Ohio Soldier & Civilian Contractor for the Army, Nelson S. Cory, Civil War Archive

About Auction

Live

American History: Live Salesroom Auction

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 17, 2017 - Nov 18, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-11-17 10:00:00 2017-11-18 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History: Live Salesroom Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-live-salesroom-auction-2769
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

View Full Catalog (372)

• Lot Description

  Lot of more than 120 letters, including 100 war-date letters and a 30-day soldier's diary from January 1865. Accompanied by a family photo album with pictures of multiple generations of the Cory family but most notably two ca 1861 photographs of the primary correspondents in this archive, Nelson S. Cory and Laura Williams Cory. Also accompanied by a match tin with matches inside belonging to Civil War soldier Nelson Cory; a ca 1860s candle lantern; a 19th century wooden “Battle Rattle” used for various alarm purposes; and a series of 19 photographs ca 1904 depicting a Cory family member performing various stretches and calisthenics.

  The correspondence in this outstanding collection consists overwhelmingly of letters written to and from Nelson Sabin Cory (1839-1921) and his sweetheart, then wife, Laura Williams Cory (1843-1881). Both Nelson and Laura were raised in rural Northeast Ohio, near present-day Youngstown. There are approximately 100 letters in this collection written between them during the Civil War and its immediate aftermath. The dates of their correspondence, May 22, 1861, through November 6, 1862, and September 22, 1864, through June 23, 1865, roughly coincide with Nelson's two terms of service in the Union Army. Almost all letters come with their original envelopes.

  Laura and Nelson are both well-written individuals. While Laura’s circumstances prior to the war are unknown, Nelson was listed in the 1860 census as a 20-year old teacher. It is not surprising then that he was able to write so thoughtfully about his experience during the war. Many of their letters meet or exceed four pages in length. Nelson's Civil War-era letters contain little in the way of specific battle descriptions, however, his letters are rich with description of his daily activities and surroundings, as well as with his observations about the local people and regions of the country in which he served. Nelson served in a number of unique capacities during the war including as a civilian teamster transporting supplies to Union forces and as a Judge Advocate, and his reflections upon these positions as well as remarks upon John Hunt Morgan, slaves, the institution of slavery, and the Southern people provide some of the most thought-provoking content in this archive. Laura's letters are filled with descriptions of her daily activities, the latest antics of their daughter Bertie, longings for her husband and worry for his safety, and news of their extended family and town friends. Laura is fortunate in that both her family and Nelson's family are nearby, providing needed support and companionship for her. Taken together, the correspondence between Nelson and Laura presents a wonderfully full, detailed, and extended window into the experiences of a Union soldier at war and his wife on the home front.

  Nelson Cory first enlisted on April 27, 1861, as a Private in the "C" Company OH 19th Infantry, part of the Army of Occupation of West Virginia which was enrolled in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops for three months service. Nelson’s Company headed to Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, where it remained until May 27. Using his nickname for her, Nelson initially writes to Laura in Greensburg, Trumbull County, Ohio, on May 22, 1861: “Now Lolly remember I’m lonely lonesome even among thousands all around me & am longing for some good kind [illegible] friend like you Lolly to sit down and talk talk [sic] to but I know that cannot be & I must content myself with writing. So won’t you just as soon as you get this sit down & write me a good long & loving letter, write as I told you last – write anything and everything you can think of …. I remain your loving friend Nell.” So begins the correspondence between these two friends, whose letters become a conversation, often written as if seated by one another and sharing in person their joys, fears, and struggles. As Nelson heads off to war, he is confident in his purpose. He writes to Laura on June 2, 1861, from Camp Goddard in Zanesville, Ohio, “I must content myself with the hope that ere long we shall meet again but if Heaven should ordain it otherwise remember that our cause is a holy one & must be maintained even at the cost of many precious lives ….”

  By mid June Nelson was heading down the Ohio River via steamboat to Parkersburg where he found himself on the banks of the Little Kanawha River “in the enemies country.” Troops were flowing into the area and he knew that a battle was imminent. His regiment was then moved by rail to Clarksburg where it became part of General McClellan’s “Provisional Army of West Virginia.” On July 14, 1861, Nelson writes to his family from Buckhannon, VA, with details about the Battle of Rich Mountain which had occurred three days before: “I have just returned from the battle field & will now try to give you as much of the particulars as I could gather from a visit to the grounds.” Nelson needed to gather details on the battle because he missed it. “For the past week I have been detached to assist in the commissary department at this place & also to carry despatches to Gen. McClellan. Three days ago I started with despatches for Head quarters at dark through the rain & mud on foot & after walking til near midnight camped in an old wagon & after getting as much sleep as circumstances would admit started again … arrived at the battle ground just as the fight was over & such a sight as was there to be seen was sickening to behold the dead numbering about 150 ‘secesh’ & from 8 to 12 of the Indiana boys lay scattered in all directions some piled into a large hole which the rebels had dug doubtless for the purpose of burying the union men not thinking it would be used to hide the stench of their own comrades ….” Two days later Nelson writes to Laura with more detail about the battle, his disappointment to miss the fight, and his assignment carrying “secret messages to Gen. McClellan.” Relaying despatches “is hard work & not a little dangerous but I like it well for I have a horse saddle & bridle & get extra pay & the danger is nothing to me.”

