It’s no secret that nothing gets me quite as excited as primary documents–those historic letters, newspapers, and envelopes. One of my favorite aspects of primary sources? There’s so much more to these records than what first meets the eyes. So grab your magnifying glass, Sherlock Holmes’ hat, and a historic paper item, because we’re going to think like a historical detective and decode these relics!
If you just skim a historic letter, you may be missing important information about the document. Historic letters are a valuable resource to researchers, offering up first-hand accounts of everything from deadly battles and weather to Christmas celebrations and disease. When you’re reading letters, it’s always best to read for comprehension, not for speed. Think through each line that was written–if there are parts of the letter you don’t understand, pause your reading to conduct research. Chances are your interpretation of a word may be entirely different from it’s usage in previous eras, which could completely distort your understanding of what was written. Here’s an example:
A few years ago, I procured a Civil War letter that mentioned the word “bully.” Based on the modern usage of the word, it would be fair to surmise that “bully” references someone who was mean or threatening. But that wasn’t the case in the 1860s! In the nineteenth century, the word “bully” could be used favorably, such as when something was good or splendid. So if I was reading an 1862 letter and someone wrote, “Bully for Thomas,” I would now realize that Thomas wasn’t someone who was menacing. Rather, the letter’s writer was genuinely happy for or perhaps proud of Thomas.
Not only do the meanings of words change over time–which certainly offers plenty of opportunities for decoding historic letters–but also vital is considering when the letter was written. If the letter was penned during a Civil War campaign or an especially hard year in the Great Depression, this allows for even further research on the letter. You can always consult secondary sources (modern books, websites, etc.) to learn more about what the individual may have been referencing in their letter. Remember: Wikipedia websites can be great if you need a piece of information fast, but they’re often unreliable. As a rule, it’s best to consult traditionally published books or websites that are .edu, .gov, or .mil!
Of course, you can’t forget to decode who’s mentioned in the letter! Oftentimes, individuals would write to their family members (i.e., “Sister Jane,” “Brother John,” “Father and Mother,” etc.). This makes for rather simple decoding! If you know the letter writer’s name and where they lived, it should be easy to find their family members in the censuses of the era. From there, you can even trace the lineage of the family members who were mentioned and/or written to. However, it’s not always that convenient. Sometimes, individuals would write to friends who lived in their region. In this case, it may be worthwhile to peruse who resided near the letter writer in censuses (by near, I mean within surrounding counties!). Chances are good, especially for pre-twentieth century letters, that the friend they’re writing to may not have lived thousands of miles away. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule–individuals moved around, even back then–so be diligent and thorough in your search!
At first glance, you might think that historic newspapers don’t offer a lot of opportunities for decoding. After all, everything’s already typed out, nice and neat for the reader…right? Think again! Historic newspapers have depth, and when you read them, there are some important things you should keep in mind.
First, historic newspapers–like virtually any media–have biases. Just because you’re reading a newspaper from 1777 doesn’t mean you can trust all of the information as fact. Sure, the record is a primary source, but that doesn’t mean that everything included therein is entirely accurate. Let’s consider this: if I view two newspapers from 1777, with one published in the United States and another in Britain, I would be receiving two entirely different perspectives. Most likely, I’ll find that the British villainized the Americans, while the Americans are demeaning the British. When we think about historic papers, both region/country and political opinions must always be taken into consideration.
Of course, you have to be careful of biases from newspaper to newspaper too, even if they were published in the same country. During the American Civil War era and the years prior, you’ll notice a difference in perspective from southern and northern newspapers. However, you’ll also find that northern newspapers vary based on where and by whom they were published. A southern-leaning newspaper from Louisville, Kentucky, will likely offer different information than what may be found in a a northern-leaning newspaper from the same city. And even if the information is the same in both newspapers, the way the details are relayed and presented will likely be vastly different.
What’s more, you also have to be willing to decode the events that you’re reading about. Newspapers, prior to the advent of the radio and television, where the main way to relay information. As the only news source, however, newspapers had to be choosy about how much information was included. After all, space was limited and there were plenty of news stories just waiting to be printed. As such, you can “decode” historic newspapers by taking the stories you find in them and doing even more research. Chances are, historic newspapers will serve as a starting point for finding information–they may not be the ending point in your journey for historical knowledge.
