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Created by Aimee Reist and John Nemmers. Send comments to FSU Libraries Special Collections
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Gramling Civil War Diary
Biographical Note:
The Gramling family of this country stems from a Bavarian family that
settled in South Carolina in the 18th Century. Sometime in the first part
of the 19th century two brothers, Christian and John, settled, respectively,
in Leon and Madison counties, Florida. Their numerous descendants make
a tradition of holding family reunions annually at either Shiloh Methodist
Church in Madison County or Pisgah Methodist Church in Leon County.
Andrew Peter Gramling, member of the Madison County branch, married his
first cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of Christian of Leon County and before
the Civil War moved to the Centerville area of Leon County. The diarist,
Wilbur, was the son of Andrew Peter and Elizabeth Gramling.
Wilbur and his brother Irvin (grandfather of O.I. Gramling, Jr.) joined
Company K of the 5th Florida Infantry Regiment and participated in various
battles of the Army of Northern Virginia. The 5th eventually became part
of a small brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. E.A. Perry, later a governor
of Florida. Perry's brigade participated in the opening days of the Wilderness
campaign in May, 1864, and Gramling's diary begins with his own capture
on May 6. The diary relates prison experiences in several Federal hospitals
or prisons at Washington and at Elmira, New York, where most of his 15
months of prison life were spent. The diary, however, covers only one year
of this.
Wilbur Gramling returned to Centerville after his release following the
end of the Civil War. He died on December 3, 1870, at the age of 27, reportedly
from a lung ailment dating from his prison life, and he is buried in the
cemetery at Pisgah Methodist Church. (Source: biography written by Clifton
Paisley included with collection)
Scope and Content:
The two items in this collection are a copy of a typescript made by
Clifton Paisley from the original holograph diary and a biographical sketch
of the author of the diary, Wilbur W. Gramling. The original of the diary,
which the donor described as being in "small handwriting and some
of it is illegible because the ink has badly faded," was found among
the belongings of the late Owen Irvin Gramling Sr. of Tallahassee, founder
of O. I. Gramling & Company and nephew of the author. The original
has subsequently come into the possession of O. I. Gramling Jr. of Tallahassee.
Wilbur Gramling joined Company K of the 5th Florida Infantry Regiment,
which eventually became part of a small brigade commanded by Brig. Gen.
E.A. Perry, later a governor of Florida. Perry's brigade participated in
the opening days of the Wilderness campaign in May, 1864, and Gramling's
diary begins with his own capture on May 6. The diary relates prison experiences
in several Federal hospitals or prisons at Washington and at Elmira, New
York, where most of his 15 months of prison life were spent. The diary,
however, covers only one year of this.
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Created by Aimee Reist and John Nemmers. Send comments to FSU Libraries Special Collections
|