Collection Timeline

1861 to 1904

1861
James Robertson was a native of Clifton, Iowa, in Louisa County. He was a private in Company C, 8th Iowa Infantry, was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh and hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee's University Hospital. The diary details his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. The collection contains three of Robertson's personal diaries: two personal diaries from 1861-1862 and an account book ca. 1860. Diaries detail his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. Although the diaries are preprinted with the dates 1856, 1858, and 1861, he appears to have used them at later dates than those for which they were intended. Blank pages not included here are either blank or missing.
James Robertson was a native of Clifton, Iowa, in Louisa County. He was a private in Company C, 8th Iowa Infantry, was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh and hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee's University Hospital. The diary details his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. The collection contains three of Robertson's personal diaries: two personal diaries from 1861-1862 and an account book ca. 1860. Diaries detail his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. Although the diaries are preprinted with the dates 1856, 1858, and 1861, he appears to have used them at later dates than those for which they were intended. Blank pages not included: 36-37, 39-62, 65-68, 82-86, 89.

1862
Charles W. Chapman was a farmer from Grandview, Iowa. He served as a private in Company F of the 19th Infantry Regiment of Iowa Volunteers. [N.B.: the regiment number written on Chapman's diary is the 15th Infantry; however, it appears that he was actually in the 19th Infantry.] This is a handwritten pencil diary, detailing Chapman's daily life in the military.
James Robertson was a native of Clifton, Iowa, in Louisa County. He was a private in Company C, 8th Iowa Infantry, was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh and hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee's University Hospital. The diary details his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. The collection contains three of Robertson's personal diaries: two personal diaries from 1861-1862 and an account book ca. 1860. Diaries detail his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. Although the diaries are preprinted with the dates 1856, 1858, and 1861, he appears to have used them at later dates than those for which they were intended. Blank pages not included: 36-37, 39-62, 65-68, 82-86, 89.
James Robertson was a native of Clifton, Iowa, in Louisa County. He was a private in Company C, 8th Iowa Infantry, was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh and hospitalized in Nashville, Tennessee's University Hospital. The diary details his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. The collection contains three of Robertson's personal diaries: two personal diaries from 1861-1862 and an account book ca. 1860. Diaries detail his travels, thoughts, purchases, and transcriptions of some poetry and verse. Although the diaries are preprinted with the dates 1856, 1858, and 1861, he appears to have used them at later dates than those for which they were intended. Pages not included here are either blank or missing.
Letter written home to mother and Mollie from an unnamed soldier who tells what he knows about the last days of a family member Davy who was sick and died while a soldier in the Civil War.
Letter written to brother and sister describes the Battle of Pea Ridge, fought in Benton County, Arkansas, March 6-8, 1862. He describes the set up of his battery and lists men lost and injured in battle.

1863
The diary contains brief entries detailing his experiences in camp, on marches, and at battle, as well as entries made while in the regimental hospital. The final entries recording Chambers' illness and death are written in a different hand. The memoranda pages at the back of the diary include a note about his enlistment and other men who enlisted at the same time. Also at the back of the diary are notes about expenses. John W. Chambers (1840-1863) was born in Guyandotte, Ohio and later moved to Burlington, Iowa. He served as a private in Company E, 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry from 1862 to 1863. The regiment was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee, and later in Louisiana and Mississippi, and they took part in the siege of Vicksburg. The regiment also worked on the digging of a canal to connect Lake Providence, Louisiana, and the Mississippi River. Chambers was taken sick with typhoid fever in July 1863 and remained in the regimental hospital until early August. He became ill again at the end of August and was taken to Lawson Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He died of typhoid fever in a hospital in St. Louis on 21 September 1863. He is buried in Jagger Cemetery, Danville Township, Iowa. Blank pages not included here.
The majority of entries were written during the Civil War and describe Lee's work on the family farm, attending religious services, visiting family throughout central Iowa, social activities, and her beaux. She also describes her training to be a teacher and her efforts to assist in keeping a boarding house. There are a few later entries where Barker discusses her marriage and family. Blank pages: 2, 176-182, 184, 192-193. Missing pages: 5-6, 119-122, 196-197, 206-215, 222-229, 232-251. Number 171 omitted in page numbering.

1864
L. Stone Hall was a member of the Iowa Infantry, Nineteenth Regiment, Company C, during the U.S. Civil War. The diary includes brief descriptions of camps, journeys, battles, skirmishes, guarding prisoners and memories and yearnings for home. During the time period when Hall wrote his diary, Company C spent much of their time in the area of Pascagoula Bay and Franklin Creek (Mississippi). The news clipping contains an image and caption about James Irva Dungan and his capture and escape from the Confederates. The History of the Regiment contains the chapter describing Hall, Cary and Cocklin's escape from the Shreveport, Louisiana prison.
Cyrus Bussey details his exploits as an officer with the Iowa Cavalry. Bussey refers to himself in the third person in this laudatory discussion of his experiences in the Army, including his involvement in the Battles of Pea Ridge and Vicksburg, as well as the occupation of Helena, Arkansas. Cyrus Bussey, a native of Iowa, moved to Bloomfield, Iowa, in 1855. After serving as a Democrat in the Iowa Senate, Bussey was appointed by Governor Kirkwood as an Aide-de-State and was charged with sharing the responsibility for the defense of the state. During the Civil War, he was appointed Colonel of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry. After the war, Bussey was a successful businessman and lawyer in St. Louis, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.. He was also appointed the Assistant Secretary of the Interior (1889) during the Harrison administration.

1865
L. Stone Hall was a member of the Iowa Infantry, Nineteenth Regiment, Company C, during the U.S. Civil War. The diary includes brief descriptions of camps, journeys, battles, skirmishes, guarding prisoners and memories and yearnings for home. During the time period when Hall wrote his diary, Company C spent much of their time in the area of Pascagoula Bay and Franklin Creek (Mississippi). The news clipping contains an image and caption about James Irva Dungan and his capture and escape from the Confederates. The History of the Regiment contains the chapter describing Hall, Cary and Cocklin's escape from the Shreveport, Louisiana prison.

1869
Charles W. Chapman was a farmer from Grandview, Iowa. He served as a private in Company F of the 19th Infantry Regiment of Iowa Volunteers. [N.B.: the regiment number written on Chapman's diary is the 15th Infantry; however, it appears that he was actually in the 19th Infantry.] This is a handwritten pencil diary, detailing Chapman's daily life in the military.

1904
The majority of entries were written during the Civil War and describe Lee's work on the family farm, attending religious services, visiting family throughout central Iowa, social activities, and her beaux. She also describes her training to be a teacher and her efforts to assist in keeping a boarding house. There are a few later entries where Barker discusses her marriage and family. Blank pages: 2, 176-182, 184, 192-193. Missing pages: 5-6, 119-122, 196-197, 206-215, 222-229, 232-251. Number 171 omitted in page numbering.