Civil War Correspondence b/w Brothers Rufus Cowing, Harvard Grad, NYC Judge, & Wall Street Lawyer, and Kirkland N. Cowing, 6th OH Infantry, KIA Chicka

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American History: Premier Auction

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 22, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-06-22 10:00:00 2018-06-22 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History: Premier Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-premier-auction-3268
Cowan’s American History: Premier Auction, scheduled for June 22, 2018 is comprised of early photographs, documents, manuscripts, broadsides, flags, and more dating from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Late Indian Wars, World War I and II and beyond. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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• Lot Description

  Lot of 8 letters, spanning April 1861-April 1863. Three letters are written by Private Kirkland Newton Cowing (1843-1863), 6th Ohio Infantry, Co. A, and an additional five letters are written by his older brother, Rufus Billings Cowing (1840-1920), a Harvard Law School graduate who later served as a prominent New York City judge and Wall Street attorney. 

  These fascinating letters are written by affectionate brothers, both of whom possess a keen intellect and strong opinions on the Civil War unfolding in their country. The brothers were born in New York state to Sedate Foote (1810-1874) and John Kirkland Cowing (1810-1845). Their father died in 1845, and little information is known about the family during the intervening years leading up to the war. It seems that Rufus Cowing moved to New York City for schooling prior to the war, and letters not included in this archive reveal that Kirkland relocated to the Cincinnati, OH, area by 1858. This accounts for Kirkland's enlistment in an Ohio regiment, the 6th Ohio Infantry aka "Guthrie's Grays," which was organized in southwestern Ohio in the spring of 1861. 

  Writing from New York City just weeks after the outbreak of the Civil War, Rufus paints a vivid picture of his views and the war-time sentiments in the city. "Well Mother we are in the midst of a civil war and never before in the annals of American history have the issues involved been of such vital interest and I hope to God that this struggle shall result in favor of our glorious Union and Constitution and more permanently establish liberty and justice throughout our whole country...." Rufus goes on to describe the eagerness with which Brooklyn and New York men prepare for the fight and hearing Henry Ward Beecher speak. "... I wish you could have heard him. I should think there was some 4 thousand people there and I think that he preached the finest sermon that I ever heard." 

  In August 1861 Rufus writes to his mother one again declaring the necessity of the war, the transgressions of the South, and the righteousness of the Union cause. It seems that his mother has been a less than enthusiastic supporter of her son Kirkland's decision to enlist, and has expressed a desire for Kirkland to get a discharge. To this Rufus responds, "I would ask whose duty it is to see that she [the government] receives that support which she deserves, should it be foreigners or American citizens. I say American citizens & if you agree with me there comes up the question why do or should your children have less duty to perform than thousands aye hundreds of thousands of others. Our government has got to be...maintained though it cost the life of every able bodyed man between the ages of 18 & 45...entertaining these views...you can readily see the advise I should be disposed to give to K[irkland]....Again K is contented & well & shows from his own letter except so far as regards your feelings he has no regrets as to his course...." Rufus closes his lengthy letter saying, "I feel proud of him & know that you will when you read his letter he shows he has got a noble heart..." He begs his mother to write to Kirkland offering him encouragement. 

  Two more letters from Rufus to his mother, dated September 18 and November 23, 1861, respectively, continue to describe the progress of the war and the news that Kirkland provides from the front. "...K seems to have perfect confidence in their ability to cope with any amount of rebels. I see from the papers that Genl. Lee with 15 thousand Rebels attacked the brigade which K is in and got badly whiped with a considerable loss to the rebels & very slight if any loss to our side." Then in November, "I should think that K is pretty well provided for from the way he writes, I wrote to him and told him that both you and I were willing to help him all we could to make him comfortable, but he says that he is well provided for....I hope this will be a short war...I am studying hard and hope one of these days to make a lawyer..."

  In December 1861, Private Kirkland Cowing was in Camp Wickliffe, KY. He writes to his brother on the 20th that "...on the 10 of December the 6th, 41st, 51st Ohio & 17th Indiana left Louisville under Gen. Nelson for know not where and after five days march we reached this place...where the 24th Ohio, 34th & 36th Indiana were...The Greys are in fine spirits and ready to do their duty as ever. We are now having brigade and Division drill daily and as Nelson is a strict general all goes O.K." Kirkland remains committed to his cause and his course, stating that he will "be satisfied to be discharge as a private next July if the war is over but I intend to do my duty..."

  Rufus' final letter in this collection, written from "New York Mch 7th 1862, No. 8 Wall Street," continues to extol the virtue of his country and his brother. He notes that Kirkland's regiment "had the honor of being the first one which landed at the city of Nashville" and continues "I am going to write K & tell him how proud I am of him. He is a brave fellow...you should be delighted with him...he is fighting in a righteous cause and if he dies he dies more noble than he who languishes in a bed of sickness."

  The final two letters in the collection are from Kirkland, and are written to his brother in March and April 1863 from "Camp near Murfreesboro," as he approaches two years of service in the military. Writing on March 21, 1863, an upbeat Kirkland tells his brother that he is in excellent health and that "the army is in splendid condition." He says that it is with "a great deal of pleasure and pride I learned that you had been admitted to the Bar, and I hope you may have a large practice soon." His praise is tempered with a note of caution though, "But then I do not want you to enter the army one is enough - and if you are drafted pay $300 and not go. I will give 1/3 and I know Mother would do all she could..." Kirkland goes on to describe the strength of the Union forces, Rosecrans' review, and the popularity of Col. Nicholas Anderson. In the collection's final letter of April 10, 1863, Kirkland lightheartedly describes for his brother what was undoubtedly a genuinely dangerous expedition: "Your letter found me on a scouting expedition. Our brigade left its camp on the 2nd April and reached Woodbury on the 3rd...taking possession of the Burg after a slight fight...We marched toward...Bradyville. Our Reg. having the advance and 'A' Co. being first and K.N.C. being foremost we came in sight of the place about noon...only our company being allowed the ...pleasure of entering the town which consisted of 4 frame houses, 1 haystack and a grocery. The inhabitants were 1 dog, 2 cats, and 1 female with about 5 small children..."

  Private Kirkland Cowing lost his life on the battlefield at Chickamauga in September 1863. Following his graduation from Harvard law School in 1863 and admittance to the bar, Rufus Cowing served for nearly thirty years as a NYC Judge presiding over multiple high profile criminal cases and later joining his son's law firm on Wall Street.

  Condition

  Good condition.
  
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