Monthly Archives: December 2013

31 December 1863: “I had an eggnog Christmas Eve night and a splendid dinner Christmas day.”

Item description: Letter, 31 December 1863, from James A. Graham to his mother. Item Citation: From the James A. Graham Papers #00283, Southern Historical Collection,The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Item transcription: Camp 27th No. Ca. Inf’y near Orange … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 31 December 1863: “I had an eggnog Christmas Eve night and a splendid dinner Christmas day.”

30 December 1863: “… on X we had a noble turkey which Mr. Irwin let me have $5 the cost.”

Item description: Entry, dated 30 December 1863, in the Meta Morris Grimball diary.  Mrs. Grimball writes of her family’s Christmas celebrations and the plight of several neighboring families in Charleston, S.C. [transcription available below images] Item citation: From the Margaret … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Comments Off on 30 December 1863: “… on X we had a noble turkey which Mr. Irwin let me have $5 the cost.”

29 December 1863: “I cannot tell you how disappointed I was, that you were not with us at Christmas, I thought it might be the last Christmas we might ever spend in the old homestead…”

Item description: Letter, dated 29 December 1863, from Eliza Jane Lord DeRosset to her daughter Katherine Douglas DeRosset Meares (1830-1914).   [image] Item citation: From the DeRosset Family Papers #214, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Item … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on 29 December 1863: “I cannot tell you how disappointed I was, that you were not with us at Christmas, I thought it might be the last Christmas we might ever spend in the old homestead…”

28 December 1863: “… your successful escape and deliverance from the hands of your persecutors…”

Item description:  Letter, dated 28 December 1863, from Eli Metcalfe Bruce, a member of the Confederate House of Representatives, to John Hunt Morgan.  Bruce congratulates Morgan on his successful escape from captivity by the Union army, stating his belief that … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Comments Off on 28 December 1863: “… your successful escape and deliverance from the hands of your persecutors…”

27 December 1863: “So it seems we were driven to the bushes by a false alarm.”

Item Description: Diary entry, dated 27 December 1863, from the Samuel A. Agnew Diary. [transcription available below image] Item citation: From folder 9 of the Samuel A. Agnew Diary #923, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Item transcription: … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , | Comments Off on 27 December 1863: “So it seems we were driven to the bushes by a false alarm.”

26 December 1863: “IV. Which is the most approved mode of treating uncomplicated Gun Shot Wounds?”

Item description: A circular, dated 26 December 1863, from the Association of Army and Navy Surgeons [Confederate] seeking information on how to deal with aneurysms, hemorrhages, and gunshot wounds. Item transcription: Association of Army and Navy Surgeons, Richmond, Dec. 26, … Continue reading

Posted in Rare Book Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 26 December 1863: “IV. Which is the most approved mode of treating uncomplicated Gun Shot Wounds?”

25 December 1863: “the Boys have good time to day as it is Christmas I can not enjoy it myself…”

Item description: Letter, dated 25 December 1863, from Dexter S. Cowles to his “Dear Brother,” describing fighting conditions and weather near Vicksburg, Miss. He also discusses his difficulty communicating with family members, and notes the presence of African American regiments … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 25 December 1863: “the Boys have good time to day as it is Christmas I can not enjoy it myself…”

24 December 1863: “Shall the Confederacy stand or shall it fall? That is the question…”

Item description: A speech by Albert Gallatin Brown, Confederate senator from Mississippi, on the “State of the Country.” The speech was given in the Confederate Senate on 24 December 1863. To read the full document online, please see: https://archive.org/details/stateofcountryspbrow Item … Continue reading

Posted in Rare Book Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 24 December 1863: “Shall the Confederacy stand or shall it fall? That is the question…”

23 December 1863: “I wish him to proceed to Greenville just as soon as he sends off the property in his charge…”

Item description: Letter, dated 23 December 1863, from Captain C. C. McPhail, issuing orders to the staff of the Confederate States Armory in Asheville, N.C.  A. M. Kitzmiller is ordered to meet with McPhail and continue keeping his “papers and … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on 23 December 1863: “I wish him to proceed to Greenville just as soon as he sends off the property in his charge…”

22 December 1863: “I have not broken the seal to my bottle of brandy yet and am going to try and hold on to it until Christmas morning, when it will be compelled to be opened”

Item Description: Letter dated 22 December 1863 from O. Wilson Barrow to his aunt discussing a care package from her. Additionally, Barrow writes about strong abolitionist sentiment in Henry County, VA, news about a loved one who was probably captured, and … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment