Correspondence and Business Documents, 1862-1864

This series consists of seven documents. Five are letters written in defense of George Koonce's character, following his involvement in the April 18, 1861, attempt to prevent Confederate troops from invading Harper's Ferry, Virginia. In a letter dated January 17, 1862, R. Jones, Major and Assistant Inspector General of the U. S. Army, who had been in charge of defending Harper's Ferry during the events of April 18, 1861, wrote a letter of recommendation for Koonce, "Recollecting with satisfaction the loyalty...." On its verso, Colonel C. P. Kingsbury wrote: "I heartily concur with Major Jones as to the loyalty of Mr. Koonce... and sincerely commend him to the kind consideration of any who may be able to give him employment." Another letter, written by a group of ten "Merchants of the City of Baltimore" in October 1863, endorsed Koonce's desire to keep a "trade store" in Harper's Ferry. Also included in the series are letters written by Koonce himself, including a letter dated September 17, 1864, in which Koonce, George M. Flagg, and George N. Smallwood request a renewal of the license for Koonce to continue the sale of "merchandise, dry goods, groceries, house wares, guano, tine ware, boots, shoes, hats, ;&c." On the verso of this letter, General Stevenson wrote: "Permission is granted...." Additional letters also discuss the opening of a trade store in Harper's Ferry.

Also included in this series are two business documents relating to Koonce's importation of goods. The first, dated January 31, 1863, is a note from the Custom House in Baltimore, granting Koonce permission to transport goods via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for the exclusive use of his family. An inventory of goods is attached to the customs slip. The other document, dated November 24, 1863, granted permission for George Koonce, George W. Koonce, and Jason T. Reed to sell "wheat, flour, oats, potatoes, beeswax, wool, butter, eggs, turkeys, and chickens."

Arrangement is chronological.