[Diary of an unknown officer, 54th United States Colored Troops]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06270 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Diary Date: 17 December 1864- 31 January 1865 Pagination: 19 p. ; 11.5 x 7.3 cm. Order a Copy
An unknown soldier writes from various encampments and locations, including Fort Smith, Arkansas. Contains entries discussing various aspects of the Civil War, fellow soldiers, weather, and location. States that on 20 December 1864, Samuel Perkins of Company F died of pleurisy. An entry for 25 December 1864 states, "Christmas sets in rainy. We cannot see a very merry Christmas today. Cannot get over the river today as the rations would be spoiled ... " A 29 December 1864 entry reports on the activities of Generals George Henry Thomas and William Tecumseh Sherman, stating "Heard of the good success of Gen. Thomas in Tenn & of Gen Sherman in Ga- 'Three cheers for the red, white & blue' ... " Written in pencil. An inscription on the inner front cover states "Exchanged pulpits." The beginning of this diary includes daily entries, followed by nine blank pages. Final pages contain account entries, including the balance of a mess account.
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