Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This journal recounts the author's trip from New York City to Cuba in February and March 1864. The author described her voyages on the steamer Morning Star, her experiences in Havana and Matanzas, and her visit to a sugar plantation. She discussed aspects of Cuban culture, including food, dress, and religious customs.

This journal (39 pages) recounts the author's trip from New York City to Cuba in February and March 1864. The first section of the volume consists of diary entries written between February 20, 1864, and March 5, 1864; these are followed by additional recollections written in July 1864 and March 1865. The addendums cover the dates March 2, 1864, to March 13, 1864. The final page contains a list of acquaintances made during the trip.

During her voyage to Cuba on the steamer Morning Star, the author commented on cold weather, fellow passengers, and leisure activities, which included a concert featuring African-American songs. The traveler and her companions arrived in Havana on February 26; while there, she described the city's harbor, architecture, vegetation, cuisine, and landmarks, such as Havana Cathedral and various sites devoted to Christopher Columbus. The author also remarked on women who attended church with their slaves (who carried and prepared mats for their owners to kneel on) and on a visit to the estate of Count Fernandino.

The party spent the second part of their trip in Matanzas, which the author compared unfavorably to Havana. The diary contains a description of a sugar plantation. While visiting the country, the author saw a chain gang repairing roads (p. 28) and an ancient Indian altar (p. 31). One hotel was filled with Confederate sympathizers who, much to the author's annoyance, celebrated the Confederate cause, believing the Morning Star's delayed arrival to be an indication of a Confederate victory. The diary concludes with a discussion of the author's return voyage to New York, where she arrived on or around March 13, 1864.

The New York Lawyer's Journal, which contains an account of the author's activities during the years 1895 and 1902-1906, includes discussions of 'horse racing and travel to Europe, as well as observations about several members of New York City's upper class.

The New York Lawyer's Journal (115 pages), which contains an account of the author's activities during the years 1895 and 1902-1906, includes discussions of 'horse racing and travel to Europe, as well as observations about several members of New York City's upper class. Roughly half of the pages are typed, and newspaper clippings are interleaved.

The author often mentioned Joseph Pulitzer, a close friend with whom he travelled to Jekyll Island, Georgia (1895); Bar Harbor, Maine (1904); and Europe (1906). Early entries also reveal his friendship with Russian painter Vasily Vereshchagin. The author wrote to Theodore Roosevelt in an effort to get Vershchagin a commission for a painting of the Battle of San Juan Hill and reacted to news of Vershchagin's death. The author's visits to Europe included trips to Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland, where he described the local people and architecture. In the final pages of the journal, he wrote about his European trip with "J. P." (likely Joseph Pulitzer), and his disappointing visit with novelist Henry James. Though preoccupied with social news and horse racing, the author sometimes wrote about domestic and international political issues, such as Irish nationalists' efforts to revive the Gaelic language.

The journal has been dis-bound. Newspaper clippings include an article about Vereshchagin (November 9, 1902) and results of a recent horse race (August 29, 1903). A blank form from the Chief Bureau of Navigation is enclosed.

This diary was kept by a farmer, likely in Saratoga County, New York, from 1852 to 1855, detailing his agricultural work, accounts with laborers, and local news. The diarist recorded weather as well as his work planting, harvesting, and tending to various crops, orchards, and livestock. The writer noted the local hired laborers who worked for him, and several times he used disparaging remarks about their Irish heritage. The writer also wrote about local events, including church affairs, social events like marriages and deaths, correspondence with family and friends, and notable occurrences like fires, fairs, and attending a séance. The writer identified as a Whig and recorded political events like election days, the death of Daniel Webster, the inauguration of Franklin Pierce, a lecture by Horace Greeley, and the Crimean War. The writer also took a trip to New York and the State Fair at Saratoga Springs, and included ongoing comments about the travels and jobs undertaken by his son, Augustus.

