The Sweden Historical Society was fortunate to have received a 1878 journal written by Clifford L. Pike. Clifford Pike was best known to those in Sweden as the compiler of the extensive Genealogies of early Sweden residents, an important reference for local historians.
This 1878 Journal represents another facet to the life of Dr. Pike. It is a handwritten journal filled with stories and poems. It is a real thrill to read and will be a wonderful addition to our library.
The volume was passed through Sweden’s Woodbury family to Mark Cadman, the grandson of Eugene Heald Woodbury.
Many thanks to
Mark and Deborah Cadman
for this generous and thoughtful donation
Records in My Life
Evil Be to Him That Evil Thinks!
I was born in the town of S – Co of O – State of Me. [erasure] at an early age my father enlisted in the 17th Me Regiment and went to war after the battle of Fredericksburg he died just across the river in Falmouth Va. I had the luck of having three uncles in the war one in the 12th Me one in the 23rd Me and one in the 12 N.H. Comp. 3 all the others were in the Comp B of their respective regiments all died except uncle A. of the 12th Me. After the death of my father, we lived a year or two on the farm he left us when my mother married a man by the name of B — where we soon went to live. I went to school at B. at an early age where I acquired a taste for poetry some of the pieces of which will appear in this book but not in the order they were written.
When very small I used to delight in running away with my Cz. who was visiting me and in some of our excursions we were often in great danger. I remember once getting upon a rock to go in bathing when I slipped off into a deep hole and came very close to drowning only presence of mind saved me. At another time while fishing at a very muddy pond a pickerel nearly pulled me in – if he had he would have had a chance to have pulled me in instead of me drowning him for no one was with me.
Once while at work at B.- husking corn for the factory we boys got to fooling throwing corn cobs at each other when an unlucky throw hit a horse which jumped and struck me knocking me down and running over me. For two or three days I hurt something. It was a narrow escape at least so I thought.
While out gunning with another boy one day we espied a large flock of Ducks. I fired at one of them wounding it, loading the gun again with a heavy charge. I started to go where I could get a better sight at them when in passing through some bushes my gun went off and some of the shot passed through my coat it frightened me not a little and taught me a lesson with guns I shall not soon forget.
When fifteen years of age I took my satchel of books on my shoulder with what few articles of wearing apparel I had and started for B. to go to school going almost entirely among strangers for there was only one in the whole school that I knew.
My advent in the school created no little amusement to the scholars specially the girls who seemed never to have seen a person from out of town before at recess they would either stand at one end of the school room and stare at me or else in crossing the room would try run over me, it amused me not a little but they soon got over this as new scholars more constantly coming in.
While still fifteen I taught my first school it was in my own town and I boarded at home. I had considerable success considering my age, the greatest trouble I found and that was not much trouble only amusement to me, was two large girls about my own age, if I helped one the other would be so mad she would not speak and it was difficult to please them both. I say deliver me from two large girls in a school and I have heard other teachers than myself say the same. It was about this time that I wrote my first piece of poetry. This piece was written when I was sick commenced June 21st ended Jun 26th 1877.
<poem follows, not yet transcibed>
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