1859 Gettysburg Envelope of Attorney David McConaughy / SOLD
Envelope dated June 6, 1859, and signed “D. McConaughy Esq. Attorney at Law Gettysburg, PA.” The envelope served as a receipt for legal services totaling $35. David McConaughy, born in 1823, was the grandson of Irish immigrants who settled in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1712. His father died when he was four years old, and he was raised by foster parents. He attended Gettysburg College from 1834 until 1838 when he transferred to Washington College (presently known as Washington and Jefferson College). He graduated in 1840. McConaughy studied law under Thaddeus Stephens and became an attorney in Adams County. He formed a company of scouts at the beginning of the Civil War, composed of his law clients called the Adams Rifles of which he was the captain. A mere 40 days after the Battle of Gettysburg, McConaughy desired to form a national cemetery for the dead of the Battle of Gettysburg to be located on the Battlefield. He began to purchase lots on the battlefield for this memorial and asked veteran of the battle to contribute financially. He was therefore the driving force behind the creation of the Soldier’s National Cemetery. In late August of 1869, McConaughy organized a reunion of the soldiers who fought at Gettysburg to recount their experiences and locate specific historic sites on the battlefield, and he became the first president of the Gettysburg Battlefield memorial Association. McConaughy served as a state senator for Adams and Franklin Counties after the Civil War. McConaughy was also instrumental in establishing Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery, where he was buried upon his death in 1902. This envelope is a fascinating piece of Gettysburg history.
Comes housed in a display case with descriptive card.
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Inventory Number: GET 358 / SOLD