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

Essick's diary details his activities with the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry in and around Washington, DC, particularly drills, parades, and the doldrums of camp life and army food.

Essick's diary details his activities with the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry during the regiment's entire three month service, expect for the four weeks when Essick was ill. The 4th Pennsylvania saw little action and Essick's diary focuses on drills, parades, and the doldrums of camp life and army food. A continuing thread of the diary is the topic of uniforms, including descriptions of the efforts undertaken to provide uniforms to the troops of the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry.

The John Francis diary describes a voyage from New York City to the West Indies on the Brig Mercury with a few records of the return voyage from St. Eustatia to North America on the Ship Ruby (1791). The journal also contains drawings of Atlantic sea life that he encountered on the voyage and a detailed map of North America and the West Indies.

The John Francis diary describes a voyage from New York City (May 1-June 13, 1791) to the West Indies on the Brig Mercury under Captain Thomas Fry. Also included are a few records of the return voyage from the West Indies island St. Eustatia to North America on the Ship Ruby, lead by Captain John Ritchie, June 14-July 4, 1791. Francis's notes for both trips record the date, latitude and longitude, air and water temperatures in the morning and evening, wind, course, distance, and weather.

Francis did not record many personal details, but did mention that his brother Tom was also on the ship. Instead, he wrote primarily about life at sea (occurrences on the ship, flora and fauna of the Atlantic, and weather) and described the markets and towns of the places they stopped. Early on he noted the deaths of many of the "Indiamen" on board (p. 14) and described an incident where he "commenced swearing rather profusely" when an "Ethiopia Color'd Devil" ruined a pig by scoring its skin before cooking it (p. 26).

Francis used the journal to reflect on the books he was reading. He enjoyed Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), which he found "elegant and ingenious" but also admired Dr. Joseph Priestley responses to Burke (p. 12). He also read Soloman the Second, ou les Sultanes, by M. Favart, written in 1761, which he compared favorably to Shakespeare (p. 38). He felt strongly about America's experiment with Democracy:

"We bid Adieu to the Shores of America--The Sole Abode of Liberty and Individual Happiness--Free from the Terrors of a Religious Government--The most Horrid of all Tyranies[…]the most Happy if not the most deserving Country

When compared to the [Shackled] Slaves of the Port--The Humble Creature of Russia--The [mere] Engines of Ambition [and] private Will the Subjects of Prussia[...]Or the Wild enthusiastic Frenzy of the emancipated Frenchmen--I say American’s ye are Ungrateful if ye are not Happy--Ye are Not Wise if ye Complain" (p. 18).

Francis was also interested in sea life. He wrote of seeing a flying fish (p. 6), a Portuguese man-of-war (p. 7), two humpback whales (p. 15), and shooting a trophy bird with "wonderful plumage" (p. 36). He saved some of his most poetic writing for his long struggle with a large colorful fish:

The Effects of the Dolphin have not quite disappeared -- A Little Fever hangs on my Lips[.] my Breath partakes a Little, but my Immagination more than all when Slumbering -- all the Colors of the Rainbow so finely varieagated [and] so often Changed by the Dying Dolphin. Lightly pass across my Sleepy Eyes and I fancyfully conjecture my Skin -- simmilarly affected[.]

"The Sun had been hid [for] the Day and seem’d reserved alone to pour its divine Rays on the dying Fish -- Whose Angelic and Varied Colors seem’d to paint full strongly every Varied Pang he felt in quitting the World for the Regions of Immateriality[.] His Size and Shape were both Uncommonly Large [and] Elegant[.] His Exertions to escape Equal -- And almost overcome Mine to hold firm -- Had Strength been used -- To this Time he would have been Ploughing the Mansions of the Deep -- But Reason was in this more powerful than Instinct[.] I wearied him with his Own exertions to escape and at length hauled him along side dead to all useful exertion (page 21).

Francis made drawings and wrote descriptions of many marine creatures that he encountered. The back of the diary has sketches of squid ("animal of glutinous substance"), sword fish, pelicans, cuckold weed, and dolphins, among others. He also drew and described islands and rock formations, including Antigua, for which he noted their latitudes. Page 107 of the journal contains a small pencil sketch of the Ship Ruby.

The collection also contains a two-page hand-drawn map of the United States and New Britain (Canada), which covers as far west as the French Territory, as far east as Bermuda, as far north as Hudson Bay, and as far south as Cuba. The map depicts and lists cities, states, rivers, lakes, and the islands of the West Indies. The Mercury's course is plotted with the longitude/latitude and date noted, "At Sea on board the Ship Ruby, Capt. John Ricks, July 1791. Lat. 39"37 Long. 69"27. For the purpose of fixing the Course of the Gulf Stream." [Chart of a voyage from New England to the West Indies and return] (1791).

The John H. Dixon diary provides a day-in-the-life account of a young man, trying to establish himself in Indiana, in 1861. Dixon described his move from Ohio to Indiana and his daily activities working as an itinerant laborer.

The John H. Dixon diary is a 4"x2¾", 142-page leather-bound journal. The diary opens with Dixon's trip from Tuscarawas County, Ohio, to Daviess County, Indiana, from September 5-24, 1861. He made the journey with a group of westward migrants, though he rarely mentioned his companions. Dixon noted each county through which they passed, the terrain, and the food they ate. He often slept in hay or in his wagon and ate in taverns when he could. He also noted when they set off each day (they rested on Sundays) and when they stopped for breakfast and dinner.

The next set of entries, starting on September 25, 1861, is entitled: "An account to things common and general, that may take place during my stay in Indiana." Dixon recorded his daily work activities as a laborer (building and painting houses, maintaining carriages, caring for horses, chopping wood, husking corn, and making apple butter) and his social life (talking, singing, attending a prayer meeting at a United Brethren church, and writing letters). He spent most of his time in and around Clarksburg and Washington, Indiana. On October 1, 1861, Dixon applied for a teaching certificate, for which he was asked to read and write, and was quizzed on geography and grammar. The journal ends with a 7-page "true and correct history" of his life from September 5-October 31, 1861. In these pages, Dixon stated his plans to send this diary back to his friends in Ohio to "keep it to remember me when I am dead and gone."

Dixon often worked with Esrom Redman of Madison, Indiana. When work was slow, Dixon washed dishes, swept the floor, and tended the horses. He spent much of his social time with a man named Clark. His diary entries provide a day-in-the-life account of a young man, trying to establish himself in Indiana, in 1861.

The John Peterkin journal includes letters written by Peterkin, a Scottish immigrant to Virginia and Georgia in 1817-1819, to family and friends in Scotland and Pennsylvania, as well as writings by William Russell, a later owner of the journal. Peterkin wrote about his thoughts on slavery, the displacement of Native Americans, and democracy.

The John Peterkin journal contains approximately 200 pages of entries, including letters written by Peterkin to family and friends in Scotland and Pennsylvania, lists, copies of letters, and writings by William Russell, a later owner of the journal, which are scattered throughout.

The majority of the journal resembles a letterbook and contains correspondence that Peterkin wrote to his family and his sweetheart, Harriet, between 1817 and 1819. In his letters, he described his journey from Scotland, including smuggling a companion onboard the ship (August 14, 1817); his first impressions of the United States; his negative feelings toward slavery and the displacement of Native Americans; and his ideas about democracy and the War of 1812.

On July 5, 1818, he wrote a letter to Harriet describing a visit to Powhatan, Virginia, and for several pages discussed the story of Pocahontas and the treatment of the Powhatan by settlers, which he found reprehensible. He also opined that whites "have no right to this country." In an additional letter of the same date, written to James Ross in Scotland, Peterkin described the brutality of slavery, particularly in the Deep South. He further explored this topic in his last letter in the book, dated August 4, 1819, in which he called Georgia "semibarborous" and stated, "I read in the declaration of the independence of this Country that all men are born free and equal, but I cannot look out door or window that I do not see the directest lie given to the assertion… it certainly appears to any reflecting mind a strange view of contradiction, and were it not that it involves consequences of so tragick a nature, it would be truly laughable." Peterkin also discussed signs of western expansion (July 5, 1818), the aftermath of the War of 1812 (March 27, 1818), and compared his experiences in Virginia and Georgia (March 25, 1819).

The journal also includes writings during the 1830s by a later owner, William Russell, of Augusta, Georgia, who wrote poems, lists, and a few letters in the volume. Several of his poems concern the beauty of nature and his longing to return to Scotland, and his writings describe his travels in New York City (January 24, 1838) and Philadelphia (January 25, 1838). His entries are scattered throughout the volume, but the two hands are easily distinguishable.

John P. Reynolds, Jr., was 19 years old when he enlisted in the Salem Light Infantry, one of the first units to respond to Lincoln's call for volunteers in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War. His journal provides an account of life in the army during the opening states of the war, and includes long, detailed passages describing drills, parades, ceremonies and celebrations, and the ways in which soldiers chose to entertain themselves.

John P. Reynolds' journal is an unusually literate and well-written account of life in the army during the opening stages of the Civil War, and includes long, detailed passages describing drills, parades, ceremonies and celebrations, and the ways in which soldiers chose to entertain themselves. It is an example of a superb Civil War journal containing almost no reference to military activity. While nostalgically reviewing the events since the unit was called, Reynolds himself noted that "the pastimes we had experienced...combined together presented more the aspect of a pleasure excursion or mammoth pic-nic, than a military campaign during the period of actual warfare" (p. 90).

Particularly noteworthy descriptions include those of the camp at Relay House, of particular drills, flag-raising ceremonies, and of celebrations of the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill and of the Fourth of July. Reynolds is at his best when recounting an operation on July 3rd to capture a Rebel recruiter, Samuel Ogle Tilghman, at his home on the coast. Though no shots were fired, the atmosphere Reynolds sets provides a strong sense of what it must have been like for a young soldier on patrol. Tilghman was released on parole of honor just two weeks later, on July 26, 1861.

The Reynolds journal appears to be the second and only surviving part of a series that probably originally contained three volumes. The first covering muster to June 6, 1861, the third, from July 14th to mustering out on August 1st.

This volume contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept the journal between December 1858 and September 1859, detailing his experiences after moving to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. He later wrote an essay in which he reflected on the cultural differences between New England and Virginia. In a second essay, he discussed "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity.

This volume (205 pages) contains a journal and two essays composed by New Hampshire native John Wheeler in 1859. He kept a journal of his travel to, and experiences teaching in, Albemarle County, Virginia, between December 1858 and October 1859 (pp. 1-137); wrote an essay based on his experiences, focusing on cultural differences between New England and Virginia (pp. 139-174); and composed an essay on the professions of law, medicine, and divinity (pp. 187-216).

The first, and largest, portion of the volume is the journal Wheeler kept between December 1858 and October 1859, while he traveled to Albemarle County, Virginia, to teach school. The first two pages contain an introductory essay on the virtues of traveling, and pages 3 through 21 recount his journey from New Hampshire to Virginia, beginning on December 21, 1858. He mentioned multiple sightseeing destinations along the way, including Plymouth Rock (p. 5), and arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia, on December 31 (pp. 16-17). There, he made the acquaintance of the Durrett family, with whom he remained close throughout his stay in the South.

Wheeler began to keep regular journal entries on January 1, 1859 (p. 21), and thoroughly described his life as a schoolteacher, as well as his impressions of southern scenery and customs. Many entries mention the violent treatment of slaves, including men being lashed for stealing a pig (p. 77) and a legal case that ended with the sentence of execution (p. 84). Wheeler often attended religious services, commented on southern hospitality, and described the scenery, particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wheeler did not keep his journal between January 23 (p. 67) and July 4 (p. 70), though he recorded the dates of planting and ripening of several crops (p. 68).

