“Diary and Memorandum Book published Annually for the Trade, 1862. Author inscription, front eps—“Jan. the !, 1862/ Camp Franklin/ Brigad Camp/ Regiment Camp/ Camp Clarah/ Alonzo Dickinson Book.” Black leatherette booklet, 3.125 x 5.5”, w/cover flap & three diary entries per page. Exhibits wear and the extremities. Continuous entries throughout, written in ink through February, shifting to pencil through the close of the year. Ink entries bleed somewhat & most pencil entries somewhat dim, and many fairly illegible, due to the author’s poor sprawling handwriting

Born in 1833 and a native of Binghamton, NY, twenty-three-year-old Alonzo Dickinson mustered as a Private in Co. “D”, 27^th New York Infantry, 8/30/1861. Listed absent sick at Hampton Hospital, VA on 4/10/63. Mustered out 5/31/1863 at Elmira, NY. Known as the “Union Regiment”, his regiment was a two year unit, mustered in 6/15/1861, mustered out 5/31/1863. Serving in the eastern theater with the Army of the Potomac, the 27^th NY was engaged at Bull Run and participated on all the major battles of the AOP from the ’62 Peninsula Campaign through Chancellorsville [May 1863] before mustering out. During service the unit lost 74 men killed or mortally wounded and 72 to disease for a total of 146.

Most of Private Dickinson’s entries—three per page—are cursory and difficult to read, generally mentioning merely the weather and what he had to eat. Very little camp detail or battle content, compounded by the fact that he was home in Binghamton on “furlow” during the Peninsula Campaign, and that he was hospitalized through the closing months of 1862, though no specific ailment is mentioned. Every so often he mentions hearing “heavy cannonading” but that is about it on the action side. He does mention Union Antietam casualties—October 10^th hospital entry—“24 coffins hav arrived. Union loss at Antietam 2.010 killed, 1417 wonded, 1,043 missing..”.  On November 8, he notes the removal of Gen. MCClellan with the following entry: “We are obliged to go to bed to keep warm. General McClellan removed from Genral of the Army.”

Dickinson died on 12/31/1916, and is buried in Nineveh Presbyterian Cemetery in Nineveh, Broome County, NY.

An interesting ID’d diary from a private of the 27^th New York Infantry. Solid collectible for NY regimental buffs. Accompanied by brief amount of internet research material.  [jp]

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