Just because historic envelopes are small doesn’t mean they don’t offer up plenty of information! In fact, the inspiration for this entire post came from–you guessed–my experience in decoding an antique envelope.
One of the most obvious ways to decode historic envelopes is by determining who the letter was sent to and received by. It may seem simple–after all, shouldn’t that information be neatly written on the envelope? Sometimes, but not always! For example, some envelopes and letters were “hand delivered,” making them absent of the sender’s name and address. Other times, Civil War soldier letters to their family on the home front may only include the words “soldier’s letter” in the corner and an address in the middle, but not the soldier’s name.
Recently, I purchased an envelope that lacked background history from the seller. I knew that a Civil War colonel in the 17th Kentucky Infantry had endorsed it as a “soldier’s letter” and that it was sent to a Mrs. Josephine Duff, but that was all the information included with my purchase. Luckily, censuses and military records came to the rescue! Navigating to Fold3, I was able to determine that only one soldier with the last name Duff served in the 17th Kentucky Infantry. Although I knew the envelope could have been addressed to a friend or married sister (in which case, the last names would have been different), I had a hunch that Robert Duff of the 17th Kentucky could’ve been the envelope’s original owner. After viewing marriage records, I realized I was right! Robert Duff had married Josephine prior to the Civil War, so this was a letter he’d written home to her while he was serving with the Federal forces.
Of course, you can also find out information by viewing the stamps that were stuck on the envelope, as stamps can help you pin down what era that your letter was written in. More than likely, though, the postmark will provide this information and more. Postmarks weren’t always used on envelopes, but when they were you can learn the date (month, day, and sometimes year) the envelope was mailed off, along with where it was mailed from. Sometimes, you might even be able to determine the exact time of day that the letter was postmarked.
Don’t forget to examine the envelope’s design, too! Especially during times of war, envelopes often came with patriotic illustrations that may offer information about the era that the envelope was mailed. I have a few envelopes with patriotic designs, from both the Civil War and World War II. Not only do they offer decoding opportunities (when was the design printed, and by whom?), but they’re also aesthetically pleasing and incredibly neat.
One of my favorite parts of decoding envelopes is when I happen to stumble across information I wasn’t expecting. That’s exactly what happened when I bought an enveloped addressed to Asa Slayton of the 25th Michigan Infantry. There were several levels of decoding involved with this envelope. First, it was an anomaly that a 25th Michigan soldier received a letter while at Camp Nelson, since that particular regiment didn’t serve at Camp Nelson. Thus entered an 1897 book about the regiment (see how outside research is important?), in which I determined that Slayton was selected to serve as an engineer on a project to fortify Camp Nelson. To me, this was an exciting piece of information!
When my envelope arrived in the mail, however, I got an added surprise. While I knew that Slayton had written that the envelope included orders for him to leave Camp Nelson, I didn’t expect to find writing on the envelope’s back. The pencil markings were faint and almost completely illegible. Finally, my formal history training came in handy when I noticed “Jomini’s Art of War,” which I knew from history courses is an early nineteenth century book about warfare. I did some research, and sure enough the book was written pre-Civil War and discussed both war and politics. Working my way through the words carefully, I deciphered more and more. By the end of my decoding session, I realized that Slayton, it seems, had made a TBR (to be read) list. His TBR pile included everything from Napoleon’s Maxims and Company Drill & Bayonet to Campaigns of 1862/1863 (written in 1863!) and Summary of the Art of War. Not only did Slayton include the titles of books, but it also appears he included how much each book cost (the most expensive books were $1.75) and occasionally the author’s name. By taking the time to examine the envelope and decode the writing, I surmised that Slayton–a school teacher and, interestingly enough, a historian and genealogist–must have been an avid reader as well. Perhaps he also admired Napoleon or at least decided that it would be worthwhile, as a Civil War officer, to learn more about warfare from the early nineteenth century to “modern” times.
History isn’t one dimensional. When it comes to primary documents, there are often layers upon layers of history that lurk beneath the surface, just waiting to be peeled back. While a novice researcher may take documents as they are, it’s only by diving deeper–by decoding information–that you can discover more and enhance your search.
So the next time a letter, newspaper, or envelope has made it’s way to your research desk, don’t be afraid to spend a while researching. The potential reward of fully delving into research is monumental and just may change the way you and those around you view the primary source.
Happy Researching!
