By William E. Bigglestone
Title: Jacob Dolson Cox Papers, 1842-1901
ID: RG 30/003
Primary Creator: Cox, Jacob Dolson (1828-1900)
Extent: 12.03 Linear Feet
Arrangement:
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. Correspondence (Incoming), 1861-1900 (1.2 lin. ft.)
Consists primarily of letters received by Cox, although some outgoing correspondence is included in the index and calendar. Correspondence is arranged in two subseries: 1. Calendared Correspondence and 2. Uncalendared Correspondence. The more than 600 calendared items are chronologically arranged. The 80 uncalendared items are arranged by recipient with the exception of 23 miscellaneous letters.
Series 2. Correspondence (Outgoing), 1852-1900 (1.6 lin. ft.)
Contains over 1,000 examples of Cox’s outgoing correspondence. The bulk of the correspondence is contained in letter press copy books (4 volumes) and manifold letter books (4 volumes). The eight volumes were not kept in a strictly chronological order. Some 123 original letters sent to family and friends are arranged alphabetically by recipient. Photostats from other repositories (63 items) conclude the series. The series is divided into four subseries based on format: 1. Letter Press Copy Books, 2. Manifold Letter Books, 3. Original Correspondence (Outgoing), and 4. Non-Original Correspondence (Outgoing).
Series 3. Files Relating to Jacob Dolson Cox’s Legal Career,
1842-84, n.d. (0.2 lin. ft.)
Cox’s legal career is partially documented in this series which contains an account book from the firm Leggett and Cox, 1853-75, as well as various legal records.
Series 4. Files Relating to Jacob Dolson Cox’s Military Career,
1861-98, n.d. (5.63 lin. ft.)
The military service of General Cox is well documented in this series, which includes accounts written both during and after action. Field dispatches (manifold copy) and two diaries give a detailed description of his military activity from 1864 to 1865. Much of the later material consists of letters and papers gathered while researching his military histories. These items incorporate letters and reminiscences from other officers. The wealth of the documentation concerns the Battle of Franklin. Organized into two subseries: 1. Military Records and Papers and 2. Military History Research Files. The latter includes documentation fo rthe Fitz-John Porter court martial case, with a set of 22 maps in addition to correspondence, notes, and printed material.
Series 5. Files Relating to Jacob Dolson Cox’s Public Service, 1865-77 (0.3 lin. ft.)
This series, which provides an incomplete record of Cox’s public service, primarily centers on the McGarrahan Case. Cox was involved in this case while U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Series 6. Files Relating to Jacob Dolson Cox’s Tenure at the University of Cincinnati, 1870-99 (0.2 lin. ft.)
A letter press copy book, 1881-91, a history lecture outline, 1886, and miscellaneous records provide evidence of Cox as Dean of the Cincinnati Law School. A letter press copy book kept while Cox served jointly as president is retained by the University of Cincinnati.
Series 7. Notes on Readings, 1866-70, n.d. (0.3 lin. ft.)
Cox’s voracious appetite for books and knowledge is evident in this series consisting of notes made by Cox on his readings from philosophy, history and science. Notes on works by Spinoza are partially in shorthand.
Series 8. Scientific Notes and Writings, 1872, 1881-93, n.d. (0.4 lin. ft.)
Included here are rough notes (8 volumes) and copies of most of the 29 articles Cox wrote on the subject of microscopy and microphotography. The writings are separated by publication and arranged chronologically.
Series 9. Talks and Writings, 1853-1900, n.d. (1.0 lin. ft.)
Contains 56 addresses and articles written by Cox, both manuscript and printed. The items are chronologically arranged in two subseries: 1. Talks and Writings (Manuscript) and 2. Talks and Writings (Printed).
Series 10. Book Reviews, 1874-1900, n.d. (0.2 lin. ft.)
This series is a chronological arrangement of most of the 161 articles and reviews, which Cox wrote for the Nation. Included here is a listing of all his articles and reviews compiled by William C. Cochran.
Series 11. Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1860-72, 1878-95, n.d. (0.6 lin. ft.)
