The transcribed journal entries of

Private Chauncey A. Cronk

"Chancey"

from June 1863 – December 1863

64th Regiment, Company D
New York State Volunteer Infantry

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
HANCOCK'S II CORPS
BARLOW'S (Caldwell's) I DIVISION
BROOKE'S 4th BRIGADE

Enlisted August 14,1862 – June, 1865

Transcribed and written

by

Douglas J. Mergler

2005

Introduction
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5

Marching Routes taken by Chauncey Cronk June through December, 1863

Photo of Chauncey's gravestone

Section One

It is evident that Chancey’s first intent for the diary was to be used as a ledger of his financial dealings and occasional notes about events such as battles. To say the least, there are all types of entries in the first section and they are jumbled in nature and content. It is difficult to know exactly when each entry was made, most of his hand-entered dates in this section do not match with the preprinted entry spaces on the diary pages.

At the start he uses the pages to record the fate (wounded, killed, missing) of some of the men in Company D after the battle at Gettysburg, including his brother Chester Cronk, my direct ancestor.

Then several individuals’ expenditures and collections were recorded. At other points he makes a few personal observations. Mostly, Chancey was recording certain individual’s names, one per page, and then keeping a running tally of that person’s financial dealings with him on that page. It would seem as though while in static winter camp Chancey was embarking on his own entrepreneurial adventure, possibly buying certain items in bulk and then either raffling or selling these items for a profit. This section of the diary holds interest for those wondering what type of products were available to the common soldier and how much he had to pay for those items. Note that the monthly pay to a private in Army service to New York State was twenty dollars a month.

Most Regiments were raised as State Militia forces and Federalized for service in the War.

There are several mentions of one Daniel Blake to which Chancey seems to be well associated, I researched Daniel and can only guess that he was an acquaintance, from home. Daniel enlisted at Rushford N.Y. about one year prior to Chancey and Chester’s enlistment from the same town. Another explanation of Daniel being mentioned so often is that he may have been Chancey’s file partner in company formations or his tent partner when in camp. What ever the reason there is an obvious friendship between the two.

On the first page, inside of the cover, one fourth of the upper right hand corner is torn away in a curved tear. Hand written on the rest of the page is,

Allegany

County

State of

New York

The next page is a title page formatted by the printers and reads,

Perpetual

Diary

27 Liebenroth & Van Auw,

25 Beekman Street,

New York

The reverse of this title page has printed on it;

Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1862, by

A. Liebenroth & Von Auw,

in the cleark’s office of the district Court of the United States,

for the Southern District of New York.

The page following the title page has a printed “Calendar for 1863” listing all the months and days by number and name.

The reverse of the calendar page has hand written on it in brown ink;

Chancey Cronk

Caneadea

Allegany Co

N York

The following page begins the diary pages of the book.

January 1

Pencil entry January the (?) /63

David (Clendeming)

2

Chaplain of the /65

(Mer) Stucking

3

David (Clendeming)

(?)his book

(was born) November

the 17 1839

January 4

Wounded in the battle

Battle of Gettysburg ( ? ) Co. D

July 1-3, 1863 Chester Cronk

Leander Millspaugh

James Ray

John Reters

Albert Adams

(Licn?? Marscory)

5

killed of Co. D

Liut A H Lewis

(Francis) Ferancis Howard

Edmon Stone

Levi Carpenter

6

Missing

(Andrew J. Banister) (Anedrew) Banister

S Stockweather

(Warren B. Persons) waren Persons

Both Banister and Persons’ were taken prisoner and later died in Confederate prison camps of disease.

January 7

Blue ink Daniel W Blake

(Cer) one dollar fifty cts

July the 16^th 1.50

Brown ink “ “ 27^th .40

Paid dan Blake 1.25

8

due Daniel Blake .35

Chancey Cronk

of Caneadea

Allegany

State of N York

Chancey Cronk

Hume Allegany Co

9

Blank entry

January 10

Brown ink extremely faded Washing Bill

in October 186(?)

N (Sery) one shirt .20

R (Prior) shirt and drawers .20

11

Jermon on shirt (?)

Lieut Roller shirt (?)

N Hutchins (?)

Hutchins (?)

P Haford due on oysters .20

12

for (throwin) knife .10

for washing pants and coat .40

January 13

Too faded to make out entry, appears to be a similar accounting entry.

14

Rabins (?) .25

Hutchins paid .20

Hutchins .20

Hutchins sugar .25

15

Blank entry

January 16

Extremely faded brown ink (Silled) up to here (down)

From Jesey germon .20

MH Rabins 1.65

Lieut Roller .20

Lieut (Mersing) .20

Nathiel Hunt .10

(Jery) Smith .10

Wm Fraiser .15

17

N (Seury) 1.20

H (Sealt) .15

A Guns .11

H (Sealt) .20

Pryer .20

G Nikles .20

Germon .10

18

Rose (?)

