Wilmot P. Sanford diaries and letters, 1874-1878.

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Wilmot P. Sanford diaries and letters, 1874-1878.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/86093495

Three holograph diaries dated September 26-December 8, 1874; December 9, 1874-May 23, 1875; and March 25, 1876-March 1877, of Wilmot P. Sanford, a private in Company D, 6th United States Infantry stationed on the Dakota-Montana frontier. The diaries describe Sanford's daily life including army chores, inspections, illnesses, discharges, his frequent visits to the library and his becoming assistant librarian on April 19, 1875, and letter writing. The entries in the diary of 1876-77 note Sanford's co-ownership of a photographic studio at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, and contain his comments regarding Indian trouble as well as news of General Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and General George Crook and the Battle of the Rosebud. Each diary also includes Sanford's accounts of personal expenses. The two earlier diaries are written in small notebooks; the last diary is written in a printed diary by an unknown publisher containing various printed time and measurement tables, phases of the moon, postal rates, etc. In addition to the diaries there are three manuscript letters to Sanford: H. L. Barnes, Haven, Iowa, February 27, 1872, to "Absent Nephew," Nashua New Hampshire, regarding family and farming matters; W. Laughlin, Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, July 20, 1874, to "Friend Sanford," Co. D, 6th Infantry with Northern Boundary Survey, regarding Sanford's mail; and Jacob Pipher, Fort Peck, Montana Territory, April 6, 1878, to "Friend Sanford," Hudson, New Hampshire, discussing news of Sanford's former army acquaintances. Accompanied by volume 3, no. 4 of the journal North Dakota History, which contains an article by Ben Innes with a transcript of the diaries dating from September 26, 1874 to May 23, 1875.

0.20 linear ft. (1 box)

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8335987

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Related Entities

There are 8 Entities related to this resource.

Sanford, Wilmot P.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6280zcq (person)

Laughlin, W. H.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cz5z1t (person)

Barnes, H. Lee, 1944-....

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k94ngv (person)

Pipher, Jacob.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h15ssj (person)

Custer, George Armstrong, 1839-1876

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x45mg6 (person)

Custer's paternal ancestors, Paulus and Gertrude Küster, came to the North American English colonies around 1693 from the Rhineland in Germany, probably among thousands of Palatines whose passage was arranged by the English government to gain settlers in New York and Pennsylvania. According to family letters, Custer was named after George Armstrong, a minister, in his devout mother's hope that her son might join the clergy. Custer was born in New Rumley, Ohio, to Emanuel Henry Custer (1806...

United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 6th. Company D.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6674bcp (corporateBody)

United States. Army

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6km312r (corporateBody)

The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and performs land-based military operations. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution, Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 and United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 301, Section 3001. As the largest and senior branch of the U.S. military, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which wa...

Crook, George, 1829-1890

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6639tc0 (person)

Crook was born to Thomas and Elizabeth Matthews Crook on a farm near Taylorsville, Montgomery County, Ohio (near Dayton). Nominated to the United States Military Academy by Congressman Robert Schenck, he graduated in 1852, ranking near the bottom of his class. He was assigned to the 4th U.S. infantry as brevet second lieutenant, serving in California, 1852–61. He served in Oregon and northern California, alternately protecting or fighting against several Native American tribes. He commanded t...