THE 1865 DIARY OF HENRY SHERMAN

This is the 1865 diary of Henry Sherman. It was the first of his writings that I transcribed from the origional diary. I began to get interested in my family tree when I was still married. My grandmother, Mary Coates told me of a diary of her grandfather's. "It's not that interesting", she said, " He had chronic diherrea". One day at a family picnic she handed it to me. I promised I would get it back to her. She got it from her brother Wilbur Sherman.

Needless to say, I found the diary interesting. He mentions the historical events that were taking place in the nation at that time. He had gotten out of the war and took the long train jouney back from Virginia to his home state of Massachusetts. When he got to his home state he went home first instead of going to the hospital. This seemed to be a concern of his since he mentions it in the first entry of the diary. Then he went to the hospital where he could get the treatment he needed for his illness. This short diary gives a little glimpse of his life, and life in the 1860's when everyone was thinking of going west. His family was one of them that wanted to move west. There was plenty of land and people wanted to spread out and live their own lives the way they wanted.

There are three parts to this diary, but I am only putting the main part here. There is a memorandum which has more detailed entries to the main diary, and there are twelve seperate entries that give a little detail of things he and his family were doing when they started west and staked their first claim on the prairies of Iowa.

I tried to use only free or public domain images in this blog entry. Many of the images I got from the Library of Congress American Memory section. Others I got from various places around the web. If I have accidently put something in here that infringes on someone's property rights, please let me know and I will gladly take it out. Mike Bailey 2008




Henry Sherman 1865


Civil War Hospital

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Notes for entry 1: He writes very long sentences. In this first entry he starts off to the hospital and the diary begins.



March 20, 1865 - Monday

This morning I leave home for the hospital in Worcester where I expect better treatment.

I arrive at about 2 o'clock at the depot and wait til 4 o'clock and there I report, and am admitted without questions being asked in particular about whether I came directly from the hospital or not.

It is a splendid place, a palace beside of Readville.




A Palace


Notes for entry 2:

March 21, 1865 - Tuesday

This morning is very beautiful and really reminds one of the last days of spring.

There is not much news this morning in the papers.

The doctors examined me this morning and pronounced my case, intermittent fever.

This is the first day here in this hospital.

I come across several of my old "reg" and have a chat with them.

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Notes for entry 3:

March 22, 1865 - Wednesday

Weather rainy and wet this morning.

The papers contain no news whatever only that the rebels seem about ready to give up the contest of slavery and a Southern Independence.

I believe I shall get a pass to go home in a few days which is something I haven't had for a year and not but once for nearly four years.

I think I shall like it here first rate.


soldiers
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Notes for entry 4:

March 23, 1865 - Thursday

Today weather is cool and a little snow has fell.

This afternoon I am visited by some very kind ladies and presented with two pies.

I write a letter to the Adjutant General in regard to the twenty dollars a month from the state as a bounty.

The name of the lady that visited me was Mrs. Carry.


Woman 1860's
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Notes for entry 5:

March 24, 1865 - Friday

Today is cool and windy.

Expect to have a pass tomorrow.

I have recieved a letter from Mr. Eldrick and all are well.

I answer this afternoon.

The men of the ward are paid today, but as I am not registered here I shall not recieve anything although I have four months due me.

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Notes for entry 6:

March 25, 1865 - Saturday

Today I have a pass given me to go home and see my brother Frank.

I take the accommodation train which arrives at Warren at half past five, or about that time.

I find all well as usual.

Frank has got to go back Monday the 3rd of April for Patterson Hospital, Baltimore.



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Notes for entry 7:

March 26, 1865 - Sunday

Today is pleasant and I have the privelege of enjoying the company of my folks at home where peace and quiet reigns compared with the busy tumult of hospital life.


Warren, Massachusetts


Home
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Notes for entry 8: This is a long winded sentence. *Calvin Cutter is a surgeon who is helping him get his town bounty from the town of Warren. He is a resident of Warren and was 53 years of age at this time. The parenthesis are mine.

March 27, 1865 - Monday

Today I enjoy myself very well and I go to see *Calvin Cutter in regard to my town bounty and (also see) Hassertern that I am to have it which is very gratifying news to me but am inclined to think that the town of Warren has not much sympathy for the soldiers.

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Notes for entry 9:

March 28, 1865 - Tuesday

Today is quite warm and pleasant compared with some of our weather within the past week.

Tomorrow I am to go to Worcester Hospital as my pass will be out then.

Father goes to West Brookfield to trade a very little.

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Notes for entry 10:

March 29, 1865 - Wednesday

Today we have very pleasant weather.

At half past twelve I start for Worcester on board of the accommodation train and arrive at about 2 O'clock in the afternoon.

I stop at one house and take tea with them.

They are very kind to me.


Train
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Notes for entry 11: The *William Stewart he mentions here is a resident of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He was wounded at Antietam. He later reinlisted and was transferred to the 36th Massachusetts Regiment. He was a carpenter by trade.

March 30, 1865 - Thursday

Today is rainy and wet for the first time in a long time.

I go to another ward and there see *William Stewart (of) Company D of our old Regiment and I also come acress Edwin Babcock who I have not seen for several years.


Out on the trail
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Notes for entry 12:

March 31, 1865 - Friday

Today is rainy and lonesome and not much news, only that there is a prospect of my getting a chance as a clerk at Headquarters which I could not, of course tell how long it would last.

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Notes for entry 13:

April 1, 1865 - Saturday

Today it has cleared away and the weather is fine and nice.

The papers seem to indicate something of a bloody nature going on in the Army.

Mobile is threatened and will no doubt surrender when attacked in earnest, and it will have to be confidence to believe the end isn't far off if all goes right.



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Notes for entry 14:

April 2, 1865 - Sunday

Today the weather is fine and nice as one could wish.

I write a letter home to my folks.

The bells sounded pretty loud from the city calling people to church.

We have papers brought into the ward to read and look at.

The London Illistrated News is one among the rest.


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Notes for entry 15:

April 3, 1865 - Monday

This morning the news is not very alarming.

11 O'clock; The news is official that we hold Richmond and Petersburg.

The first (Richmond) being occupied at 15 minutes past 8 O'clock.

We have a great many of the Rebel prisioners.

There is a great deal of rejoicing here.

The canons are fired.

The bells rung and (there are) other demonstrations of joy.


Victory in Richmond
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Notes for entry 16: *Thomas Winn is a resident of Worcester. He is a farmer by trade. He was wounded and also a prisioner around Petersburg on June 17, 1864.

April 4, 1865 - Tuesday

This morning the weather is really nice and beautiful.

I have a pass for today.

I go and see *Thomas Winn and have a very good time.

While (I was there) another member of Company H comes.

His name is Thomas Dryer.

He has been a prisioner and has suffered a great deal but is doing finely.

Now there is some good news today.

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Notes for entry 17:

April 5, 1865 - Wednesday

This morning the news is very good.

Twenty-five thousand Rebels (are) taken prisioners and immense amount of plunder with the arms and supplies of a tremendous number of Lee's army.

His horses are so thin and poor he is compelled to abandon his artillery and lots of ammunition.


General Robert E. Lee
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Notes for entry 18: It appears that when Henry was in Kentucky, one of the perks to reinlist was that the town would give the soldiers a bounty when they got back. Now that Henry is back he wants to collect this bounty he was promised and he's having a hard time of it. It's the same as it is now-a-days, the young men of our country are being made huge promises to go to war, but when they come back they have to fight to get what has been promised. Fortunately Henry had the good doctor to help him get what the town of Warren promised.

April 6, 1865 - Thursday

The weather is quite pleasant but indicates a storm.

I am to have a pass tomorrow to go home and secure my town bounty if possible of $165.00 which the town is really trying to cheat Calvin Cutter out of the money that he told me in Kentucky I would get from the town.

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Notes for entry 19:

April 7, 1865 - Friday

Today is rainy and dull but I have a pass to go away from this hospital to my home in Warren, which is about thirty miles from Worcester in a westerly direction.

It is not much of a place for anything, and the sentiments of not a few men are of a disloyal character, but the war brings us news that is good as can be for us.

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Notes for entry 19: *Francis is his brother he also calls Frank.

April 8, 1865 - Saturday

This day I am at home where all my folks are but *Francis.

He has gone to Baltimore where I am in hopes he will stay while the very hard fighting is going on for he has been a prisioner in Libby Prision where he suffered every time any of them suffered.

He looked very poor when he first came home.