Collections

This journal contains entries about an unidentified woman's daily and weekly activities while living at the Cony Academy boarding house.

This 22-page journal contains entries about an unidentified woman's daily and weekly activities while living at the Cony Academy boarding house and attending the Cony Female Academy in Augusta, Maine, 1852-1853.

The journal contains information about the author's daily and weekly activities, such as learning music, sewing, reading, writing, reading, visiting friends, and attending lectures at the lyceum (including one on race). She also commented on other students, economic concerns, child care, Christmas, the weather, sermons, a eulogy for Daniel Webster, friends departing for California, the illness and death of [Sylvester] Judd, and her concerns that the school might close. She offered some insights into her own personality, lamenting her self-described lack of a strong intellect and her desire to be a better writer. Her diary includes references to Milton and Miss Ingraham, who were associated with the school.

The paper cover of the journal is adorned with an image of a rooster and a chicken (from "Alonzo Gaubert, Bookseller, Stationer, Periodical Agent, and Ink Manufacturer").

This diary is an account of the daily life of a female student living in Chillicothe, Ohio.

This 45-page diary is an account of the daily life of an unidentified female student living in Chillicothe, Ohio, between 1865 and 1867. She wrote about attending school, studying, and writing compositions. She was a frequent churchgoer, often quoting or making notes on sermons and scripture. Her social activities included visiting friends, inviting friends to her house, and going for walks. Her most frequently mentioned friend was Allie Sanford. The diary includes brief references to the Civil War, prayer meetings, a "circus day," evening lectures, Sunday school, picking berries, riding, sleighing, and an unidentified man named "B--".

The beginning and end of the diary contain a list of students in different classes (1865), a schedule, poems, school grades, and "a cure for cholera" recipe.

This diary chronicles the author's sea voyage from New York to China in the spring of 1859, as well as his life in Shanghai between July 1859 and July 1860. At sea, he detailed the daily weather, scenery, and life onboard the ship, and in Shanghai he described his everyday life as a doctor and shared numerous observations on the effects of foreign trade on the country, local missionary efforts, and military conflict between the British and Chinese.

This diary (289 pages) chronicles the author's sea voyage from New York to China in the spring of 1859, as well as his life in Shanghai between July 1859 and July 1860. The first entry, dated February 28, 1859, opens with the author embarking for China on the N. B. Palmer, an American clipper under a Captain Frisbie. Over the next several months, he recorded daily observations of the weather and of life onboard the ship, including the captain's occasional harsh treatment of the crew. In addition to recording daily measurements of latitude and longitude, he occasionally described the scenery as the ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope and made its way to China by way of Indonesia. After a brief stop on Java in mid-May, the ship proceeded to Hong Kong, where it arrived on June 11 to discharge its cargo. During his brief time in Hong Kong, the author noted several aspects of local life, including the influence of foreign missionaries. On June 27, the N. B. Palmer departed Hong Kong bound for Shanghai, which it reached on July 4 amid Independence Day celebrations. Once in Shanghai, the diarist recorded his impressions of the city and incidents from his medical career, which included administering vaccinations as well as caring for the sick. The diary contains many references to political affairs and to the local efforts of foreign missionaries; much of the political focus is on the influence of Great Britain, particularly after the escalation of the Second Opium War. In addition to political commentary and descriptions of his daily life as a doctor, the diarist occasionally expressed his hope that Christianity would eventually win over the locals. The author remained in Shanghai until at least July 21, 1860, the date of his final entry. Two items laid into the volume include an undated note of thanks for the doctor's services (pp. 58-59) and a sheet of paper containing two Chinese characters (pp. 90-91).

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina.

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary (56 pages) recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Throughout her trip, she spent much of her time at balls and meeting with acquaintances and notable figures, among them Attorney General Charles R. Devens, a daughter or daughter-in-law of Zachary Taylor, and Admiral William Rogers Taylor. While in the capital, the author and her traveling companion, Isabella, made a trip to the White House to meet Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes (p. 3). Though the diarist focused on social prestige and social customs, she reported her brief impressions of Forts "Sumpter" and Moultrie in Charleston (pp. 38-39).

This journal recounts the author's travels in Europe between December 1863 and September 1865. He visited England, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, though he spent most of his time in Paris, France; Rome and Elba, Italy; and Heidelberg, Germany. The journal records the author's impressions of local people and customs, his efforts to learn various European languages, and the friends he met while abroad.

This journal recounts the author's travels in Europe between December 1863 and September 1865. His first entry, in December 1863, documents his recent transatlantic voyage from New York to Liverpool, including rough weather while on the Atlantic Ocean. He composed entries sporadically through September 1865, recording his impressions of cities and people he encountered while traveling. After spending a few days sightseeing in London, he left for Paris, where he remained until March 1864. While in Paris, he attempted to learn French, saw numerous famous buildings and other sights, attended balls, and befriended local students.

