Sirene "Rene" Bunten, born in French Creek, Upshur County, in 1847, kept a diary from 1863 through the 1870s, documenting life on the home front during the Civil War. As a teenager, she tracked military events, including the Jones-Imboden Raid and the Battle of Gettysburg. She was a strong Union supporter and deeply concerned about her three brothers, two of whom died in Confederate prisons. Her diary reflects her worries, hopes, and personal losses during the war, capturing the emotional toll the Civil War took on families.