Hunt .20

D Blake 1.00

Hutchens 1.00

Wm Hutchins for pen .20

Daniel Blake 5.00

January 19

Pencil Nov the 23^rd / 63

gesey germon .20

Ruller .30

Smith .20

Wm ( ?) .25

Hutchens .50

D Blake 5.00

(Miabrany) .40

20

Blank entry

21

Blank entry

Written across both pages covering the dates January 22 through January 27 is the following information. This entry breaks format with all the others in this section of the diary. All are written in brown ink, except for the last line which is in red ink. It is an accounting of money mailed home to Mary, Chancey’s wife. It reads,

Elmira Just as I

left I sent five dollars to Mary Cronk 5.00

at Falmouth five + ten by Bigsby 15.00

down by the battery at Falmouth 40.00

at Falmouth in the brush camp 20.00

Sept the 6^th at Morrisville five in a letter 5.00

Sept “ “ “ “ “ 5.00

“ 22 sent 10 ten dollars in a letter 10.00

Sept the 25^th sent fifty cts of postage currency .50

Sept 27^th I sent ten dollars in a letter 10.00

Sept 29^th “ one “ “ “ 1.00

October the 2^nd I sent two dollars in a letter 2.00

“ “ in currency one dollar fifty cts 1.50

Dec the five dollars I lent Chester 5.00

January 28

Brown ink I received

a letter from Pa

Sept the 20^th he sed he

had 25 bushels of wheat

+ 18 of oats on my place

(?)18 my due

wheat 8, 1/3 oats 6 bushels

In Mary’s letter dated, September 18^th, 1863, included in section five, Mary writes to inform Chancey of the above information.

29

Blank entry

30

Blank entry

January 31

Sept 19^th

bought of (Masick)

one can of milk .65

half lbs chees (bar) .15

one ( ?) rasins .50

one can of plums .75

Sept the 21^st

1 can of milk .65

twenty five cts of paper .25

1 one bottle of ink .20

Sigars .50

$3.65

February 1

Wallace Haford

due on oysters .20

for raffleing on knife .10

Washing Coat + pants .35

Red ink Washing one shirt .10

Brown ink Jan the 21 for washing

2

Blank entry

3

for washin .10

for cigars .25

for pen $20 .20

for washin .10

February 4

November the 18^th

For one pair of (shoes) 2.09

Dec the 10^th 1.63

One pair pants 2.50

one pair of drawers .90

Socks .32

Jan the 10^th, /64 one pair pants 2.50

one pair drawers .90

5

Blank entry

6

Blank entry

February 7

Brown and red ink Daniel Blake, (dr)

Borrowed money 5.00

for milk + money paid 1.00

for (?) + chees 3.50

X paid 8.50

8

Wm Hutchens

due on pen .50

for washing shirt + drawers .20

for chees paid x.25

for washin .20

For one Rasor .50

for muttin .20

.10

9

(Mr) Edson

due on pen 1.00

for washing shirt .10

for raffling one sausage .10

for cigars .25

for raffling on pen 1.00

Jan 1864 for washing .10

February 10

Albert Rose

due on pen 1.00

for cigars + cristal .78

for cigars .25

for shaving sharpenin .05

11

L.A (Arankuren)

for washing paid 1.00

Dec the 19 for cigars .28

for raffling on pen .25

( ? )

for pants drawers + shirt .35

for washin .20

12

Lieut Raller

for washing paid 3.00

February 13

David Prior

for Cigars and Sewing .10

For chees .50

for chees .50

Dec the 10^th for cigars .25

for Washin .20

for cigars .25

Jan 1864 for washin .10

14

Albert Johnson

Washin one shirt .10

for chees .50

for chees .50

for chees 1.00

for cigars .25

for washing .20

raffling on pen .25

15

pay (?) 1.40

Dec 31^st / 63 .75

for one can of milk

for washin .20

for tickets .25

for washin .20

February 16

Henry Scott

for chees .50

for chees .50

17

Red ink Jesey Germon

for chees 1.00

for washin .10

for washin .20

Brown ink Jan 1864 for washin .20

18

Henry (Hagskish)

for chees 1.00

for cigars .25

for washin .50

for cigars .25

for wshin .40

.20

February 19

Red ink John Nickles

for three cigars .10

20

Joseph Mead

for washin shirt .10

Jan 1864 washin .20

21

Frank Robert

for washin .20

for washin .10

for washin .50

February 22

Brown ink Co. Funds

for candles sugar and

flour .40

for fish .50

for pickles .50

1.40

paid

Chancey Cronk

23

Red ink 2 lbs of sugar .25

(11/2) liver paid .50

for brick .25

Brown ink for one can milk .60

24

(Illegible Name)

for cigars .25

jan 1864 washin .20

The pages for February 25 through 29 have no entries on them.

