Civil War Colonel

United States Diplomat

Autograph Letter Signed

(1821-1900) A native of New York City, he graduated from Harvard in 1841, and was a lawyer by occupation. He began his Civil War career as aide-de-camp to Governor Edwin D. Morgan of New York and inspected New York troops at Fortress Monroe in 1861. In March of 1862, Hoffman was commissioned assistant adjutant general and served on the staff of General Thomas Williams. He was with General Williams during the capture of New Orleans, the siege of Vicksburg, and the expedition to Baton Rouge where General Williams was killed. He was then ordered to join the staff of General William T. Sherman with whom he served until late 1863 when he was ordered to join the staff of General William B. Franklin whom he accompanied on the expedition to Sabine Pass, Texas, and throughout the Red River campaign. He next served on the staff of General Quincy A. Gillmore in Virginia, and was then assigned by General Benjamin F. Butler as the assistant adjutant general of the District of Eastern Virginia and North Carolina. In March 1865 he was assigned to duty in New Orleans as chief of staff to General E.R.S. Canby. He was commissioned colonel on March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the Civil War. After the war, Hoffman was appointed assistant secretary of the Legation at Paris by Secretary of State William H. Seward. He became first secretary in 1867 and served through the 1870 siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. He later served in London, and St. Petersburg, before being appointed Ambassador to Denmark in February 1883.

Autograph Letter Signed: 2 plus pages, 4 1/2 x 7, in ink, written to General William B. Franklin, on imprinted Legation of the United States Copenhagen, letter sheet, dated Sept. 30th/84. Mentions that he sent him a check in the amount of $125.00, Frank writes that the gun suits him exactly and that he hopes to give a good account of it among the quails, just got back from a week's trip in Denmark which he took to make himself better again, and he sends his kind regards to Mrs. Franklin. Signed with closing, Wickham Hoffman. Light age toning and wear. Very fine.