Simply enter the word you wish to find and the search engine will search for every instance of the word in the journals. For example: Fight. All instances of the use of the word fight will show up on the results page.
Using an asterisk (*) will increase the odds of finding the results you are seeking. For example: Fight*. The search results will display every instance of fight, fights, fighting, etc. More than one wildcard may be used. For example: *ricar*. This search will return most references to the Aricara tribe, including Ricara, Ricares, Aricaris, Ricaries, Ricaree, Ricareis, and Ricarra. Using a question mark (?) instead of an asterisk (*) will allow you to search for a single character. For example, r?n will find all instances of ran and run, but will not find rain or ruin.
Searches are not case sensitive. For example: george will come up with the same results as George.
Searching for a specific phrase may help narrow down the results. Rather long phrases are no problem. For example: "This white pudding we all esteem".
Because of the creative spellings used by the journalists, it may be necessary to try your search multiple times. For example: P?ro*. This search brings up numerous variant spellings of the French word pirogue, "a large dugout canoe or open boat." Searching for P?*r*og?* will bring up other variant spellings. Searching for canoe or boat also may be helpful.
| Entering in only one field | Searches |
|---|---|
| Year, Month, & Day | Single day |
| Year & Month | Whole month |
| Year | Whole year |
| Month & Day | 1600-#-# to 2100-#-# |
| Month | 1600-#-1 to 2100-#-31 |
| Day | 1600-01-# to 2100-12-# |
hereafter and to the latest ages, when Bull Run and Shiloh and Port Hudson, when Vicksburg and Stone River
Parker's family —I am writing this by my window in the office—it is a fine view, ten miles of river,
take a serpentine course—their arms flash in the sun—Hark to the musical clank; Behold the silvery river—in
spots, and you airs that swim above lightly, And all you essences of soil and growth—and you, my rivers
green leaves of the trees pro- lific prolific In the distance the flowing glaze, the breast of the river
It is pleasant this afternoon—the sun is shining out—the river & hills on the other side look beautiful
baffled; Not the path-finder, penetrating inland, weary and long, By deserts parched, snows chilled, rivers
sitting in Louisiana, a number of adjudications were had upon libels in rem against steamboats & other river
abstract, & other papers submitted to me relative to the title of "Seavey's Island," in the Piscataqua River
country is beautiful now—I take a walk on Broadway almost every afternoon—then sometimes a sail on the river
view of great expanse, & very comforting every way—also a pleasant breeze coming in steadily from the river
I am writing this by my window in the office—the breeze is blowing moderate, and the view down the river
window I have so often mentioned, & have the cool breeze blow on you, as it is now, & the trees & river
This quotation is taken from Henry David Thoreau's A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849).