WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 5/24 - HFSID 285360

WILLIAM H. RUSSELL
ALS inviting his friend William Digby Seymour to a dinner party
Autograph Letter signed: "W. H. Russell", 1 page, 4½x7¼ folded, 8¾x7¼ open flat. China Terrace, Kennington Road (London), May 24, n. y. To W. D. Seymour, in full: I trust you will give me the great gratification of your company at my call party tomorrow. If you say you will dine we'll keep a place for you at my mess and after dinner we move to other and I trust better quarters. Let me have your reply and don't disappoint yours ever faithfully". William Howard Russell (1820-1907), an Irish reporter for the Times of London, was among the first war correspondents, although he hated that term. Russell gained fame with his coverage of the Crimean War (1854-1855), where his observations and conversations with common soldiers gave readers at home their first realistic glimpse of war's realities. (In particular, he called attention to the poor quality of medical care.) He coined the phrase "the thin red line" to describe British soldiers in combat. Russell also covered the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. He founded the Army and Navy Gazette (1882), and was knighted in 1895. The addressee was William Digby Seymour, a classmate of Russell's at Trinity College, Dublin, a lawyer, judge, politician, and author of books on commerce. 2 vertical 2 horizontal fold creases. Toned and lightly creased. Mounting residue at center fold crease on verso. Right edge ragged. Top left corner creased. Otherwise fine condition.