Confederate Civil War Robert E Lee People of Maryland Proclamation Broadside

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Civil War Robert E Lee People of Maryland Proclamation Broadside
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Up for sale today is this Rare Proclamation to the People of Maryland issued by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee announcing his presence in the State of MD for the purpose of enlisting support from Maryland’s citizens. Confederate General Robert E. Lee explains why his Army of Northern Virginia has undertaken an invasion of their state. Hoping to appeal to the slave holding and Confederate-leaning citizens of Maryland, Lee refers to them as being "allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political and commercial ties"; he goes on to accuse the North of having turned Maryland into a "conquered Province." Lee writes that the Confederate army is there to aid "in throwing off this foreign yoke" of Union oppression and to help "regain the rights of which you have been despoiled." The stated mission failed. Greeted without the expected enthusiasm from Maryland's citizens, Lee's army then suffered the disadvantage of being on hostile territory for the first time in the war. Less than two weeks after this proclamation, Lee was in retreat. The bloody Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, and the following day Lee's army began moving across the Potomac River, back to Confederate territory. The invasion had been a high-stakes gamble that failed.
The text of Lee’s message is as follows:
Headquarters, Army of Northern Virginia Near Fredericktown September 8, 1862: To the People of Maryland: It is right that you should know the purpose that brought the army under my command within the limits of your State, so far as that purpose concerns yourselves. The people of the Confederate States have long watched with the deepest sympathy the wrongs and outrages that have been inflicted upon the citizens of a commonwealth allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political, and commercial ties. They have seen with profound indignation their sister State deprived of every right and reduced to the condition of a conquered province. Under the pretense of supporting the Constitution, but in violation of its most valuable provisions, your citizens have been arrested and imprisoned upon no charge and contrary to all forms of law. The faithful and manly protest against this outrage made by the venerable and illustrious Marylander, to whom in better days no citizen appealed for right in vain, was treated with scorn and contempt; the government of your chief city has been usurped by armed strangers; your legislature has been dissolved by the unlawful arrest of its members; freedom of the press and of speech has been suppressed; words have been declared offenses by an arbitrary decree of the Federal Executive, and citizens ordered to be tried by a military commission for what they may dare to speak. Believing that the people of Maryland possessed a spirit too lofty to submit to such a government, the people of the South have long wished to aid you in throwing off this foreign yoke, to enable you again to enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore independence and sovereignty to your State. In obedience to this wish, our army has come among you, and is prepared to assist you with the power of its arms in regaining the rights of which you have been despoiled. This, citizens of Maryland, is our mission, so far as you are concerned. No constraint upon your free will is intended; no intimidation will be allowed within the limits of this army, at least. Marylanders shall once more enjoy their ancient freedom of thought and speech. We know no enemies among you, and will protect all, of every opinion. It is for you to decide your destiny freely and without constraint. This army will respect your choice, whatever it may be; and while the Southern people will rejoice to welcome you to your natural position among them, they will only welcome you when you come of your own free will. R. E. LEE, General, Commanding.
A very important and rare southern imprint from Gen. Robert E. Lee. Only a handful of orig copies are known. The proclamation is printed on period paper in black ink and is housed in a Victorian style rustic cross frame.
CONDITION: Very good. Three vertical folds and one horizontal fold that have created a weakness that does not affect the printed text in a serious manner. There is a 3" tear near the center that does extend into the first three sentences but is very legible.
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