EDWARD EVERETT AYER:

Ayer was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin (1841); moved to Harvard, Illinois in early life; went overland to California (1860); enlisted in Company E of the First California Cavalry and saw action in California, Arizona, and New Mexico; and returned to Illinois (1864) and began a career furnishing telegraph poles to a number of railroads. He also began collecting historical artifacts, manuscripts, maps, and photographs on Native American cultures, which he donated (1911) to the Newberry Library of Chicago as the Edward E. Ayer Collection on the North American Indian. Ayer was active in a number of historical societies, and died in Pasadena, California (1927). More biographical information is in the reminiscences.

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The typed manuscript (45 p.) describes Ayer's departure (1860) with others from Harvard, Illinois for a journey to California. There are detailed descriptions of life and incidents on the trip through Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, and California including information on Forts Kearney and Laramie, Salt Lake City, Virgina City (Nevada), Indian tribes, buffalo herds, difficulties in crossing rivers and deserts, meetings with other Illinois travelers, and the railroad trip from Virginia City to San Francisco (October 1860). From that time to the outbreak of the Civil War he worked at many jobs, including mill work. When the war began he enlisted in the First California Cavalry.

The remainder of the reminiscences contain detailed information on drills and other training, equipment, horses, the company's camps in California, and its activities from 1862 to 1864 in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico against Indian tribes and guarding silver mines in Arizona. The reminiscences contain interesting observations of the area and its Indian tribes (Pima, Navajo, and Taos), and on a segment of Civil War actions that are often not described.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Edward Everett Ayer Civil War Reminiscences. Minnesota Historical Society. See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 2239

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, April 1997

Catalog ID number: 990017341450104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Cavalry -- West (U.S.).

Fortification -- West (U.S.).

Indians of North America -- Government relations, 1789-1869.

Indians of North America -- Wars, 1861-1865.

Indians of North America -- West (U.S.).

Military camps -- West (U.S.).

Overland journeys to the Pacific.

Silver mines and mining -- Arizona.

Soldiers -- Western States.

Places:

Arizona -- Description and travel.

Arizona -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

California -- Description and travel.

California -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

Great Plains -- Description and travel.

Mexican-American Border Region.

Mexico -- Description and travel.

New Mexico -- Description and travel.

New Mexico -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.

West (U.S.) -- Description and travel.

Organization:

United States. Army. California Cavalry Regiment, 1st. -- Company B.

Types of Documentation:

Reminiscences.

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