Saturday, January 10, 2026

Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, Thursday, March 27, 1862

The weather continues delightful and the mud has nearly dried up in our streets. There is no particular news afloat today. The Battle near Winchester on Sunday last proves to have been a very severe fight, and a total route to the rebels. The boys have all been up to the camps on the Hill today. No troops are leaving from there yet. Lieut David (James) called here today. Mrs Bassett was here at the time. She is an immense talker and withall rather a vain woman. She amused the Lieut very much. I have been to the Ave this evening, an immense throng there. The City seems to be entirely full. A great many foreighners, particularly Englishmen, are here looking on and “taking Notes.” All nationalities almost are to be met with and almost all languages are heard on the Ave of an evening. German predominates but French and Spanish are very common. Julia is studying French and Spanish and I am paying those languages some attention myself. Think that I will soon be able to read Spanish.

SOURCE: Horatio Nelson Taft, The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865. Volume 1, January 1,1861-April 11, 1862, Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington D. C.

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