  This was the final letter written during Nelson’s first enlistment. He mustered out on August 29, 1861, at which point he appears to have returned home for approximately nine months. Several letters are written to Laura during this nine-month period in which he fully confesses his love for her and mentions plans for an engagement. A wedding was not immediately imminent, however, as Nelson would be returning to the service of his country. Interestingly, when next he returns to the front it is not as a regular enlistee. Rather, as of June 1862 he appears to have been working as a civilian contractor with the army, specifically as a teamster transporting supplies from Lexington, KY, over the Cumberland Mountains to Union troops in Tennessee. The summer of 1862 yields some of the most fascinating correspondence in the collection as Nelson describes the dangerous work of supplying Union troops, the terror elicited by John Hunt Morgan’s raids, and the disturbing realities of Southern slavery.

  On June 9, 1862, Nelson writes to Laura from Lexington, KY. “Laura Dear I wish you could take a pleasure trip through this part of the country & just see the effects of slavery upon all classes of people. It is strange to see it – at least to us northern boys in this part of the country. I should think there were as many slaves as free people & almost all of the work is done by the blacks while the whites appear to live in sort of a dead and alive way as if they hardly know what to do with themselves.” Nelson also lets Laura know that he “would start this week for Cumberland Gap a distance of 40 miles through ‘secesh’ country over mountains through woods & mud with a train loaded with provisions for the army that is stationed there. It will take about twenty days to go & come back & probably we shall see some lively times before we get back.”

  Nelson did indeed experience lively times on this trek and others as later letters reveal the challenges and danger associated with being a teamster. He relates journeys on horseback of hundreds of miles overseeing wagons, donkeys, and supplies. He describes continually being stalled in mud, maneuvering men and supplies across a rapidly rising river, traversing through dense forests lacking roads, climbing steep rocky hills and then pitching down the other side, clearing paths which had been purposefully obstructed by Southern forces, and encountering civilians who were hostile to the Union cause. He tells of supply trains being attacked by rebels, wagons burned, mules killed, and men in hiding for their lives. He tells Laura about three former slaves in his train, one serving as a cook and two as drivers, and that he had been stopped by a man who claimed one of the ex-slaves as his runaway. Still, Nelson seemed to enjoy the work despite its difficulty and inherent danger as he writes to his family on July 13, 1862, “But still there is some excitement about it which makes it pleasant. If I had time and space I could relate any amount of little incidents which all go to make up the charm of a Teamsters life.”

  In that same letter Nelson shares with his family an eyewitness perspective on one of the most alarming events to have occurred in war-time Kentucky – the arrival of John Hunt Morgan’s Raiders. On July 9, 1862, Morgan began his first Kentucky raid entering Kentucky from the south via Tennessee and moving north towards Lexington. Nelson writes, “the great excitement that is now & has been agitating all classes of people in this city till every man capable of bearing arms is to be seen with his gun in hand ready at the call of the bugle to go out to help capture the notorious Morgan & his men who are now only about 14 miles from this place. Last night all was uproar & confusion. It was a nice moonlight eve & at all times in the night could be heard the noises of dogs barking, men billowing, guns firing, horses running, cannons rattling through the streets ….” Writing to Laura a few days later, Nelson says that “all has been excitement and commotion … the whole city is up in arms shops are closed, streets are deserted, women are leaving town ….”

  Nelson appears to have finished his work as a teamster in late summer 1862, and returned home again to Trumbull County, OH. On November 13, 1862, Nelson and Laura were married. This ends the couple's first segment of war-date correspondence and marks the beginning of a two-year period during which no letters were exchanged. Nelson felt compelled to serve once again though, and on September 27, 1864, he mustered into Co. “G” of the OH 177th Infantry for one year of service. He mustered out on June 24, 1865, in Greensboro, NC. It is during this period that the remainder of their war-era correspondence was written.

