Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Biography
Scope and Content
Descriptive Summary
Title: Cody Family Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1859-1912
Collection number: MSS #013
Origination:
Cody, Philander, 1840-1924
Extent: 5 inches
Repository:
Fresno City and County Historical Society
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Acquisition
Gift of Eleanor Wright, Accession # 75.14
Access
Collection is open for research by appointment only.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Fresno City and County Historical Society. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing
to the Society archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the Fresno City and County Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Cody Family Papers, MSS #013, Fresno City and County Historical Society.
Biography
Philander Cody was born on June 9, 1840 in Westport, Ohio, the son of Darius and Sarah Cody. Cody married Cora Vaughn on July
10, 1859, after meeting in Wisconsin. In 1862, Cody joined the 12
th Wisconsin Battery. He remained with the unit until the end of the Civil War. During that time, the 12
th Wisconsin was mostly utilized as a garrison unit but he was involved in two significant battles, Vicksburg and Chattanooga.
During the garrisoning, the artillery unit moved throughout the South roughly following the victories of Sherman and involving
itself in some lesser skirmishes. Cody was listed as wounded in battle on January 14, 1865, but remained in the service until
June 26, 1865. His unit took part in the Grand Review of troops in Washington D.C.
After the war, Philander and Cora moved to Tecumseh, Nebraska, making their way to California in the fall of 1890, and settling
in Parlier where the family maintained a farm. Philander Cody died on December 8, 1924, in Sanger, California.
Scope and Content
The Philander Cody Papers consist primarily of correspondence written by Philander to his wife, Cora, while he served in the
12
th Wisconsin during the Civil War. Other material includes legal records, printed material, photographs, and genealogical material.