Wheeler left Albemarle County on September 26 (p. 121) and traveled to Luray, Virginia, where he witnessed the hanging of a female slave (pp. 123-126). From there, he traveled to Alexandria, where he provided a detailed account of a visit to Mount Vernon, home of George Washington (October 8, pp. 132-137). The journal concludes with a brief closing statement on page 137.

In the second section is an essay that Wheeler composed after he returned to his home in New Hampshire (pp. 139-174). He wrote about his impressions of the South and his experiences, often commenting on the differences between customs in Virginia and in New England.

The third part of the volume contains an essay about the history and characteristics of "the three learned professions": law, medicine, and divinity. It begins on page 197 and continues through page 216, though pages 176 to 184 are blank.

Three clippings from published works are laid into the journal: an image of King Umberto I of Italy, recently assassinated (pp. 174-175); and two pages of poetry (pp. 180-181).

The Jonathan French journal consists of entries from April 14-October 20, 1757, kept by Jonathan French, a private in the Massachusetts militia during the French and Indian War. French recorded his experiences during his corps' expedition from Boston to Fort Edward, New York, and his duties while stationed at the fort.

The Jonathan French journal (31 pages) consists of entries from April 14 to October 20, 1757, kept by Jonathan French, a private in the Massachusetts militia under Major General Daniel Webb, during the French and Indian War. French recorded his experiences during his corps' expedition from Boston to Fort Edward, New York, and his duties while stationed there. During his assignment, the French army, under General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, attacked and overtook Fort William Henry, forcing the British troops to retreat to Fort Edward.

On the march to New York, French recorded how far his regiment traveled each day, the names of the towns where they stopped, meals eaten, the weather, and regimental exercises. On August 9, 1757, French noted that 100 men were sent to defend Fort William Henry, but, in general, seemed unaware of the siege. French documented the times when scouts were sent out from the fort, and mentioned the activities and orders of Major General Daniel Webb (pages 15-16, 20), Captain Putnam (pages 7, 8, 9, and 11), Captain West (page 9), and Major Robert Rogers (page 17-18). He reported a bloody skirmish between the British and the Indians on July 23, 1757, which resulted in the scalping of 7 soldiers and 10 deaths on the British side (page 11). He made notes of soldiers escaping from Fort William Henry to Fort Edward on September 6 (page 15), September 17 (page 16), and September 28 (pages 17-18).

French first mentioned smallpox on July 20, 1757 (page 10) and contracted it on July 27, 1757 (page 13). He was hospitalized sometime before August 30th. Throughout the journal, French commented on religion, preaching, and sermons.

• Mentions of the Mohawk Indians (pages 7, 8, and 9)
• Descriptions of two British scouts taking each other as enemies and shooting at one another: one was killed, August 2, 1757 (Page 8)
• Remarks about a British soldier who was executed for intending to desert to the French army (page 10) and two more who were executed for trying to desert to Fort Ticonderoga, September 5, 1757 (page 15)
• News of a skirmish between Indians and a group of scouts (page 10)
• Description of a "sad accident," which occurred on July 26, 1757, when a man was cleaning his gun and fired the gun through three tents, killing a man (page 12)
• Notes regarding Major Rogers' arrival from Albany with 400 rangers who had been in Halifax with the Earl of Loudoun, September 31, 1757 (page 17)

On page 30, French created brief "Reports of the Guard," while stationed at Castle William (now called Fort Independence, in Massachusetts), noting the parole and the commander and corps stopping at the fort (August 6-14, 1760). Page 31 contains a postscript, dated May 23, 1868, written by Ebenezer Sperry Stearns, grandson of Jonathan French, which identifies the Reverend Jonathan French as the journal's author.

At the back of the book is a loose fragment of a table of 20 men under Captain Francis Brown (undated).

This journal recounts Joseph E. Taylor's experiences onboard the Andrew Jackson during a voyage from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bremen, Germany, in September 1876. Taylor illustrated his journal with pictures of the ship's sails and interior.

