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
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
Beauregard, G. T. (Gustave Toutant), 1818-1893.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Apr. 11) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74232.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Aug. 21) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74233.
Bragg, Braxton, 1817-1876.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Aug. 21) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74233.
Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Jan. 4) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74241.
Courts-martial and courts of inquiry - United States - Civil War, 1861-1865.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Mar. 29) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74245.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Aug. 10) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74253.
Dodge, Grenville Mellen, 1831-1916.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Dec. 4) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74237.
-
Subject in letter (1863, May 13) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74246.
Frémont, John Charles, 1813-1890.
-
Subject in letter (1861, Aug. 6) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74222.
Halleck, H. W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Sep. 8-10) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74234.
Hardee, William Joseph, 1815-1873.
-
Subject in letter (1861, Aug. 18) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74223.
Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879.
-
Subject in letter (1863, June 22) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74249.
Libby Prison.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Dec. 7) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74258.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Dec. 4) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74237.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Jan. 31) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74242.
Logan, John Alexander, 1826-1886.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Aug. 8) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74252.
Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878.
-
Subject in letter (1861, Aug. 6) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74222.
Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Apr. 11) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74232.
Slavery - United States - History - Sources.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Jan. 31) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74242.
Sturgis, Samuel Davis, 1822-1889.
-
Subject in letter (1862, Jan. 1) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74229.
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865 - Prisoners and prisons.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Dec. 7) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74258.
United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln). Emancipation Proclamation.
-
Subject in letter (1863, Jan. 31) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74242.
Vicksburg (Miss.) - History - Siege, 1863.
-
Subject in letter (1863, June 2) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74247.
-
Subject in letter (1863, June 22) from M. A. (Moses Ayers) McCoid, 1840-1904 to Helen McCoid. HM 74249.