Collection: J. J. Magee diary | Special Collections & Archives

Scope and Contents

Captain J. J. Magee of the "Independent Blues" (later Company D of the Eighth Alabama Infantry Regiment) kept a small diary, documenting daily, from January 11 to February 23, 1861, the activities of his unit and company. As the Eighth Alabama wasn't mustered in until June 10, 1861, in Richmond, Virginia, many of these entries describe pranks and parties. The Blues were discharged on February 23rd and returned to Selma, Alabama. One of the last entries in the diary, dated March 21, 1861, reads "I arrived in Pensacola... at my own expense and on my own hook, looking for a fight." It is not known if Magee was part of the Eighth when in was organized at Montgomery, Alabama, in May, 1861.

Dates

1861

Creator

Magee, J. J. (Author, Person)

Physical Description

Diary is somewhat fragile, written in pencil but very legible.

Biographical / Historical

J. J. Magee was part of the Independent Blues (later Company D of the Eighth Alabama Infantry) in the early days of Alabama secession.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (diary and transcript)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

Civil War diary of Captain J. J. Magee of Company D, Eighth Alabama Infantry.

Provenance

purchased from Hughes Books, 2014

Physical Description

Diary is somewhat fragile, written in pencil but very legible.

General

To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. Email us at archives@ua.edu if you find mistakes or have suggestions to make this finding aid more useful for your research.