Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
BIOGRAPHY
SCOPE AND CONTENT
Descriptive Summary
Title: Edward Otho Cresap Ord Letters,
Date (inclusive): 1854-1885
Collection number: Special Collections M210
Creator:
Ord, Edward Otho Cresap, 1818-1883
Extent:
.75 linear ft. (269 items)
Repository:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions:
None.
Publication Rights:
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Provenance:
Purchased from Walter R. Benjamin Autographs, 1970
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item] Edward Otho Cresap Ord Letters, M210, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
BIOGRAPHY
1818 |
Born Maryland |
1835-39 |
Cadet, Military Academy |
1839, July 1 |
2nd Lt., 3rd Artillery |
1839-42 |
Florida War against Seminole Indians |
1841, July 1 |
1st Lt., 3rd Artillery |
1842-44 |
Ft. Macon, North Carolina |
1845-46 |
Coast Survey |
1846 |
Recruiting Service |
1846-47 |
Voyage to California |
1847-48 |
Mexican War--serving in California |
1847-50 |
Monterey, California |
1850, Sept. 7 |
Capt., 3rd Artillery |
1851-52 |
Ft. Independence, Massachusetts |
1852-55 |
Coast Survey |
1855 |
Benicia, California |
1855 |
Yakima Expedition |
1856 |
Benicia, California |
1856 |
Rogue River Expedition; action of Mackanootney Villages and Chefeco Creek |
1856-58 |
Benicia, California |
1858 |
Ft. Miller, California; frontier duty |
1858 |
Spokane Expedition; combat of Four Lakes and Spokane Plain, skirmish of Spokane River |
1859 |
Ft. Monroe, Virginia (Artillery School for Practice) |
1859 |
On Harper's Ferry Expedition to suppress John Brown's Raid |
1859-60 |
Ft. Monroe, Virginia |
1861 |
Ft. Vancouver Washington; frontier duty |
186l |
Benicia, California and San Francisco |
1851-62 |
In command of a brigade of the Army of the Potomac |
1861, Sept. 14 |
Brig. General, U.S. Volunteers |
1861, Nov. 21 |
Major, 4th Artillery |
1861, Dec. 20 |
In command of engaged troops at Drainsville, Virginia |
1861, Dec. |
Bvt. Lieut. Col. for gallant and meritorious service at Battle of Drainsville. |
1862, May-June |
In command of division in the Department of the Rappahannock |
1862, May 2 |
Major General, U.S. Volunteers |
1862, June-Aug. |
In command of Corinth, Mississippi |
1862, Aug.-Sept. |
In Major General Grant's operations in Mississippi, commanding left wing of army |
1862, Sept. 19 |
Battle of Iuka; Bvt. Colonel for gallant and meritorious services |
1862, Sept.-Oct. |
In command of the District of Jackson, Tennessee |
1862, Oct. 5 |
Battle of the Hatchie, severely wounded while commanding |
1862-63 |
Military Commission investigating Gen. Buell's Campaign in Kentucky and Tennessee |
1863, June-Oct. |
In command of 13th Army Corps--engaged in Siege of Vicksburg, capture of Jackson |
1864, Jan.-Feb. |
Commanded 13th Army Corps in the Department of the Gulf |
1864, April-July |
Commanded troops in West Virginia |
1864, July |
Commanded 8th Army Corps and all troops in Middle Department |
1864, July-Sept. |
Commanded 18th Army Corps; in operations against Richmond; wounded in assault and capture of Ft. Harrison (Sept. 29) |
1865, Jan.-Feb. |
Commanded Department of Virginia and North Carolina |
1865, Feb.-June |
Commanded Department of Virginia; engaged Siege of Petersburg, pursuit of Rebel Army to capitulation of Lee at Appomattox |
1865, March 13 |
Bvt. Brig. General for service at Battle of the Hatchie |
1865, March 13 |
Bvt. Major General U.S.A. for services in assault on Ft. Harrison |
1865-66 |
Commanded Department of the Ohio |
1866-67 |
Commanded Department of the Arkansas |
1866, Sept. 1 |
Mustered out of Volunteer Service |
1867-68 |
Commanded: Fourth Military District (Arkansas and Mississippi) |
1868-71 |
Commanded: Department of California |
1871-75 |
Commanded: Department of the Platte |
1875-80 |
Commanded: Department of Texas |
1880, Dec. 6 |
Retired from active service |
1881, Jan. 28 |
Major General |
1883, July 22 |
Died at Havana Cuba |
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The General Edward O. C. Ord Letters total approximately 260 letters, the first written in Oct. 5, 1854 (two days before he
married) and extending through January 30, 1885. The early letters from Oct. 5, 1854 -April 2, 1855 were written from Los
Angeles, from on board the schooner Golden Gate, in San Pedro, and other such places. Some of those following are addressed
from the Rogue River, Oregon Territory, Fort Vancouver, Washington, San Francisco, Ft. Miller and camps in Yakima country.
While many letters contain purely personal matters, others contain much of historical interest. On Jan. 24, 1855, he speaks
of camping at San Pedro and in the next few letters he talks of various surveys he participated in. When he gets to the Oregon
Territory, he talks of Indians being taken to reservations and again of Indian troubles (there was much Indian fighting going
on at the time.)
Several letters are incomplete and many are frayed or have minor breaks at the folds.