A total of 14 black and white photographs of many of the family members comprise a part of this collection, which is completed by several awards and presidential appointment certificates presented to James Placidus Ordand his son James Cresap Ord. The richness of the Ord family correspondence derives not only from the genealogical interest but also from the historical insights provided by the remarkably descriptive writing. Personal experiences of significant events in American history are recounted, covering the Civil War, the Spanish-American war, campaigns against American Indians, and the Reconstruction period. Excerpts of the letters are quoted liberally throughout the Description section of this finding aid to better orientate researchers to the content and scope of the material in the collection. Note that the transcriptions are presented here with some minor spelling changes to facilitate reading.
Biographical information is provided in the following section.
Sources include the Dictionary of American Biography, the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, and material from the Georgetown University Alumni Files. He was educated at the West Point military academy, and after being graduated in 1839 was appointed a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. artillery. The battle of Dranesville, in 1861, was won under his leadership. He was severely wounded at the battle of Hatchie 1862, and at the assault on Fort Harrison, 1864. He was promoted several times for meritorious conduct and became commander of the department of Virginia and North Carolina in 1865, leading the army of the James until the end of the war.