William Heath Papers, 1744-1872 » IV. Diaries, 1775–1804  

[read more]

Diary entries written by William Heath during the Revolutionary War discuss daily military life, location and possible movements of the enemy, main and Northern Army locations, marches, brigade distribution, prisoner escapes, courts-martial, executions, work details, the reenlistment of troops, his personal health (including his smallpox inoculation on 21 April 1776 and its effects), and the movements of the French fleet and army. Some battles and skirmishes are also described. Friendly and enemy casualty figures are often listed. After the war, diary entries refer to global events, including politics and wars, in particular French politics and conflicts between 1789 and 1793, as well as natural catastrophes. Included are daily weather reports and family milestones, i.e., births, marriages, and deaths. Multiple diaries were bound into larger volumes (Vol. 30 and 31), but are listed separately below. There are gaps in entries from December 1798-July 1801 and 22 August 1802-February 1803.

DIGITIZED COLLECTIONS