Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Charles H. Bushee Diary must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Charles H. Bushee Diary, 1863, Ms2009-055 - Special Collection, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Charles H. Bushee Diary was purchased by Special Collections in March 2009.

Alternate Form Available

This collection has been digitized and is available online . During 2013, Special Collections tweeted Charles Bushee's diary. The Twitter feed, while no longer active, can be viewed online here and the associated blog, "1 day for Uncle Sam," can be be read online here .

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Charles H. Bushee Diary commenced in March 2009 and was completed in April 2009.

Biographical Information

Charles H[enry] Bushee was born in Rupert, Bennington County, Vermont, in 1828 to Stephen and Lucy (Taylor) Bushee. Stephen Bushee's family moved to Rupert from Massachusetts about 1801. Stephen (a farmer) and Lucy were married in January of 1826. Charles was the second of their twelve children, nine born in Vermont and the last three in New York. Some time in 1837 or early 1838, the Bushee family moved to Mayville, Chautauqua County, New York.

Charles H. Bushee enlisted at Jamestown, New York, into Company E, 112 th Regiment, New York Infantry, on August 19, 1862. His younger brother, Loyal, also enlisted (Company H, 112 th Regiment, New York Infantry), but was discharged in December 1862 due to illness. At the time he mustered in, Charles H. Bushee was 33 years old and a carpenter. His former career continued to play a roll, as he cites instances of building or repairing items for himself or others, and at one point, "lay[ing] a floor for a tent for General Foster." His three year term of service, however, was cut short by his death from disease on December 8, 1863 at Folly Island, South Carolina. He is buried in the Bond-Bushee Cemetery, outside Mayville, New York.

Scope and Content

Bushee's diary is an account of his duties and the movements of Company E, 112 th Regiment, New York Infantry, from January to mid-November of 1863. Each entry begins with the phrase "1 day for Uncle Sam" and in the cash accounts in the back of the diary, Bushee refers to his pay as coming from "Uncle Sam." From September of 1862 to June of 1863, the 112 th New York Infantry was stationed in central and eastern Virginia. Bushee writes frequently of picket duty and skirmishes around Franklin, Carville [sic] (likely Carrsville), and Norfolk, Virginia. He also provides some details of the siege at Suffolk in April 1863.

In July, the regiment began the trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Bushee reports on the shelling at Fort Sumter from his posts around Fort Wagner, Black Island, and Charleston in August. Although he seems he often notes being ordered to and going to the front, he does not detail his actions there. By September, Bushee's increasing illness begins to dominate his diary. The last eight weeks of entries, ending abruptly on November 18 th, consists of little more than "feel unwell." Bushee died three weeks later.

The latter pages of the diary contain detailed cash accounts of Bushee's purchases, as well as a list of dead and wounded from the company, and dates he served on guard and picket duty.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Related Material

For a history of the 112 th Regiment, see: Hyde, William L. History of the One Hundred and Twelfth Regiment, N.Y. Volunteers. Fredonia, N.Y.: McKinstry, 1866. Call number: E523.5 112 th H934 1866 (Spec Civil War Collection)

Index Terms

Subjects:

• Civil War
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Diaries

Adjunct Descriptive Data