Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

The collection has been digitized and is available online.

A microfilm copy of the Jacob Cohn Diary is held in Subseries 2.1: Union Documents, 1776-1917 (bulk 1860-1865), of the Civil War collection , Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Jacob Cohn Diary, Ms2008-002, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Jacob Cohn Diary was purchased by Special Collections in 2008.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Jacob Cohn Diary commenced and was completed in January 2008.

Biographical Note

Jacob Cohn enlisted as a private in Company A, 54th Pennsylvania Infantry on February 10, 1864, during the American Civil War. He is listed among soldiers who served from Cambria County, Pennsylvania, in which Company A recruited. Cohn's name does not appear on the regiment's muster-out roll, and no further information about him could be found.

The 54th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in August and September, 1861, having recruited largely in Somerset and surrounding counties of southwestern Pennsylvania. In February 1862, the regiment was ordered to Washington, D. C., then to Harpers Ferry, (West) Virginia, from which the individual companies were dispatched to guard strategic points along a 60-mile section of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Company A guarded the vicinity of South Branch Bridge.

As part of the Union Army's Department of West Virginia, the regiment participated in the Shenandoah Campaign of 1864, engaging the Confederates in several battles, including those at New Market, Piedmont and Lynchburg. In December 1864, the 54th was assigned to the Army of the James and transferred to Petersburg, Virginia. There, it participated in the siege against the city, the pursuit of Lee's forces, and the Appomattox campaign. The regiment was mustered out of service on July 15, 1865.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the diary of Jacob Cohn, a soldier in Company A, 54th Pennsylvania Infantry during the American Civil War. Cohn's brief entries commence with April 14, 1864 and trace his regiment's movements and battles, particularly those at New Market and Piedmont. The entries cease with June 18, 1864, and are followed by the names of Company A's soldiers wounded and killed at the Battle of New Market. The diary also contains various lists of goods and prices, some dated June-September 1863.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Diaries

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Jacob Cohn Diary by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).