Thursday, May 9, 1861

Lizzie went to town today with Maggie.  Kate, Annie, little Sarah and I took a ride over a part of the farm.  We went to the house where Smith Henderson lived, the road to which was nearly lined with sweet Williams and other wild flowers. The children were in ecstacies.  Went a long way beyond Pettichord's.  There are several fine view from different points.  Got home a little after ten o'clock, very tired.  After dinner I went up to Mr. Burgess'.  He is still sick with chills.


Many interesting anecdotes of the skill and efficiency of the Massachusetts soldiers are related in the papers.  They found the railroad torn up.  They went to work and put it down again.  A locomotive was broken up.  They immediately repaired it.  The old frigate Constitution was to be sent to New York out of harm's way; sailors and sailing master were found in the ranks.  The work shop at Fortress Monroe had been stopped.  Machinery was needed for mounting guns, a master machinist and a corps of assistants stepped forth from among the volunteers.  Such is the "Universal Yankee" and as brave as he is skillful.


Editor's comments:

• Lizzie and Maggie were sisters; Lizzie, the wife of William Cutler, lived in the Old Stone House in Constitution, Ohio.  Maggie lived nearby with her mother and step-father, the Burgesses.
• Kate Dawes, an unmarried niece of Julia Cutler, also lived in the Cutler's Old Stone House.  Annie and little Sarah were the two living children of Lizzie and William Cutler.  In 1861, Annie was 8 and Sarah was 5.
• Newspapers at the time were delivered with the mail.  Newspapers were highly partisan and sometimes contained inaccuracies.