The Stanton P. Allen scrapbook contains clippings, engravings, maps, and drawings related to a recurring newspaper column titled
Down in Dixie written by Allen for the
Troy Daily Times in which he recounted his experiences serving with the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry during the Civil War.
The Stanton P. Allen scrapbook contains clippings, engravings, maps, and drawings related to a recurring newspaper column titled Down in Dixie written by Allen for the Troy Daily Times in which he recounted his experiences serving with the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry during the Civil War.
The volume (23 x 14 cm) contains approximately 101 pages and has blue cloth covers with the words "Manual and Report, Board of School Commissioners Troy, N. Y., 1883" stamped in gold on the front. The first item to appear is a pasted in sheet on pg. 5 with the words "Down in Dixie, by Stanton Perrie Allen" printed and "Volume IV" handwritten. The first clipping of Down in Dixie appears on pg. 9 and is marked "34," which coupled with the presence of "Vol IV" on pg. 5 would seem to suggest that Allen created multiple volumes in which the columns were sequentially ordered. These volumes were likely used by Allen to finetune his ideas for how he envisioned publishing his account in book form.
The Down in Dixie clippings are given a visual dimension through the inclusion of numerous clipped engravings that directly relate to people, places, and events referenced in the narrative. Engravings include portraits of leading military figures from both the Union and Confederacy as well as numerous depictions of soldiers, battles, camp life, fortifications, buildings, prisoners of war, casualties, mass burials, etc. Also present are several engravings depicting African Americans (pgs. 52, 54, 58-60, 92, 95, & 97) and Apache Indians (pgs. 10 & 11). Two clipped maps are also included, with one showing a general overview of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey (pg. 9) and the other showing a detailed view of the roads, landmarks, and natural features east of Richmond, Virginia (pg. 77). Only one photograph is present, an unmounted studio portrait of Allen's mother Celia juxtaposed with an anecdotal passage about a Confederate and Union soldier bonding over their deceased mothers (pg. 51).
Of particular note are six original drawings signed by Allen. The first, a pen and ink drawing captioned "Down in Dixie Turning Out For Stables," shows a Union cavalryman (presumably Allen) at camp laden with horse care equipment (pg. 20); the second, a watercolor captioned "Down in Dixie. 'How Is That For Beef?' From Memory 1889," shows three Union cavalrymen eating a meal at camp (pg. 25); the third, a watercolor captioned "A Stag Dance. Four Hands Round," shows a group of four Union cavalrymen dancing while another plays the fiddle as two others (including an African American cavalryman) look on (pg. 26); the fourth, a pen and ink drawing captioned "The Sutlers Whisky Barrel Tapped At Both Ends. Down in Dixie," shows a large group of Union cavalrymen getting drunk on whisky after secretly tapping into the sutler's barrel from the outside of his tent (pg. 27); the fifth, a pen and ink drawing captioned "'The Tables Turned.' - Beaver Dam, Va., May, 1864," depicts the anecdotal interaction between a Union soldier and Confederate prisoner who realize they had both stolen rings from each other that had belonged to their deceased mothers (pg. 49); the sixth, a watercolor captioned "Sheridan's Raid - 1864. - Walking to Rest the Horse. - From Memory - 1889," shows a Union cavalryman leading his horse.
A loose two-page typescript draft of a consolation letter dated June 20, 1897, written by Allen to Charles S. Francis after the death of the latter's father John M. Francis can also be found tucked inside the back cover. Allen knew both John and Charles from having worked for the Troy Daily Times, which was founded by John in 1851.