Cotten, Bruce, 1873-1954

Bruce Cotten, the fifth child of Robert Randolph Cotten and Sally Sims Southall Cotten, was born in Wilson, N.C., on 3 March 1873. He attended the Horner Military School in Oxford, N.C., before enrolling at the University of North Carolina where he spent the 1891-1892 school year. Following a brief attempt at business and a year in Alaska during the gold rush, Cotten returned to the States and volunteered for the Spanish-American War (1898). After becoming a member of the regular army, he participated in the suppression of the Boxer Uprising in China (1900) and the Philippine Insurrection (1901-02). In 1901, he received a commission as first lieutenant. He was chief of military intelligence of the second military intelligence division of the general staff during World War I and held the rank of major at the time of his discharge from the Army. In 1910, Cotten married Edith Johns, widow of Jesse Tyson of Baltimore, Md. The Cottens resided in Baltimore at their mansion, Cylburn, now a city park and garden center. Cotten died in 1954. Over the course of his lifetime, he became a serious collector of books and other materials related to North Carolina.

From the guide to the Bruce Cotten Collection, circa 1837-1908, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives.)

Bruce Cotten (1873-1954) was born in Wilson, N.C., and over his lifetime became a serious collector of books and other materials related to North Carolina.

From the description of Bruce Cotten image collection, circa 1837-1908. WorldCat record id: 43512425