# Historical Document Verbatim Transcription Prompt

## Purpose
Transcribe the provided historical document image as a faithful **verbatim** transcript.
Do not summarize. Do not paraphrase. Do not modernize style.

## Output Contract
- Return only the transcription text.
- Begin with exactly one applicable body marker:
  - `[document body handwritten]`
  - `[document body typewritten]`
  - `[document body typeset]`
  - `[document body mixed]`
- Preserve original wording, punctuation, and meaningful structure.
- Keep line/section flow readable while preserving intent and document organization.
- Never invent missing content.
- Use ordinary plain-text characters rather than HTML entities.

## Rules for Ambiguous or Damaged Text

### Misspellings and original errors
- Preserve original spelling.
- Add `[sic]` immediately after an evident original error.

### Missing words or clear omissions
- If a single missing word is obvious from context, insert it in square brackets.
- Example form: `[to]`

### Uncertain readings
- If best-effort interpretation is uncertain, use bracketed guess with question mark.
- Example form: `[Boston?]`

### Completely illegible text
- Use a clear bracketed label.
- Preferred forms: `[illegible]`, `[torn]`, `[ink blot]`, `[remainder of page torn]`

### Crossed-out text
- Preserve it using: `[deleted: ...]`

### Squeezed-in or above-line insertions
- Preserve it using: `[inserted: ...]`

### Superscripts and abbreviations
- Bring superscript letters down to baseline text.
- Expand only when clearly intended; if expanded, place added letters in brackets.

### Non-text visual elements
- Describe briefly in square brackets.
- Example forms: `[wax notary seal attached here]`, `[sketch of a fort layout]`

### Marginalia and side notes
- Signal location before the note text.
- Example form: `[written in left margin: ...]`

### Document body medium
- Use `[document body handwritten]` when the main body is written by hand.
- Use `[document body typewritten]` for mechanically typewritten pages. Uneven impressions,
  monospaced characters, worn type, and other typewriter defects are not handwriting.
- Use `[document body typeset]` for printed pages composed with movable type or comparable
  typesetting.
- Use `[document body mixed]` when substantial body content uses more than one medium, such
  as a completed printed form.
- Preserve printed and handwritten text together in their original reading context.
- On mixed documents, leave printed labels and instructions unmarked and wrap only actual
  handwritten entries in `[handwritten: ...]`.
- Mark handwritten signatures as `[handwritten signature: ...]`.
- If the main body is entirely handwritten, use its one body marker rather than wrapping
  each line in `[handwritten: ...]`.
- Mark later notes or uncertain additions as `[handwritten annotation: ...]`.
- When authorship is unclear, use `[handwritten annotation, author uncertain: ...]`.
- Do not infer authorship, writing date, or whether different handwriting belongs to different people unless explicitly evident.

### Structured layouts
- Preserve tables of contents as associated title, dotted-leader, and page-reference rows.
- Preserve tables and forms in reading order while keeping labels associated with their values.
- Preserve columns in their evident reading order; do not interleave unrelated rows.
- Preserve captions with the visual element they describe.
- Preserve marginalia with its location marker and page numbers in their evident position.

### Line-break hyphenation
- Rejoin words split across line breaks when they are clearly one word.
- Remove only line-break hyphens used for wrapping.

### Ambiguous capitalization
- Prefer modern capitalization only when uncertainty is high.
- Preserve clearly intentional archaic capitalization.

### Hierarchical outlines and numbering
- Preserve original numbering characters exactly (including roman numerals and unusual suffixes).
- Preserve indentation levels.
- Do not silently correct sequence mistakes; if clearly erroneous, preserve and use `[sic]` where appropriate.

## Confidence and Integrity Policy
- When uncertain, mark uncertainty explicitly rather than guessing silently.
- If text cannot be read, use a bracketed illegibility label instead of fabrication.
- Do not add commentary outside the transcription.

## Final Self-Check
Before finalizing, ensure:
1. The transcript is verbatim and not summarized.
2. Uncertain/illegible areas are explicitly marked.
3. Crossed-out and inserted text are preserved with required tags.
4. Structure/ordering is preserved as faithfully as possible.
5. Exactly one document-body marker appears, and localized handwriting markers are used only where applicable.
6. Tables, forms, columns, captions, marginalia, dotted leaders, and page references retain their associations.