JOHN C. ROPES - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED - HFSID 27951

JOHN C. ROPES
The founder of the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts signs his name in black ink
Autograph note signed: "John C. Ropes" in black ink. 1 page, 5¼x4. In full: "The Military Service Journal I also take, but I have not yet seen this article which you speak of. Yours very truly,". Post script: "I am very glad to hear from you again. The Paper on...". John C. Ropes (1836-1899) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia as the son of a leading Boston merchant who was doing business in Russia; at the age of 14 having returned to Massachusetts, Ropes developed an infection of the spine which eventually became a permanent deformity. In 1853 he entered Harvard where he studied religion, law and history, eventually becoming a conspicuous and successful lawyer. It was the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861 that fixed his attention principally on military history, and spent the war devoted to the collection and elucidation of all obtainable evidence as to its incidents and events. He created the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts in 1876 which worked to collect and discuss the evidence relating to the Civil War, of which whose members all served in the war. His unfinished book Story of the Civil War covers the war from 1861-1862; but the majority of his work on the Civiil War is in the Military Historical Society's publications. However, Ropes best known work is The Campaign of Waterloo which is considered one of the standard works on the subject. Toned. Normal mailing folds. Irregularly cut. Slightly worn and soiled. Stained throughout. Otherwise, fine condition.