Alanson Barber, Civil War soldier

The Civil War diaries of Alanson Barber were handed down through my family until they landed in my hands in 1970. The soldier was my great-great-great grandfather.

 

Diaries of Alanson Barber, leather, each about 3 inches wide x 4 inches tall.

One day, when I was 16, I was looking through these small fragile journals and wondered what was actually recorded there: the writing was old-fashioned penmanship, and most in blurry pencil. Determined to solve the mystery of what he wrote about, I found the giant black typewriter that our family owned (like many families back then) and began the arduous task of transcribing my ancestor’s war diaries.

This project is probably what sparked my love of history: I received a BA in history from Adams State University and became a high school history/social studies teacher.

Now, in the digital age, I’ve created a blog to share this amazing historical document. With the help of Rebecca Mitts, we scanned and cropped the pages of Alanson Barber’s diary for each day, included the typed transcript I had made of that day when I was 16, and then added the current version which is digital and searchable.

I am in the process of adding his photos and those of his wife and children, as well as his war records.

To have such a complete original historical journal in my possession, is a major blessing in my life, and I'm thankful to finally be able to share it with the wider world. 

And did I mention Alexander Hamilton?

Do you have a historical document in your family? I'd love to hear about it, and celebrate with you!