The 102nd U.S. Field Artillery (26th Yankee Division)

While conducting research for the library’s World War I soldier photograph collection, I came across
a treasure from our shelves that was deserving of its own moment in the spotlight.  Titled A short history & photographic record of the 102nd U.S. Field Artillery, 1917, this book contains the history of the 102nd F.A as well as the photographs, names, and hometowns of the soldiers who served in the regiment’s different batteries.

The regiment, which was part of the 26th Yankee Division, was mobilized on July 30th, 1917 at Camp Curtis Guild in Boxford, Massachusetts, and “was formally drafted as part of the national forces on August 5, 1917.”  The majority of the soldiers were from Massachusetts, but other states are represented as well—such as Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, and Illinois.  There were even a couple soldiers from Nova Scotia, Canada!

After finding that this book was not available online, there was only one thing I could possibly do: digitize it in its entirety so others could benefit from the wonderful information it provides. The book is available to download in our DSpace digital documents repository; however, if downloading is not your style, you may also browse the title on our Flickr page.

Kaitlin Connolly
Reference Librarian

Memorial Day and the State Library

With Memorial Day approaching, it is important to recognize this holiday and
to point to some holdings in the State Library which represent ways that the state has
marked the day.

Speech by former Senator Marian Walsh

Some Interesting Facts about the Day

Memorial Day was begun after the Civil War and was at one time called "Decoration Day." The numbers of dead and wounded from the war were unprecedented and the carnage was apparent to all.  After the Battles at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and also at Vicksburg, Mississippi, women decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers.  These  remembrances became known as Decoration Day and there is still debate as to where the “day” originated,  North or South.

In 1866, a union hero, Major General John A. Logan delivered an address in Carbondale Illinois which marked the first such speech and the first gathering of veterans.  Logan also commanded the Grand Old Army of the Republic, a group of union veterans and in early May of 1868, he issued an order setting May 30th aside “for the purpose of strewing flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country during the late rebellion.”

It was not until after World War I, however, that the Confederate states began to mark Memorial Day. By then, the term was used to honor the dead from all of the country's wars.  Many of those from the South still celebrate a Confederate Memorial Day. Some states use the birthday of General Robert E. Lee, January 19th, for this. Other southern states have chosen other dates.

On Nov. 11, 1921, President Warren G. Harding officiated at the interment ceremonies at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1967, Memorial Day, May 30th, was designated as a national holiday.  And, four years later, the remembrance was shifted to the last Monday in the month. This year it falls on the 25th of the month.

State Library Holdings which Mark the Day

Senator Walsh’s speech above represents the 100’s given each year by members of the
Massachusetts General Court.  Often, the legislator or his/her staff visit us here to do the research for their presentations.

Other holdings include items published by the Grand Army of the Republic:

Or Proclamations from Governors about the day:

In 2000, Congress added to the day by asking that people join in in a National Moment of Remembrance at 3 PM on Memorial Day.

Pamela W.Schofield

Legislative Reference Librarian

A Treasure Rediscovered

As a cataloger at the State Library of Massachusetts, I work with all sorts of interesting library materials, including not only books and journals, but also items in special formats such as maps, broadsides, and electronic publications. Recently, as part of a project to convert the library’s card catalog to our online catalog, I have been working with rare books in the library’s Special Collections Department. In the process of recataloging these antiquarian books, I have been rediscovering the treasures within the library’s collection.

One such treasure came as a bit of a surprise—while recataloging the book The Life of the Late Gen. William Eaton, published in 1813 in Brookfield, Massachusetts, I found a letter that had been pasted into the book in front of the title page. Still bearing traces of its wax seal, the letter is signed by General Eaton and is dated “Tunis 25 Sep. 1799.”

According to the subtitle of this biography, General William Eaton was “several years an officer in the United States' Army, Consul at the regency of Tunis on the coast of Barbary, and Commander of the Christian and other forces that marched from Egypt through the Desert of Barca, in 1805, and conquered the city of Derne, which led to the treaty of peace between the United States and the regency of Tripoli.” In addition to the role he played in the First Barbary War, General Eaton also served one term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1807-1808).

The letter is addressed to James L. Cathcart, Esq., American Consul, Tripoli. The “prominent facts” related by General Eaton in the letter concern the activities of the United States Navy in and around Tunis in the years 1798 and 1799 as well as prominent political and religious figures in the country. The text of the letter reads as follows:

Sir,

This moment I recieve dispatches from Consul General OBrien—but have not time to detail the news—the most prominent facts are—

“The Heroe put into the west Indies and will refit and proceed to Algiers.”

