Civil War-Date Autograph Letter Signed

POPE, JOHN (1822-92)  Union Major General; Led the Union Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Second Bull Run

KIRKWOOD, SAMUEL JORDAN (1813-94)  U.S. Secretary of the Interior – 1881-82; Governor of Iowa – 1860-64 & 1876-77; U.S. Senator – Iowa – 1866-67 & 1877-81

Autograph Letter Signed, 8” x 9 ¾”.  Transferred to the Department of the Northwest, Pope requests the appointment of a staff officer from Iowa Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood.

“Milwaukee [Wisconsin], April 20/[18]63. 

My dear Sir,

I am desirous of placing on my Staff Mr. Wm. C. Perkins, the son of an old friend.  He has served throughout the present hostilities and is a young man eminently worthy.

I am not able however to give him such a place unless he can get the app[ointment]t of Lieut[enant] in some regiment.

May I ask you to give him an appointment as 1^st Lieut[enant] in some one of the Iowa regiments.

If you can do so you will confer a great personal favor upon me which I shall be at all times glad to acknowledge.

If you can accede to my request, please send his appointment enclosed to me.

I am very Dear Sir very respectfully
Your Serv[an]t 
Jno. Pope,
Maj[or] Gen[era]l U.S.A.

Hon[orable] S[amuel] J. Kirkwood
Gov[ernor] of Iowa
Iowa City.”

The reverse bears two initialed notations of Governor Kirkwood, “Adj[utan]t Gen[era]l Baker, I wish very much to gratify Gen[eral] Pope.  Can you arrange it in some way?  S.J.K.”; “Wrote him. S.J.K.,” along with a signed, handwritten endorsement from the adjutant general.

Overall condition is very good, with heavier wear and toning at the usual vertical and horizontal folds.