American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

Approx. 3 x 5 3/4 in. leather pocket calendar diary featuring a coin pocket behind front cover and integral closure flap (surface wear consistent with use in the field, few spots of separation). Contains entries spanning from 1 January to 4 June of 1865, along with additional inscriptions including personal accounting logs, poetic verses, drawings, and a note dated 13 February 1912 reading, "This is the 3d diary I had while in the Army the other 2 were lost after being carried a long time. Wasn't that a shame. LTA." Front free endpaper with identification, in part, "L.T. Adams Co. K 141st Pa Voll. (sic) Jan 1st 1865." 

Levi T. Adams (1840-1917) enlisted as a private on 26 August 1862, mustering into Company K of the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment that same day. The 141st was heavily engaged at Chancellorsville, suffering 235 casualties out of a total 419 men in action. The regiment also fought at Gettysburg, being positioned to the right of the Peach Orchard at the angle of Sickles' line, and fought valiantly, losing at total of 149 men over the two days of battle. Later in the war, the regiment was engaged at Kelly's Ford, Locust Grove, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, and others. Adams' diary opens as the the regiment is dealing with bitter cold at Fort Fisher, and includes Adams' entry regarding their first battle of the year, Hatcher's Run. In his entry for 5 February, he writes, in part, "Left camp near poplar grove Church 4 [indecipherable] pm. Engaged the enemy. Albert Phelps killed. Severe battle on the left." The next major engagement Adams reports is at Fort Stedman on 25 March: "Rebs charged before Petersburg [indecipherable] 3 [o'clock] morning Severe fighting on the position of the line Held by the 9th corps. great excitement. Rebs repulsed. 9 [o'clock] Ready to move waiting orders. no firing on the line. 9 [o'clock] went on picket. Charged the Reb line took 220 prisoners took 13 prisoners myself. fell Back to [3 [o'clock] in morn] our original picket line..." At the end of the month, Adams writes of further engagement near Petersburg, writing, in part, "Heavy assault on our left. 15th Corps charges & was repulsed... 3d division charges loses Heavily, drove the Rebs to their reserve line of fortifications. 2 [o'clock] gen. Madill charges loses his Holl (sic) Staff..."

As a result of their engagements, Adams finally reports, on 2 April, "Turned the Rebs right flank drove them 7 miles & captured the city of Petersburg..." Adams reports the surrender of Richmond the following day, along with the death of A.P. Hill and the wounding of Major General Modill as he crossed the Appomattox River. 

Other major events Adams makes note of include the surrender of General Lee on 9 April, the assassination of President Lincoln (along with the attempted assassination of Secretary William H. Seward and his son) on 16 April, the surrender of General Johnston on 24 April, the arrest of John Wilkes Booth "& one of his accomplices" on 28 April, and the capture of Jefferson Davis and his cabinet by the 4th Michigan Cavalry on 14 May. 

Adams announces his arrival at home in Bradford, Pennsylvania on 4 June. Federal pension records indicate that he applied for a pension from the state of Pennsylvania in 1890.