In 1862, Hillsborough, NH, native Willard Templeton enlisted in the 11th NH Regiment and went off with his fellows to fight the Civil War. He was wounded at Spotsylvania, VA, on May 12, 1864, and served as part of the color guard at the Battle of the Crater during the siege of Petersburg, where he was killed in the mine explosion on July 30, 1864. During the time he was in the army, Templeton wrote several letters to friends and family at home, and 140 of these fascinating accounts are held in collection at the New Hampshire State Library. The documents represented in KSCommons were digitized and transcribed as part of a Keene State College class project called "Letters of Secessia" organized in 2014 by History Professor Graham Warder and College Archivist Rodney Obien. The class project served as a model for the NH Citizen Archivists' Initiative.
Looking into a family home interior. This photograph shows very clearly how the house has been constructed, as described above. Below you can see stored fish traps that are used in the Sungai Satah.
This elderly man had earlier been hunting with his blowpipe and curare tipped darts. He caught a monkey and his wife then made a delicious curry with locally grown wild rice.
After taking this photograph the Peace Corps nurse, the Orang Asli Field Staff and myself were invited to a Ronggeng - an evening of dancing - with music performed on homemade instruments made from such materials as bamboo.
While on my way to visit a nearby kampong I was surprised to come across this rubber tapper's lone home. I chatted to him in malay and learned that he was a tamil indian and made a living by selling his sheets of latex to visiting chinese traders. He had his own small plantation of rubber trees. You can see the latex sheets hanging below his house. Note also the large banana tree to the right of his roof.
The "Batin"(headman) is receiving his Mantoux test. The Orang Asli of the Satah area had always been very reluctant to come forward for Tuberculosis testing and immunization in the past. However, that was not the case this time. Their curiosity got the better of them as a "white woman" was at the Medical Post this time. Many had never seen one before. The "Batin" then ordered everyone to attend!
