Civil War - Misc.: Soldier's Diary, Calendar of Commemorative Dates, letters, stories, etc., 1861-1965

The Leonard Hill Local History Collection consists of a variety of primary and secondary sources related to several topics in Piqua area history. The documents include feature articles, newsletters, brochures, two diaries, and a log book.

Of primary interest are the original diaries and log book. The farmer’s diary of John B. Miller provides a wealth of information about a mid-19th century farm community, although the script is difficult to decipher at times. Mr. Miller faithfully recorded four types of information for each year, 1836-1843: (1) an accounting of winter meat purchased for the coming year; (2) a list of deaths, burials, marriages, etc., throughout the year; (3) the amount of grains raised and sold; and (4) single-line entries of daily events, describing weather, work, family health, purchases, and visits. As indicated, the diary does not elaborate on or evaluate his activities, but the volume of data for this concentrated period of time allows much room for expansion by the researcher. The precision of the diary’s method, for example, each yearly account begins with winter meat and ends with the last day of the period, and most monthly accounts are confined to one page, which enables the reader to easily place events in a useful context and adequately compensate for the small gaps. Four months are missing, those of January 1836, January-February 1841, and December 1843.

The 1862 Union soldier’s diary recounts two months following the battle at Richmond, Kentucky in which he had been captured, paroled and returned to Union custody, north of Columbus, Ohio. He struggled to overcome the paroled soldier stigma, which appeared to inhibit his reacceptance into active service. This document is very readable and also provides insights into regional army administration and 25-year old Major General Lew Wallace. Secondary materials in Folder 5 provide interpretative accounts of this and related Civil War campaigns in the Ohio area, which can readily assist the reader in placing this soldier’s story into a broad context.

The Miami and Erie Canal Log Book was mandated by the State of Ohio, Office Board of Public Works, which required each boat captain to record labor, location, distance dredged each day, and time lost for repairs or delay. This document records the work of James R. Spencer, “Foreman”, between July 1, 1879 and September, 1904, in the form of one-line entries on destinations, materials hauled, and construction and repair of the canal locks. Entries are made consistently throughout the period, despite a notable gap between July, 1882 and November, 1886, and several minor lapses not exceeding four months. As an adjunct to the log book, is a photograph of State boat, Frank J. McCollock of Bellefontaine, 1891-1894, with unidentified employees aboard. Also see feature article on the canal days in Folder 8, referenced in the Container Listing.

The collection includes some local tracts on personalities, events, and landmarks of Allen, Clark, Montgomery, and Miami Counties. The Container Listing notes topics of significance to facilitate their use. For instance, a small collection of articles, pamphlets, and poetry reports on the locations and characteristics of remaining Ohio covered bridges.