Item No. 9553340

A pair of CDVs depicting William August Kobbé and his wife, Belle Hofmann, with their infant child, both bearing the imprint of N. Brown & Son of Santa Fe, New Mexico, circa 1867. The military portrait shows Kobbé wearing the dress uniform of a second lieutenant and holding the pommel of his sword. On the reverse of Belle’s portrait, a handwritten inscription reads, “Belle Hoffmann now Kobbe with her first baby, Fort Riley.”

Born in New York City and educated in Germany, Kobbé returned to the United States in 1862 and was commissioned a captain in the 178th New York Infantry. He received brevet promotions for gallantry at Nashville and Fort Blakely, Alabama. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Regular Army in 1866, he served with the 19th Infantry in New Mexico and Kansas before transferring to the artillery in 1872. During the Philippine campaigns of 1898-1901, he rose to brigadier general and commanded military operations in Mindanao and Jolo. He retired in 1904 as a major general.

Kobbé married Isabella “Belle” Hofmann at Fort Leavenworth on June 26, 1867. Belle was the daughter of the post’s commander, General William Hofmann. The images were part of a family album assembled by Bernard J. D. Irwin, noted army surgeon and Medal of Honor recipient. General Hofmann was godfather to Irwin’s daughter, Ida.