He stayed in Italy from March to April, during which time he climbed Mount Vesuvius, visited Pompeii, and became acquainted with a pastor, with whom he traveled to Elba for a visit of about a month. He remained in the country after leaving Elba and provided descriptions of prominent Italian cities he encountered on his way to Geneva, Switzerland, such as Leghorn and Florence. After his stay in Geneva, he left his journal and most of his possessions behind as he traveled throughout Switzerland and northern Italy with only a knapsack, an experience he wrote about after his arrival in Heidelberg, Germany, which he reached before August 14. Once in Heidelberg, he recorded his thoughts about the local culture, the influence of university students, and visits to a local castle. Though his entries became more sporadic after August 1864, the journal reflects his subsequent travels to Bavaria and throughout Germany, northern Italy, and Austria, with detailed descriptions of scenery and of his experiences. While in Germany, he occasionally commented on Gothic architecture, and one late entry relates his experiences on a recent deer hunting trip. The final entry was composed around mid-September 1865.

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of a member of the "Fremont Trading and Mining Company" formed in 1849 to search for California gold.

The Fremont Mining and Trading Company diary is a small bound notebook (54 pages) recounting the adventures of one of its members. The company was formed in 1849 by subscribers who wanted to search for gold in California. The author made almost daily entries during the ship’s six-month voyage to San Francisco, then wrote more sporadically during the period of the company’s successful search for gold in the Feather River north of Sacramento and the author's return as far as Panama in March 1851. In the back of the diary, the diarist registered the members, their ages, homes, and occupations. He also listed the daily logs of longitude, latitude, and miles traveled for their long trip, as well as names of the officers and crew, all but two of whom were also shareholders. The author failed to identify himself; John F. Jordan is written inside the cover of the book, but he is not listed as a member of the trading company.

The adventurer arose at 5 A.M. on March 27, 1849, three miles from Glastonbury, Connecticut (near Hartford), went overland to Hartford, and took a steamboat to New York City. He leveraged twelve shares in the Company as surety for a $400 note, payable in one year, accompanied by a paid-up life insurance policy for $1,000 to one Benjamin Cook. They sailed from New York on April 1l. Their route took them within sight of the Canary Islands, then on to their first landing in Rio de Janeiro. There, many of the company went ashore nightly to get drunk, much to the author’s disgust. He noted that the US Navy ship Brandywine was in the harbor, the Emperor and Empress of Argentina rode around in a carriage, and that he went upriver to buy 2,000 oranges for about $10 for the ship. On June 13, after the crew loaded 20 casks of water, the Selma took off to round the Horn, a stormy trip with ice-covered decks.

The second stop was at Valparaiso on August 8, where they encountered an English man-of-war, said to be carrying several hundred pounds of gold dust from California, consigned to a house in Boston. He attended a Protestant church to hear a sermon preached by David Trumble, son of John Trumble of Colchester, Connecticut. Finally on October 5, 178 days since leaving New York, they arrived in San Francisco. The author went ashore on Sunday and reported that the city had two Methodist churches, and one each of Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Baptist churches. The cooks and stewards promptly deserted ship and then sued for back wages, which, after a court hearing, were denied. Members of the company had to take over their duties, such such as cooking for 86 men. Such desertions were common when ships arrived in California.

Some stayed on ship and sought odd jobs in the city, while other members formed small parties and set off upriver to Sacramento. The author left ship on October 22, when he slept on land for the first time in more than six months. Eventually, they brought their ship up the river, in time for them to stay on it during a disastrous January flood. People were rescued from windows and roofs; 70 or 80 residents lodged on board their ship at $3 a night, $5 or $6 a day, and $30-40 a week. Members established a mining camp about 35 miles from Sacramento, which was quite successful financially, although many of them became sick and three died.

Claims were purchased by members of the company in both the Yuba and Feather Rivers and were thoroughly mined. Even the rivers that ran through the city of Sacramento yielded little gold. By February 1850, the members of the company were so dissatisfied that they broke up. The author sold his tools for $50, then joined members Smith and Ransom to borrow $200 for the purchase of a mule; they started off by themselves to a new claim. Through March and April they were able to recover from $300 to $1,000 a week. On March 30, the author returned to Sacramento and found their old company in disarray. He described several scenes of violence, and mentioned encounters with deer, grizzly bears, and beaver.

On June 8, he wrote that all their claims were worked out, but that they had recovered about $3,300 so far. In July he joined a new company of 14 men to build wing dams in order to divert river water, thereby opening up new sites for panning. As a result, by September they mined gold worth $665 per miner, including a 4-oz. piece that he had found. In October, the company disbanded for the winter, whereupon the author resumed digging on the banks by himself, recovering from $12 to $15 worth of gold a day.

He wanted to go back to Sacramento for the winter, but stayed away when he learned that the city was reporting 60 cases of cholera a day. He and Walter Griswold built a cabin near Centerville, intending to spend the winter there. They heard reports that one man had dug 40, 30, and 18 pounds of gold on three successive days. He also mentioned that Indians killed two men; they buried one of them alive, and roasted the other one.