Although kept by his brother Charles Finney Cox, the four scrapbooks provide a comprehensive collection of newspaper coverage of Jacob Dolson Cox’s political and military career from 1861 to 1872. Some loose scattered clippings cover the years 1878-95.
Series 12. Miscellaneous Materials, 1851-1901 (0.2 lin. ft.)
Included in this catch-all of miscellany related to Cox is information on reunions of Civil War veterans (1886, 1900) and memorial tributes and obituaries (1900).
Series 13. Photographs, c. 1861-65, 1863-99 (0.2 lin. ft.)
Contains 16 loose images of Cox family members (including 5 of J.D. Cox and 3 of Mrs. J.D. Cox) and a remarkable album of 48 Civil War personages among them numerous Generals associated with Cox.
Date Acquired: 10/12/1967. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Atlanta Campaign, 1864--History--Sources, Cox, Jacob D. (Jacob Dolson), 1828-1900--Archives, Finney, Charles G., 1792-1875--Archives, Franklin, Battle of, Franklin, Tenn., 1864--History--Sources, Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881--Archives, Hayes, Rutherford Birchard, 1822-1893--Archives, Microscopy--Sources, Monroe, James, 1821-1898--Archives, Ohio--Politics and government--Sources, Porter, Fitz-John, 1822-1901--Archives, Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Sources, United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives, United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Sources, United States--Politics and government--19th century--Sources, University of Cincinnati--History--19th century--Sources, University of Cincinnati--Law Department--History--19th century--Sources
Forms of Material: diaries, letters (correspondence), manuscripts, maps, photograph albums, photographs, photographs - photographic prints, publications, records (documents) - military records, scrapbooks, speeches
Languages: English
The Jacob Dolson Cox Papers consist of 13 record series. In addition to correspondence, there are notes and published articles dealing with microphotography; copies of his speeches and other writings; records reflecting his work as an attorney and his time at the Cincinnati Law School; notes, papers, diaries, record books, newspaper clippings, and other printed material gathered during his studies of the Civil War; and material related to his political career.
The partially indexed and calendared correspondence series are separated into correspondence received (incoming), 1861-1900 and correspondence sent (outgoing) 1852-1900. The Oberlin College Archives microfilmed the majority of the Cox correspondence in 1972. The bulk of the incoming correspondence, over 600 items, has been indexed and calendared. Prominent correspondents include Kenyon Cox (1856-1919), Charles Dawes (1865-1951), Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875), James A. Garfield (1831-1881), Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893), James Monroe (1821-1898), Carl Schurz (1829-1906), and William T. Sherman (1820-1891). There is at least one letter each from James G. Blaine (1830-1893), Schuyler Colfax (1823-1885), George Crook (1829-1890), Hamilton Fish (1808-1893), Horace Greeley (1811-1872), Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829-1887), George G. Meade (1815-1872), and Charles Sumner (1811-1874).
Outgoing correspondence consists primarily of copies retained in letter books (4 volumes) and letter press copy books (4 volumes). Approximately 1,000 outgoing letters are recorded in these volumes dating from 1852 to 1900. These fragile volumes were microfilmed in 1972. There is an index, referencing the reel and frame number. Cox did not maintain the books in strict chronological order. The inside cover of each volume contains Cox’s notations as to the dates and subjects of coverage.
Included with the outgoing correspondence are 123 original letters sent by Cox to family and friends. Twenty items sent by Cox to his wife between 1860 and 1864 provide further amplification of Cox’s military service during the Civil War. Similarly, 32 letters sent to James Monroe between 1860 and 1890 add considerable insight into the political views held by Cox. Photostats from other repositories, primarily the Rutherford B. Hayes Library, give further evidence of the scope of Cox’s outgoing correspondence.
Cox’s legal career is only partially documented in these records. The collection includes an account book from the law firm Leggett and Cox, 1853-75, and scattered legal documents.
