Confederate General Samuel Cooper was the highest-ranking general in the Confederate States Army, technically outranking even Robert E. Lee. Despite his high status, Cooper was a New Yorker by birth who chose to side with the South due to his close friendship with Jefferson Davis and his marriage into a prominent Virginia family. A career staff officer, Cooper served as the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army before the war. In the Confederacy, he filled the dual roles of Adjutant General and Inspector General, overseeing administrative duties, personnel, and records from Richmond. Unlike other top generals, he never held a field command during the conflict. His most significant historical contribution occurred at the war's end, when he meticulously preserved Confederate military records and turned them over to the U.S. government. The CDV is back marked E& HT Anthony, New York.