Inside the Vault: Civil War Diaries of William Woodlin, 8th USCT, & Cyrena Hammond
by Gilder Lehrman Staff
During the Civil War, 22-year-old William Woodlin, a musician in the 8th United States Colored Troops, and 18-year-old Cyrena Hammond, from Clarendon, New York, kept diaries about their experiences and observations. They recorded the private details of their lives as well as their reactions to current events. On March 18, 2021, we explored these amazing primary sources that provide unique perspectives on the events of the Civil War.
Click here to download the slides from the presentation.
Classroom-ready resources for the documents presented
Use the timestamps below to jump to the documents you want to view
- The Diary of William Woodlin: 7:20–39:20
- The Diary of Cyrena Hammond: 39:20–1:08:48