Montgomery Dent Corse (1816-1895) was born at Alexandria, Virginia on March 14, 1816, the eldest son of John and Julia Corse.
He attended Major Bradley Lowe's military school and Benjamin Hallowell's school on Washington Street. As a young boy he witnessed
Lafayette's 1825 visit to Alexandria and participated in the inauguration of President Jackson in 1829.
In 1846, Corse mustered a company of volunteers for service in Mexico, serving as their captain. He sailed for California
in 1849 and participated in gold mining. Although he made a short visit to Alexandria in 1855, he did not permanently return
until December 1856. Thereafter, he was employed in the banking business of his brothers.
Corse served as 1st lieutenant of the Alexandria Home Guard in 1859 and was elected captain of the Old Dominion Rifles on
January 7, 1861. He eventually was commissioned as colonel of the 17th Virginia Regiment, taking part in the major battles
of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was wounded at Second Manassas, South Mountain, and Antietam. Promoted brigadier general
after Antietam, Corse's brigade was on detached service in the Blackwater River area southeast of Petersburg. After attempting
to retake New Bern, NC, the brigade returned to Howlett's Line, between Petersburg and Richmond, where he was wounded for
the fourth time. At the battle of Saylor's Creek, Corse was captured and held prisoner-of-war at Fort Warren, Boston, Massachusetts
until July 24, 1865.
He returned to Alexandria and went into a trading business with his brother. He was a charter member of the R.E. Lee Camp,
United Confederate Veterans, and on May 24, 1880 was a distinguished guest along with Governor Fitzhugh Lee and General Joseph
E. Johnson, at the dedication of the Confederate monument at Washington and Prince Streets. He died on February 11, 1895.
Corse married Elizabeth Beverley (1825-1894) on November 22, 1862. They had four children: Virginia Beverley Corse (1863 or
1864-1919), Montgomery Beverley Corse (1866-1931), William Beverley Corse (1867-1911), and Elizabeth Beverley Corse (1871-1933).
The bulk of the collection is related to Montgomery D. Corse's military career, including muster rolls, commission and discharge
certificates, and 63 letters written by Corse to his wife, Elizabeth Beverley Corse, during his participation in the Civil
War. In addition, the papers of Midshipman William H. Peters and a few letters written by Mrs. Corse are included.
Letters, certificates, and additional papers of Montgomery Dent Corse are filed chronologically and by related topics, the
Mexican War and the Civil War. Midshipman William Peter's papers are organized chronologically within folder #14, followed
by the xerox copies of related photographs.
Four Muster Rolls: 1st Virginia Volunteers; original Muster Roll of the Proclamation of the Virginia Governor establishing
the Virginia Volunteers (Mexican War, 1846); List of the 1st Volunteers.
1846
Text box: 1 folder: 2
Montgomery D. Corse: Commission as Captain, Company B, First Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry, December 26, 1846; Discharge
from duty, First Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry, August 1848.
1846-12-26-1848-08
Text box: 1 folder: 3
Montgomery D. Corse: Commissioned colonel of Virginia Active Volunteer Forces, May 17, 1861. Orders to Report to Duty, May
21, 1861; Muster Roll, Company F, 17th Regiment, Virginia Volunteers, June 30-August 31, 1861.
1861-05-17-1861-08-31
Text box: 1 folder: 4
Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1863-03-26-1863-11-14
Text box: 1 folder: 5
Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1864-01-20-1864-06-24
Text box: 1 folder: 6
Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1864-07-07-1864-12-29
Text box: 1 folder: 7
Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1865-01-02-1865-08-29
Text box: 1 folder: 8
Xerox Copies of Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1863-03-26-1863-11-14
Text box: 1 folder: 9
Xerox Copies of Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1864-01-20-1864-12-29
Text box: 1 folder: 10
Xerox Copies of Letters, Montgomery D. Corse to Elizabeth B. Corse
1865-01-02-1865-08-29
Text box: 1 folder: 11
Oath of Allegiance to the United States, Fort Warren, Boston, Massachusetts
1865-07-24
Text box: 1 folder: 12
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Mexican War Survivors Pension Certificate
1887-05-14
Text box: 1 folder: 13
Letters to Mrs. Corse (Elizabeth Beverley) from her brother, William Beverley
1857-06-29-1865-11-04
Text box: 1 folder: 14
Midshipman William H. Peters Papers: Correspondence, April 12, 1825 - May 15, 1827; David Peter Family: Petition in the Case
of Martha Dick and others, March 1853.
1825-04-12-1853-03
Text box: 1 folder: 15
Xerox copies of photographs: Mary Custis Lee, April 1858; Montgomery D. Corse and John D. Corse, bankers; Thomas S. Corse,
May 26, 1985.
1858-04-1985-05-26
Text box: 1 folder: 16
Correspondence: Includes information on Corse Family and donation of the Corse Family papers by Thomas Semmes Corse and Allison
Corse Semmes