Autograph Letter Signed

This noted U.S. Treasury Department statistician was an entrepreneur who created a composite photograph of signers of the amendment abolishing slavery that proved quite popular; he was also an inventor, archaeologist, social reformer, philanthropist and evangelist who created cartographic maps of Egypt and North Africa for the Oriental Topographical Corps. ALS, 1p, 8½" X 10 3/4", n.p., n.y. August 29. Addressed to Giles F. Ward in New York City -- possibly father of Giles F. Ward Jr. (1845-65), a lieutenant with the 12th New York Cavalry who was accidentally killed by a colleague while in North Carolina. Very good. Penned on ultra-thin onion-skin paper, with occasional burn-through from heavily-inked letters. Reads in part: "I write this... to request that you will favor me with your own opinion, freely expressed, as to what the price of the Lincoln Cot should be? (the patent) either on a joint stock operation? or on sale in the other way you spoke of, a simple sale of the right? Please let me know what in your judgment it should be, even though it be less than 1/10 the proposed figures?" Boldly penned in rich brown ink. Powell and two others (one of whose last name was Lincoln) designed this specialized portable cot in 1862 and sought to interest the U.S. Army in providing it to the troops. A fascinating piece.