Brooker, W. H. Civil War Diary. 1863-1866. (MS 126)
The diary was kept, for the most part, by a Southern private in the Army of Tennessee, and it describes day-by-day troop movements and military actions from 6 October 1863 to 22 June 1864. 1 inch (1 folder).
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Guide to the W. H. Brooker U.S. Civil War diary, 1863-1866
Biographical NoteAlthough the authorship of the diary is attributed to W.H. Brooker, internal evidence makes this attribution doubtful. The author lists his pay as $11.00 per month-- a private's pay-- while a series of notations in 1866 mention Brooker as a doctor. Furthermore, there are at least three distinct styles of handwriting in the book; the one which is most likely to be attributed to Brooker is the least common, appearing on the title page and at the hiatus between two other styles of handwriting. It is very likely that the author of the main portion of the work was killed on 22 June 1864. After the last entry, Brooker's handwriting appears in the beginning of a poem which is copied over at length near the end of the diary. After the 22 June 1864 entry and poem there is a page missing and a distinctly different handwriting. Finally, in the end of the book there are accounts kept from 1866 for what appears to be a rooming house in which Dr. Brooker was a guest. From these changes in handwriting and from internal evidence, the following reconstruction is most likely: The author of the idary was a private in the 39th Georgia Regiment, Cumming's Brigade, Stevenson's Division, Army of Tennesee. He fought in the Chattanooga campagin, in the Battle above the Clouds, and at Missionary Ridge. Retreating with his unit, he fought in holding actions against the North's Atlanta campaign, finally falling at Kennesaw Mountain. His book was picked up by a fellow soldier, perhaps in the hospital with him. Both soldiers apparently died, and the book came into the hands of W. H. Brooker, who was possibly the attending physician. After the war Brooker, or perhaps his landlord, used the book to keep accounts in. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and ContentsThe diary of W.H. Brooker is a small (3 1/2" × 2"× 1/4") leatherbound booklet in which annotations in pencil have been made. Most of the entries date from 6 October 1863 to 22 June 1864. The diary was kept, for the most part, by Southern private in the Army of Tennessee, and it describes day-by-day troop movements and military actions. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions, although material is fragile and to be handled with care. Use RestictionsPermission to publish material from the Hugh H. Wilson U.S. Civil War papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library. Return to the Table of Contents Index TermsSubjects (Persons)Brooker, W.H. -
Diaries.
SubjectsSoldiers Confederate States of America Diaries.
PlacesUnited
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Medical care.
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives,
Confederate.
United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Social aspects.
FormatsDiaries.
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred CitationW. H. Brooker U.S. Civil War diary, 1863-1866, MS #126, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University] Acquisition InformationThe diary was purchased from John Weiler, autograph dealer, on 2 May 1958, on the recommendation of Professor Frank E. Vandiver. Return to the Table of Contents
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