Tag Archives: holidays

2 January 1865: “We had a very pleasant evening and were regaled in honour of the new year, which yesterday being Sunday was celebrated today, with egg-nog, Confederate cake and pop-corn.”

Item description: Entry, dated 2 January 1865, from the diary of Emma Florence LeConte, the daughter of scientist Joseph LeConte of Columbia, S.C. Item citation: From the Emma LeConte Diary, #420-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at … Continue reading

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

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.”

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…”

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…”

14 February 1863: “This is Valentines day and I hope to get one from her.”

Item description: Letter, 14 February 1863, believed to be from James M. and Laura Gwyn to their aunt, Mary Elizabeth (“Lizzie”) Garrett Lenoir. Item citation: From folder 151 of the Lenoir Family Papers, #426, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 14 February 1863: “This is Valentines day and I hope to get one from her.”

26 December 1862: “he was sitting in the door playing the fiddle and aunt Dilsy was dancing fit to kill herself! It was sunday evening at that.”

Item description: Letter, 26 December 1862, from  Mary (Mame) Faucette (1842-1896) to her Aunt Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Garrett Lenoir (1844-1880). [Transcription available below images] Item citation: From the Lenoir Family Papers, #426, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina … Continue reading

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

24 December 1862: “This is Christmas eve! Oh what a different mode of spending it this is from what I have been in the habbit of doing!”

Item description: Letter, 24 December 1862, from Union soldier Stephen Tippet Andrews to his beloved, Margaret (Maggie) Little. Stephen Tippet Andrews enlisted in the 85th New York Infantry Regiment on 26 August 1861. He helped organize Company F, and was mustered … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 24 December 1862: “This is Christmas eve! Oh what a different mode of spending it this is from what I have been in the habbit of doing!”

29 November 1862: “Pudding, pudding, who’s got the pudding?”

Item description: Item description: Portions of “Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass., Dep’t of No. Carolina,” an account, written by John Jasper Wyeth of Co. E, of the experiences of the 44th Masachusetts Infantry Regiment. The … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on 29 November 1862: “Pudding, pudding, who’s got the pudding?”

4 July 1862: “…Battalion line was Formed & Declaration of Independence Read…”

Item description: Newton Wallace, Company I, 27th Massachusetts Infantry, wrote this description of how he spent July 4th, 1862, in his diary. Wallace and his regiment were in occupied North Carolina, camped in tents “on the Old Fair Ground” in … Continue reading

Posted in North Carolina Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 4 July 1862: “…Battalion line was Formed & Declaration of Independence Read…”