It happens from time to time: I go to my mailbox (on Fri., Oct. 2, in this case) and pull out a Priority Mail envelope with a beautiful catalog for an auction being held only days later (Tues., Oct. 6) by an organization I never heard of: The Rail Splitter, who describe themselves on their Web site (www.railsplitter.com, where the auction lots can also be viewed) as “a national organization of collectors, dealers and scholars interested in (Abraham) Lincoln and the material culture of the period.”

They go on to say that “we publish a quarterly journal, host Lincoln and Civil War auctions, sponsor exhibits and tours, and help buy, sell, and appraise historical Americana. We have members all across the country ... people interested in everything from vintage photography to autographs, from political campaign memorabilia to stamps and coins, from assassination ephemera to relics – not to mention keepsakes of other personalities of the period.

We track auction results, report on recent finds, picture new discoveries, provide insight on authenticating an item and feature in-depth articles such as: how to determine the authenticity of a broadside; an examination of the Ford’s Theatre playbills and how to judge the different printings; Lincoln in photography – valuing CDVs (cartes de visite, small-size mounted photos) with different imprints; and so forth … We take pride in keeping the quarterly visual, graphic and fun to read.”

WOW! Not only do these Rail Splitter folks “get” the educational aspects of collecting – that it’s not base acquisitiveness but the building of a body of knowledge – they know how to make the hobby fun and inclusive!

They have also put together a first-class theme-based auction on the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth (and the first year of the first African-American presidency, I might add) that’s of interest to more than just devotees of Honest Abe, as they indicated. Certainly anyone with an interest in the Civil War is going to be all over this one – re-enactors, genealogists, collectors of individual Union and Confederate personalities, collectors of African-American history (a subject I look forward to writing on), photography enthusiasts, etc., etc.

Apparently, The Rail Splitter got my name and address from another auctioneer’s or autograph dealer’s mailing list. This seemed to be confirmed by The Rail Splitter’s auction go-to guy, the very personable Jonathan Mann, who is also the editor of the organization’s quarterly, “The Rail Splitter: A Journal for the Lincoln Collector” as well as a director of the Abraham Lincoln Institute (www.lincoln-insitute.org). That was apparently why I got my catalog so late: The extras were sent out people who hadn’t actually requested them. So sometimes having your name passed around is a good thing.

As I told Jonathan, I was disappointed: Not having known of them, and only just having received the catalog – and having pressing commitments for the next couple of days – I knew I couldn’t get a blog out fast enough to do much good. (I expect to blog their next auction well in advance: Apparently they hold them annually.)

There are upwards of 1,000 items in the current auction: autographs, Civil War letters and diaries, Lincoln assassination and mourning items, photography, political material, broadsides, ephemera, books, newspapers and artwork. Hammer prices are expected to run from the low hundreds for soldiers’ letters to tens of thousands of dollars for a couple of high-end Lincoln autographs, like a letter to General Lew Wallace (est. $25,000 to $30,000), who would later pen “Ben-Hur” and, as governor of New Mexico Territory, reject Billy the Kid’s appeal for amnesty. (Most signed Lincoln material is expected to sell in the $4,000–$7,000 range). There’s a 15 percent buyer’s premium. Here are a few interesting items in different price ranges that tickled my interest:

• Kentucky Confederate broadside from Lincoln’s birthplace. 10 x 11.5,” from the first month of the war, exhorting young men to enlist in the “great struggle now upon us.” (Est. $3,000–$5,000)

• Civil War regimental drum. From the 5th Maryland U.S. Infantry, carried during the war by Matthias Lowman. The drum made by the Union Drum Manufacturing Co. of Baltimore, with various inscriptions inside. Comes with original torn drumhead and six original leather tensioners. Needs restoration. (Est. $3,000–$5,000). [NOTE: I did my own search on Lowman (1849–1923, buried in Odenton, Md.): He enlisted in Oct. 1861 (at age 12 or 13, like a lot of drummer boys) and presumedly served at the Battle of Antietam and in his regiment’s other operations before being mustered out in Oct. 1864.]

• Carte de visite of a black soldier, autographed by him. Rare CDV of Sgt. George Smith of 2nd U.S. Colored Cavalry with signature on verso. (Est. $1,000–$1,500)

• Civil War playing cards. Full set of 52 “Union Playing Cards” in original box, made by American Playing Cards of New York. The cards, the box states, have “NATIONAL EMBLEMS!!” because “FOREIGN EMBLEMS USED LONG ENOUGH IN U.S.”: Columbia is a queen; Union generals are kings; shields, flags, eagles and stars replace the usual hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The cards show only minor signs of use but are in very fine condition. (Est. $1,000–$1,500)

• Letter by a Union Soldier with military, racial and sexual content. From Private Elbridge G. Pond, 2nd Mass. Heavy Artillery, 4pp., Moorehead City, N.C., Feb. 24, 1864, to a friend near his hometown of Monson, MA. In part, with original misspellings: “We have had stiring times since I wrote you last the rebels have attacked newbern and they have had a quite a tussel but have ben driven back … we expect that they would atact us we had about 200 nigers at work falling logs acrost the roads and thoughing in trenchments but they uisley dept away the gunboats would nock hell out of them for they can run up both sides of us we were dept in the fort for one week and slept by our loaded guns … you asked me if i got any skin i tell you the truth when i tell you i have not there is nothing to fuck but black and i would not do that ...” With original envelope, stamp removed. (Est. $500–$750)

Check out the goods at www.railsplitter.com.

Photos courtesy of The Rail Splitter, www.railsplitter.com