In the memoirs of William Arden Maury, Collections and Recollections, he mentions that he and his family lived at The Ebbitt House. He doesn’t say when they lived there, other than to say “After coming back to live in Washington . . .” It seems that th…

This is the public library in Winchester, Virginia. Unfortunately, this photo does not do justice to the beauty of the building. Winchester is a small town, a population of under 24,000, so to find such a building there was surprising. Loving librarie…

Continuing with the theme of sculptured figures at eye level, where one can get a better feel for the person depicted, I offer this photo of the sculpture of founding father George Mason at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. I have visited his home in …

Inspired by a photo of a figure of John Cabot in Bristol, England at Random Distractions, I offer a photo of Abe and Tad Lincoln at the Treadegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. They visited Richmond in April 1865 after the end of the American Civil…

The Toll House on Sophia Street Circuit Court House on Princess Anne Street.After a stressful week at work, I decided to devote today to relaxing activities. I went for a walk in Fredericksburg, which I always enjoy. In spite of the horrors of war whic…

One of the great joys of the internet is being able to connect with others around the world. One of my favorite blogs is called Random Distractions. A “bookish blog” from England, it is a meeting place for many who enjoy English literature, both pas…

The House on Caroline Street has now finished publishing the online version of Betty Herndon Maury’s Civil War diary. I have begun doing research to annotate the diary and have had a wonderful time chasing down facts and checking the reliability of the…

February 18th [1863]Cousin Hite and Mr. McGruder scarcely speak to us. They have never asked where we are going or what we intend to do or expressed the slightest interest in us. It is all a mystery we cannot imagine what has caused the change.I have w…

February17th [1863] Will received a written notice from Mr. McGruder yesterday to leave at the end of the month. It is a great surprise and mortification to us. We have had no falling out, no difficulty with him or cousin Hite — or any on…

February 15th [1863] Another letter from Papa of the 29th December [1862]. He is rejoicing over our Fredericksburg victory, has just received the first Yankee accounts of it and even they admit [crossed out: that they have sustained] a grea…