A Guide to the Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack, 1861-1862 Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack SC 0049

A Guide to the Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack, 1861-1862

A Collection in the
Thomas Balch Library
Collection Number SC 0049


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Thomas Balch Library

Thomas Balch Library
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Leesburg, Virginia 20176
USA
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195
Email: balchlib@leesburgva.gov
URL: http://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/

© 2006 By Thomas Balch Library. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Emily Hershman

Repository
Thomas Balch Library
Collection number
SC 0049
Title
Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack 1861-1862
Physical Characteristics
Creator
Mary E. Lack
Language
English
Abstract
The diary of Miss Mary E. Lack is a detailed personal account of the first year of Civil War in Loudoun County. The transcripts are in overall good condition and may be photocopied.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research .

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack (SC 0049), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA..

Acquisition Information

William C. Whitmire, Jr., Leesburg, VA

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

1995.0049

Processing Information

Processed by Emily Hershman, 29 Jul 2009

Biographical Information

Mary E. Lack (1846-1864) was born in Loudoun County, VA, the daughter of William (ca. 1810-1893) and Mary Lack (unk.-1881). Her father worked as a gardener in Leesburg. They were active members of St. James Episcopal Church, and it was there that Lack met her fiancé, Thomas H. Magee (1837-unk.), a private in the 18th Mississippi Regiment. In her diary, she describes her exchanges with him and other soldiers, particularly those of the 18th and 21st Mississippi Regiments, during and following their occupation of Leesburg in 1861. Lack died on 27 Jul 1864, less than two years after her last journal entry, and is buried next to her parents in the Old Episcopal Church Cemetery in Leesburg, VA.

Thomas H. Magee enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861. He was wounded in the Battle of Cold Harbor 30 May 1864, and furloughed for 30 days. Official records indicate he deserted from the Confederate Army in February 1865; it is uncertain what became of him after the war.

Scope and Content

The diary of Miss Mary E. Lack is a detailed personal account of the first year of Civil War in Loudoun County. The transcripts are in overall good condition and may be photocopied.

The journal commences on 24 Nov 1861, and notes major troop movements in the area and interactions with various soldiers from the 18 Mississippi Regiment, including Thomas Magee, John C. Brent (1841-1910), and Edwin G. Banks (1843-1916). Lack recalls the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Ball's Bluff, writing that "the wounded were brought by [her] house, and to hear their groans was awful… a great many of the Yankees were drowned." She describes mounting casualties from illness and skirmishes, declaring "there are more than 100 graves in the cemetery now, the graves of those who have died of disease and wounds received on the battle field… I often wonder when it all will end." As well as conveying the tragic consequences of war, Lack's diary also documents ordinary issues and occurrences, such as the slaughtering of livestock and the price of domestic goods. The journal concludes with an entry on 11 Nov 1862, evincing the hope that her fiancé would be able to join them for Christmas dinner.

The diary transcripts are the only items in this collection.

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
Confederate Soldier Service Records, Footnote database, www.footnote.com
Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack (SC 0049), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA
Wheeler, Linda. "Through Diary, a Leesburg Girl's Wistful Romance Lives On." The Washington Post . 13 Feb 2003.

Other Finding Aid

None


Technical Requirements

None

Other Finding Aid

None


Bibliography

Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
Confederate Soldier Service Records, Footnote database, www.footnote.com
Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack (SC 0049), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA
Wheeler, Linda. "Through Diary, a Leesburg Girl's Wistful Romance Lives On." The Washington Post . 13 Feb 2003.

Contents List

Folder 1: Diary of Miss Mary E. Lack 1861-1862