This journal (35 pages) recounts Joseph E. Taylor's experiences onboard the Andrew Jackson during a voyage from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bremen, Germany, in the fall of 1876. Under the command of J. C. Bartlett, the ship left Philadelphia on September 3, 1876. The Andrew Jackson reached the English Channel on September 25 and approached Germany in early October, as Taylor composed his final journal entry. Taylor described the voyage, including events such as bird and porpoise sightings, and made notes about the Gulf Stream. The journal also includes several sketches of the ship's interior (pp. 1, 3-4), accompanied by detailed descriptions. A small printed map laid into the volume shows the "Saloon and Cabin Plan of the American Steam Ship Co.'s Steam Ships 'Pennsylvania,' 'Ohio,' 'Indiana,' 'Illinois.'"

The Journal of a trip from Kingston, Ontario, to Cincinnati, Ohio, recounts a traveler's experiences during a journey that took him through New York and Pennsylvania in February and March 1820.

The Journal of a trip from Kingston, Ontario, to Cincinnati, Ohio, recounts a traveler's experiences during a journey that took him through New York and Pennsylvania in February and March 1820. The traveler embarked on February 24, 1820, and immediately encountered icy, rough roads and other difficulties. He noted machinery he saw on the Canadian countryside. After crossing into New York, the author visited Albany, where he observed the state legislature (February 28, 1820), and New York City. The author initially found Pennsylvania "very dull" (March 4, 1820), but later enjoyed the western countryside, despite being prevented from traveling on one Sunday when he found himself in an area where the population observed strict religious rules (March 12, 1820). On March 17, 1820, the diarist boarded a Cincinnati-bound boat, whose crew told "a great Number of Anecdotes of the late War & [portentously] of the Rascally treatment they received when prisoners." Many entries pertain to anecdotes about traveling companions and lodgings. An account of "Articles Bot" is in the back of the volume.

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853, as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887. One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

This volume contains an anonymous journal of a voyage from Kennebunk, Maine, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio, between December 9, 1852, and January 24, 1853 (21 pages), as well as poetry, short stories, and essays composed by a second unknown writer between May 1857 and February 1887 (117 pages). One poem and one story concern the Civil War, and the author frequently composed biographical essays about prominent individuals, families, and other topics.

The first 21 pages, titled "Journal of a voyage from Kennebunk to New Orleans," are made up of daily diary entries composed during a voyage from Maine to Louisiana and from Louisiana to Ohio. The author embarked from Kennebunk, Maine, onboard the Golden Eagle (commanded by Captain Nathaniel Thompson) on December 9, 1852, and made daily observations about life at sea. As the Golden Eagle approached Florida in late December, he described the scenery in the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and coastal Louisiana. On one occasion, the ship encountered a boat transporting slaves to New Orleans. The author arrived in New Orleans on December 28, where he wrote about some of his experiences in the city, such as a visit to the cattle market. On January 12, he boarded the steamer Yorktown for a journey up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati. He noted the cities passed along the way, such as Vicksburg and Memphis, and described southern plantations, making note of their use of slave labor. On January 15, he reported that the Yorktown had taken a newly purchased African American family onboard, who entertained the passengers with dancing and music. By the final entry, dated January 24, 1853, the author had just passed Evansville, Indiana.

The volume also contains a commonplace book, in which the writer composed 117 pages of poetry, short stories, and essay. Several poems are translations of German poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Ludwig Uhland, and others appear to be original compositions. Among the latter is "Our Native Land," a patriotic verse written in March 1863, and additional poetry dated June 1869. The author wrote one short story in March 1862. An essay, "the Presentiment," consists of recollections of a war-era soldiers' relief society worker and a story respecting a woman's premonition of her own death. Biographical sketches and essays comprise most of the remaining material and are often annotated with small edits. Persons of interest include Horace Walpole, William Cowper, Nassau family members, Michael Faraday, Sir Philip Sidney, Norman Macleod, Dr. John Brown, and Henry of Navarre. Other essays concern the "Besor brook" in Judaea, the rivers of Babylon, and the telegraph.

A financial account between Charles Thompson and Nathaniel L. Thompson, settled in Kennebunk, Maine, on January 1, 1856, is laid into the volume.