My most treasured genealogy finds have been stumbled upon while actively researching something altogether different. As was the case when I discovered 3 branches on my maternal family line while looking for the roots of my paternal family tree. I stumbled on a curious document on a Philadelphia.gov site that listed Louisiana slaves mortgaged by Chase Morgan Bank. This document helped untangle the Delahoussaye and Duchane branches of my paternal family tree. But once again those were not the branches I was researching when the doc showed up in Google search results.
I was very surprised when just before Hurricane Beryl knocked out my electricity, someone stumbled upon my research about my Woodlin kin that lived in New York. Marjory Allen Perez messaged me through Ancestry.com and told me of a book she’d written in 2018, “Freedom, A Shared Sacrifice: New York’s African American Civil War Soldiers” in which she’d referenced William P. Woodlin’s Civil War diary. I quickly responded with my email address and cell number. Beryl blew in about 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. I knew that I needed to limit use of cell phone to save the battery, but I kept looking for the answer to my message in Ancestry. I also fought the urge to search Google to see if I could find mentions of William’s diary.
My electricity was restored late Saturday night. I began my search on Sunday for William’s diary and found his diary referenced by quite a number of institutions: The National Musuem of United States Army, the Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History, Camp William Penn Museum, SUNY Buffalo State University, Purdue University and Battle of Olustee, etc. I found his diary on the Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History web site. The institute also had a panel discussion in 2021 in which William’s diary was discussed.
William diary reveals what he saw, heard and did and was not introspective. Through his written words we know what he and others actually did. William lived in Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York before enlisting and serving in the 8th Regimental band. He wrote about the Battle of Petersburg and the Battle of Olustee in Florida. He wrote about: the disparity in pay for Negro enlistees; how much he had to pay for his clothing supplied by the Army; the weather; attending church; military drills; and songs played by the band (Yankee Doodle, Old Lang Syne, Home Sweet Home, Hail to the Chief, quick step, etc.). He wrote about: rations being issued; food that he cooked; the capture of prisoners; contraband joining their encampment and the 54th & 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. His diary included instances of when the band escorted various regiments to the wharf:
We went to Hilton Head to escort the 39th Illinois to the Steamer and played Old Lang Syne
We escorted the 85th Ohio, 48th New York to the wharf; two of them being discharged and the third having reenlisted
William wrote about the various places he was stationed: Petersburg, Baldwinville; Charleston, SC; Olustee, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, FLA. William wrote about receiving the news that the band would be shipping out:
The news came that we were to move to Carolina soon. We were all on inspection nearly all day; the Col. said that we were to give up our guns, who belonged to the band. We did not play at all as the members were nearly all gone. Shank among the rest. Whiskey held high sway here all day.”
William’s diary has been and is still being studied for the events and places that were covered in his writings. I had hoped to learn more about William and his family and their life in New York and perhaps learn about their mother Anna and family left behind in Louisiana. William’s diary entries seemingly do not include personal references. So far, I’ve read where he mentioned writing letters to his wife Julia and where he mentioned that his brother visited him. He had 2 brothers and does not name which brother came for the visit. I will continue to read William’s diary but now looking at his words through a different eye, an eye to what William is saying about history and his part in it.
Best,
My Maryland-Louisiana Roots 