Harrison Leathers papers

The Civil War journals of Harrison Leathers (1862-1865) provide insights for the social historian into the life of enlisted men stationed on the homefront. Leathers' discussion of his lengthy illness gives some idea of how sickness unrelated to battle injuries was dealt with, since he describes the sorts of transportation he had to use to get to medical facilities, and some of the hospitals in which he stayed. At points, he also briefly relates his emotional condition, referring to his loneliness and sadness, providing an indication of how he felt about his situation. Because he describes the activities in which he and his fellow soldiers engaged to divert themselves, readers get some idea of the social life of enlisted men during the War. Leathers' journals also provide clues for understanding the administration of the War on the homefront since he rather laconically described several tragic incidents, such as soldiers freezing to death as the result of guard duty.

The transcription of the journals by Helen Prill included in the collection is useful in overcoming the usual problems of legibility one faces in reading handwritten materials. The fact that her work also includes a name index to the journals, a genealogical chart, a photograph of Leathers' family, a photocopy of Leathers' discharge papers, and pertinent excerpts from A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio (Chicago: A. W. Bowen, 1896), Indiana in the War of the Rebellion (compiled by W. H. H. Terrell, 1896), and the Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 (Akron, Ohio: Werner Co., 1886-1895), increases the seventy-six page volume's usefulness.