MAHAN, Alfred Thayer (1840-1914; American naval officer and historian)

Making arrangements for a visit to Boston, in an autograph letter, signed 17 January 1898, to "Mr. Ropes."

      8vo. Two pages, approximately 100 words, in part: "Unless you have contemplated other arrangements, I should like to reserve my lunch hour for friends or other engagements in Boston as I cannot foresee just how my time may be occupied with them." Mahan saw duty in the Civil War as a young naval officer and continued that career for two decades before publishing his groundbreaking analysis The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783 in 1890 (One Hundred Influential American Books 93: "The first philosophy of sea power"). His intentions were here imparted to John Codman Ropes (1836-1899), also a military historian, published the influential Campaign of Waterloo and a number of volumes on the American Civil War. Folded as for mailing. Very good. (1233)