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Iron Brigade General Rufus King two page ALS dated May 7, 1874 concerning the ancestry of a family named Odell. Wear as shown in the photographs.

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King, Rufus, brigadier-general, was born in New York city, Jan. 26, 1814. He was graduated at the United States military academy in 1833 and appointed to the engineer corps, but resigned in 1836 and became assistant engineer of the New York & Erie railroad, a position which he relinquished in 1839 to become adjutant-general of New York. He was associate editor of the "Albany Evening Journal" and of the Albany "Advertiser" from 1841 to 1845, when he moved to Wisconsin, where he was editor of the "Milwaukee Sentinel" until 1861. He served also as member of the convention that formed the state constitution, as regent of the state university, member of the board of visitors to the U. S. military academy in 1849, and superintendent of public schools in Milwaukee 1849-61. He was appointed U. S. Minister to the Pontifical States in 1861 and held the appointment from March 22 to Aug. 5, but did not serve having offered his service to the governor of Wisconsin in the Civil war. He was commissioned brigadier-general of state volunteers, May 7, 1861, received his commission in the U. S. volunteer service ten days later and served in the defense of Washington from May, 1861, to March, 1862. He commanded a division at Fredericksburg, Groveton, and Manassas was a member of the commission to try Gen. Fitz-John Porter, was then on waiting orders until March, 1863, and afterwards was in command of Yorktown, Va., and subsequently of a division at Fairfax Court House Va., until compelled by failing health to resign, Oct. 20, 1863. Gen. King was then U. S. minister resident at port of New York after that until 1869, when he retired from Rome until July 1, 1867, and deputy collector of customs at the public life. He died in New York city, Oct. 13, 1876.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 8