This diary was kept by Mary S. Hallowell in 1863. At that time, Mary was living in Philadelphia. The diary covers the entire year, from January 1, 1863 to December 31, 1863, and then ends with a portion of the book left blank. Mary wrote in the diary almost daily and usually discussed general topics such as her social visits and errands, cooking, health, and her family.

The tone and content of the diary suggest that Mary was a young woman when she wrote it, and on Christmas day she mentions exchanging presents with Emma and Charlie. The 1850 and 1860 censuses of Alexandria show several Hallowell family groups living in the city. Caleb Hallowell, a teacher, had children named Mary (age 19 in 1860), Charles, and Emma in his household. When the Civil War broke out, Caleb Hallowell “foresaw the severity of the struggle,” moved to Philadelphia, and opened a school (“Reminiscences” by Henry Clay Hallowell in Alexandria Library Special Collections Vertical File – Biographies – Hallowell). It therefore appears that Mary S. Hallowell may have been the daughter of Caleb S. Hallowell.

The Alexandria Library contains numerous other diaries in its collection, and several other first-person accounts of Quaker and Hallowell family life in Alexandria during the late nineteenth century. These include the autobiography of Benjamin Hallowell (1799-1877), the recollections of Elizabeth Hallowell Miller (1844-1927), and the reminiscences of Henry Clay Hallowell (1829-1899).