Almanacs contained a variety of information that could be useful for farmers, sailors, merchants and others: times of sunrise, sunset, tides, etc., and space for notes, money owed or lent, etc. They would always include a calendar, with notes on holidays, etc. This one, titled “Brown’s Almanac No. XXV” for 1862 advertises itself as a memorandum and account book, but effectively functions as a pocket diary with spaces marked for daily entries. The publisher, D.B. Brooks of Salem, Mass., also advertises himself on the back cover of the almanac as an agent for the prints and lithographs, prominently mentioning, “war novelties,” which is an odd expression to modern ears, but included military maps, cartes-de-visite of prominent generals and even “life-size portraits” of famous figures such as Winfield Scott and General McClellan.

The almanac is in good condition, especially as these were never meant to last. The cover, decorated with a rather forbidding portrait of Father Time as a warning, has some minor ink stains. Inside the owner has filled out a number of days with reminders of daily life in the rural America of 1862: records of haying for neighbors (and keeping track of time spent,) cradling barley, fishing, etc. More than one soldier carried a pocket notebook like this, and it would go well in a display of personal effects, but it is also a reminder of daily life far behind the lines, though there are several mentions of attending town meetings, most likely called to discuss war news and issues of supplying men to the army.  [sr]

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