Newberry Library - Christopher C. Augur papers [box 01], 1780-1911

Title Christopher C. Augur papers [box 01], 1780-1911

Creator Augur, Christopher Columbus, 1821-1898

Date 1846-1885

Place Great Plains, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas

Subjects Cedar Mountain, Battle of, Va., 1862, Indians of North America, Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877), United States

Description Maps cataloged separately.
Formerly known as Ayer MS 42a.
Christopher C. Augur collection (original photographs and stereoscopic reproductions of Indians and the frontier West) is located in the Ayer Art Collection, Newberry Library.

Summary Correspondence (1848-1896); printed and manuscript military orders and reports (1838-1882); some accounts and receipts; newspaper clippings; a small notebook/scrapbook kept in Oregon (1852-1854); three large official administrative letter-books of the Departments of Texas and the Gulf; two maps (Kansas 1866 and U.S. 1877); two speeches and Augur's thoughts on Indian wars; a few historical manuscript documents; a collection of memorabilia, some poems, and photograph proofs of Augur's son, Col. Jacob A. Augur. Correspondents include military figures Nathaniel P. Banks, Winfield Scott Hancock, John P. Hatch, Guy V. Henry, Ranald Mackenzie, Alexander McD. McCook, Innis N. Palmer, Henry AV Post, and Joseph H. Potter. There is also a letter written by Battle of Cedar Mountain Confederate captive Henry W. Prince. Augur's correspondence consists of drafts of his letters written between 1870 and 1885. Among subjects covered are railroad surveys of the West (1853), the Battle of Cedar Mountain (1862), Civil War spy Pardon Worsley, Sioux and Cheyenne campaigns, published reports on conditions in the West by P.H. Sheridan and William T. Sherman (1878 and 1882) plus a report of an official meeting with Sitting Bull in 1877, departmental administrative matters and endorsements, troop morale and deportment, court-martials, Texas-Mexico border depredations and unrest in Louisiana and Mississippi. Among miscellaneous manuscript documents is one relevant to the calling out of circulation Maryland bills of credit (1780), a copy of an 1863 treaty between the U.S. and mixed bands of Bannock and Shoshonee Indians, and a hand-written roster of the troops moved to join the Army of the Potomac to defend Washington, May-June, 1863.

Biographical/Historical Note United States Army officer, 1821-1898. Born in New York in 1821, Christopher Columbus Augur graduated from West Point in 1843, in the same class as Ulysses S. Grant. He served in the Mexican War, and during the 1850s he saw service on the frontier. Promoted to Captain in 1852, he served with distinction in the campaign against Indians in Oregon in 1856. At the start of the Civil War, Augur was appointed Major in the 13th Infantry, and in November he was commissioned a Brigadier General of volunteers. In July 1862, he was assigned to a division under General Banks and was severely wounded in the Battle of Cedar Mountain. Rejoining his corps he took part in the Louisiana Campaign. At the siege of Port Hudson (1863) he distinguished himself for gallantry and was brevetted Brigadier General in the United States Army, also receiving brevet of Major General for services in the field during the rebellion. Augur's significant post-war commands included the Department of the Platte (1867-1871) and the Department of Texas (1872-1875), where he was responsible for operations against Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Comanche. Also, Augur was administrator of the Department of the Gulf until July 1878, as well as the Departments of the South and the Missouri. He retired from the army in 1885. Augur was married to Jane Elizabeth Arnold and they had eleven children, two of whom also had military careers. Christopher Columbus Augur died in 1898.

Extent 1.5 linear feet (6 boxes)

Format Autographs, Correspondence, Manuscripts, Records

User-Contributed Transcription [written sideways on sheet of paper]Buffalo hunt I do so want to go. I should enjoy it so intensely, it is a day dream with me but I cannot. I keep flattering myself that perhaps I can manage to make such arrangements that I can get off all the while in my heart knowing how futile is the effort. Even now that I am writing this I am tempted to[written horizontally on the other half of the sheet]say; Perhaps. But what is the use I thank you heartily & want you to give me me a yearly chance of it is only to make me realize how much I should enjoy myself if I could accept & believe me Yours very truly Robert B. Roosevelt

Archival Collection Title Edward E. Ayer Collection

Link to Catalog View record

Call Number Ayer MS 3008

BibID 134250

Rights Status No Copyright - United States

Contributing Institution Newberry Library

Newberry Open Access Policy The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to these terms and conditions.

IIIF Resource Type Canvas

Size 2258px × 2861px 18.51 MB

Filename 991342508805867_Ayer_MS_3008_box_01_FL_044_00004.tif

Unique Identifier NL11E051