David B. Arthur Diary

Collection

Identifier: MSN/CW 8001

Staff Only

Abstract

A Civil War manuscript diary kept by David B. Arthur of Grant County, Wisconsin, as 1st sergeant and 2nd lieutenant in Co. I, 20th Wisconsin Infantry. Entries range from October 1862 to June 1863, when the regiment was serving in Missouri and Arkansas.

Dates

Creation: 1862-1863

Creator

Arthur, David B (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

David B. Arthur was born on 31 January 1837 in Richmond, Virginia, the eldest son of the Welsh immigrant Evan Arthur and Martha Bivan Arthur. Evan Arthur was an ironworker, and found employment at several American rolling mills (including the Tredegar Works in Richmond) before moving to Iowa to try his hand at farming. By 1851 the Arthurs had moved again, to the lead mining region of southwest Wisconsin, eventually settling in Beetown, Grant County. David Arthur was married in 1858, to Mary Morrallee. The 1860 Federal census identifies him as a miner, living adjacent to his father in Beetown. During the great Federal recruiting effort of mid-1862, Arthur enlisted in the army; he was mustered in to Company I of the 20th Wisconsin Infantry (called the "Hope Guards") on 23 August, as 1st sergeant.

Arthur served with the 20th Wisconsin for the remainder of the war, being promoted to 1st Lieutenant on 30 March 1864. He was mustered out with the regiment on 14 July 1865. After the war he left the lead mines and turned to trade.