The collection includes records related to Jacob Dolson Cox's military career. In addition to his published military histories and memoirs, the records found here do much to elevate the understanding of his leadership during the Civil War. Two diaries kept between 1864 and 1865 add to the field dispatches (manifold copy) kept for the same period. The Cleveland Public Library filmed the two diaries in 1948. An account of his military service between 1861 and 1864, furnished to the Adjutant General’s Office provides additional detail. Also of great importance are the letters and papers Cox compiled while conducting research for his histories of the campaigns in Tennessee and Georgia, particularly the Battle of Franklin. A calendar and index has been prepared for the more than 100 letters and papers dealing with the Battle of Franklin. These records include correspondence with other officers, many of whom furnished Cox with lengthy narrative accounts of their recollections. Details of these campaigns can be gleaned from the letters. Included with these items are newspaper clippings regarding these campaigns and other published accounts from the 1880s. Records of the Fitz-John Porter case are included as well. The records, which include correspondence, clippings and printed works, highlight Cox’s opinions on the court-martial and cashiering of General Fitz-John Porter (1822-1901) for his conduct in the second battle of Bull Run. These records are accompanied by a set of 22 maps.
The public service aspect of Cox’s life is partly documented through an 1865 appointment book and records of his work as United States Secretary of the Interior. Of key significance are the records, both manuscript and printed, of the land case McGarrahan vs. The New Idria Mining Company et al. The legal briefs add detail to this key event during Cox’s eighteen-month tenure as a member of Grant’s cabinet. Noticeably lacking is significant information from his term as a U.S. Congressman in 1876-1877. His actions on the floor of the U.S. Congress are recorded in the Congressional Record for that period.
A letter press copy book for the years 1881-1891 records a decade of Cox’s tenure as Dean of the Cincinnati College Law School. An 1886 history lecture outline attests to his scholarly bent.
A commonplace book and five journals contain notes made by Cox on his extensive readings in history, philosophy, and science. His scientific interests are manifest in eight volumes of rough notes as well as off-prints of the majority of his writings on microscopy and microphotography.
Manuscript and printed talks and writings prepared by Cox add considerable insight into virtually every facet of Cox’s career and broad ranging interests. These talks and writings, dating from 1853 to 1900, include addresses on music, politics, higher education, science, military history, and civic duties. Copies of the Nation contain the bulk of his 161 articles and reviews written for the magazine between 1874 and 1900.
Four scrapbooks compiled by his brother Charles Finney Cox (1846-1912, A.B. 1869, Hon. A.M. 1889) contain clippings and other coverage of Cox’s life from 1860 to 1872. Several miscellaneous unmounted clippings are included here dating from 1878 to 1895.
Miscellaneous material and photographs round out the papers of Jacob Dolson Cox. Included among the miscellany are memorial tributes to Cox, 1900, and material on reunions of Civil War veterans. Photographic material is sparse, including only four different images of Cox and one portrait of Kenyon Cox. Of note, however, is a remarkable album of prints of 48 Civil War personages. Included among the images are President Lincoln, Winfield Scott, Ambrose E. Burnside, Daniel Webster, William Seward, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Auer, J. Jeffrey. “Jacob Dolson Cox, 1866-68,” The Governors of Ohio. Columbus, The Ohio Historical Society, 1954.
Cochran, William Cox. “General Jacob Dolson Cox: Early Life and Military Services,” Bibliotheca Sacra, LVIII (1901) 436-68.
Cox, Jacob Dolson. Military Reminiscences of the Civil War. 2 Vols. New York: Scribners’ Sons, 1900.
Rhodes, James Ford. “Jacob D. Cox,” Historical Essays. New York: The MacMillen Co., 1909.
Schmiel, Eugene David. “The Career of Jacob Dolson Cox, 1828-1900: Soldier, Scholar, Statesman.” Unpublished dissertation, Ohio State University, 1969.
Dictionary of American Biography, Volume 4, p. 476-78.
Oberlin Review, “Jacob Dolson Cox: Class of 1851,” Vol. XXIII, April 22, 1896.
____________, “Death of General Cox,” Vol. XXVIII, October 4, 1900
Jacob Dolson Cox was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on October 25, 1828. His early years were spent in New York City where he apprenticed in law. He elected to forsake law and enter the ministry instead, journeying to Oberlin, Ohio, in 1846 to attend Oberlin College (then known as the Oberlin Collegiate Institute). Enrolling in the Preparatory Department and Seminary, in addition to taking the regular college course, Cox was awarded the A.B. degree in 1851 and the A.M. in 1854.
While still a student at Oberlin, Cox married Helen Finney Cochran (1828-1911, L.B. 1846), the eldest daughter of Oberlin’s second president, Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875). Helen was the widow of Oberlin Professor William Cochran (1814-1847) by whom she had a son, William (1848-1936, A.B. 1869, LL.D. 1919). The Coxes had five more children: Helen Finney (1850-1936), Jacob Dolson (1852-1930), Kenyon (1856-1919, hon. 1912), Charles Norton (1858-1907), and Charlotte Hope (1871-1937). Two other children, Brewster (1861-1861) and Dennison (1867-1868), died in infancy.
In 1851, Cox moved to Warren, Ohio, where he served as superintendent of schools and principal of the high school. He also completed his legal training and entered a law practice. Joining the Whig party in 1853, he lost an election for prosecuting attorney. A man of strong anti-slavery views, Cox changed party affiliations to join the new Republican Party. He served as a delegate to the 1855 State Convention that organized the Republican Party in Ohio. In 1858 he won election to the State Senate of Ohio and during his term allied closely with other anti-slavery advocates, including James A. Garfield (1831-1881).
When the Civil War broke out, Cox was appointed a Brigadier-General of Volunteers and placed in charge of training Ohio troops. His active campaigning began in Western Virginia under General George B. McClellan. Subsequently, he fought at the battles of Antietam, Atlanta, Franklin, and Nashville, after which he was promoted to Major General. An 1862 opportunity for promotion fell through when the allotted quota of promotions was surpassed. The conclusion of his military service was spent supervising the paroling of Confederate troops in North Carolina.
After the Civil War Cox was nominated as the Republican candidate for Governor of Ohio. During the campaign he published his famous “Oberlin Letter,” calling for the segregation of formerly enslaved people into a separate state and for opposition to Black suffrage. Cox was elected and served one gubernatorial term, 1866-67. He attempted to compromise the dispute between President Andrew Johnson and the radical Republicans in Congress over Reconstruction policy, but failed. His advocacy of forcible segregation, and his support for Andrew Johnson’s position on Reconstruction, resulted in losing favor with his party. When Cox was not renominated for a second term, he entered into private law practice in Cincinnati.
In March 1869, after declining President Johnson’s offer to serve as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Cox was appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Ulysses S. Grant. He revised the government’s policies toward Indigenous tribes, established the first complete civil service examination and appointment system, and reformed five bureaus under his control. After serving only eighteen months, Cox submitted his resignation. He attributed his decision to resign to rampant corruption in the Grant administration. He also believed that President Grant did not fully support him in matters involving civil service reform.
After leaving federal government service, Cox resumed his law practice in Cincinnati. He soon identified himself with the Liberal Republican movement and was briefly considered as the Party’s presidential nominee in 1872. In 1873 he moved to Toledo to act as president and then receiver of the Toledo, Wabash, and Western Railroad. He managed it through the Panic of 1873 and the subsequent depression. He again entered the world of politics in 1876, serving as a representative of the 6th Ohio district, U.S. Congress. There he was reunited with his friend James A. Garfield and his brother-in-law James Monroe (1821-1898, A.B. 1846, B.D. 1849, A.M. 1850).
After only one term in Congress, Cox returned to his law practice in Cincinnati. In 1881 Cox accepted the deanship of the Cincinnati Law School, which he held until 1897, serving concurrently as President of the University of Cincinnati during 1885-89. During this time he declined a number of political opportunities.
