The full content of this document is only available to subscribing institutions. More information can be found via www.amdigital.co.uk
If you believe you should have access to this document, click here to Login.
| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC06299 |
| From Archive Folder | Undated Documents Relating to the Post-Revolutionary Era |
| Title | Mexican War and post-war diary |
| Date | 1845-1849 |
| Author | Porterfield, George A. (1822-1919) |
| Document Type | Diary |
| Content Description | Part one, crudely bound, includes vignettes about people Porterfield encountered, a pen and ink sketch of Rancho Buena Vista, and a rudimentary genealogy. Part two, unbound, begins in April 1848 and records his travels and activities after the war ends. Mentions being in love with Miss Ybarra and is saddened to leave. By September 1849 he has become the editor of the Gazette in Martinsburg and is studying to become a lawyer. He is relieved his wife, possibly Miss Ybarra, is enjoying living in the United States. Part three consists of a receipt, a list of deceased relatives, a note explaining the Pythagorean Theorem, and a dried flower. Bound volume consists of a collection of recipes, short stories, Shakespearean extracts, and a detailed diary. Sketches include a homestead, a square in Monterrey, Mexico, the battlefield at Buena Vista, and General Winfield Scott's position in relation to Santa Anna's on 14 August 1847 in Mexico City. Obituary clipping of Porterfield's mother is affixed to the inside of the back cover. |
| Subjects | Mexican War Global History and Civics Foreign Affairs Military History Soldier's Diary Art, Music, Theater, and Film Genealogy Women's History Immigration and Migration Marriage Journalism Law Education Children and Family Mathematics Literature and Language Arts Diet and Nutrition Battle Death Latin and South America |
| People | Porterfield, George A. (1822-1919) |
| Place written | Various Locations |
| Theme | The Mexican War; Foreign Affairs; Arts & Literature; Women in American History; Law; Education; Children & Family |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Porterfield went on to become a Confederate Colonel during the Civil War, finding infamy when his 775-man force fired a volley, then panicked. The battle became known as the "Philippi Races" for the speed of the Confederates' retreat to Huttonsville. Philippi was the first land battle of the Civil War. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |