Last letter sent from Abraham Lincoln to sacked Civil War general to sell for $100,000

• Final note to Major General George B. McClellan who was sacked for failing to pursue Confederate general
• His removal is credited as sparking victory for the North

A rare letter U.S. President Abraham Lincoln sent to one of his top generals at a turning point in the Civil War is expected to sell for $100,000.
The handwritten note on presidential stationary was sent to Major General George B. McClellan on October 29, 1862.
McClellan was removed from his duties a week afterwards for failing to aggressively pursue Confederate General Robert E. Lee after the Battle of Antietam a month earlier.

President Abraham Lincoln (left) wrote to Major General George B. McClellan (right) before sacking him a week later, which was a turning point in the Civil War

The demotion of McClellan on November 5 is seen as the first of a series of decisions that culminated in the President naming Ulysses S. Grant as his commanding general, a move that ultimately ended the war and brought victory to the North in April 1865.

Memorabilia relating to the 16th President of the United States can fetch millions of dollars and even items relating to Lincoln's dog Fido are snapped up by enthusiasts.
In a 2002 auction five items alone reached a total of in excess of $5.3million.

Letter: The Raab Collection in Philadelphia is selling the document, which for decades has belonged to an anonymous private collector

An autographed manuscript from April 11, 1865 of Lincoln’s last public address raised more than $3million.
Lincoln was assassinated just days afterwards in Ford's Theatre, Washington D.C. by John Wilkes Booth.
The Raab Collection in Philadelphia is selling the latest letter, which for decades has belonged to an anonymous collector.

The letter led to the South losing the Civil War in 1865, but days after victory John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln as he watched a play

TOP 5 LINCOLN ARTEFACTS SOLD AT AUCTION

Letter in July 6, 1859 on Republican strategy for 1860 election $501,000

Letter from October 17, 1861 in response to widow seeking jobs for two of her children $666,000

Abraham Lincoln manuscript from February 1, 1865 detailing the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery $721,000

Autographed quotation from his second inaugural speech from February 1, 1865 $446,000

Autographed manuscript from April 11, 1865 - Lincoln’s last public address $3,086,000

In the letter Lincoln asks McClellan for a progress report and stated he was pleased with the movement of his army as it crossed the Potomac River into Loudoun County, Virginia, and he was closely following its advancement.
The President's battlefield dispatch to McClellan ends: 'When you get entirely across the river let me know. What do you know of the enemy?' The letter is signed A. Lincoln.
Though the apparently hastily scrawled note belies Lincoln's dissatisfaction with McClellan's performance, it is the President's final correspondence to him.
'This was the last straw for Lincoln, who now came into his own,' said Nathan Raab, vice President of The Raab Collection.
'He realised that his strategic sense was better than that of his military experts and that he must exert leadership in military matters rather than defer to his generals.