Description:

Mosby John

John S. Mosby, the Confederate "Gray Ghost," Recalls his Nashville, TE Wedding 50 Years Later

1p ALS inscribed overall and signed by John S. Mosby (1833-1916), the legendary Confederate cavalry commander, as "Jno: Mosby" near center. Written in Washington, D.C. on December 4, 1907. On watermarked cream stationery with cobalt blue embossed "Department of Justice, / Washington." letterhead. A faint reverse impression of the letterhead at bottom. Expected paper folds and isolated weathering, else near fine. 8" x 10.625".

"December 4th 1907

My dear Cousin:

I have just recd your letter of Dec. 1st. It will give me great pleasure to meet your nephews to show him some attention. Your lady friend to whom you gave the card of introduction has not yet presented it. Under a separate cover I send you two pictures of myself. I note the pictures on the souvenir card + have no doubt that Nashville has improved greatly since I was married there on Dec: 30th 1856. My love to your family. I recd today a very kind letter from Gov. J.D. Porter of the Peabody University of Nashville.

Sincerely Yours,

Jno: Mosby."


Confederate cavalry commander John S. Mosby, called the "Gray Ghost" because of his uncanny ability to disappear after launching devastating raids, led his crack Virginia regiment, Mosby's Rangers, at the Battle of Bull Run and during the Peninsular campaign. In 1907, the retired war hero, then a hale 73-year-old, was working at the Department of Justice at the Bureau of Insular and Territorial Affairs. Between 1904-1910, Mosby provided governmental oversight, investigating allegations of the misappropriation of Indian trust funds, for example.

In the letter, Mosby speculates that Nashville, Tennessee, where he had been married 50 years earlier, had greatly changed. Mosby had married Pauline Clarke (1837-1876), the daughter of a Kentucky Congressman, at a city hotel on December 30, 1857. (Not December 30, 1856 as Mosby remembered it.) In attendance was then Tennessee Senator and future 17th U.S. President Andrew Johnson. Mosby and his bride had eight children before Pauline's death at age 39 due to complications in the delivery of their last child.

"Gov. J.D. Porter" referred to James Davis Porter (1828-1912), himself a Confederate veteran. The lawyer had served as Governor of Tennessee between 1875-1879. Between 1901-1909, Porter served as president of Peabody College, established at the University of Nashville and funded by financier philanthropist George Peabody's generous endowment.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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