Small pocket diary for 1861 published by W. G. Perry of Philadelphia, 3 x 5, with entries filled out in pencil by a Union soldier from April 22-July 23, 1861. The diary records various daily activities, with notes on drilling, marching, weather conditions, letter writing, and going to church. Some notable entries include:
May 1: "The whole company were mustered into the service of the United States of America."
May 19: "Visited the Capital found it to be one of the greatest buildings I ever saw, built of iron and marble."
May 24: "Had a dress parade, great excitement on account of the death of Col. Ellsworth."
May 25: "Attended the funeral of Col. Ellsworth, a young man of 25 years of age. Visited by President Lincoln, Seward and Caleb Smith."
In very good to fine condition, with some interior staining, and some loss along the spine.
On May 24, 1861, Union troops in Alexandria, Virginia took exception to a Confederate flag that flew on the roof of the Marshall House hotel, which was visible to President Lincoln from the White House. Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, leading a squad of his 11th New York Fire Zouaves, decided to pull the flag down. Having removed it, Ellsworth was shot dead as he started down the stairs from the roof by the hotel's owner James T. Jackson. He was the first martyr of the Civil War.
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