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Summary – “document daily life in Washington, D. C., through the eyes of Horatio Nelson Taft (1806-1888), an examiner for the U. S. Patent Office. Now located in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, the diary details events in Washington during the Civil War years including Taft’s connection with Abraham Lincoln and his family. Of special interest is Taft’s description of Lincoln’s assassination, based on the accounts of his friends and his son, who was one of the attending physicians at Ford’s Theatre the night Lincoln was shot, on April 14, 1865.” – Text from Library of Congress

See diary entries on June 29th 1863 and Oct 5th 1863 for comments related to the Battle of Gettysburg.

NOTE – This exhibit also has an essay that provides more background info on Taft and explains the significance of his diary.

Posted by Don Sailer
Credit – Manuscript Division, Library of Congress