Samuel Colt Autograph Letter Signed – Hartford, Connecticut – August 3, 1861 For Sale

Autograph Letter Signed ["Saml. Colt"]
Hartford, Connecticut
August 3, 1861

An exceptionally important Civil War-era autograph business letter signed by Samuel Colt [1814–1862], founder of Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, documenting his direct management of the company's European commercial operations during the opening months of the American Civil War.

Written from Hartford on August 3, 1861, Colt addresses a European banking house regarding funds deposited to finance contracts being negotiated in England and on the Continent. The letter reveals that Colt had granted John S. Jarvis power of attorney to conduct business overseas but had not intended for Jarvis to delegate that authority further.

Colt writes:

"In giving Mr. Jarvis power of attorney to do business for me & my Company in England & upon the Continent it was not my intention to extend to him the right to authorize Mr. Dennet or Mr. Von Oppen... to draw upon the funds I have caused to be deposited with your house..."

He continues by explaining that he has discovered the bankers have already honored a draft of Mr. Von Oppen based upon Jarvis's authority. Colt immediately revokes those permissions, informing the bankers that he has written to Jarvis to countermand all such orders and directing that henceforth they honor only drafts drawn by or endorsed by Mr. John S. Jarvis himself.

Samuel Colt had a well-documented connection with the von Oppen family through Caroline Henshaw Colt von Oppen, a woman closely associated with the Colt family in historical accounts.

The Jarvis family was intimately connected with Samuel Colt.

• Colt married Elizabeth Hart Jarvis in 1856.
• His brothers-in-law, particularly Richard Jarvis and John Jarvis, held important positions in Colt's business affairs.
• During 1861, it would not be surprising to find Colt issuing instructions concerning funds or authority involving a "Mr. Jarvis."

The von Oppen family was active in international commerce, banking, and shipping in Europe during the nineteenth century. Samuel Colt maintained extensive European business relationships, including agents, financiers, and distributors. A letter discussing financial authority and naming von Oppen is exactly the type of correspondence one might expect from Colt's international operations.

This is an unusually detailed insight into Colt's international business organization. The letter documents:

• Colt's use of a formal power of attorney for European operations.
• Ongoing contract negotiations in England and continental Europe.
• Funds maintained with a European banking house specifically to finance those contracts.
• Colt's insistence on strict financial controls during a period of rapid wartime expansion.
• The roles of John S. Jarvis, Mr. Dennet, and Mr. Von Oppen in Colt's European commercial network.

Unlike many surviving Colt letters that concern firearms production or government contracts, this manuscript illuminates the sophisticated international financial structure supporting Colt's business during the Civil War.

Samuel Colt died less than six months later, on January 10, 1862, making this one of the final periods of his active business correspondence.

John S. Jarvis was one of Colt's most trusted representatives and a member of the extended Jarvis family closely connected with Colt's business affairs. This letter demonstrates Colt personally supervising European negotiations while carefully restricting who could access company funds abroad. Such correspondence provides a rare glimpse into the internal financial management of one of America's most important nineteenth-century industrial enterprises.

The references to England, the Continent, John S. Jarvis, Mr. Von Oppen, and the revocation of delegated banking authority make this a significant document for the study of Colt's international commercial operations.

• Original autograph letter signed.
• Hartford dateline.
• Dated August 3, 1861.
• Bold iron-gall ink throughout.
• Excellent legibility.
• Original folds as expected.
• Attractive display appearance.