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Guide to the Edward Otho Cresap Ord Letters, 1854-1885
Special Collections M210  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • 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.