“The Sophia was in Lisbon on the 23d June and would sail in a few days.”

“Mr. Smith is appointed Envoy to the Grand-Signor—and will soon be in this see—”

“Captain Truxtun of the Constellation has taken a French 44—”

“The Hassen Bashaw is taken by the French within the jurisdictional line of Cadis—the crew in chains—the Dey demands indemnity of the Spaniards.”

“Capn Cathcarts dispatches of the 7 July are received and his bills honored—all his requisitions shall be answered in due time—”

When I have more leisure you shall have more particulars—

                                                                                                        from your obed serv                                                                                                                                  Wm Eaton

Laura Schaub
Cataloging Librarian

The Legislative Documents Series is Not just full of bills!

An example of a memorandum issued by

the Secretary of the Commonwealth in 1977

Proposed legislation (i.e. bills) make up the majority of the material found within the Massachusetts Legislative Documents series. However, there are other types of documents included that may be important for your research.  What was published in the series can vary year by year, but it’s important to be aware of these types of documents.  Here are some examples of what you may find:

• Governor’s inaugural speeches and annual messages:  Often published as Senate document 1.
  1941 Senate No. 0001 – Annual message

• Governor’s veto and amendment messages:  In addition to the power to veto, Article LVI of the Amendments to the MA Constitution invests the governor with the right to return a bill, laid before him or her, to the originating branch of the General Court with amendment recommendations.  These messages issued to the legislature can explain why particular changes were made to a bill or why a bill was not ultimately signed.
  1947 Senate No. 637 - Governor’s veto message
  1948 House No. 2422 - Governor’s amendment recommendations

• Governor’s proposed legislation and other recommendations:1946 House No. 2076 – Supplementary budget recommendations
  1947 House 1785 – Recommendation for a study

• “Memoranda” from such offices as the Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation and the Secretary of the Commonwealth (see image):
  1946 House No. 1445 - Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation

• Justices of the Supreme Court opinions:  the legislature often requests the opinions of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts when the constitutionality or legality of a piece of legislation arises.
  1948 Senate No. 546

• Other Legislative Recommendations:  The Governor is not the only official who can recommend legislation and amendments.  Any state officer or dept. head making an annual report may include therein, in even-numbered years, recommendations for legislative action and detailed explanations (see MGL Chap. 30, section 33).
  1946 House No. 94 - Secretary of the Commonwealth
  1948 House No. 93 - Department of Mental Health
  1941 House No. 66 – State Examiners of Electricians

• Special reports:  An earlier blog post of ours goes into greater detail about special reports.

The State Library’s legislative documents collection runs from 1802 to the most recent volume. To search what is currently available in our digital legislative documents database, please visit the following address and check back as more will be added in the future: http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/219464 

Kaitlin Connolly
Reference Department

Brief and Sprightly Essays: The Toilet

The State Library’s collections are filled with curiosities and eclectic finds, particularly those from the early 19th century.  One recent re-discovery is a periodical from 1801 with the unwieldy and unlikely name of The Toilet: A Weekly Collection of Literary Pieces, Principally Designed for the Amusement of the Ladies.   Printed in Charlestown, Massachusetts, by Samuel Etheridge, this periodical lasted a mere 8 issues—from January 17, 1801 to March 7, 1801.  Like most titles in the early years of magazine publishing in this country (The American magazine: a compact history by John Tebbell counts fewer than 100 magazines published before the year 1825) The Toilet’s primary audience was ladies of leisure and was supported wholly by subscription rates and without advertising.  The price of The Toilet was “four penny bit” (4 pence); perhaps it was too much an exorbitant one for the time which led to its demise.

Today a magazine called “The Toilet” would elicit a chuckle from most people. However, in 1801 the title would have been unremarkable and chosen for its practical and literal use at the time—the English-language equivalent of the French word “toilette” —defined by the Oxford English dictionary as “the action of preparing oneself to appear in public”.  This little magazine with its “brief and sprightly essays” and poetry probably just was intended to inform and entertain its lady readers as they prepared themselves to face the day.

The Toilet was a magazine publishing experiment that did not even last 3 months, but looking at it today gives us a tiny glimpse into what was considered ladies’ entertainment over 200 years ago.  It still remains remarkable how The Toilet of yesteryear is comprised of the same type of short, easily-digested “snippets” that busy readers prefer in today’s modern world.

Judy Carlstrom
State Library of Massachusetts