Abraham Lincoln and the Army discharge note (inset)

(FoxNews) – A hastily scrawled note by President Abraham Lincoln just two months
before his assassination ordering a disabled 14-year-old boy released from the
Army in response to an impassioned plea from the boy’s father went on sale
today in Philadelphia.

The message saying “Let this boy be discharged,” and signed A. Lincoln was 
written on a telegram from Col. Thomas W. Harris about his son, Perry. It had
been in a private collection and was valued at $15,000 by Nathan Raab of the
Raab Collection, which offered the previously unknown document for sale. 

The letter is considered rare because there are few Lincoln documents relating
to children.

Lincoln’s order came just two months before he was assassinated by John Wilkes
Booth at Ford’s Theatre on April 15, 1865. Ironically, Perry Harris was discharged
from the Army the same day.

                          Artie Shaw (Arthur Jacob Arshawsky) 
                            (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004)

Shaw was a clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also a author
who wrote both fiction and non-fiction short stories. Shaw had long been
suffering from diabetes.

Shaw led one of the most popular big bands in the late 1930s through
the early 1940s. Their signature song, a 1938 version of Cole Porter‘s
"Begin the Beguine", was a wildly successful single. He retired from the
music business in 1954.

Mike Gracia

Joan Henrietta Collins is a British born actress, author and columnist who 
at age 22, headed to Hollywood and landed sultry roles in films such as
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) and Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys! 
(1958).

Collins also protrayed Alexis Carrington Colby, the role for which she is
perhaps best known, in the long-running prime-time ABC television
soap opera Dynasty (1981-1989).

Freddie Milano (August 26, 1939 – January 1, 2012) was second
tenor of The Belmonts. 

The Belmonts from left: Fred Milano, Dion DiMucci,
and Angelo D’Aleo.