It will soon be Christmas, and for many of us that means time with family, lots of good food and drink, roaring fires and memory making. However, some of us, probably very few of us might experience this special holiday without our loved ones or the simple comforts of home. Here I share a brief diary entry from Christmas day, December 25, 1862. It was penned by Captain Howard M. Smith of the 1st New York Dragoons in his tent at Camp Suffolk, Virginia. I have provided the previous page as well for a little context, but the Christmas day entry reads:

Christmas in Dixie! To the soldier, there rises no vision of stockings well filled and happy children, with their merry laugh and songs, but desolation and war are all about him. But the fact that he enjoys none of the joys of Christmas at home leads him to think of home all the more. Today all the drills were suspended and the men were allowed to enjoy themselves as they would until afternoon when an inspection took place. During the inspection the band of the 11th Penn. Cavalry serenaded the Regt. There was the usual amount of drinking among the Officers. Fortunately the men were not able to obtain liquor.

Though somber reading before one of the happiest and most significant holidays, it does a person good to be reminded of the past, even one so tragic as the American Civil War. It is also a call to count our blessings, consider the privations of others and strive for peaceful solutions to horrific problems.

I currently have 185 pages from this diary that I will be posting in this blog in the future.

Smith & Wesson Model 1 Initialed by Captain Howard M Smith with research

The initialed backstrap of the revolver

https://www.ancestryguns.com/shop/civil-war-idd-sw-model-no-1-second-issue-revolver-w-holster-diary-letters-research-engraved-by-captain-howard-m-smith-of-the-1st-new-york-dragoons/