This diary is a compilation of three daily diaries, bound into a single volume, providing a record of William Rawle Brooke's service in the Union Army from May 5, 1863, to August 16, 1865, with additional notes on events later that year. He wrote every day, providing detailed accounts of battles throughout the Gettysburg, Bristoe, and Overland Campaigns, the Siege of Petersburg, and the pursuit of Lee's Army to Appomattox Court House.
The diary begins with Brooke's receipt of a commission and his journey to join the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry outside of Washington, D.C. Events discussed include Brooke's birthdays, the Presidential election of 1864, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Brooke fastidiously chronicled his daily army life, with documentation of correspondence sent and received.
William Rawle Brooke was born on August 29, 1843, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Charles Wallace Brooke (1813-1849) and Elizabeth Tilghman (Rawle) Brooke (1818-1897). He attended the University of Pennsylvania before taking a leave of absence to join Company C of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry in May 1863. His degree was awarded in absentia on July 3, 1863, while Brooke was fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg. Rising lieutenant colonel by brevet, Brooke served in the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and the surrender at Appomattox Court House.
Following the war, Brooke studied law with his uncle, William Henry Rawle. He changed his name to William Brooke Rawle before his admittance to the Bar in 1867. On February 7, 1872, he married Elizabeth Norris Pepper (1841-1926) of Philadelphia. Also in 1872, Brooke/Rawle joined the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (of which his great-grandfather and grandfather served as officers), where he played an active leadership role in the construction of a new building and establishment of scholarship funds. He authored several books including The Right Flank at Gettysburg (1878), Gregg's Cavalry Fight at Gettysburg (1884), History of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry (1905), and Laurel Hill and Some Colonial Dames Who Once Lived There (1911). Brooke/Rawle was an active member of law, genealogical, and historical societies. He died on November 30, 1915, and is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.