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Hester Ann Wilkins Davis diary

Description

The diary of Hester Ann Wilkins Davis (1809-1888) written during the Civil War years and containing nearly daily entries from March 4, 1861 to December 28, 1864. Born Hester Ann Wilkins to a successful dry goods merchant in Baltimore, Maryland, she married Allen Bowie Davis (1809-1889) in 1839 and they resided at the Greenwood Estate near Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland. Davis' diary provides insight into the daily activities of an upper-class woman and her family during the Civil War. While she strongly opposed the South’s secession, Davis did not support the abolition of chattel slavery and often blamed the Northern states for causing the war. Her diary contains descriptions of her family's interactions with both Confederate and Union supporters and military personnel; opinions on local politics; and poetry and scripture she finds helpful or meaningful.

Date

1861-1864

Language(s)

Collection Number

MS 3203

Dimensions

7 x 8.25 inches

Extent

222 pages (from 1 volume of numbered pages)

Resource ID

12063

Digital Publisher

Digital resource provided by the Maryland Center for History and Culture

Rights

This digital image is made available here for private study, scholarship, and research. Commercial and other uses are prohibited without the permission of the Maryland Center for History and Culture. For more information, visit the MCHC’s Reproductions and Permissions web page.