Augustus Whittemore Corliss (March 25, 1837 – September 4, 1908) was an American author and historian. He published, amongst other works, ''
Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine
''Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine'' was a quarterly publication first printed in magazine form between 1877 and 1884 by Augustus W. Corliss. It covered the history and genealogy of the town of North Yarmouth, Maine. In 1977, a century after i ...
'' across several volumes. He began writing it during his career in the military, which spanned forty years.
Early life and career
Corliss was born in
North Yarmouth, Maine
North Yarmouth, officially the Town of North Yarmouth, is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. The population was 4,072 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
, on March 25, 1837,
to Robert Elwell Corliss and Asenath Field.
He graduated from
North Yarmouth Academy
North Yarmouth Academy (also known as "NYA") is an independent, co-ed, college preparatory day school serving students from early childhood education to postgraduate. NYA was founded in 1814, in what was then North Yarmouth, Maine, prior to the 184 ...
in 1851.
In 1862, during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Corliss was in command of the
7th Rhode Island Cavalry Squadron, which was organized in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
. He also became lieutenant colonel of the
2nd Rhode Island Cavalry Regiment.
He later joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
as a private and received a commission in 1865 as first lieutenant of the
15th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to a captain in the
8th Infantry Regiment
The 8th Infantry Regiment of the United States, also known as the "Fighting Eagles," is an infantry regiment in the United States Army. The 8th Infantry participated in the Mexican War, American Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebel ...
in 1873.
In 1872 and 1873, he was in command of a military escort company during the Yellowstone surveys of the
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...
.
Corliss published the first issue of his quarterly ''
Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine
''Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine'' was a quarterly publication first printed in magazine form between 1877 and 1884 by Augustus W. Corliss. It covered the history and genealogy of the town of North Yarmouth, Maine. In 1977, a century after i ...
'' in January 1877. Thirty-two issues were published through October 1884. He tried to revive the magazine as ''The Westcustogo Chronicle'', but only one issue made it to print before publication stopped.
He was promoted to major of the 17th Cavalry in 1897.
Corliss was wounded at
El Caney
El Caney (also Caney) is a small village six kilometers (four miles) to the northeast of Santiago, Cuba. "Caney" means longhouse in Taíno.
Overview
It was known in centuries past as the site where Hernán Cortés received a vision supposedly orde ...
, Cuba, in 1898. After spending two years in
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...
, Cuba, he became governor of Binario in the Philippines.
In 1901, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, then colonel, of the
2nd Infantry Regiment.
He retired in March of that year,
and in recognition of his military service, a special
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...
appointed Corliss to the rank of brigadier general in 1904.
He became a regular correspondent with poet and women's rights activist
Elizabeth Oakes Smith
Elizabeth Oakes Smith ( Prince; August 12, 1806 – November 16, 1893) was a poet, fiction writer, editor, lecturer, and women's rights activist whose career spanned six decades, from the 1830s to the 1880s. Most well-known at the start of her ...
, a fellow native of North Yarmouth.
Personal life
In 1878, Corliss married Eliza Crawford Cunningham in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
. They had two children: Robert Cunningham (born 1879) and Margaret Haynes (1881).
After twelve years of marriage, Eliza died on January 11, 1890. She was buried in
Fort McPherson National Cemetery
Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, located south of the village of Maxwell in Lincoln County, Nebraska. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of 2014, it had ...
in
Maxwell, Nebraska
Maxwell is a village in Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the North Platte Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 312 at the 2010 census.
History
Maxwell was platted in 1894 after the Union Pacific Railroad was ex ...
. Corliss remarried, to Frances.
He was a member of the
General Society of Colonial Wars
The Society of Colonial Wars is a hereditary society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense, ...
, of the
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky. A non-prof ...
, of the Society of the War of 1812, of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...
, of the
Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba
Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba was an organization, the purpose of which was to record the history and conserve the memory of the events of the campaign which resulted in the surrender, on July 17, 1898, of the Spanish army, the city of ...
and of the Society of Foreign Wars.
Death
Corliss died in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, on September 4, 1908, aged 71. His second wife survived him and was interred alongside him at
Fairmount Cemetery in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
upon her death.
Legacy
The life of Corliss and his family between 1869 and 1898 is documented in
Denver Public Library
The Denver Public Library is the public library system of the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The system includes the Denver Central Library, located in the Golden Triangle district of Downtown Denver, as well as 25 branch locations and t ...
's ''Augustus W. Corliss and Family Papers''. It contains three handwritten diaries, plus an additional fifteen loose pages, which were kept by Corliss during his military service.
Bibliography
* ''A Genealogical Record of the Corliss family of America'' (1875)
* ''
Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine
''Old Times in North Yarmouth, Maine'' was a quarterly publication first printed in magazine form between 1877 and 1884 by Augustus W. Corliss. It covered the history and genealogy of the town of North Yarmouth, Maine. In 1977, a century after i ...
'' (1877–1884)
* ''History of the Seventh Squadron, Rhode Island Cavalry'' (1879)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corliss, Augustus W.
1837 births
1908 deaths
People from North Yarmouth, Maine
Historians from Maine
Writers from Maine
19th-century American historians
20th-century American historians
Historians of Maine
North Yarmouth Academy alumni