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The past two days have been almost insupportable

Head Qrs. Co. “A” 129th Regt. Ills. Vol. Infty.
Nashville, Tenn., October 16th/63

My Dear Wife

Yours of the 9th & 10th inst. reached me this morning.¹ The past two days have been almost insupportable. The last letter was recd. on Monday, dated the 8th, & this is Friday with no intelligence.² I could not imagine what had happened. I tried to keep myself busily employed all day yesterday, but failed to keep my mind from reaching out into the future. I feared that the care and anxiety attending Frankie’s illness had brought disease upon you, & the improbability of my getting leave of Absence seemed unendurable. I feel better satisfied now, however, & earnestly hope and pray that Frankie’s health may continue to improve and yours be preserved. God is still good and merciful to us. Let us praise him.

I wrote to Sarah Williams & Maggie [Utley] last night — but fear my tone was not very cheerful. I requested Sister Maggie to send me the package in my drawer & told her where to find the key. I will notify you when it is received.

How are you off for money? Did Remick send you any more?

I am happy to hear that Father’s health is better & hope it will continue to improve.

It has been raining almost incessantly for several days past. I fear it will prove disastrous to our Army, as the roads are becoming impassible, and the Army is solely dependent upon wagon trains for Supplies.³

I have no news from Bro. Johnie since the last I sent you. My health continues to be good for which I have great reason to be thankful. Lt. Smith heard from his wife this morning. She has been very poorly again but is slowly recovering. The health of the Regiment is good. Lt. McKnight & his wife have returned [from Livingston County]. He was home on a leave of Absence from the Hospital for 20 days, & she went with him. His health is much improved, but he is still feeble.

I will send you a copy of the [Pontiac] Sentinel. Do you still receive it, or has father [Murphy] ordered it stopped?

The news from the elections in Ohio & Pennsylvania are favorable, but not so large as we hoped. Valandigham will be defeated by a large majority, & I hope Woodward also. How does Father [Culver] feel about affairs now?

Are all our friends strong in the faith? We must have more troops. What will Pennslyvania do?

I hope Frankie’s health has so far improved that you will get rest. You will please accept my warmest thanks for writing so punctually every day. May God bless & keep you both. Write to me as often as you can. Give my love to all the family. Kiss Frankie for me.

Your Affect. Husband
J. F. Culver

P.S. I expect to leave on train guard for Stevenson this afternoon & shall not probably hear from you for a few days.

Mary Culver’s letters of October 9 and 10 are missing from the Culver Collection.
Mary Culver’s letter of October 8 is missing from the Culver Collection.
Confederate horse-soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler had forded the Tennessee on October 1 and, advancing up Sequatchie Valley, had captured and destroyed over 300 wagons. To add to the Federals’ difficulties, torrential rains turned the 60-mile road from Bridgeport to Chattanooga by which the Army of the Cumberland was supplied into a ribbon of mud. Rations ran short. There was grave danger that Bragg’s army would starve the Federals out of Chattanooga before relieving columns under Generals Hooker and Sherman could swing into action. Cist, Army of the Cumberland, p. 231.

ProQuest Statistical Abstracts of the World – Trial ended 13 November 2013

The Statistical Abstracts of the World is a collection of the statistical abstracts of approximately 40 countries. These will be both individually searchable, and cross searchable.

Please send additional comments to Rob Van Rennes.

British Online Archives (BOA) – Trial ended 10 November 2013

British Online Archives has a wide range of items to interest those researching territories colonised by Britain including: America, India, Africa, the West Indies, New Zealand, Australia and Melanesia. Documents include records made by the East India Company and the records of missionaries from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The collection contains a range of sources that relate to both politics and history, these range from the Parliamentary Labour Party papers and the Anti-fascist newsletters of the International Transport Workers’ Federation to the records of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and on to The British Union of Fascists’ newspapers and secret files.

Please send additional comments to Edward Miner.

I do feel sadly disappointed and very uneasy

Thursday, Octr. 15th 1863

Dear Wife

Unfortunately I have recd. no letter to-day. I have been working on some Ordnance reports, trying to keep my mind engaged but with little effect. I do feel sadly disappointed and very uneasy. I feel assured, however, that had anything serious happened you would have telegraphed to me, yet I cannot account for this long silence.