In January 1851, the new company sold the claim and the cabin. The author went to Sacramento and then to San Francisco, where he boarded the Adrian, mastered by George Scott, and paid $75 for passage to Panama. The ship left on January 24, 1851. The diary ends without explanation, when the ship was near Panama on March 28, 1951.

This diary records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. The author described his daily life and commented on current events, such as the European revolutions of 1848 and Fourth of July celebrations in the United States.

This diary (approximately 180 pages) records the experiences and political thoughts of a German immigrant who lived in Middleport, New York, in the late 1840s. This volume, the fifth in a series, begins on May 30, 1847, and the author sent the previous diaries to his family in Lüchow, Germany. He wrote fairly regularly between May 1847 and May 1848, and less frequently between June 1848 and August 26, 1849, describing his life and recording observations about European and American politics. He shared his thoughts about Fourth of July celebrations in 1847 and 1848 and commented favorably on the various European revolutions taking place in the summer of 1848, particularly those in France and Germany. Other entries reveal his opinions on economic issues, such as the effects of hunger on poor Germans, and his religious views. On April 19, 1852, the author stated his intention to leave Middleport. A birth and baptismal certificate for Georg Philipp Weber, written in German and dated July 1, 1847, is enclosed in a flap in the volume's front cover. The diary was also accompanied by a carte-de-visite portrait of a man standing beside a chair and hanging drapery, top hat in hand, which was transferred to the Graphics Division. The photograph was taken by J. B. Smith in Utica, New York.

This travel journal documents a journey from the Missouri River to California during the time of the California Gold Rush. The trek began on April 28, 1850, near Fort Leavenworth on the Missouri River, and ends on October 31, 1850, at Georgetown, California, on the edge of what is now the Eldorado National Forest, north of Sacramento.

The Gold Rush travel journal (44 pages) spans the period from April 28, 1850, to October 31, 1850, and details an overland journey from the Missouri River to California, during the time of the California Gold Rush. Of the diary's 44 pages, the last 9 contain lists of food purchased from stores and traders (buying tobacco and food and selling gold), and the final page concerns buying food in St. Louis (May 29, 1849).

The author made entries every few days and provided descriptions his location, total distance traveled, and, occasionally, of weather and temperature. While the party traveled mostly by horse and wagon, they also used rafts and ferries to cross rivers. Entries are short and generally provide only details of the scenery and the party's routes on their way west. The author began his journey on the Missouri River at Elizabeth Landing, and ended it at Georgetown, California. Several entries specify his location with names of rivers and landmarks, including the Little Blue River, "Grand Island" (north of Fort Kearney), the Platte River, Chimney Rock, Fort Laramie, the Sweetwater River, the Soda Springs, the Bear Creek River, Goose Creek, Mary River, "Hudspeth’s Cutoff," and the Humboldt River. The traveler also mentioned the killing of a buffalo by a William Hubbard, trading with the Sioux Indians on the North Platte River, signing Chimney Rock, and passing by a spring hot enough to boil coffee. He provided financial details such as the cost of particular ferry crossings and supplies. At one point, the author recorded being ill with mountain fever, but quickly recovered without further incident. On June 2nd, he noted that "the dust [was] very bad and the ground was covered with Alkali and the dust [on the] mountains looked like they had burned for a thousand years."

On October 1, 1850, the author left his company and traveled to Georgetown, California, and began working on a claim at Pools Bar on October 5, 1850. His last entry is from Georgetown, California, on the edge of what is now the Eldorado National Forest, north of Sacramento.

The anonymous author of this volume (approximately 382 pages) recorded poetry, historical notes, and journal entries throughout much of his adult life. The material concerns topics such as military history, learning foreign languages, proverbs, and travel.

The anonymous author of this volume (approximately 382 pages) recorded poetry, historical notes, and journal entries throughout much of his adult life. The material concerns topics such as military history, learning foreign languages, proverbs, and travel.

• Boccaccio, Decameron (pp. 26-28a, 32-34a)
• Byron, "Fare thee well! And if for ever..." (p. 9)
• Catullus, "Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus" (p. 68)
• Cicero (p. 55)
• William Cowper, "The Task" (pp. 23, 118a)
• Homer, Iliad (p. 117)
• John Milton, "Tractate on Education" (p. 5)
• Ossian (p. 85)
• Shakespeare, Macbeth (122), Timon of Athens (124a)
• Edward Young, "Night Thoughts" (p. 109)

Some examples from the volume indicate the nature of its contents. It contains notes about learning the Italian language; a timeline of the author's life between 1780 and 1825; and a list of hotels where the author stayed while traveling in Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy between July 1, 1816, and August 5, 1820. This list includes the cost of room and board at each hotel or lodging, with comments on the quality of the accommodations. An essay on the Battle of Copenhagen is accompanied by a poem written by a soldier who participated in the battle. Some poetry and other entries are religious in nature, and the author copied several Bible verses. Two essays written in October 1850 and October 1851 share the author's "anticipations" for the coming years, as well as his reflections on past years (pp. 61-62a).

Pagination within the volume is inconsistent, and some of its contents are organized alphabetically by subject, with a partial index appearing on pages 142-150.

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.