Anne Fannie Gorham Diary

Collection

Identifier: SMC 27

Scope and Contents

The Anne Fannie Gorham Diary Collection consists of the diary of Anne Fannie Gorham, which describes her daily life in Hamilton, Georgia at the beginning of the Civil War. It also includes a typed transcript of the diary, photocopies of a book on Gorham family genealogy, and a letter stating the finding of the diary.

The Anne Fannie Gorham diary begins in December 30, 1861 and ends with July 13, 1862. It measures 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches. There is an entry for every day, and the subject material includes visits to her sisters' houses, books she was reading, sewing, and the Civil War.

The transcript is 34 pages and covers the entire diary.

The genealogy information is an Inter-Library Loan photocopy of 6 pages of The Gorham Family in Connecticut and Vermont, by Frank William Sprague published in Boston in 1903 by the Press of David Clapp and Son.

Dates

Creation: 1862; 1903; 1987

Biographical / Historical

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Information on Anne Fannie Gorham is limited. However, she was recorded in the 1850 census as 10 years old and living in Hamilton. Her parents were Willis and Mary Gorham, and they lived in Hamilton as early as 1840. The Gorhams were prosperous, and according to Willis Gorham's 1851 will, he owned property both in Georgia and Mississippi, slaves, plantation tools, animals, and cash.

After her father's death in 1851, Anne became the ward of John Murphey, who married her sister, Cornelia, in 1854. Anne described many visits to "Sister Murphey's" house in her diary. Anne was educated and had graduated from an unknown school prior to the writing of the diary. She had a serious interest in Wesley Murphey, Cornelia's stepson, and she describes the dissolution of this relationship in the last pages of the diary.

Biographical information gathered from "Anne Gorham's Diary: A Life in Hamilton in 1862" by Wynn MacDonald, written for the Spring 1985 HIS 319 class. Box 24 F87, Columbus College Collection, Columbus University Archives.