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Head Qurs., 1st Brig., 1st Div., 11th A.C.
Lookout Valley, March 13th 1864¹
My Dear Wife

I recd. two letters from you this morning dated the 3rd & 4th of March.² I am sorry to hear that you are suffering with Neuralgia, for, if it is anything like I had at Nashville, it places you in a most uncomfortable position. I am much obliged for the copy of the Song sent me.³

I cannot answer your letters at length this morning, though it is Sabbath and the day very fine, yet I have a large amount of business that must be attended to immediately. I may possibly find time to write this afternoon, but the mail goes out at 12 M.

We recd. a letter from [Jim] Mitchell this morning. He started back, but, by an accident on the Rail-Road at Columbia, Ind. he was very seriously injured and may not be here for weeks.⁴ Some 8 or 10 were killed in the same car & a great many injured. I shall have no opportunity to try for a leave until he returns. My health is good, though I feel very tired being so constantly at the Desk. I will make an effort to get some help to-morrow; I want to visit Lookout point as soon as I can. Give my love to all. May God bless & keep you.

Your Affect. Husband
J. F. Culver

1. Harrison’s brigade marched to Bridgeport on March 7, remained there one day, and crossed the Tennessee River pontoon bridge on the 9th. At noon on the 10th, the brigade halted at Whiteside Station and at dusk camped in Lookout Valley, where Colonel Harrison reported to General Howard, commander of the XI Corps. The day’s march had been through rugged terrain and a number of mules had died. The next day the brigade moved a short distance to a better camp site. Grunert, History of the 129th Illinois, pp. 47-48.
2. Mary Culver’s letters of March 3 & 4 are missing from the Culver Collection.
3. Mary Culver, as requested on February 12, had forwarded a copy of “Mother Dear, Oh! Pray for Me.”
4. Lieutenant Mitchell had been injured on March 8, when several cars of the Indianapolis & Jeffersonville Railroad had jumped the track. His injuries consisted of a severely sprained ankle, fractured ribs, and internal injuries. Dr. S. Davis of the 10th Indiana Infantry certified that Mitchell would be unfit for duty for at least four weeks. Compiled Service Records of Union Soldiers, NA.

Pie, of course! Before you head out for Spring Break, stop by the Sciences Library to get your free apple pie bites on Friday, March 14 for the celebration.

Think back to your high school geometry class; Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi is approximately 3.14159, but has been calculated to over two trillion digits, it goes on infinitely without repeating or becoming a pattern. Science would not exist without Pi.  Mathematics, statistics, engineering, geography, geology, computer science, etc. all rely on Pi.

More information about Pi can be found at Wolfram MathWorld: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Pi.html

Carlisle Mar. 12th 1864
Dear Bro. Frank,-

We received your letter a few days ago, and were glad to hear that you were so well. As you are by this time at the front we can but ask God to shield you from the dangers which threaten, and give you a strong hand, and a stout heart. How sad we would often be if it were not for assurance we have that God reigns, and will cause all things to work together for our good. The future at times seems shrouded in so much uncertainty that bitter dregs often rise even in our present overflowing cup of joy. We picture to ourselves dark scenes and severe trials, many of which God never willed should be ours to suffer.

Thus we too often dishonor God, but this is not your temptation, you are sanguine life looks bright, success in every undertaking appears certain. may you realize all your expectations. Mother is well and would be comfortable were it not for busy bodies out side of the family who are disposed to meddle with affairs which do not concern them. Some persons had persuaded her to break the will, and she was to have consulted a lawyer last Tuesday but we heard of it in time to put a stop to proceedings. I went to one of her prominent advisers and stated the case plainly to him and urged him if he had any influence to exert it, to put a stop to proceedings. He went out to mother the next morning and persuaded Mother not to go further. Wes also went to John Miller and told him the direction that affairs were taking. Every thing appears quiet again unless other busybodies interfere. Mother is too easily influenced. Gushie Pague & Charlie will farm the lots out home this year. Gushie is to plant them and Charlie keep them in order at odd times. Charlie still attends to his college duties. Hanna is well and likes the school very much.

The East Baltimore Conference held its Session on the 2nd, Mr Sherlock who graduated in the class of 1852 has been sent to the Old Church. Mr. Bowman of the class of 1855 is our pastor. Mr. Bowman preached yesterday we were much pleased with him. He seems more like a Methodist preacher than any we have had since I have been connected with the College. I presume you know both of them. Mother received a letter from Mary a day or two ago stating she had received her box. We received a letter from Mary about two weeks ago with three Photographs of herself & Frankie. Jennie and the boy are well and send much love perhaps Jennie will write some. God bless & keep thee.

Your Brother
H.C. Cheston

PubMed is the National Library of Medicine’s index to medical literature and includes over 22 million bibliographic citations in life sciences. This 30-minute workshop will show you how to find relevant articles fast using some of the basic features in PubMed.

All workshops are free for UI students and affiliates. This class will be hands-on and there will be time for questions at the end.

Our next session is:

Monday, March 17, 2-3 pm

Location: Hardin Library East Information Commons

Register here or contact us at lib-hardin@uiowa.edu or by calling (319) 335-9151.

Busy schedule? Get help from home with our PubMed tutorial.

The University Libraries will be serving free apple pie bites on Pi Day, Friday, March 14th (that is Friday, 3.14).  Come to Main, Engineering, Hardin … and of course, Business … for a tasty treat!

“Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits.”

www.piday.org

Readership Map: Real-time Visualization of Full-text Downloads

The homepage of Iowa Research Online has a whole new look with a Readership Activity Map. This new tool allows visitors to see full-text downloads from all over the world as they happen. When someone visits the site and downloads a Master’s Thesis or research article or any other scholarly work in the Iowa Research Online collection, a dot will appear on the map showing the user’s location and the box on the left will show what document is being downloaded. With every passing minute, readers everywhere can access and benefit from the research coming from the University of Iowa. Visit the site and see for yourself!

EndNote is a reference management tool that allows you to easily gather together your references in one place, organize them, and insert them into papers in the format of your choice. This session will walk you through the basics of using EndNote’s desktop software to collect and format your citations. The class will be hands-on and there will be time for questions at the end.

Our next session is:

Thursday, March 13, 3-4 pm

Location: Hardin Library East Information Commons

Register here. Questions? Contact us at 335-9151 or lib-hardin@uiowa.edu

No time for class? See our online tutorial for EndNote Basic.

Daylight savings time begins this Sunday at 2:00 am.  Set your clocks ahead one hour before bed on Saturday.  The National Institute of Standards and Technology has more information about daylight savings time.