George F. Towle diary, 1861-1865

Title:

George F. Towle diary, 1861-1865

Creator:

Towle, George F., 1835-1900

Creator Role:

Author

Accession / Call Number:

1980.015

Object ID:

M 1980-015

Date:

1861-1865

Type of Material:

textual record

Physical Description:

1 volume ; 12.63" x 8"

Language:

English

Scope and Content:

An 1896 note written by George F. Towle (1835-1900) accompanying his Civil War diary says, "I would request that it be not examined, but stored away for an indefinite time till long after the actors in that war have passed away..." There was good reason for his request, for the diary (actually a memoir, written as a diary and clearly with the diary at hand) is unsparing in its criticisms of the courage and ability of many of the officers and men with whom he served, both those in the armed forces as a whole and those from New Hampshire. Approximately the first twenty pages of the diary describe his journey from Texas, where he enjoyed his life as a land surveyor and part-time Texas Ranger, to New Hampshire to enlist. During his subsequent 4 years of service, Towle's regiment (4th New Hampshire) was first in Florida and South Carolina, then in Virginia and North Carolina, where it participated in many engagements with Confederate troops. The "diary" is written partly in hindsight, for he occasionally mentions meeting people after the war, or relates their later experience, but it is written as a day-to-day diary and is full of detail about events, battle sequences, armaments used, forts taken, daily routine, and interactions with other soldiers and civilians. He often describes people and relates conversations; his account is lively and colorful. It is also highly opinionated: he has little use for most officers. Many of those from New Hampshire he thinks are political appointments and without military understanding or capability when not actual cowards. Others he judges on what he observes of their behavior and decision making. Whenever he criticizes an officer or fellow soldier he is specific about what the failure is and describes the event or occasion that led him to form the opinion. The diary contains characterizations of people common among Union troops in the time in which it was written. For example, he disparages people such as Rufus Saxton (1824-1908), who recruited Black soldiers and formed Black regiments, and refers to northern civilian volunteers who travelled to the Beaufort and Port Royal, SC, area to try to prepare formerly enslaved people for freedom as "Gideonites" and "weaklings." Also, like some others in the army, Towle thought those in the navy had a more luxurious life and were reluctant to participate in battle. Towle includes no narrative about his personal life except to note a few visits to his father, serving in the 10th New Hampshire Regiment, when both regiments were stationed in Virginia. The diary ends when he is demobilized and does not discuss what it was like to return, though he laments that he ended the war in a worse financial position than he entered it because he is unable to return to Texas after having served in the Union army. He is rather bitter about this, and includes copies of letters of recommendation for promotion from General Terry that were not acted upon by New Hampshire officials during the war. See the finding aid for biographical information.

Subjects:

Diaries , Military life , Slavery , Soldiers , Travel , United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Locations:

Bandera, TX
Beaufort, SC
Bentonville, NC
Bermuda Hundred, VA
Drewry's Bluff, VA
Fernandina, FL
Folly Island, SC
Fort Fisher, NC
Fort Gregg, SC
Fort Wagner, SC
Morris Island, SC
Petersburg, VA
Pocotaligo, SC
Raleigh, NC
Richmond, VA
St. Augustine, FL
Wilmington, NC

People:

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 , Badger, William, 1826-1897 , Bell, Louis, 1837-1865 , Birney, David Bell, 1825-1864 , Butler, Benjamin F., 1818-1893 , Cockrill, Mark S., 1838-1919 , Cox, Jacob D., 1828-1900 , Dahlgren, John Adolphus Bernard, 1809-1870 , Gillmore, Quincy Adams, 1825-1888 , Grant, Ulysses S., 1822-1885 , Hawley, Joseph R., 1826-1905 , Hunter, David, 1802-1886 , Kilpatrick, Judson, 1836-1881 , Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 , Marston, Gilman, 1811-1890 , Montgomery, James, 1814-1871 , Paine, Charles Jackson, 1833-1916 , Pennypacker, Galusha, 1844-1916 , Saxton, Rufus, 1824-1908 , Schofield, John McAllister, 1831-1906 , Seymour, Truman, 1824-1891 , Sherman, William Tecumseh, 1820-1891 , Terry, Alfred Howe, 1827-1890 , Towle, George F., 1835-1900 , Towle, George W., 1810-1887 , Vogdes, Israel, 1816-1889 , Whipple, Amiel Weeks, 1817-1863

Organizations:

Texas Rangers
United States. Army. New Hampshire Infantry Regiment, 4th (1861-1865)
United States. Army. New Hampshire Infantry Regiment, 10th (1862-1865)

Credit Line:

Bequest of George F. Towle, gift of Charles A. Brooks, executor.

Restrictions:

Available for research.

Level Description:

Item

Finding Aid Link:

RS63969_Towle_George_F._Diary_1980.015.pdf