Letter tags by Candice Becker

Candice wrote me:  I have recently acquired over 50 letters most of which were between my 4g grandfather and 4g grandmother during the civil war.  Entering these letters in the standard tag did not work for me.  These are what I came up with and if you have any suggestions to make them better, I would be delighted.

 

Roles –

[R:Writer]– the person who signed the letter  - gets info from [M1]

[R:Recipient] – the person and/or persons to whom the letter is addressed if available – gets specific info from [M2]

[R:Named] – someone who is referenced in the text of the letter – gets specific info from [M3]

 *** I haven’t found a letter that requires multiple and separate memos for the people named in the letters but it could happen and then the [R:Named] would have companion roles of [R:Named2] and [R:Named3] and so on.

 Sentences –

 For the writer: [:CR:][:TAB:]A letter <dated [D]> penned by [R:Writer] <[L]> <for [R:Recipient]><. [M1]>

            Example:  A letter dated 8 Feb 1863 penned by Ann Thomas at Grant County, Indiana, for John M. Howell.  It states that Ann have been going to writing school taught by T. H. Neal.  In keeping John up with the local events she mentions Snead Thomas was holding to his profession.

***Notice I have two people in the Memo field which could be [R:Named] if I knew who they were, or rather which one they were.

 For the Recipient:  [:CR:][:TAB:]A letter <dated [D]> <written by [R:Writer]> <[L]> was received by [R:Recipient]><. [M2]>

            Example: A letter dated 8 Feb 1863 written by Ann Thomas at Grant County, Indiana, was received by John M. Howell.  She is responding to his letter of January 24^th, which she had received only two days earlier.  Apparently in that letter John had mentioned the boats on the Mississippi because she mentions how she would enjoy a boat ride. 

For Named: [:CR:][:TAB:]A letter <dated [D]> <from [L]> <written by [R:Writer]> <to [R:Recipient]> mentions [R:Named] <. [M3]>

            Example:  A letter dated 9 Feb 1863 from Grant County, Indiana written by Ann Thomas to John M. Howell mentions Rachel Way .  Ann reports that her mother is feeling better.  Rachel had been quite ill since the report says “she can sit up for an hour at a time now.”