Concepts Overview

Certain concepts have been highlighted throughout the journal to identify and visualize certain narrative themes pertaining to the Southern environment that occur throughout the journal. These concepts can also be viewed as a Timeline, revealing the frequency of the themes over time, or as an interactive Map, which plots and organizes concepts using a searchable, sortable interface.

Clicking on a concept located in the sidebar will highlight text from the journal pertaining to that concept. Scroll through the journal to read the selected text. If no text is highlighted, that particular theme does not appear in any entries for that month. Hovering the mouse over a portion of highlighted text will display a popup with the concept being browsed.

When Alcander returns to Illinois for recruiting duty from February to April 1864, these concepts also apply to the Northern wilderness, landscapes, cities, and people.

Wilderness

This concept makes note of Alcander's accounts of the Southern wilderness, the sublime, the picturesque, and the savage, as well as general geographic descriptions.

Landscape

This concept denotes instances of reports of the Southern landscape, those elements of human alterations to the natural wilderness, such as farms, agriculture, and battlefields.

Community

This concept marks text pertaining to race, Southerners, women, and men.

Cityscape

This concept refers to text describing urban elements: cities, churches, and cemeteries.

Warscape

This concept highlights mentions of the enemy, battles and skirmishes, African-American soldiers, and the war's outlook.