Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Gift of History

Not too many people have the opportunity to read a diary written by their ancestor. Robert Grandchamp of Warwick, RI, and a Master's candidate at my alma mater, Rhode Island College discovered one of the diaries of my second great grandfather, James A. Barber. Honestly, I don't know who is more excited, Robert or myself, at this rare opportunity to read a primary source document of the Civil War.

This diary is in the special collections of the Providence Public Library, a place I have spent a great deal of time at as a teenager and college student while living in my native state of Rhode Island. I hope you will take a moment to read this blog posting...

There's a photograph of James, a photo of the diary itself and a sample page with his handwriting. It's a real treat.

No comments: