George W. Didlake Civil War diary
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- George W. Didlake Civil War diary
- Date
- 1861-1865 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.01 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Prisoners of war.
- Soldiers.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 1997ms511 : George W. Didlake Civil War diary, 1861-1865, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- George Ware Didlake, born either 1835 or 1837 and deceased 1895, was an enlisted Confederate soldier from Fayette County, Kentucky. He entered the Kentucky 8th Calvary Regiment as a 1st Sergeant in September of 1862 and was later promoted to Full Adjutant. In July 1863, Didlake was captured in Ohio and sent to the Allegheny Penitentiary in Pennsylvania where he remained until a prisoner exchange in October of 1864. After the war, Didlake became a Life and Fire Insurance Agent. He died July 1895.
- Mary Lee Didlake (1874-1971) is the daughter of George W. Didlake and Nannie B. Didlake. Mary Didlake was born in Fayette County, Kentucky and died in Clark County, Kentucky.
- Scope and Content
- The George W. Didlake diary (dated 1861-1865; 0.01 cubic feet; 1 folder) consists of the original diary, a typed transcript of the diary, and a photocopy of a letter written by George Didlake, which primarily document Didlake's experiences as a prisoner of war during the Civil War. Written while in the Allegheny Penitentiary, George W. Didlake wrote about his everyday activities, the rumors of movements and battles of the Confederate army from September 1863 to October 1864, and his time spent in the South after being released from the penitentiary. Didlake mentions many Civil War figures throughout his writing including General Lee, General Morgan, Jefferson Davis, General McClellan, General Meade, General Butler, General Brooks, Colonel Coleman, Braxton Bragg, and Ambrose Burnside.
- At the end of the diary, Mary Didlake records the story of John Hunt Morgan's famed escape from the Columbus Penitentiary, as told by George W. Didlake, Captain Leeland Hathaway, and his wife Carril Lee Hathaway.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
