Mexican War Diary

Collection

Identifier: MC 1173

Staff Only
Select files to request

Scope and Content Note

In addition to daily entries detailing the cavalry's march, it includes a roster of men in the unit, their payment schedules, and an inventory of their personal arms. In addition, the diary contains song lyrics, several recipes, and instructions for treating a "bone felon."

Sections of the diary relating to the cavalry unit and the song lyrics have been transcribed.

The diary originally contained a number of clippings of recipes and household formulas. These were removed from the diary by students of a museum conservation methods course taught by Margaret J. Hoffman, conservator of the University of Arkansas's museum. A list details the recipes and household formulas contained in the clippings.

Recipes and Household formulas given in the Clippings:

Page 1.
White Wash
White Wax from Common Tallow
Preserving Eggs
Water Proof Blacking
Page 2.
Curing Chicken Mites
Recipes for Corn or Indian Pudding; Victoria Cakes; Batter Pudding; Orange Pie
Preservative against Moths
Keeping Red Ants from Cupboards
Page 6.
Washing Clothes
Cleaning Guns
Mint Vinegar
Page 8.
Preserving Large Cucumbers and Damsons
Page 9.
Preserving Fruits
Domestic Uses of Borax
Cleansing Blankets
Curing Founder in Horses
Lice and Worms on Cabbage
Manure for Potatoes
Page 10.
Washing Made Easy
Party
Boiling Potatoes
Recipes for a Nice Pudding and Batter Pudding
Page 12.
Preparation of Spiced Vinegar
Page 13.
Plain Custards
Catsup
To Cure Hams
To Keep Hams in Summer, or Reclaim Tainted Meat
To Cure Butter
Page 14.
Colic in Horses
To Scatter Swelling in Cattle
To Relieve Choked Cattle
The Gapes in Chickens
Page 15.
Recipes for Yeast and Bread
Page 16.
Recipes for Butter Sponge Cake, Vinegar Pudding, and Gipsy Pudding
Films on the Eyes of Cattle
Page 24.
Cleaning Silk
Page 26.
Recipes for Flap Jacks, Chowder, and Rusk
Information on Pologonum punctatum, also called "Water Pepper" or "Smart Weed"
Page 28
Buckwheat Cakes
Page 34.
Blackberry Wine
Page 36.
Recipes for Spanish Cake, Lemon Cake, Hamburg Cake
To Clean Floors and Erase Grease Spots
Page 37.
Blackberry Wine and Cordial
Recipes for Muffins, Drop Cakes, and Sponge Cake Pudding
Page 38.
Green Tomato Pickles
Page 39.
Recipes for Stewing Oysters, Scalloped Oysters, Oyster Fritters, and Oyster Soup
Page 41.
Recipes for Peaches in Brandy, Pickled Peaches, Peach Preserve, Peach Jam, and Peach Jelly
Page 42.
Information Fruit and Fruit Trees
Page 43.
Painting With Unslaked Lime
Making White Wash
Making Cistern Cement
Paste
Page 44.
Catsup
Conserving Figs
Page 46.
Hog Cholera
Washing Compound
The Common Flat Turnip
Whitewash
Page 48.
How to Know Good Flour
Recipes for Yankee Vinegar, Spiced Beef, English Plum Pudding
Cure for Burns
Making Good Yeast
Cooking Old Fowls

Dates

1846

Creator

Word, Thomas N. (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Clippings in folder 3 may not be removed from their mylar sleeves.

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

The diary dates from the Mexican-American War. It recounts the march of the "Fayett" County Cavalry from Little Rock to Crocket in Houston County, Texas, on August 10 to September 12, 1846. The diary was apparently maintained by Thomas N. Word, an officer in the cavalry.