Diary completely digitized. and William E. Prince, born in and appointed from Massachusetts to the United States Army, describes the military posts in which he served, namely: Ringgold Barracks, Forts Clark, Terrett, Duncan, McKavett, Texas, and Fort Arbuckle, Indian Territory. He describes the wagon trains, the difficulties with the Mexicans crossing the border, the Carbajal revolt in Mexico, 1850-1853, known as the Merchants War, and his command along the Rio Grande where the army was preserving civil authority.
Description:
Accompanied by a typewritten summary of the diary.
Subject (Geographic):
Fort Arbuckle (Okla.), Fort Clark (Tex.), Fort Duncan (Tex.), Fort McKavett (Tex.), Fort Ringgold (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Fort Terrett (Tex.), Mexico--History--1821-1861, and Texas--History--1846-1950
Subject (Name):
Carbajal, José María Jesús, d. 1874, Prince, William E., d. 1892, and United States--Army--Military life--History--19th century
Subject (Topic):
Indians of North America--Texas, Merchants War, 1850-1853, and Military bases--Texas
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. and 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.
Description:
The diaries dated 1874 and 1875 were the gift of Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke. The diary dated 1876-77 was purchased from Old Book Store on the Frederick W. & Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana, 1978. The letters were the gift of Charles and Lindley Eberstadt, 1969.
Subject (Geographic):
Fort Buford (Fort Buford, N.D.)
Subject (Name):
Barnes, H. L., Crook, George,--1828-1890., Custer, George A.--(George Armstrong),--1839-1876., Laughlin, W., Pipher, Jacob., Sanford, Wilmot P., United States.--Army.--Infantry Regiment, 6th.--Company D., and United States.--Army--Military life.
Subject (Topic):
Indians of North America--North Dakota., Little Bighorn, Battle of the, Mont., 1876., and Rosebud, Battle of the, Mont., 1876.