Colonel Joseph C. Audenried, Personal Papers and Ornate Family Bible

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American History Auction

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 18, 2016 - Nov 19, 2016

Set Reminder 2016-11-18 10:00:00 2016-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-auction-1870
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• Lot Description
  Over 110 items pertaining to Joseph C. Audenried and his family, featuring 100+ letters and documents involving Audenried's search for family history. Other documents include an ALS from Samuel H.M. Byers, author of the poem “Sherman's March to the Sea,” Zurich, January 30, 1874; sympathy note from First Lady Lucy W. Hayes; Special Order signed by Major Theodore Talbot, July 9, 1861; 3 Special Orders signed by Adjutant General E.D. Townsend in 1863; several letters and sketches of Audenried's resting place and the contracts for his tomb; a framed General Order 45 announcing his death; a Special Order signed by William W.M. Henry, Acting Assistant Adjutant General to General Schofield on June 5, 1880, announcing funeral arrangements; and an ornate family Bible.
  
  Audenried's diplomatic and military tour of Europe in 1871-1872 inspired him to trace his family lineage, and between 1873-1874, he wrote many dignitaries and local officials inquiring about his European lineage. Over 100 letters in the lot consist of responses to Audenried's many letters, answering inquiries about his lineage, many in German. Also present is the end result: Audenried, Colonel Joseph Crain, Supplemented by his Niece Jane Audenried Fitler. The Audenried Genealogy with the Allied Families of Musche, Wills, Wallace and Fulton. Philadelphia: Privately printed, 1933. 8vo, green cloth with gilt lettering, 132pp, including folding chart.
  
  The lot contains Colonel Audenried's Bible, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co. 4to, bound in deeply embossed leather with gilt, gilt doublures over printed endpapers, all edges embossed and gilt. The front has gilt Grand Parent's Gift / March 21, 1866. On the genealogy record in the center of the Bible, Audenreid has recorded his and Mary Jane's marriage, March 21, 1866 (making this a wedding gift); his birth, his wife's birth and the birth of their daughter, Florence. Someone (likely his wife) recorded Colonel Audenried's death on the third page.
  
  As early as 1876, Audenried began to display the signs of a serious, but unknown illness, and at the age of 41, on June 3, 1880, he died in Washington. Many in Washington mourned his death and wrote his bereft widow, Mary. My dear Ms. Audenried, wrote first lady Lucy W. Hayes, In this hour of great sorrow may I express my earnest sympathies with you and your dear daughter.
  
  Audenried’s time spent at West Point brought such beloved memories that his widow placed his body inside a beautifully carved granite monument on the school grounds. The plans for the monument, several contracts, and letters discussing the plans of his burial are included in the lot. There are photos, most copies, which are likely associated with the funeral. They are mostly of people Audenried knew at West Point, a photo of his rifle and case, his epaulets, a small photo of his commission on graduation from USMA, and his monument at the cemetery. On the day of his funeral, Major General Schofield issued General Order No. 19, which explained Audenried's funeral arrangements and order of procession.
  
  There are likely still treasures remaining to be discovered in this large group of family papers.
  
  Colonel Joseph C. Audenried
   
  Lots 92-97, 99
  
  Born into a well to do Philadelphia family, Joseph C. Audenried (1839-1880) enjoyed a privileged seat at the table of history. Handsome, intelligent, and supremely efficient, he made the most of his innate talents and good fortune as he built a truly unique career, becoming one of the most trusted members of the staff of Major General William T. Sherman. 
  
  A career military man, Audenried graduated 17th in his class at West Point in 1861, and was immediately commissioned 1st lieutenant in the 3rd US Cavalry; however his talents soon attracted the interest of his superiors, and for two years, he served on the staff of one division commander after another. His first staff position was as aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Daniel Tyler, one of the Division commanders at the First Battle of Bull Run, and despite the ignominious defeat there -- for which Tyler was substantially held to blame -- Audenried remained a valued officer. In the late summer, he transferred onto the staff of the 2nd US Artillery in the defenses of Washington, DC, and then in March 1862, he transferred again to the staff of the 1st Cavalry Brigade of the Army of the Potomac under Brigadier General William H. Emory, and four months later to the staff of the 2nd Army Corps under Major General Edwin V. "Bull" Sumner, earning a promotion to captain. 
  
  Under Sumner, Audenried witnessed the shocking combat of the late summer months and the unfolding of the Maryland Campaign. In the hellish West Woods at Antietam, he was seriously wounded and obliged to leave the field, but was cited by Sumner for his gallantry. He returned to the 2nd Corps to take part at Fredericksburg, but when Sumner was voluntarily relieved of duty in March 1863, Audenried moved on. After a brief stint under John Wool, he traveled to the western theater to serve under Ulysses S. Grant, and took part in the fall of Vicksburg and pursuit through Tennessee. Finally, in October 1863, Audenried was transferred under Major General William T. Sherman, never again leaving his staff for the remainder of his life. With Sherman, Audenried took part in the Chattanooga and Knoxville Campaigns, the Atlanta Campaign, and the famous March to the Sea and March through the Carolinas. 
  
  During the course of the Civil War, Audenried had the distinction of serving under the most illustrious officers in the Union army and was recognized three times for gallant and meritorious service with brevet promotions to captain, major (Atlanta) and lieutenant colonel (war service). Although he married 18-year old Mary Colket in 1863 and had a daughter, Florence, in 1867, he apparently never considered settling down to a civilian life, nor did he leave Sherman's side for long. Promoted to captain of the 6th Cavalry in July 1866, headquartered in St. Louis, he participated in the Indian wars in the west under Sherman's command, earning a promotion to colonel in March 1869, and when Sherman was promoted to lieutenant general when Grant was elected president, Audenried went along, moving to Washington, DC. 
  
  A sophisticated, polished figure, handsome and popular, Audenried was well known and well respected in the capitol. He accompanied Sherman and Grant's son, Fred, on a diplomatic and military tour of Europe in 1871-1872 to build ties with foreign governments and review their armies. As early as 1876, however, Audenried began to display the signs of serious, but unknown illness, and at the age of 41, on June 3, 1880, he died in Washington. 
  
  Poised at the heart of American military power, the Audenried Archive is a historically important assemblage offering insight into the mind and personality of the top brass in the army from the Civil War through the Indians Wars, with particular insight into the enigmatic William T. Sherman. 
  
  An exceptional survival from the most trusted staff member of one of the most distinguished officers in the nineteenth century US Army.
  
  Provenance: Archive of Colonel Joseph C. Audenried

  Condition

  Most of the letters are in excellent condition with typical folds.
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