Museum Hopes Early James Monroe Signature Boosts Fanship

When James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library Director Scott Harris learned that a reputable dealer had what might be the earliest signature of James Monroe, he knew he had to have it to add to what is already the largest repository of artifacts and documents related to the country's fifth president.

The artifact is a February 23, 1778, furlough for a soldier named Second Lt. John Wallace Jr. of the Sixth Pennsylvania Regiment, who was serving at Valley Forge and on it is the signature of a 19-year-old major named James Monroe, who would go on to become one of the country's founding fathers.

“We learned of this late last year when a documents dealer was putting it on the market in his catalogue," Harris said today. "The dealer was known to us, so we had a good confidence level on its authenticity. For us, it is very noteworthy because it is one of the earliest examples of anything James Monroe has signed."

Harris said museum supporters donated the few thousands dollars it took to buy the artifact. There are about 180 members. Usually, the museum relies on donations for its exhibits, but this situation was "a very special case." He said the negotiations and fundraising took several weeks and it is especially gratifying to him knowing that so many people supported the museum in this effort. He specifically thanked Paul M. Jones Revocable Trust, Stewart Jones Charitable Trust, Clan Munro Association, Champe and Mary Randolph Corbin, Mary Alice Regier Hoes, Charles and Mary Wynn McDaniel, Rita M. Stone and Judge Jere M. H. Willis Jr. and Barbara Willis.

He hopes that once the museum showcases the artifact, it becomes a community engagement tool that brings more people to the museum in downtown Fredericksburg on Charles Street. The museum is putting the finishing touches on the case and the furlough should be available to see this month.

"We don’t have a lot of information or artifacts related to this period of his life," Harris said. "This is one that not only related to that period, but it also bears his signature."

Harris said museum staff were also able to identify the soldier referenced in the furlough and discovered he was responsible for naming Waynesboro, Pa.

The museum's mission statement is to study, interpret and present Monroe's life and times, and to trace the social, political and intellectual influence he had so the museum can present it in exhibitions, publications, scholarly presentations, community events and educational programs. The museum was founded in 1927 and is owned by the state and University of Mary Washington is the administrator.

"Our goal from the interpreter's side is to be able to talk more about James Monroe's legacy," Harris said. "What it means for the museum functionally is we want to highlight how our friends group helped us and try to encourage the friends to get more people to join to show what this can do."