Sarah Earle Chase wrote these letters to her family, friends, and government officials between 1861 and 1913. Transcription is available for selected letters. She describes her experiences as a schoolteacher for the New England Freedmen’s Aid Society.
Sarah Earl Chase's diary for 1865 is also available digitally.
About Sarah Earle Chase
With her sister, Lucy Chase, Sarah Earle Chase (1836-1915) began teaching in Virginia in January 1863. During that time, the sisters described their experiences and observations in correspondence sent to family back home in Worcester, Massachusetts. Due to poor health, Sarah stopped teaching in 1866. Three years later, when Lucy also ended her teaching career, the Chase sisters traveled in Europe, writing letters and keeping fragmented journals. Sarah returned to Worcester, where she died in 1915.
An 1862 family album of carte-de-visite photographs provides additional visual context.
Transcription
- Correspondence of Sarah Chase, April 20, 1861-1913 (Box 1, Folder 9). Download PDF
Digital Copy
Box 1, Folder 9
- Sarah Earle Chase, Diary, 1865; 1870 (272098 octavo 3)