This diary was kept by a farmer, likely in Saratoga County, New York, from 1852 to 1855, detailing his agricultural work, accounts with laborers, and local news. The diarist recorded weather as well as his work planting, harvesting, and tending to various crops, orchards, and livestock. The writer noted the local hired laborers who worked for him, and several times he used disparaging remarks about their Irish heritage. The writer also wrote about local events, including church affairs, social events like marriages and deaths, correspondence with family and friends, and notable occurrences like fires, fairs, and attending a séance (December 14, 1853). The writer identified as a Whig and recorded political events like election days, the death of Daniel Webster, the inauguration of Franklin Pierce, a lecture by Horace Greeley (December 27, 1852), and the Crimean War (December 31, 1853). The writer also took a trip to New York and the State Fair at Saratoga Springs, and included ongoing comments about the travels and jobs undertaken by his son, Augustus.

Marginal notes for expenses like items purchased and wages owed to hired laborers appear throughout the volume. The last several pages were used for recording accounts with individuals, including male and female workers and transactions relating to agricultural products and livestock.

Several newspaper clippings are pasted into the volume, including "Advice to Parents," marriage notices, recipes, and instructions for whitewashing and fencing.

The New York Woman's travel journal chronicles two trips undertaken by a woman and her father. In March and April 1888, the pair traveled across the country to New Orleans, and in June 1889 to Scotland and England.

The New York Woman's travel journal chronicles two trips undertaken by a woman and her father. In March and April 1888, the pair traveled across the country to New Orleans (pp. 1-52), and in June 1889 to Scotland and England (pp. 54-93). The cover of the volume bears a silver inlaid illustration entitled "Composition," and opens with the father and daughter embarking on a Pullman car on March 19, 1888, bound for "the West" from Jersey City. During their railroad journey, they traveled through Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, where they remained for a short stopover before heading south. Between St. Louis and Little Rock, their train collided with another vehicle, killing an engineer and delaying their arrival in the Arkansas capital, where they stayed for an additional week. The 12-page narrative of this leg of the trip is colored by anecdotes and descriptions of fellow passengers, and is followed by a lengthy account of the pair's time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and in New Orleans. In Vicksburg, the tourists made note of Civil War-era caves used during the city's siege, and visited a Civil War cemetery, which the author found profoundly moving. Once in "thoroughly Southern" New Orleans, the writer described in detail the sights and sounds of the city, and frequently mentioned popular tourist destinations; she also noted the "swarms of little darkies" and other African Americans she encountered throughout her time in the city. She and her father left New Orleans on the steamboat Knickerbocker on April 19, and returned to New York via the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast; upon her return, she reflected briefly on the positive impact the trip had on her worldview.

The second portion of the volume is titled "Letters written during our stay in England and Scotland in the summer of 1889," and is about the author's transatlantic voyage from New York to Glasgow on the State of Georgia, and the opening stages of her European adventures. After writing about the pleasant 12-day voyage, the diarist described several sights throughout Scotland, including a detailed depiction of Edinburgh Castle, complete with a brief history of the structure. York was their next destination, and they moved thence by rail to London, where sightseeing resumed in full force. The pair, along with a traveling companion named Leslie, proceeded to take in a thorough tourist's view of London, including several bus trips around the city and the requisite visits to St. Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey. While in Europe, the author often reflected on how easily she was identified as an American, and on local social customs. The volume also recalls a visit to the British Museum to see the Magna Carta (pp. 92-93), but its final entry, dated July 4, 1889, is cut off just as the author catches a glimpse of Queen Victoria at a garden party.

The Niagara Falls travel diary contains entries written while the diarist (anonymous) was on a trip from Albany, New York, to Niagara Falls, in the summer of 1815. The volume includes descriptions of the terrain around the falls and of the people the traveler met during the journey.

The Niagara Falls travel diary (18 pages) contains entries written while the diarist was on a trip from Albany, New York, to Niagara Falls, in the summer of 1815. The volume includes descriptions of the terrain around the falls and of the people the traveler met during the journey.

