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General George Cullum Civil War Letter

 Collection
Identifier: MS 0112
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Scope and Contents

Union Army General George Cullum’s handwritten letter, sent from New York and dated November 14, 1861, is addressed to ‘My dear Colonel’ and discusses Cullum’s recent promotion to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers and his assignment to serve under General Henry Halleck, with orders to leave immediately for Missouri. He also reflects on his current situation and that of several other officers (including his correspondent), discusses his immediate travel plans, and inquires about family members.

Dates

  • 1861

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from the General George Cullum Civil War Letter, 1861, MS 112, must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Biographical Note

George Washington Cullum was born Feb. 25, 1809, in New York City. He graduated from the Military Academy at West Point in 1833 with a commission in the Corps of Engineers and worked for some years on a wide range of engineering projects. He was promoted to major in 1861, served as aide to Gen. Winfield Scott and rose to colonel, and on November 1, 1861 (shortly before writing the letter in this collection), was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers and assigned to serve under Gen. Henry Halleck as chief of staff and chief engineer. After participating in the Corinth campaign in Mississippi, he returned with Halleck to Washington, D. C. and remained there until September 1864, after which he served for two years as superintendent of the Military Academy, later returning to engineering activities until his retirement in 1874. In 1875 he married Gen. Halleck’s widow, Elizabeth Hamilton Halleck (Cullum’s first marriage), and spent his retirement in New York, where he was active in scientific and philanthropic work. He is best known for his work on the Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy, in which he summarized the careers of all of the graduates of West Point from its founding until 1889. He died February 28, 1892, in New York City.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

A letter written during the U.S. Civil War on November 14, 1861, from New York by Union Army General George W. Cullum to a close friend (‘My dear Colonel’) concerning Cullum’s recent promotion to the rank of brigadier general of volunteers with assignment to serve under General Henry Halleck; Cullum also reflects on army politics and inquires about family members.

Provenance

General George Cullum’s Civil War Letter of November 14, 1861 was purchased in 1972.

General Note

This collection is available online at: https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/21720

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the General George Cullum Civil War Letter, 1861
Status
Completed
Author
Joan Ferry
Date
2010
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892