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This Civil War stampless cover was mailed from Union-occupied Memphis, Tennessee, on November 26 (penciled 1862 by a collector) and addressed to Emma G. Turk in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The highlight of this cover is the military endorsement in the upper left corner. In July 1861, Congress passed a law allowing soldiers in the field to mail letters without prepaying the standard 3-cent postage, provided the envelope was officially endorsed by their commanding officer. The recipient would then pay the postage upon delivery (hence the bold\"Due 3\"handstamp).
This specific letter was endorsed byOscar Hugh La Grange (1837–1915), who signed it:\"Soldiers Letter / O.H. La Grange / Lieut. Col. Comdg / 1st Wis Cav\".
La Grange is a legendary figure in Wisconsin and Civil War history. Before the war, he was a fierce abolitionist who famously participated in the 1854 storming of a Milwaukee jail to free Joshua Glover, a runaway slave. During the war, he quickly rose through the ranks of the1st Wisconsin Cavalry, operating extensively throughout the Western Theater (including the occupation of Memphis in late 1862). La Grange was later promoted to full Colonel and eventually Brevet Brigadier General. He and the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry are most famous for their final act of the war: in May 1865, La Grange\'s cavalrymen successfully hunted down andcaptured Confederate President Jefferson Davisin Georgia.
Value Drivers$75+.Authentic Civil War \"Soldier\'s Letters\" are foundational pieces for postal historians. However, the value here is driven heavily by the specific officer\'s endorsement. Signatures from famous commanders like O.H. La Grange—especially tied to a legendary unit like the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry—give this massive crossover appeal for military historians, Wisconsin state collectors, and Civil War manuscript buyers.
Transcription
[Front - Top Left Endorsement]Soldiers Letter O.H La Grange Lieut. Col. Comdg 1st Wis Cav
[Address Panel]Emma G Turk Kenosha Wis
[Pencil Collector Note]1862
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