In addition to his other attainments, Cox made quite a reputation as a writer on military history. He took up the study of microphotography as an avocation, published some thirty articles on the subject, and twice was elected president of the American Microscopy Society. He also became a military historian, focusing on the Civil War. Between 1874 and his death, he was the military book critic for the Nation magazine and authored seven books or book sections on military aspects of the Civil War including Atlanta (1882), The March to the Sea: Franklin and Nashville (1882), and The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864 (1897).
From 1897 to 1900, Cox lived in Oberlin. There, he wrote his two-volume Military Reminiscences of the Civil War (Scribners’ Sons, 1900). Beginning in 1876, he had served as a trustee of Oberlin College. He donated his private library to the College's collection. He died in Magnolia, Massachusetts, on August 4, 1900, and was buried in Cincinnati four days later.
Atlanta Campaign, 1864--History--Sources
Cox, Jacob D. (Jacob Dolson), 1828-1900--Archives
Finney, Charles G., 1792-1875--Archives
Franklin, Battle of, Franklin, Tenn., 1864--History--Sources
Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881--Archives
Hayes, Rutherford Birchard, 1822-1893--Archives
Microscopy--Sources
Monroe, James, 1821-1898--Archives
Ohio--Politics and government--Sources
Porter, Fitz-John, 1822-1901--Archives
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Sources
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Sources
United States--Politics and government--19th century--Sources
University of Cincinnati--History--19th century--Sources
University of Cincinnati--Law Department--History--19th century--Sources
Repository: Oberlin College Archives
Accruals: Accession No: 19; 30; 128; 136; 182; 198; 1978/32; 1981/11; 1985/38, 1992/76, 1993/59, 1993/74.
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted - correspondence series accessible on microfilm.
Acquisition Method: The papers of Jacob Dolson Cox passed into the custody of William Cochran, Cox’s step-son. Cochran spent much of the last twenty years of his life working on a biography of Cox and editing his correspondence. Cochran died in 1936, and in accordance with his will the Cox papers were given to Oberlin College. The bulk of the papers were received in 1937 and housed in the College Library. Small amounts of papers were added periodically by Cochran’s daughter, Mary Rudd Cochran (1881-1982). In 1967, the Cox papers were transferred to the recently created Oberlin College Archives. Additional lots were received from Mary Rudd Cochran as late as 1981. In 1985, Katherine G. Smith of Wooster, Ohio, donated a small lot of Cox family correspondence and photographs which were added to the collection. During the retrospective conversion of the Cox papers in 1992, the papers of Cox’s step-son William C. Cochran were appropriately separated and filed with the already existing Cochran record group (30/8) which was established in 1967. A set of maps previously bound into a book, providing documentation for the Fitz-John Porter court martial case, was received in flat form from Special Collections in 2016.
Related Materials:
Additional material regarding Jacob Dolson Cox may be found in the following institutional collections: Oberlin College Board of Trustees and Prudential Committee (1), Papers of Presidents Charles Grandison Finney (2/2) and James Harris Fairchild (2/3), and Records of the Office of the Treasurer (7). Cox appears as a correspondent in the following personal papers collections: William C. Cochran (30/8), Albert A. Wright (30/17), George Frederick Wright (30/21), James Monroe (30/22), and Eliab W. Metcalf (30/28). Several photographs of Jacob Dolson Cox are in the George Nelson Allen Papers (30/67). The papers of William C. Cochran (30/3) also contain extensive files of unpublished writings and research about Cochran’s step-father, Jacob Dolson Cox. See also the papers of Robert S. Fletcher (30/24).
Jacob Dolson Cox papers held outside of Oberlin College include collections at the following repositories: Cincinnati Historical Society; Library of Congress (Manuscript Division); Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library; National Archives (Department of the Interior Records and Military Records); Ohio Historical Society (Ohio Governor’s Papers); University of Cincinnati Archives (President’s letter press copy books); and the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Finding Aid Revision History: Processed by William E. Bigglestone, who did the original arrangement and basic description. In May 1992 Brian A. Williams reorganized the collection with the volunteer assistance of Jeanne Forsyth and Frank Trevorrow. Revised May 1997 by Thomas Steman. Minor revisions by Archives staff, 8 July 2014, 8 February 2016.