In the first entry, dated July 24, 1815, the author described a tour to Niagara Falls, starting at Albany and traveling past Utica along the Mohawk River. The diarist noted that the terrain was "unmistakable for its beauty" and compared it favorably to Harper’s Ferry. The second entry, August 4, describes the trip by ferry from Buffalo, New York, to Fort Erie, and eventually to Niagara. At Fort Erie, which was "a heap of ruin," the traveler encountered a military officer who had witnessed the fort’s siege by the British in 1814. Next, the author described the town of Chippewa, which suffered a damaging battle one year earlier. Passing Fort Niagara, the travelers enjoyed an easy approach to Niagara Falls; the writer described its physical features as well as the inhabitants of the area, including the Forsyth family, who hosted them. The diarist was disappointed that this natural wonder was so easy to reach, and lamented that the falls were "so completely at our command[,] so entirely abased at our feet." Multiple paths stretched along the falls, including trails on both the Canadian and New York sides.

"Notes for a Journal of a Pedestrian Tour" is a 112-page account of a group's walking trip from Baltimore, Maryland, through northern Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, and eastern West Virginia in the late summer of 1816.

"Notes for a Journal of a Pedestrian Tour" is a 112-page account of a group's walking trip from Baltimore, Maryland, through northern Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, and eastern West Virginia in the late summer of 1816.

The account, written after the journey, is divided into 12 titled chapters chronicling the group's experiences. Notes pertain to the scenery and acquaintances the group encountered, both old and new. Group members "Suffolk" and "Sidney" left Baltimore on August 6, 1816, and traveled to Frederick, Maryland, by way of the Patapsco River. There, they picked up their luggage, sent ahead by stage. They proceeded west toward the mountains and entered West Virginia just before September; they stayed at Harper's Ferry and Bath (Berkeley Springs). After several weeks traveling by foot, the men joined two Baltimore companions, "Manly" and "Moreton," on a trip down the Potomac River toward "George Town." The party then returned to Baltimore. In its rendering of dialogue and descriptions of scenery, the account often adopts a prose style similar to that found in fictional narrative. The volume has colored ink drawings of several men and women gathered around a roaring fire and the "Falls of Potomac." The author also included a poem by the travelers, entitled "An Evening on Potomac" (pages 97-109).

• Chapter 1: Introduction (pages 1-5)
• Chapter 2: The Peerless (pages 6-16)
• Chapter 3: The Maid of Benvoirloch (pages 16-42)
• Chapter 4: Frederick Town (pages 43-47)
• Chapter 5: The Misfortune (pages 47-53)
• Chapter 6: Harper's Ferry (pages 53-57)
• Chapter 7: The Cave (pages 57-69)
• Chapter 8: The Thunderstorm (pages 70-78)
• Chapter 9: The Merriest on the Border (pages 78-87)
• Chapter 10: The Descent (pages 88-109)
• Chapter 11: The Conclusion (pages 109-112)

The Nova Scotia diary chronicles the daily life of a carpenter and small farmer throughout much of 1877. The volume also contains several pages written in mock-African American dialect and several drawings.

The Nova Scotia diary chronicles the daily life of a carpenter and small farmer throughout much of 1877. The author began his diary on March 18, 1877, by relating his different activities at the beginning of the planting season. His crops were corn, potatoes, and turnips, and he also raised and sheared sheep. Throughout the year, the diarist reflected on various events in the life of his small, intimate community, which included many visits from neighbors, occasional picnics, and short vacations. He hosted a meeting of several "county lodge" delegates, and assisted other farmers with planting and harvesting their crops. In addition to attending Easter church services and celebrating the Queen's birthday, he noted the beginning of the 1st Provincial Expedition in Kentville, which opened in October. Though the author concluded his entries on October 21, 1877, he appended a number of births and marriages for the years 1877-1879. The final four pages of the book contain an imitation of an African American dialect, and include a caricature of two well-dressed African Americans sitting before a fireplace. Other drawings in the book include a pencil map of Shaw's Point, drawn before the construction of a railroad; a map of "Grandfather's place" previous to its 1862 sale; and floor plans for the upper and lower floors of "W Spurr's house," 1862.

The Ohio Bookseller's diary chronicles the experiences of a travelling book salesman in southwestern Ohio during the early months of 1869. He also recorded accounts, poetry, and quotations throughout the year.

