inscription. Accompanied by a period CDV in VG to VG/EX condition. LOA James Spence Authentication (JSA).