Moses A. McCoid Papers: Finding Aid

Contributing Institutions Collection Guides Browse Map About OAC

What are Collection Guides?

> Home > Huntington Library > Manuscript Collections

Collection Guide

∞ https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c81c22nq/

Collection Title:

Collection Number:

Get Items:

Moses A. McCoid Papers: Finding Aid

mssHM 74211-74296

No online items Request items ↗

Contact Huntington Library::Manuscript Collections

View entire collection guide

Printable Guide [HTML]

Search this collection

Collection Details

Table of contents

Overview of the Collection

Access

Administrative Information

Biographical Note

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Indexing Terms

Indexing: Subjects

Overview of the Collection

Title: Moses A. McCoid Papers

Dates (inclusive): 1859-1884

Collection Number: mssHM 74211-74296

Creator: McCoid, M. A. (Moses Ayers), 1840-1904.

Extent: 107 items in 3 boxes

Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: (626) 405-2129

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Abstract: This collection contains letters chiefly written by Iowa lawyer, Civil War soldier (and later second lieutenant), and Iowa State Senator Moses A. McCoid (1840-1904), to his wife Helen, and dating from 1859 to 1884.

Language: English.

Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Moses A. McCoid Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Gift of Hugh Evans, August 31, 2010.

Biographical Note

Moses Ayers McCoid was born to Robert McCoid and Jean Bain McCoid near Bellefontaine, Ohio, November 5, 1840. He attended Fairfield University, Iowa and Washington College (now Washington and Jefferson College) in Washington, Pennsylvania. He studied law in Fairfield, Iowa and was admitted to the bar in 1861 where he began practicing law. In May of 1861 he enlisted as a private in Company E, Second Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry.(McCoid was later commissioned a second lieutenant). The regiment was organized at Keokuk and mustered in May 27, 1861. Until July 26, 1861, the men were guarding headquarters at St. Joseph, Mo. and later in the summer and early fall were posted at Bird Point, Ironton, Pilot Knob, and Jackson, Mo. and Fort Jefferson, Ky. In February 1862, the regiment took part in the investment and capture of Fort Donelson. It remained on duty there until it moved to Pittsburg Landing in early March. With his regiment, McCoid fought at Shiloh (April 6-7), advance and siege of Corinth, Miss.; the march to Iuka (September 18-22), battle of Corinth (October 3-4), Dodge's expedition to intercept Forest (Dec. 18, 1862 - Jan. 3, 1863) and expeditions to Hamburg (Jan. 26, 1863) and to Jacinto (Feb. 25-27.) Following Dodge's Expedition into Northern Alabama in April, the men were posted on duty at Corinth where they remained until August and then at LaGrange until November 1. On Nov. 1-11, they marched to Pulaski, Tenn. and remained on duty there along the Nashville & Decatur Railroad, and at Decatur until May 1864. While on furlough in September 1863, he married Helen Ireland in Jacksonville, Illinois. He was discharged in May 1864 and resumed the practice of law in Fairfield. In 1866 he became district attorney of the sixth judicial district of Iowa. In 1871, McCoid was elected to the Iowa State Senate; he served from 1872 to 1879. In 1878 he was elected as a Republican to the 46th, 47th and 48th congresses (1879 to 1885). In 1884 he was unsuccessful in his re-nomination for Congress and went back to practice law in Fairfield, Iowa where he died on May 19, 1904.

Scope and Content

The papers consist of 86 letters, the majority of which were written by Moses to his wife Helen. Three letters were written by Helen to Moses. The letters are organized chronologically.

The pre-Civil War letters were written between 1859 and 1861 when McCoid was in Fairfield, Iowa reading law with James F. Wilson. In these letters, Moses is wooing Helen. He reminds her of the time they met and talks about their future together despite her parents being against the match.

The Civil War letters cover the period of May 1861 to April 1864. These intensely emotional love letters are filled with the young man’s longing for his “dear Helen,” and his attachment to “our flag” and country. The letters discuss war news and politics, army life (rations, attending church services, conflicts with commanding officers, etc.) including a detailed account of the Battle of Shiloh and Moses’ take on the Emancipation Proclamation. He also talks about his regiment, the 2nd Iowa Infantry Regiment (1861-1864), courts-martial, the siege of Vicksburg, G. T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, Ambrose Burnside, Grenville Dodge, John Charles Frémont, H. W. Halleck, William Hardee, Joseph Hooker, Abraham Lincoln, John A. Logan, Gideon Pillow, Samuel Sturgis, Libby Prison and war prisoners, and slavery. One of the letters includes a hand-drawn map of the Battle of Shiloh with a list of casualties from Co. E. Many letters were written on ornate patriotic stationery, some with illustrated envelopes as well.

The post-war letters were written by McCoid when he was a member of the Iowa State Senate living in Des Moines and Washington, D. C. In these letters he talks about politics in Iowa and his dislike of being away from his wife and family.

Arrangement

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.

Subjects

Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893.

Bragg, Braxton, 1817-1876.

Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881.

Dodge, Grenville Mellen, 1831-1916.

Frémont, John Charles, 1813-1890.

Halleck, H. W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872.

Hardee, William Joseph, 1815-1873.

Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.

Logan, John Alexander, 1826-1886.

McCoid, M. A. (Moses Ayers), 1840-1904.

Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878.

Sturgis, Samuel Davis, 1822-1889.

Libby Prison.

United States. Army. Iowa Infantry Regiment, 2nd (1861-1864)

United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln). Emancipation Proclamation.

Courts-martial and courts of inquiry -- United States -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Politicians -- Iowa -- Correspondence.

Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862.

Slavery -- United States -- History -- Sources.

Des Moines (Iowa)

Fairfield (Iowa)

Iowa -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Sources.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Correspondence.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons.

Vicksburg (Miss.) -- History -- Siege, 1863.

Washington (D.C.)

Forms/Genres

Letters (correspondence) -- United States -- 19th century.

Indexing: Subjects