University of Notre Dame
Universtiy of Notre Dame

Marble: Museums, Archives, Rare Books and Libraries Exploration

Home Browse Featured My Portfolios About
  1. Home ›
  2. Alfred Moore Diary ›

Alfred Moore Diary

A manuscript diary of Confederate States Army lieutenant Alfred Moore, written in 1864-65 as a member of Co. I, 11th Virginia Cavalry. The Moore diary (16 cm.) is a volume of the familiar daily calendar type, bound in blue oilcloth and bearing the printed title Pocket Diary for 1864. An inscription on the back pastedown reads "A. Moore Lt / Co I 11th Va Cav / Dec 31st 1864". Though no other owner's inscription is present, scattered entries in a second hand indicate that the volume was originally the property of a Federal trooper, an unidentified member of the 1st D.C. Cavalry (US). The first of the original owner's entries is for 29 February 1864: "6 Companies apparently G, H, I, K, L, and M of the 1st D C Cavelry Embarked from Agusta This morning for Washington" (these companies were organized in Maine in February 1864; hence the departure from Augusta). The only other entries in the Union trooper's hand are for 11 July and 30 July to 5 August 1864, mostly describing his "first expedition" south of the James River, into Prince George County, Virginia, behind the Federal lines besieging Petersburg. On 16 September elements of the 1st D.C. Cavalry were encamped at Sycamore Church and Cocke's Mill when they were surprised by a force of Confederate cavalry under Wade Hampton, whose goal was the capture of a herd of beef cattle stockaded at nearby Coggins Point. Most of the members of the 1st D.C. Cavalry fell prisoner and were escorted back to Petersburg by Moore's 11th Virginia, along with nearly 2500 head of cattle. It was during this episode, doubtless, that the diary changed hands, though we cannot know precisely how. Lt. Moore's first entry is for 12 September, but it seems clear that his account of the famous "Cattle Raid" was written retrospectively, after the Confederates' return to their old camp near Ream's Station on the afternoon of the 17th.

Metadata

Creator
Moore, Alfred, b. 1837
Date
1864-1865
Material Type
Mixed Materials
Genre/Physical Characteristic
diaries
Dimensions
1 volume
Language
English
Identifier
/repositories/3/resources/1517
Campus Location
Rare Books & Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection
Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user

Subject
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
Soldiers -- Virginia -- diaries
Shenandoah Valley Campaign, 1864 (August-November)
Beverly (W. Va.) -- History, Military -- 19th century
Confederate States of America. Army. Virginia Cavalry Regiment, 11th
Link to Finding Aid
https://archivesspace.library.nd.edu/repositories/3/resources/1517
This digital collection may not include all items or all of the information available about the source collection. See the finding aid for more information.
Contact Us

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Rare Books & Special Collections, Hesburgh Libraries at rarebook@nd.edu.

Images

This is called Alfred Moore Diary within the category of Mixed Materials.Open in external viewer application

Related Items

Diary

Diary

Related Items

No results found for .
Raclin Murphy Art Museum
100 Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
Phone (574) 631–5466
RMMACollections@nd.edu
Hesburgh Library
284 Hesburgh Library
Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA
Phone (574) 631-6258
asklib@nd.edu
© 2025 University of Notre Dame
Marble: Museums, Archives, Rare Books and Libraries Exploration
AboutPortfoliosHelpAccessibilitySite Map