I very much fear that I shall be sent out on train guard to-night or in the morning, & thus two or three days more will elapse before I hear from you & Frankie. It is very probable, but I will hope for better things. I felt so certain that I should hear from you every day. I know you must be almost worn out with care & watching [over Frankie]. May God give you health and strength.

The papers you sent me were recd. yesterday, mailed the 8th. I think the letter sent with them must have miscarried. My health is good. It has quit raining but is still very muddy. I cannot compose myself to write much. Give my love to all. Kiss Frankie for me. I earnestly hope he may be better.

May God bless & Keep you both.

Your affect. Husband
J. F. Culver

Create a bibliography and more with our free RefWorks workshop

Want some help writing your next paper? Come to Hardin Library’s class on RefWorks and learn about this web-based bibliographic management tool. In this class, you’ll learn how to import citations from PubMed, how to enter references, how to create a quick bibliography, and how to add end and foot notes to your papers (Write-n-Cite). RefWorks is available for free to anyone affiliated with UI and can also be accessed remotely. Sign up to learn more about RefWorks and save yourself a lot of time next time you have to write a paper.

Our next session is

Wednesday, October 16, 2:30-3:30 pm (Location: East Information Commons)

No time for class? Ask your librarian for a private consult!

Sign Up Now to Attend “Documenting Conscience: Preserving the Stories of Iowa Civil Rights Workers”

Meridian, Mississippi; 1964. From Papers of Patti Miller, Drake University Archives.

In 1964, a significant turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights movement occurred in what became known as the Freedom Summer. With the 50th anniversary of that momentous time approaching, the UI Alumni Association (UIAA) has organized a public discussion about those events and current work to safeguard the memory of Iowans who participated in the historic effort to challenge discrimination.

David McCartney, University of Iowa archivist and member of the Historical Iowa Civil Rights Network, will host “Documenting Conscience: Preserving the Stories of Iowa Civil Rights Workers.” He’ll explain how hundreds of volunteers from across the country traveled to Mississippi to help register African-Americans to vote, and how violence, including four murders and daily beatings, haunted them as they attempted to deliver voter registration materials, hold informational meetings, and mobilize support.

Part of the UIAA’s ongoing Lifelong Learning series, the event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at Melrose Meadows, 350 Dublin Drive, Iowa City. This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. To register by the Oct. 16 deadline or to learn more, visit the Lifelong Learning website.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this reading, contact Whit France-Kelly in advance at 319-335-2311 or whit-france-kelly@uiowa.edu. The event is co-sponsored by Melrose Meadows.

Register by Wednesday, October 16th!

View the original post from Iowa Now.

My mind has been ill at ease all day to-day

Head Qrs. Co. “A” 129th Ills. Vol. Infty.
Nashville, Tenn., Octr. 14th 1863

My Dear Wife

I felt very much disappointed in not hearing from you this morning, not having reed, any word from you yesterday. My mind has been ill at ease all day to-day, yet I earnestly look for a letter to-morrow morning.

I reed, a letter from Sister Maggie [Utley] this morning; her family and mother [Murphy] are quite well. Leander is in Bureau County but well when last heard from.

I requested Lt. Smith to ask his wife to send one of the Photographs to Mother. I cannot get more until after pay-day. I will try then & send a few home if you have not sufficient. [Lt. Col.] Cropsey says he will give his whenever I furnish him with one of mine. Christ Yetter has not had his taken yet.

I would give a great deal to know to-night how Frankie is and earnestly pray your letter to-morrow may bring good news.

It has been very wet to-day, raining most of the day. We recd. the news of the defeat of Valandigham in Ohio and Woodward in Pennsylvania to-night, & I hope it is all true.¹ I hope they are so completely beaten that their supporters may hide their faces for shame. The contest is raging in Livingston County, but I feel satisfied the Copperheads will be defeated.

How does Bratton feel now?² God will surely bring to judgment such foul traitors to their Country. It makes my blood boil to think of it: Has he ever been to Father since?

