Research notes and partial handwritten transcription of diary, undated

The collection contains the diary of Hester Ann Wilkins Davis during the Civil War years as well as notes related to the Davis family. Davis was an avid diarist, writing near daily entries about her family and friends, local politics, and the Civil War. In her diary, she makes clear her opinions and regularly draws comparison between Bible stories and her environment. She strongly opposed the South’s secession, but did not support the abolition of slavery, and often blamed the Northern states for causing the war. Notes taken about the Davis family by the diary’s previous owner are also included in the collection.