  When Nelson left home for his second enlistment, he left behind not just his beloved wife Laura, but also their young daughter “Bertie.” Laura struggled with his departure, writing on October 16, 1864: “Nelson it was a hard place to say that last goodbye, and give the parting kiss, before so many strangers, and for a few moments after you had gone the tears would chase one another down my cheeks in spite of all my efforts to restrain them, but soon I wiped them all away, and tried to show myself worthy the name of soldiers wife: and when I again looked around, it seemed that all eyes were riveted upon me, perhaps they wondered that I could be so calm, they could not see the workings of my heart.” Laura would write frequently over the course of the next year, sharing the difficulties she faced as a young mother at home, as well as the joys of watching their daughter grow. For his part, Nelson would travel throughout the South writing unfailing to Laura throughout the remainder of the war.

  Nelson’s unit travelled from Camp Cleveland to Nashville after organization. He was garrisoned at Tallahoma under General Milroy until Hood’s invasion in December. While in Tallahoma, Nelson was requested to be a Judge Advocate in a court martial, acting as recorder of the proceedings as well as counsel to the defendant. Over the course of several letters Nelson reflects upon his work as a Judge Advocate, noting that he feels unfit for the position and without the prerequisite knowledge necessary for the job. He further discusses various cases with which he was involved. Later, Nelson is appointed Post Inspector on the staff of Colonel A. C. Johnson, a position that he informed his family on November 20, 1864, was “a good place and one that will not be so hard.” He described his duties saying, “I have to Inspect all the troops at this post once a month & besides I have to keep an eye out continually that pickets and guards do their duty. Inspect & condemn all worthless government property. Inspect Suttlers & store keepers goods at this post &c&c so now I have given you a synopsis of my duties. I am allowed a horse although I have not got it yet. When I get it I shall have to take a ride round the picket lines every day which by the way is about seven miles so you see what a nice ride this will make but woe to any poor fellow that is found not doing his duty.”

  While Nelson fulfills his duties Laura continues to keep the homestead up. News from the front that Confederate General Hood was rampaging through Tennessee makes her fear for Nelson’s safety more than ever. She writes on December 3, 1864, “I cannot but have feelings of anxiety about you when I read of the battle of Franklin and of Hood skylarking about there: for no one knows where he may come upon us, we at home can only pray for Our Fathers watchful care, to shelter you from all harm, and bring you safely to loved ones.” Nelson was safe when he next wrote to Laura, but he had been caught up in the commotion and fear surrounding Hood’s excursions. He wrote to her on December 18, 1864, from Murfreesboro, beginning “For three long weeks Dearest have we been in a state of seize,” and he then continues to describe for her the hasty evacuation from Tallahoma and situation in Murfreesboro. “For three long weary days we toiled on working hard to get the heavily loaded wagons with the worn down teams along through deep mud over rugged hills and deep ravines …. On the fourth day about noon the famous town of Murfreesboro was seen in the distance and by night we were at our journeys end & took camp near old fortress Rosencrans & from that time till today we have been in a state of seize being surrounded on all sides by the rebs in so close proximity that our pickets & those of the enemy are constantly in sight of each other while at all hours of the day & night a constant firing has been kept up ….” Nelson continues with a lengthy description of his situation in Murfreesboro and announces that he no longer holds the post of Post-Inspector but is Assistant Inspector General of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division Instant.

  In his last letter to Laura before the New Year, Nelson writes from “the woods two miles north of Columbia.” He has been marching for days from Murfreesboro and is camping outside on the frozen ground, but he has with him a new companion who has proved most helpful. “You must know that I have picked up a contraband in my travels by the name of Tom. About 16 years old whose parents went north as cooks for some officers & left him a slave. He not liking the Big man [word missing on account of minor loss] away to the lines & says he wants to go to Ohio. He is a lively smart boy. As Black as the ace of spades. I give him board & clothing & he goes as my waiter keeps me supplied on the march with chickens roosters cornbread & it was he who foraged the aforesaid molasses & brought it to me for Christmas dinner.”

  In January 1865, Nelson’s regiment was on the move towards Clifton, TN. Conditions remained difficult. He writes on January 12th, “… the mud is so thick & deep that horses wagons mules, tents, clothing, blankets & in fact every thing else is one complete plaster of mud. We walk in mud. March in mud. Camp in mud. Cook in mud. Eat mud. Sleep in the mud. & in fact mud has become a sort of second nature to us. & this is the kind of life we soldiers of 1865 lead about half of the time ….” Perhaps the poor conditions in the field attributed to the poor condition of this particular letter, as it is one of the few in the collection that is heavily soiled, torn in places, and missing some pieces.

  From Clifton, TN, Nelson was to embark on a journey via land, rail, and water to Washington, DC, where his regiment would join with other Union forces for assaults in North Carolina. One specific part of the journey was particularly trying for many of the soldiers. Writing to Laura on February 12, 1865, from camp near Fort Fisher, NC, Nelson describes a portion of his journey from Annapolis via steamer. “Had a rough time on account of a heavy storm which prevented our landing & drove us out to sea one day & night & Oh! Such a time! A great share of the boys were sick & at any time of day or night any number of men might be seen clinging to the side of the ship 'reissuing' their rations & indeed it did seem hard to see them so closely packed into the hold of the ship with scarcely any ventilation & very little fresh air reminding one of the manner in which we have been accustomed to read of the packing of a slave ship than the transporting of American Soldiers in this day of improvements.”

  Though Nelson’s regiments did not arrive in time to participate in the battle for Fort Fisher, his regiment was actively involved in operations to take the key Confederate port of Wilmington, NC. In a letter of February 25th written from Wilmington, he tells his wife “Our active campaign is at last ended for a short time & we are at liberty to be still for a few days & rest in this long wished for place. & I tell you Dear it is no more than right for the boys have fought long and hard for this Hell of Blockade runners & it is ours at last with its rich cargo of cotton & rice ….” Nelson then goes on to describe his regiment’s movements and mentions he had “quite a heavy fight on the 20th at a place called Town Creek & took 200 prisoners & one battery of Artillery.” Now commander of Co. G, Nelson continued to share with Laura his experiences interacting with former slaves and other southerners. “It would make you laugh to see the darkeys laugh & Bress de Lord to see the Yankey Soldiers come. They will do anything or give the boys any thing they have. Just because they are Yankeys.” Then on February 27, 1865, “The skirmishing around this place has all ceased & all is quiet again. Yesterday was the first sabbath that the people of this town had spent in the Union for four years & the most that are left seem to feel & act as though they were just released from bondage.”

  The soldiers in Nelson’s regiment were not just occupied with fighting as they made their way through the South. They were also engaged in foraging and pillaging. “The boys are having grand times hunting for cotton. Large quantities of which they find hid in various places. Some sunk in the river some buried in the sand & some hid in the swamps. I found a whole bale of nice cotton cloth the other day stowed away in the back room of a deserted bank & there is no end to the little trinkets which the boys have ‘foraged’ as they called it. In short – if any one finds any thing which suits his fancy he takes it – no matter where it is or whom it belongs to.” Nelson does not seem the least disturbed by these pastimes. In fact, he seems proud of his regiment’s reputation for thievery. Writing to Laura on March 13, 1865, from camp near Kinston, he boasts: “I think I may safely say now that the Spring Campaign of 1865 for the 23rd Corps is fairly commenced & where it will end is only for the Rebels to say. One thing is cheering. We are strong in force, ready in will & have been so long used to success that they have begun to dread the sound & name of ‘the 23 A. C.’ or ‘Scofields Thieves’ as they are pleased to call us on account I suppose of the peculiar faculty the boys have of living off from the country as they go along & I must say that their equal can scarcely be found in the field, when we are on the march & the sun begins to sink in the west the boys can be seen scouring the country in all directions for anything eatable that may please their fancy ….”

  Under John Schofield’s command, Nelson Cory would continue his march through North Carolina where he would ultimately join General Sherman’s army at Goldsboro. Along the way Nelson encountered many Southerners who were devastated by the war. He writes on March 18, “… now we are in sight of the town of Kinston I have not been over into town but suppose it is like all the rest of the towns we pass nearly deserted except by blacks & poor whites who by the way are almost universally union to the least & it is this class of the southern soldiery who are constantly deserting & coming over to our lines sometimes singly but more often in squads of five, ten or even more as the case may be.” Noting the desertions and other signs of Confederate demise, Nelson is increasingly certain that the war is nearing its end.

  While Nelson’s letters do not record the news of Lee’s surrender and the end of the war, Laura’s surviving letters do. In a joyous letter of April 8th, 1865, Laura recalls the jubilation that erupted in Ohio with this long-awaited news. “I hardly know how or what to write you this evening, my dear husband, for everyone is so jubilant over the capture of Lee’s entire army, they scarcely know what they are about … while I am writing there are congregated in our back yard some thirty or forty men and boys displaying their patriotism by every now and then making the old anvil speak in a loud voice, also filling holes in logs with powder and allowing it to be put in a word occasionally, with continual shouts & hurrahs, each seeming to out do all others. It would really do the hearts of you soldier boys good to see the great many festivities of joy expressed by the people, and we all wish you were all here to join with us ….” Joy would soon turn to sorrow, however, as Laura joined the country in mourning. Writing on April 16, 1865, she echoes the sentiments of so many Northerners writing, ”Oh what heartrending news did we, on yesterday, hear from our country’s capitol concerning the bold and atrocious assassination of our good, self-sacrificing President … it turns us from the midst of our great rejoicing, to deep and unbearable sorrows, and fills every patriotic heart with such feelings as have been never before aroused. To think any one could be so base and cruel to resort to such means in these times. At this important crisis, when he was so greatly needed our loss is without comparison; but the All wise Ruler who doeth all things well permitted it to be so, and to Him must we look in times of trial like this.”

