Julia Chase diary

Content Description

This collection consists of the diary of Julia Chase (1831-1906). Chase was a union supporter living in Winchester, Virginia. The diary documents the period from July1861 to September 1864 and she reports on local and remote events of the Civil War; her views and reactions as well as those of her community and the presence of Union and Confederate troops. Also included is a typed transcription of the diary. Chase began her diary on loose sheets of writing paper and one bound notebook until May 1, 1863, when she began to write diary entries in a notebook bound in a quarter sheep and marbled boards. Some missing entries (Feb-March 1862, Feb-April 1863) would have been on loose sheets of paper now lost. Julia Chase was born in Maine to Charles and Nancy Chase. Her family moved to Winchester, Virginia when she was young. She lived in North Loudoun Street in Winchester during the Civil War and continued to live in the city until her death on March 15, 1906. Chase became a prominent member of Winchester Society and a member of the Presbyterian Church. She is buried in Winchester's Mt. Hebron Cemetery.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased, 20 February 2020. Before Chase's death, she gave "the diary to Dr. W.S. Miller, who passed it on to his daughter, Miss Katie Miller, both of Winchester. Miss Miller donated the diary to the Handley Library [i.e. the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society] in 1927." This information comes from a 1927 newspaper article. At some point prior to 1979, the diary was deaccessioned and sold into private hands. It was known to be with a private owner in Leesburg, VA. By 2020, sold to a private auction house and purchased by the Small Library.

Restrictions Apply

No

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.