Milton S. Westfall was a young Methodist minister assigned to the Bolivar circuit in Bolivar County, Mississippi, for the years 1860 to1862. The Bolivar circuit, which included the communities of Beulah, Glencoe, Lake Bolivar, and Prentiss, among others, was in the Greenville District of the Mississippi Methodist Conference. As was customary for a preaching circuit, one or two other ministers would assist Westfall from time to time. At the time of Westfall’s service in Mississippi, he was unmarried. Westfall boarded with Judge and Mrs. Burrus, probably John C. and Louisa M. Burrus of Lake Bolivar. His typical preaching schedule included two or three Sunday sermons to congregations at churches and plantations and mid-week prayer meetings at one of the communities on his route. Most of Westfall’s time was devoted to studying, writing, and ministering to members of his congregations. He also enjoyed socializing with his host families and their guests and fishing and hunting in his leisure time.

The Westfall diary covers the calendar year 1861, except for the following omissions: January 1 and 2 and February 1 through 17. Although the entries are very short, Westfall records his travels, expenses, illnesses, sermon notes, devotional thoughts, impressions of the various communities he serves, and political opinions of his church members. Since much of his ministerial work depended on the weather, he devotes much space to how rain, cold, or excessive heat affects his travels or the lives of his church members. Westfall describes preaching to congregations, both white and black, in churches and on plantations. Sometimes he records how well his sermons were received.

Westfall’s diary entries frequently contain news of the Civil War. A pacifist, Westfall usually prays that the war will end soon, although he frequently sympathizes with the Confederacy. He records some of the activities of the Bolivar Home Guard as they prepare for war. Westfall notes whether war news is received by newspaper or telegraph. His entries mark special days of the political year and those of the church calendar, the latter of which includes the quarterly meetings of his conference. At the annual meeting of the conference held in Canton in 1861, Westfall remarks on the sermons preached, his reappointment to the Bolivar circuit, his birthday on December 9, and the town itself.

In addition to its historical value, the diary also serves as a record of the spiritual journey of a young minister. Westfall frankly states his feelings of assurance or doubt, his attempts at preaching effectively, and his homesickness during his frequent illnesses. His meticulous listing of his many affluent hosts suggests his dependence on them for his food and shelter, along with his desire to strike a balance between finding comfortable hospitality and being a burden.

1. Diary. 1861. 1 item.