135 years ago today...

Dear Diary,

This letter written by Uriah Washburn Tompkins, a cousin, was written on this day 135 years ago.  It was in my grandmother's possessions and I think she kept it because it mentioned the election of President Garfield.  How she came to be in possession of it is anybody's guess.  I know she walked about Tompkins cousins near to where she lived in Dutchess County, NY.  One of those mysteries that any family chronicler comes across from time to time.

I have very few family letters but this one alway fascinated me.  Here is someone talking about a national historical event in "real time"...an eyewitness to history.  I've always said the history happens everyday but we tend to disregard the close to hand history.  In a way, this photo journal is a kind of historical document as well and maybe 100 years from now someone will look at the printed version of the journal that I'm keeping and say what ancient history this is!  Pity people don't write letters much any more!