Dates: 1864-1877.

Biography:

William M. Strickland

William M. Strickland (b. 1825), the son of Matthew (1790-1858) and Elizabeth (1791-1839) Strickland of North Carolina, moved with his parents to Panola County, Mississippi, in 1837. He was practicing law in Holly Springs, Marshall County, Mississippi, by 1850. William and Martha Strickland were married by 1854. Strickland owned real and personal property worth more than seventy-two thousand dollars in 1860. He enlisted in the Confederate army as a first sergeant in Company D (Jeff Davis Rifles), Ninth Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, in 1861. Martha Strickland had apparently died, and William Strickland was married to Janie L. Strickland (b. 1845) of Mississippi by 1870. William Strickland had at least six children: Belle F. (b. 1855), Minnie, William M., Jr., Pearl (b. 1871), Frank L. (b. 1875), and Claude (b. 1880). He became a trustee of the Holly Springs Normal School in 1894. The Stricklands were still living in Holly Springs with children Pearl, Frank L., and Claude in 1900.

Belle F. Strickland

Belle F. Strickland was born in Holly Springs on March 1, 1855. She kept a diary from the age of nine until she was twenty-two. Strickland married C. L. Bates in Marshall County on May 18, 1881, but they had no children.

 
Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of a paginated, indexed typescript and photocopy of the original diary of Belle F. Strickland. The diary entries date from July 25, 1864, to July of 1877, and they chronicle many events in the Holly Springs area during and after the Civil War. However, the entries are irregular, and several years are omitted. Most entries describe Strickland’s progress in school; her attendance at the Holly Springs Presbyterian Church and occasionally at the Catholic church; the health of her family; and the weather. Of particular interest are Strickland’s accounts of the 1864 Union army raids on Holly Springs. She also mentions several weddings and the deaths of a few people, including a Mr. Nelson and a Mr. Tucker.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Diary Typescript. 1864-1877. 1 folder.

Series 2: Original Diary (Photocopy). 1864-1877. 4 folders.