I have not heard from Bro. Johnie since I sent you his letter. Report says the Rail-Road will be completed to within 9 miles of Chattanooga this week, after which communication will be more frequent.³

Clement L. Vallandigham was a Democratic congressman from Ohio who opposed the war. His strong and able opposition to all measures for national defense proposed in the House directed upon him the intense hatred of the Lincoln administration. After his defeat for reelection to Congress in 1862, he was regarded as leader of the Peace Democrats or “Copperheads” in Ohio. For defiance of General Burnside’s GO No. 38, he was arrested in Dayton, Ohio, and tried in Cincinnati for treason. He was convicted and banished to the Confederacy. Running the blockade, he made his way to Canada, and from there ran for governor of Ohio. He was defeated in the October 13, 1863, general election by John Brough. Judge George W. Woodward was the Democratic candidate for governor in Pennsylvania. On October 13, the Pennsylvania voters reelected Republican Andrew G. Curtin governor by a majority of more than 60,000.
John B. Bratton was editor of a Democratic newspaper critical of the administration’s conduct of the war.
Reports reaching the camp of the 129th Illinois that the railroad would be operating to within nine miles of Chattanooga by October 21 were overly optimistic. By that date the railroad was only as far as Bridgeport, 23 miles by rail from Chattanooga. O. R., Ser. I, Vol. XXXI, pt. I, pp. 693-694.

Check out our Keeping Current workshop

Want to know as soon as an exciting new article is published? Tired of skimming the websites or paper copies of multiple journals to see what is in the new issue? This hands-on session will show you how to create a single destination for information from your favorite journals, databases, websites and blogs using RSS feeds and auto-alerts.

Our next session is

Tuesday, October 15, 1-2 pm (Location: East Information Commons)

Need one-on-one instruction? Request an individual session here.

Crowdsourcing continues!

Pioneer Lives transcription collection-in-progress

Special Collections staff survey World War II letters and diaries

A letter for transcription about transcription!

Things might seem a little quiet at DIY History, the Libraries’ transcription crowdsourcing site, but behind the scenes we’ve been working on several new initiatives that should be launching over the next few months.

First up is a long-overdue redesign of the DIYH home pages that we hope will make for a less cluttered and easier to navigate user experience. That will be rolling out next month along with the debut of a new collection up for transcription: Pioneer Lives, featuring hundreds of letters and diaries from Midwest settlers during the mid- to late 1800s. While conservation and preservation staff continue the pioneers treatment and digitization work that’s taken up much of their summer, our curators have already begun compiling lists of handwritten materials for the next initiative, which will focus on the Libraries’ small but growing collection of World War II diaries and letters. In the meantime, there’s still plenty of transcribing left to be done on cookbooks, women’s lives, and railroads at DIY History, so please stop by and help improve access to these historic documents.

Along with a new look and new content, we’re also working on a new collaboration; this fall, the Libraries is teaming up with the IDEAL (Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning) initiative on a pilot project to teach DIY History in Rhetoric classes for incoming freshman. Currently wrapping up the four-week assignment module, students have transcribed a document, conducted research on its writer’s life and times, performed a rhetorical analysis of its contents, and created brief video screencasts to present their findings on YouTube. We hope to showcase some of these videos here, so check back soon.

Alas not all of our new developments are good ones. The past few weeks have been challenging as we figure our way around the project without the support of superstar library assistant Christine Tade, who recently retired after 27 years with the Libraries. From overseeing workflows, to training student assistants, to fielding user comments and questions, she was instrumental in keeping the project running smoothly. We’re very grateful to Christine for all her dedication and hard work that helped make DIY History a success.

Christine Tade, circa 1970

Workshop: Staying Current

Lunch @ the Sciences Library Workshop

Staying Current: RSS, Search Alerts and More!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
12:30-1:20pm
Sciences Library Classroom (102 SL)

How do you keep up with the news and research in your field? Would you like to learn how to use technology to find new information for you? Join us for a Staying Current workshop and learn how to use RSS feeds and other alert options to keep up with blog posts, news and scholarly articles.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

Use an RSS Reader to keep up with blog posts and news articles;
Use Google Alerts to monitor the web for relevant information;
Use Saved Searches in various research databases to keep up with scholarly communications;
Use Citation Alerts in Web of Science or Scopus to monitor your citations;
Use Journal Table of Contents Alerts to keep up with your favorite journals;
Use BrowZine to find journals and read articles on your iPad.

This workshop is free and open to all UI students, faculty and staff. There is no need to register. You may bring your lunch if desired. Free coffee will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Scheib at sara-scheib@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-3024.