March 1

Brown ink Harisen Smith

for throwin Penies Paid .25

2

Albert John Adams

for throwin on pen .25

for cigars .25

3

Blank Entry

March 4

Sold coffee 2.50

Paid out 1.50

5

Blank Entry

6

Blank entry

March 7

Red ink Dec the 18^th 1863

I bought one box of

cigars of John (?)

for the sum of $3.00

The No I have sold

at one time 75

“ “ “ 35

35

35

65

50

55

65

50

8

Blank entry

9

Blank entry

March 10

Sold on the (Lantery)

to Blake 7 (tickets) 1.00

Jan the 6^th 35 cts .35

11

Blank entry

12

Blank entry

March 13

Very faded brown ink This is my birthday

How glad I would be

to go home to celebrate

it but next year maybe

I can at least I hope

so + I know my

dear friends do to, yes

14

October

This day we recd a

very hard time we

marched about 20 miles

and fight all the way

we had number wounded

and five killed four by

shells and one by bullet

one in our co was

The last word is water sploched wounded in the (hi??)

The entries for March 15 through March 24 are blank.

March 25

Brown ink Dec the 4^th / 63

Hutchens for pen .20

Daniel Blake 6.00

Chester Cronk 5.00

Richerd Hafard paid .25

26

Washin for the Co D / 64

Wm Hutchens

for washin shirt and drawers .20

for throwin penies on pen .25

for one Rasor .50

for washin .10

for washin .20

Feb for 6(?) lbs chees 1.95

11/6 washin shirt + drawers .20

27

Albert Johnsen

for washin close .20

March 28

John (Edsen)

Raffling on pen .25

for washin close .10

for cigars .25

for one pen 2.00

for raffling on pen .25

for washin .10

we cross the river

due on pen bought before 1.00

29

for washin one shirt .10

for raffling on sausage .10

for cigars for milk .25

for raffling on pens + one (chese) 1.00

for washin one shirt .10

for shirt + drawers .20

Feb the (2) washin .20

Feb 16^th washin shirt .10

30

Henry (Seat)

for washin drawers .10

March 31

Henry Hogskish

for chees 1.00

for cigars .25

for washin .30

for cigars .25

for washin 2.10

for washin .20

Paid 2,40

Jesey Germond

for chees 1.00

for washin .10

“ “ .20

“ “ .20

Feb the 12^th (9 5/9) lbs chees 1,72

Paid 3.22

Joseph Mead

for washin .10

for washin .20

April 1

David (Priar)

for cigars .10

for chees .50

for chees .50

for cigars .25

for washin .20

for cigars .25

for washin .10

March the 19^th washin .20

3

Frank R Roberts

for washin .20

for washin .10

for washin .50

paid .80

April 4

Jackson Lyen

for cigars .15

for washin Paid .20

5

Albert Adams

for cigars paid .25

for raffling on (rasor) .25

6

Luther A VanHuran

Raffling on pen .25

washin pants drawers and shirt .25

Washin shirt and drawers .20

Feb (?) for washing .20

16^th washin pants and shirt .25

for knife 1.00

April 7

Albert Rose

due on pen 1.00

for cigars + crystal .75

for cigars .25

Feb the (4^th) lbs chees .35

Feb 16^th washin shirts .20

Paid 2.50

8

Wallace Haford

due on oysters .20

for raffling on knife .10

for washing coat, shirt, pants .35

for washing one shirt .10

washin for (gen) and Lieut .50

washin for “ one shirt .10

washin for

9

Wallace Francis (?)

for 4 lbs chees paid .20

10

Mr. Chancey Cronk

Caneadea

Alleganey Co.

11

Adelbert Carpenter

Feb (1^st) 4 lbs chees Paid

12

Edward (Parmer)

of Co B 64rgt

Feb the (1^st) 2 ¾ lbs chees .80

April 13

Nathanel F Hunt

Feb 2^nd 2 ¼ lbs lbs chees .67

Feb 8^th for chees .50

x paid 1.17

14

Silas Wheeler

of Comp (I)

for 5 lbs of chees paid 5.00

15

John Nickles (Jr)

Feb 4^th 1 lbs chees .30

April 16

George of Co B

for two lbs of chees .60 paid

The entry spaces provided for April 17 – 30 are blank.

BV²