  Nearly twenty letters follow as the war comes to an end and Nelson finishes out his enlistment, but it is in his letter to Laura of April 22, 1865, that he best sums up the mixed emotions that plague him after the war. “I can scarcely tell you how glad we all feel to know that the war is at last over but yet with all our joy there seems to be a sadness resting on all of this vast army & every soldier seems to feel sad at least at the thought that ‘Honest Unkle Abe’ (as we were want to call our Noble President) is dead. I have seen the same expression on soldiers faces many times before after a battle when joy for the victory was dampened by the thought of lost ones who had long been dear.”

  Nelson’s final letter is dated June 23, 1865. He was mustered out on June 24, 1865, at Greensboro, NC. After the war, Nelson returned home to Trumbull County, reunited at last with his wife and daughter.

  Nelson and Laura Cory went on to have two more children. Laura and a fourth child died from complications of childbirth on January 25, 1881. Nelson remarried, and lived another forty years in Northeast Ohio. His family and their descendants are represented in the large family photo album which accompanies this archive. With more than fifty photographs, multiple generations of Cory family descendants are represented. While the photo album itself is in very poor condition, most of the photographs within are in good condition. In particular, the ca 1861 photos of Nelson and Laura Cory are a wonderful accompaniment to this archive.

  Supplementing this outstanding collection of Civil War letters and the family photo album is a small diary written by Nelson at the request of his wife. Laura and Nelson reference this diary multiple times in their correspondence. Dated from January 1, 1865, through February 2, 1865, during which time Nelson was on the move with his regiment from Tennessee up through Ohio via river transport, then via rail and foot down into North Carolina for his next campaign. It contains details of his travel and weather conditions.

  Surviving remnants from the war also include Nelson’s match tin, candle lantern, and battle rattle. The metal match tin was labeled in marker, presumably at a later date, with “Lt. Nelson Cory - Ohio Civil War [indecipherable].” The indecipherable portion of this marking is covered with some sort of glue or adhesive. Matches still rest in its interior. The candle lantern appears to be a Minor's patent tin folding lantern with original mica windows. The working back panel swings open to reveal the inside of the lantern and two small holders for extra candles and matches. The wood battle rattle is in good, working condition.

  A small number of war-date letters from Laura's brother, George Williams, are interspersed throughout the collection. Like his brother-in-law, George served during the Civil War. According to a note in the collection, George Williams did not survive the war but left his mother with a remembrance. “Gold Brooch given to Mrs. Malinda Williams by her son George Williams when he went to the Civil War from which he did not return.” Shaped like a canister with a working stopper on top and with a pin anchored behind a patriotic eagle, this gold tone pendant is included as part of this collection. One wing has broken from the eagle pendant.

  Other manuscript items of interest include a letter dated 1834 addressed to "Mr. Joseph Williams" and an additional grouping of ca 1874 letters between Nelson and Laura. This later correspondence is written while the couple endures yet another separation as Nelson is in Cincinnati engaged in employment and training at a mill.

  Condition

  Majority of letters are in good condition with expected wear along folds, though a small number are severely worn, faded, and/or soiled.

  Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You!
  
  If you'd like a shipping estimate before the auction, contact Cowan's in-house shipping department at shipping@cowans.com or 513.871.1670 x219.

• Shipping Info

  • Eliminate the Hassle of Third-Party Shippers: Let Cowan's Ship Directly To You!

    If you'd like a shipping estimate before the auction, contact Cowan's in-house shipping department at shipping@cowans.com or 513.871.1670 x219.

    At the request of the buyer, Cowan's will authorize the shipment of purchased items. Shipments usually occur within two weeks after payment has been received. Shipment is generally made via UPS Ground service. Unless buyer gives special instructions, the shipping method shall be at the sole discretion of Cowan's Auctions, Inc.. Cowan's is in no way responsible for the acts or omissions of independent handlers, packers or shippers of purchased items or for any loss, damage or delay from the packing or shipping of any property.

• Buyer's Premium

  • Hammer Price	Premium (%)
    $0	28.00
    $250,001	23.00
    $3,000,001	15.00