Beschreibung:

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 lawy