DARIEN Ga. OCT 25 (1861) CDS with matching PAID 5 (CC type A, CV $200) on cover to Mrs. J. M. Kell Care Nathan C. Munroe Esq., Macon, Geo. $150.

John McIntosh Kell was a graduate of Annapolis, a veteran of the Mexican War and of Admiral Perry’s voyage to Japan. As a Confederate Navy officer, Kell served first on the raider Sumter and then on the Alabama. At sea for 22 months, the Alabama engaged nearly 300 northern merchant vessels, burning 55 of these transport ships along with their million-dollar cargoes. Though First Lt. ("Luff") Kell was apparently content to let his captain, Raphael Semmes, take credit for their accomplishments, Semmes acknowledged that his successes were due largely to the energy and resourcefulness of his second in command. After the end of the war, Kell returned to Georgia and became a farmer. In later years, he served as Adjutant General of Georgia.