Dandridge E. Kelsey's diary for the year 1854 is the first in a series that covers consistently the years 1853-1876. This 1854 volume begins with some personal and family history (D. E. Kelsey was born March 27, 1818, and had four children with his wife, Mercy Lacock, who had died the day before on December 31, 1853. The January 1, 1854, entry began: "Mercy Kelsey my Wife was buried and the funeral preached by the reverend Mr. Mellender at Coles Chapel . . . ). Kelsey had not yet moved to Kansas Territory in 1854.

Creator: Kelsey, Dandridge E. (Dandridge Eliphalet), 1818-1904
Date: 1854