Civil War era Confederate military appointment commission signed by Zebulon Baird Vance (1830-1894) 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, dated March 16, 1864, conferring the rank of Second Lieutenant in the 33rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry to Frank B. Craige. Unframed. 16 5/8" H x 10 5/8" W. Biography: Frank Burton Craige (1846-1913) was born in Catawba County, NC to editor, lawyer, and congressman Francis Burton Craige and Elizabeth Phifer Craige. Two of his brothers Major James A. Craige and Captain Kerr Craige also served in the Confederate army. He passed away in Mount Pleasant, TN and was buried in Arlington Cemetery, Maury County, TN. Note: "The 33rd Infantry Regiment completed its organization at the old fair grounds at Raleigh, North Carolina, in September, 1861. The men were recruited in the counties of Iredell, Edgecombe, Cabarrus, Wilkes, Gates, Hyde, Cumberland, Forsyth, and Greene. After fighting at New Bern, the unit moved to Virginia and saw action at Hanover Court House. It served under Generals Branch and Lane and participated in the campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. Later it took its place in the Petersburg trenches and was involved in the Appomattox operations. This regiment sustained 75 casualties during the Seven Days' Battles, 36 at Cedar Mountain, 8 at Second Manassas, and 41 at Fredericksburg. It lost forty-two percent of the 480 engaged at Chancellorsville and twenty percent of the 368 at Gettysburg. The unit reported 4 killed and 19 wounded at Spotsylvania and 5 killed, 29 wounded, and 4 missing at Jericho Mills. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered 11 officers and 108 men. The field officers were Colonels Clark M. Avery, Lawrence O. Branch, and Robert V. Cowan; Lieutenant Colonels Robert F. Hoke and J.H. Saunders; and Majors William G. Lewis, Thomas W. Mayhew, and James A. Weston." (source: https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=CNC0033RI).

CONDITION: Overall very good condition with scattered foxing spots, staining, largest 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" (does not affect signature), later pencil inscriptions, creasing, tears, largest 1/4" x 1/4", to fold lines. Sheet has adhered to an auxiliary paper support.