Welcome to the Alanson Barber Blog!

 Who was Alanson Barber?

 He was a young man in 1861 who joined the Union army to fight in the American Civil War. This picture is a daguerreotype (a black and white photo that was hand painted later) taken of him in his new uniform. He was married to Jane Hamilton, and when he left home, was the father of two small children.

Alanson lived in Iowa, so joined the 9th Iowa Volunteers. He bought a small, leather-bound journal and began to write about his experiences as a soldier.

All old diaries are treasures for historians, because scholars can learn how people lived in the past. Often the notes of common, everyday folks reflect more about a time than the edicts of monarchs or battle plans of generals. This diary is of one man in a big war, a small but valuable historical document.

Sometimes old diaries are passed down in families, which gives them extra worth, described by historians as "provenance." Alanson Barber's family handed down his documents from one generation to the next, giving it a strong layer of value.

 

Who am I?

I am Holly Y Rechel Felmlee, a 67-year-old American woman living in Colorado. I am married and have two grown children. I have been a social studies teacher, writer, and non-profit professional. Now that I'm retired, I am a full-time novelist.

This picture is of me at the book release party for my first published novel, The Pinched Pinkney Plan, which is a historical mystery for kids. I was very happy that day, and plan to have many more!

I am also the keeper -- some would say owner -- of Alanson Barber's diary. 

How am I related to Alanson Barber?

 

 

Alanson Barber is my ancestor.  His son Edward Barber (who was 2-years-old when Alanson left for the war) was the father of only-child, Edna, who married Zeno Rechel. They had three sons: Ralph, Bruce and Paul. The youngest, Paul, is my father. For some reason, Paul ended up with Alanson Barber's diary instead of it going to one of his older brothers. Probably he was more interested in it than them. I am the second of Paul's four children, and I was definitely interested in that diary!

I don't recall when I first saw Alanson's journals, but they captured my interest. As a teenager, I produced a transcript of those diaries in order to discover what he had written about. 

 

This picture is of me at 16, after a Christmas play I had written was produced at my church. I sewed the purple velvet dress myself. It was a proud, awesome and scary day for me! Unlike the drudgery of producing a transcript of an old diary.

Why did I produce a transcription of Alanson Barber's diary -- when I was 16?

 

Obviously, I had no social life -- or at least no boyfriends. I think I was driven by curiosity: What had he written? Why? What momentous secrets were hidden there? That small leather journal was a kind of time capsule treasure trove and I had the keys (interest, time and a typewriter) to open it. 

 

I used a large, black, clunky typewriter (at that time it was not clunky, but common and useful), studied each word he wrote down, and interpreted them as closely as possible. Spelling was different back then, so sometimes I couldn't understand what he was writing about. Also, he wrote minuscule letters in ink -- with a quill, no less! -- and pencil, which were often blurred, further challenging my transcription.

 

Slowly but surely, his words from the past came alive for me. Since then, the diaries and the transcript have resided in a box in my closet, but I've always wanted others to enjoy them. 

 

 

Why a blog about Alanson Barber's diary?

Finally, through the magic of the internet, I can share this amazing, historical treasure with anyone who is interested. 

Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!