Diaries and notebooks series, 1861-1905 | WorldCat.org (original) (raw)

Summary:There are four diaries written by Benjamin Tillman: 1861, 1865-1866. They briefly describe daily life on the Tillman farm in Trenton, South Carolina. They also include selected quotations from literature. The 1866 diary has accounts with freed slaves working on the Tillman plantation. There are two notebooks kept by Benjamin Tillman for 1892 and 1894. They contain a variety of research notes debating points, quotations, and newspaper clippings related to the political controversies of the day. James Tillman, Ben's older brother, wrote three diaries: 1862, 1864-1866. They describe his service in the 24th Regiment of the South Carolina Volunteers, Company I. Included in his descriptions of military life is an account of the Battle of Franklin, November 28-30, 1864. At the end of the war, James Tillman returned to Trenton to resume his occupation as a planter. On June 8, 1866, he died of wounds suffered during the war. Included in the 1865-66 diary are accounts with the freed slaves listing their names, goods advanced and labor performed