1890 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY MAJOR GENERAL DARIUS N. COUCH — COMMANDER, II CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

1890 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY MAJOR GENERAL DARIUS N. COUCH — COMMANDER, II CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

Hover to zoom

Image 1 Image 2

$65.00 ON HOLD

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2026-1750

One-page autograph letter signed "D N Couch," written from Norwalk, Connecticut, and dated April 1, 1890. Penned in dark ink on a single leaf of period lined stationery (writing area approx. 5 x 8 in.), window-matted to a cream backing board (overall approx. 8 x 11 in.). The verso is blank apart from a faint show-through of the text and a pencil notation, "3/105."

Couch writes to Major John Coddington Kinney, Secretary of the Army & Navy Club of Hartford, graciously declining an invitation:

"Norwalk Conn. / April 1 - 90 // Maj. J. C. Kinney / Sec Army & Navy Club / Hartford // My Dear Sir— / I am sorry that it will not be convenient for me to accept the courtesies of the Club on such an interesting occasion, and my best wishes for your members are that they will be as happy as they were twenty five years ago— / With many thanks Major for your personal attention— / I am Yrs truly / D N Couch"

Darius Nash Couch (1822–1897) graduated from West Point in 1846 and earned a brevet for gallantry at Buena Vista in the Mexican War before rising to major general of U.S. Volunteers in the Civil War. He commanded the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, organized the Pennsylvania militia as head of the Department of the Susquehanna during the Gettysburg Campaign, and later led a division of the XXIII Corps at Franklin and Nashville. He settled in Connecticut after the war, serving as the state's Quartermaster General and Adjutant General, and died at Norwalk in 1897.

The recipient is himself a figure of real Civil War interest. Major J. C. Kinney was the U.S. Army signal officer aboard Admiral Farragut's flagship USS Hartford at the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864, and afterward the author of the much-cited firsthand account "Farragut at Mobile Bay" in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. By 1890 he was a leading Hartford citizen — postmaster and major commanding the Governor's Foot Guard — who died the following year. Couch's wish that the members be "as happy as they were twenty five years ago" points to a commemorative gathering marking the close of the war in 1865, making this a warm exchange between two Connecticut veterans of distinction.

The letter is entirely in Couch's hand and signed by him; a period pencil notation on the mat identifies the writer as "Maj Gen U.S.V."

Condition: Very good. Clean and fully legible in dark ink, with light, even toning. Window-matted; not removed from the mat for examination, verso confirmed blank.    [ss][ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!

Inquire About 1890 AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY MAJOR GENERAL DARIUS N. COUCH — COMMANDER, II CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

should be empty