Charles Willoughby Dayton diaries, 1863-1865

The diaries of Charles Willoughby Dayton (1846-1910) date from 1863 to 1865: and contain entries about the weather and war news. He writes negatively about African Americans, African American soldiers, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Abraham Lincoln. He also mentions the New York Draft Riots and his fear of being killed by the mobs. Other events and topics noted by Dayton include the marriage of Tom Thumb, the death of Edwin Booth's wife, Mary Booth (ne Devlin), the New York Sanitary Fair of 1864, and the campaign leading up to the presidential election of 1864 (Dayton was a supporter of George McClellan, and makes many entries concerning the campaign and his fears that Lincoln will be re-elected). The Charles Willoughby Dayton papers were donated to the New-York Historical Society by William Charles Willoughby Dayton Denby III, and the diaries were digitized thanks to his generosity.