Monday, March 2, 1863.
a nice class lovely day Nellie and Sue were here mary and her friend Sue went out to germantown today i went down to school tonight no teacher yet the fair comences tonight
Tuesday 3
John simson came home with me last night meeting out to Clayes very few out quite a cold meeting after meeting i went to nellies coming up home i met John he came
Wednesday 4
up with me beutiful day but quite marshy Nellie did not com up as usal i stoped to see lizzie brown John is quite sick
Camp William Penn in Cheltenham, PA, trained African-American troops, like the 26th U.S. Colored Volunteer Infantry pictured here.
Annotation 1
On March 3, 1863, the U.S. government issued the National Enrollment Act as a form of conscription. However, African-Americans in Pennsylvania were not allowed to enlist in their state until mid-1863. In the meantime, Pennsylvanians of color traveled north to enlist in the Massachusetts 54th or 55th regiments. Binder, “Pennsylvania Negro Regiments,” 383-417.
