Papers (1862-1914) concern the life of Benjamin Holt Ticknor (1842-1914) of Boston, Massachusetts, after he enlisted in the 45th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Co. G, in 1862 during the Civil War. Included are thirteen letters written to his father during the war with nine (November 1863-March 1864) of them written from Fort Totten in New Bern, N.C. Several documents relate to a court martial and trial he participated in; other documents relate to his postwar involvement in the Loyal Legion and genealogy research. Also included are photographs of his funeral procession. Transferred (not purchased) from Denning House Antiquarian Books & Manuscripts.
Benjamin Holt Ticknor was born on August 3, 1842, in Boston, MA. In 1862, at the age of 20, he enlisted in the 45th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers and served as the second lieutenant of Company G. After a bout of illness, he joined his company at Fort Macon in New Bern, NC, in December of that year. In May of 1863, he returned home to Massachusetts to serve in Company B of the 2nd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He was later made captain of Company E and was placed in charge of recruitment. In October of that year, he returned to New Bern to be stationed at Fort Totten. He served there until his resignation in 1864 following his father's death. In 1865, he married Caroline Coolidge Cushman (b. 1844) and had at least five children. He died in January of 1914, after his wife's death in April of 1913. They are both buried at a family lot in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA.
This collection consists primarily of various documents and letters related to Benjamin Holt Ticknor's service in the Union army during the American Civil War. A majority of the documents consist of letters [1862-1865] written by Ticknor to his father from the various locations at which he was serving. Eight (8) of these letters were written from Fort Totten in New Bern, NC. Also included are documents [1862-1863] involving Ticknor's military service, including a list of members of the 45th Regiment, details of court cases, special orders for Ticknor to return to Massachusetts, a letter informing Ticknor of a received certificate (not included), and an invitation card to the 36th Annual Exhibition at Tremont Temple.
Also included are documents [1867] from the Treasury Department Second Auditor's Office involving the success of a settlement case filed by Ticknor. Other documents [1868] relate to Ticknor's election as a Companion of the First Class of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, including a letter of notice, a letter detailing the payment needed, and a receipt of said payments following Ticknor's payment.
Also included are miscellaneous documents [1862, 1877, 1899, 1901, 1903, undated] related to Ticknor and his family, and three (3) black and white photographs [undated] of Ticknor's funeral procession.
June 6, 2019), 0.25 cubic feet; Papers (1862-1914) concern the life of Benjamin Holt Ticknor (1842-1914) of Boston, Massachusetts, after he enlisted in the 45th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Co. G, in 1862 during the Civil War. Included are thirteen letters written to his father during the war with nine (November 1863-March 1864) of them written from Fort Totten in New Bern, N.C. Several documents relate to a court martial and trial he participated in; other documents relate to his postwar involvement in the Loyal Legion and genealogy research. Also included are photographs of his funeral procession. Transferred (not purchased) from Denning House Antiquarian Books & Manuscripts.
Transferred from Denning House Antiquarian Books & Manuscripts.
Container list updated by Ashlyn Racine, November 2023
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.