Harry C. Cushing Letters
This collection consists of letters that Harry C. Cushing wrote to his mother, father, and friend Ned Atwell while serving in the U.S. Civil War. The letters are written between September 1860 and November 1864 and include the letters that Cushing wrote while stationed in Tennessee from November 1862 to March 1864. Many of these documents provide detailed descriptions of battles as well as witty stories regarding camp life and occasional sketches.
Dates
- 1860 September 14-1864 November 6
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet (1 quarter box)
Abstract
This collection consists of letters that Harry C. Cushing wrote to his mother, father, and friend Ned Atwell while serving in the U.S. Civil War. The letters are written between September 1860 and November 1864 and include the letters that Cushing wrote while stationed in Tennessee from November 1862 to March 1864. Many of these documents provide detailed descriptions of battles as well as witty stories regarding camp life and occasional sketches.
Biographical/Historical Note
Harry Cooke Cushing was born on November 8, 1841 in Baltimore, Maryland to George William and Sarah Shepard (Cooke) Cushing. The family soon moved to Providence, Rhode Island where Harry Cushing attended Brown University until the U.S. Civil War broke out. He enlisted in Company A of the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Battery on June 6, 1861 and was promoted to Full Sergeant on September 16, 1861. Cushing was promoted to Full 2nd Lieutenant and commissioned as an officer in the Regular Army 4th Light Artillery Regiment on November 3, 1861. He was promoted by brevet to Full 1st Lieutenant on August 9, 1862, to Full 1st Lieutenant on September 17, 1862, by brevet to Captain on September 20, 1863, and by brevet to Major on August 28, 1864. Cushing remained in the Army after the war ended, was promoted to Full Captain on August 22, 1871, and served in the Indian Wars before retiring on February 12, 1895 due to a disability acquired in the line of duty.
Cushing married Martha Weatherille Budd on June 11, 1868. Together they had four children: Harry Cooke (1869-1933), Otho Williams (1870-1942), Louisa (born 1871; died in infancy), and Nicholas Cooke (1873-). After his retirement from the military, Cushing lived in New Rochelle, New York where he died on July 2, 1902. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single box and the items are arranged chronologically.
- Tennessee -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Correspondence.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives.
- United States. Army. Artillery Regiment, 4th.
- United States. Army. Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment, 1st (1861-1865).
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository