George Washington Cable ALS, Autograph Letter Signed to Major J.B. Pond by Cable, George Washington - 1888

1888 autograph letter signed, from American author G.W. Cable to his friend and business associate Major J.B. Pond. Cable sends his congratulations on the eve of Pond's second marriage and writes, "I rejoice greatly in your great fortune, and hope that every day henceforth may find you happier in the new, rich life." One page on thin linen paper with Cable's address on Paradise Road in Northampton, Mass. Approx. 5 x 8.25 inches. Mailing folds and one light crease, else Fine. Cable (1844-1925) was known for his realistic portrayals of Creole life in his native New Orleans. He was from a slave-holding family and joined the Confederate army in the Civil War. But his work, including Old Creole Days, depicted the multi-racial and multicultural nature of New Orleans society. His opposition to racism and calls for social reform engendered hostility in the South and caused him to move to Northampton in 1885. J.B. [James Burton] Pond (1838-1903) was an abolitionist and Union officer with the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism at the Battle of Baxter Springs, Kansas, in action against Confederate guerrilla leader William Quantrill and his Raiders. After the war, Pond was a successful lecture manager whose clients included Cable, Mark Twain, a young Winston Churchill, Henry Morton Stanley, Frederick Douglass, and Arthur Conan Doyle. (Cable and Twain made dozens of appearances together during a tour of 80 cities in 1884-85.) Also of note, this 1888 letter corrects other historical sources, which incorrectly give the date of Pond's second marriage as 1880.