1861 Daniel W. Gooch Signed Letter Lincoln Wide Awakes Medway Civil War Politics

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1861 Daniel W. Gooch Signed Letter Lincoln Wide Awakes Medway Civil War Politics:
$695.00

Original 1861 Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Congressman Daniel W. Gooch

Written from Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1861 — literally one day after Gooch’s 41st birthday — as the country stood on the brink of the Civil War.

This remarkable letter references the “Lincoln & Wide Awake Club of Medway” and Gooch’s own contributions to support their efforts. The Wide Awakes were the grassroots Republican marching clubs that helped rally national enthusiasm for Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign in 1860. Material directly connecting politicians to these organizations is scarce and highly desirable.

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Transcription (with original spelling & punctuation preserved)

Washington Jan 9 1861

My Dear Sir,

Enclosed I send you a draft on Mr. Hopfenmehl for $32.25—thirty-two dollars, you will please apply to the debts of the Lincoln & Wide Awake Club of Medway and the balance in payment of the bill for the levy & printing which you presented me before I left. I had subscribed $25 to the club which I did not pay and $2 added by me to help meet the deficiency, making the whole amount payable to me to the clerk $32.00.

I should have sent this to you before but have not had any funds to do so. We New York men get our money from the government.

Give my regards to all friends.

Yours in haste,

Very truly,

D. W. Gooch

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About Daniel W. Gooch (1820–1891)

Born: January 8, 1820, Wells, Maine.

Career: Practiced law in Boston before entering politics. Served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1852–1853). Elected as a Republican Congressman from Massachusetts in 1858 and served throughout the Civil War until 1865. He chaired the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy, overseeing vital wartime appropriations.

Gooch was a staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln and the Union cause, part of the Republican leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in U.S. history.

Died: November 1, 1891, Melrose, Massachusetts.

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Historical Importance

Lincoln Connection: This letter explicitly references the “Lincoln & Wide Awake Club,” tying Gooch directly to the grassroots machinery that secured Lincoln’s election. Wide Awake material is scarce and highly sought after.

Civil War Context: Written in January 1861, just as Southern states were seceding (South Carolina had already left the Union in December 1860; Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama would secede the very week this letter was penned). Gooch was preparing to help steer Lincoln’s Republican Party through the looming national crisis.

Personal Note: Gooch wrote this letter one day after his 41st birthday — a small but poignant detail, placing him at midlife as he helped navigate the nation into war.

Financial Strain: His comment that “We New York men get our money from the government” underscores both the challenges of grassroots financing and the broader reliance on federal funds in a moment of national uncertainty.

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Condition

2-page ALS, very clean and legible, with clear D. W. Gooch signature.

Normal light folds from mailing.

Excellent for display.

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Collector Interest

This item will appeal strongly to collectors of:

Abraham Lincoln and the Wide Awakes

Civil War–era politics

Massachusetts political history

Rare ephemera of Republican grassroots organizing