Search

Duncan's journal is a brief account of the earliest operations of the 23rd Ohio Infantry while serving in West Virginia in 1861. The orderly book contains copies of orders issued in 1864 and 1865 from the Headquarters of the Army of West Virginia and the Army of Shenandoah, including some signed by William McKinley.

Duncan's journal is a very well written, unfortunately brief account of the earliest operations of the 23rd Ohio, from its mustering in at Camp Chase through the first two months of its service in West Virginia. Even though the passages are generally short, they provide an excellent idea of the difficulties of operating in the mountainous country, and of the problems of poor training and discipline. There is a good second-hand description of the Battle of Rich Mountain, as well as two descriptions of the battlefield a month after the fact, and a long and detailed account of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry. As good as the battle descriptions, though, are his descriptions of the aftermath of Carnifex Ferry, particularly his powerful, grisly description of the expressions on the faces of corpses littering the battlefield.

The orderly book contains 35 routine carbon copies of orders issued late in the war from Headquarters of the Army of West Virginia and the Army of Shenandoah. The book was apparently originally William McKinley's, and many of the orders from Shenandoah are signed by him. Two orders are of some interest: one (in triplicate) dated April 27th, 1865, noting the capture of John Wilkes Booth, and the other, dated April 29th, reporting the surrender of Johnston's army to Sherman.

Duncan included four pencil sketches in his diary, 1) a rough sketch of a "Virginia secesh," 2) a view of Glenville, West Virginia, and sketches of the battlefields at 3) Rich Mountain and 4) Carnifex Ferry indicating troop placements, etc.

Charles Snow wrote 4 letters to his father, Martin Snow of East Westmoreland, New Hampshire, while living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 1840s. Snow worked at the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane and later traveled in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and what is now West Virginia.

Charles Snow wrote 4 letters to his father, Martin Snow of East Westmoreland, New Hampshire, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1847 and 1848. His letters of [February 21], 1847; [June] 14, 1847; and April 17, 1848, pertain to his experiences working at the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane; his letter of July 19, 1847, concerns his travels along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Snow occasionally referred to his work at the hospital, including one incident in which he prevented a patient from escaping by pulling the man out of a moving omnibus. Snow often expressed his homesickness and his desire to hear news of family and friends and to visit New Hampshire. He also shared his opinions on local culture and the prominence of drinking establishments in Philadelphia, which he attributed to a large population of foreigners. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each letter.

Nathaniel W. Little kept this journal while traveling to the Northwest Territory with James Kilbourn in August and September 1802. Little recorded his impressions of the scenery in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, modern-day West Virginia, and modern-day Ohio. The volume also contains financial records from Little's later life in Worthington, Ohio.

Nathaniel W. Little kept this 81-page journal while traveling to the Northwest Territory with James Kilbourn in August and September 1802. Little recorded his impressions of the scenery in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, modern-day West Virginia, and modern-day Ohio. The volume also contains financial records from Little's later life in Worthington, Ohio.

Little began his journal after his departure from Blandford, Massachusetts, on July 30, 1802. He first went to Connecticut, where he was joined by James Kilbourne. Little described the scenery as they traveled west by stage, in canoes, and on horseback to parts of the Northwest Territory that are now in the state of Ohio. After they arrived, Little and Kilbourn scouted lands for possible purchase by the Scioto Company, and on one occasion they visited future Ohio governor Thomas Worthington. Little regularly mentioned the names of settlements he passed, and he wrote more extensively about towns such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he had previously lived, and Chillicothe, Ohio. In his entry of August 28, 1802, he commented on a Native American settlement (pp. 43-44). Little returned to Blandford, Massachusetts, on September 22, 1802, and on October 5, he and Kilbourn went to Granby, Connecticut, to address members of the Scioto Company at Clark's Tavern. Little continued to write brief entries until October 7.

The remaining pages (pp. 81-129) pertain to Little's personal finances. Most of the accounts record individual transactions related to temporary laborers. One group of accounts is dated July-October 1805, and others concern Little's financial relationship with Nathan Stewart.

The New York City to Cincinnati travel journal pertains to the author's travels in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia around the mid-19th century.

The New York City to Cincinnati travel journal (27 pages) pertains to the author's travels in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The diarist visited an aunt in New York City before embarking for Philadelphia onboard a steamboat. While sailing, the author described an attempt to compose a charcoal sketch of a fellow passenger. After visiting the Smithsonian Institution and other sites in Washington, D.C., the traveler went to West Virginia by stage. On board the Buck Eye State, an Ohio River steamer, the author discussed their curiosity about a fellow passenger. The final page of the journal contains a list of travel expenses.

"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)