The Ohio Bookseller's diary chronicles the experiences of a travelling salesman in southwestern Ohio during the early months of 1869; he also recorded accounts, poetry, and quotations throughout the year. The author consistently wrote brief daily entries between January 1 and March 8, 1869, chiefly noting his efforts to make sales, often with little success. The diarist faithfully recorded the names of acquaintances with whom he stayed, and mentioned seeing several old college friends during his time in Yellow Springs. Daily entries ended on March 8, 1869, though the author occasionally added accounts, often related to corn, as well as poetry and quotations. On one date, he drew a a music staff, labeled with note names, and recorded facts about the Bible and about the death of George Washington.

The Pennsylvania farm journal chronicles the life of a well-educated farmer near Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century. The journal pertains to the farmer's agricultural interests and social and domestic activities.

The Pennsylvania farm journal chronicles the life of a well-educated farmer near Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century. The journal pertains to the farmer's agricultural interests, interactions with neighbors and family members, and other social activities. The anonymous author, a close relation of the local Price and Walter families, composed daily entries between March 24, 1920-June 24, 1921, and from March 4, 1822-June 20, 1822. The journal's brief entries often relate to the weather and harvests, especially of potatoes and buckwheat, and other aspects of rural life such as getting horses shod, slaughtering hogs, and hauling wood. Though the author owned a farm of his own and took in boarders, he often travelled to nearby locales to assist family members or other acquaintances who required extra labor. The author's other activities included attending meetings of the Society of Friends, participating in a debating society, and organizing a "Polemic Society" (January 5, 1821).

A later owner, "[A. N.] Sharples," recorded his thoughts about the author's genealogy on March 20, 1902. The volume's inside covers have a geometrical ink drawing split in half by the binding. Overall, the journal presents a detailed portrayal of farm life in the early decades of the nineteenth century.

A young physician wrote most of this diary while a passenger on a voyage from Alexandria, Virginia, to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1846. Content includes humorous accounts of sailing by river and ocean, observations of sailors' superstitions (i.e., Mother Carey's Chickens, also known as Storm Petrels, St. Elmo's fire, etc.), weather and storm patterns, personal health, and patient treatment.

A young physician wrote most of this diary while a passenger on a voyage from Alexandria, Virginia, to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1846. Content includes humorous accounts of sailing by river and ocean, sailors' superstitions (i.e., Mother Carey's Chickens, also known as Storm Petrels, St. Elmo's Fire, etc.), weather and storm patterns, personal health, and patient treatment.

His humor often took the form of comical comparisons and exaggerations or plays on dialect. To entertain himself, he brought several books: Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, by William Blackstone, the Bible, and a pocket Shakespeare. He attached varying levels of reading intensity to each, as well as the applicable situation in which he might read them—Blackstone's Commentaries, for example, was "suitable for a listless, languid frame of mind" (page 6).

He brought with him two Bologna sausages, which he jokingly and emphatically mistook for a woman's bustle in an expression of his apparent hatred for the garment (pages 6-7). When he had to throw the spoiled sausages overboard several days later, he lamented that he couldn't do the same with every bustle in the land (pages 23-24).

The author and several others (the captain, a skipper, and officers from a nearby revenue cutter) briefly disembarked to visit a family's farm in Virginia while waiting for better winds to sail. He included racial epithets that the family used when he quoted their complaints about the labor involved in caring for their farm without enslaved workers (page 22). The skipper revealed that the author was a physician, whereupon he was entreated to care for several members of the family. The mother's eye had been "eaten out by cancer" and the young daughter had a hard lump on her nose that the family felt sure would turn into cancer. The author treated the daughter's nose by excising the lump.

At some point between Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, the author wrote of being "assaulted, battered, and robbed" by bedbugs, which led him to construct a makeshift bed of camp stools to sleep on to avoid being bitten at night (page 11). His rheumatism also caused significant discomfort during the trip, and a self-administered treatment of liniment did little to ease his symptoms (page 34). Although the physician questioned whether or not he would become seasick at some point during the voyage, he narrowly avoided it—he did, however, treat a fellow passenger with a course of "consolation [and] pills" (page 30) after the man became seasick and vomited over the fresh paint sailors were applying to the bulwarks and rigging.

The entries from page 46 onwards were most likely written after the author landed in Boston. He wrote about his plans to attend a series of lectures given by Prof. Agassiz [Louis Agassiz] on animal classification.