James Brackett to Hugh Smith

Rochester, New York, November 23, 1864

Many Northerners who hoped to take advantage of the chaos of wartime and reap quick and easy profits rushed to areas in the South occupied by Union forces during the Civil War. In 1864 Louis Fechenbach was among those who joined this stream. In this letter of introduction written on his behalf, James Brackett, mayor of Rochester, informed Hugh Smith, mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, that “Mr. L. Fetchenbach [sic] . . . is well known to me as a good loyal citizen, he goes to your city for the purpose of entering into business.”

Although Nashville had been occupied by Union troops in 1862, Fechenbach’s decision to go to the city was not without risk since the surrounding areas had not been pacified yet. Indeed, within a month after he procured the letter of reference, Confederate forces launched two major—albeit unsuccessful—offensives to recapture Nashville. 

B(NS)A85 (Abraham and Deborah Karp Collection)