City of Somerville (Somerville Public Library)

The Somerville Public Library in Massachusetts will provide conservation treatment to the leather-bound pocket diary kept by Lieutenant Frederick Watson Pierce, a Somerville soldier who served during the Spanish-American War. Pierce’s diary covers the months leading up to the war, his military service stateside during the war, and his experiences in Cuba as part of the postwar occupation force. The diary is especially valuable as it records the day-to-day activities of a young officer surrounded by historic events.