Nothing, only bitter cold. We dance every night at some of our [quarters]. Some of the men put a white handkerchief around one of their arms, and these act as the ladies. We have a jolly good time.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 68
Moved this morning,
feeling for the enemy, and came up to them at noon, five miles from the Run, in
the Wilderness. It certainly is a wilderness; it is almost impossible for a man
to walk, as the woods are thick with an underbrush growth and all kinds of
shrubbery, old logs, grapevines, and goodness knows what. My corps of
sharpshooters was ordered to the front. We formed in line and advanced to the
enemy. We fought them very hard for three hours, they falling back all the
time. Our sharpshooters' line got mixed up with Gordon's Brigade, and fought
with them. In one charge we got to the most elevated place in the Wilderness.
We looked back for our brigade, but saw it not. Just then a Yankee officer came
up and we took him prisoner. Some of Gordon's men took him to the rear. Six of
our regiment, sharpshooters, myself included, went to the right to join our
regiment, but were picked up by the Yankees and made prisoners. We were run
back in their line on the double quick. When we got to their rear we found
about 300 of our men were already prisoners. The Yankees lost very heavily in
this fight, more than we did. Although we lost heavy enough, but, my Heavens!
what an army they have got. It seems to me that there is ten of them to one of
us. It looks strange that we could deliver such fearful blows when, in fact, if
numbers counted, they should have killed us two years ago. In going to their
rear we passed through four lines of battle and reinforcements still coming up,
while we are satisfied with, or at least have no more than one line of battle.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 60-1
Fighting commenced
at daylight, and lasted all day. So did it last with their everlasting
reinforcements. If General Lee only had half their men, and those men were
rebels, we would go to Washington in two weeks. When he has fought such an army
for four years it certainly shows we have the generals and the fighting-stock
on our side, and they have the hirelings. Look at our army, and you will see
them in rags and barefooted. But among the Yankees I see nothing but an
abundance of everything. Still, they haven't whipped the rebels. Several of our
boys came in as prisoners to-day, with them Engle of our company. They think I
was killed, so does my brother, but as yet the bullet has not done its last
work for your humble servant.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 61
We are still penned
up as prisoners in the rear of the army, close by General Grant's headquarters.
A great many prisoners came in to-day. From some of them I heard that my
brother was well.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 61
We left this place
at dark last night, but only got a distance of two miles, and it took us until
9 in the morning of the 9th.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 61
Started again this
morning, and passed over the Chancellorsville battlefield. Marched twelve miles
to-day. We passed a brigade of negro troops. They gave us a terrible cursing,
and hollered "Fort Pillow" at us. I am only sorry that this brigade
of negroes was not there, then they certainly would not curse us now. We halted
at dark on the plank road seven miles from Fredericksburg.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 61-2
Fighting to-day at
Spottsylvania Court House. Prisoners still coming in, two more from my company.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 62
This morning about
800 more prisoners came in. Most of them were from my brigade, as well as from
Dole's Georgians. I was surprised to see my brother with them. He was taken
yesterday, but before he surrendered he sent two of the enemy to their long
home with his bayonet.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 62
Raining hard all
day, and fighting all last night. About 2 o'clock this afternoon about 2,000
prisoners came in, with them Major-General Johnson and Brigadier-General
Stewart. We have moved four miles nearer to Fredericksburg. I suppose they
think we are too close to our own lines, and they are afraid we will be
recaptured, as it was a few days ago. We heard our boys', or, as the Yankees
call it, the Rebel yell. We prisoners also gave the Rebel yell. A few minutes
after that they brought cannon to bear on us, and we were told to stop, or they
would open on us. We stopped.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 62
Left here this
morning and passed through Fredericksburg. Crossed the Rappahannock on pontoon
bridges, and got to Belle Plain on the Potomac at 3 o'clock-nineteen miles
to-day. It rained all day, and it is very muddy.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 62
We are still camped
here. Have been prisoners since the 5th of this month, and have drawn three and
a half days' rations. On that kind of a diet I am not getting very fat. We
certainly would have suffered a great deal, but our Yankee guard gave us quite
a lot of their own rations.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
Still here. They are
fighting very hard on the front.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
Left this morning at
11 in a tugboat, and from here packed into the Steamer S. R. Spaulding. We are
now on our way to a regular prison. We got there at 8 o'clock to-night, and
found it to be Point Lookout, Md., fifty miles from Belle Plain. It is in St.
Mary's County. We were drawn up in line, searched for valuables, and they taken
from us, and marched to prison, one mile from the landing. There are sixteen
men in each tent.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
Saw Mack Sample,
Will Stone and several of our company to-day that have been prisoners since the
battle of Gettysburg. We get two meals a day.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
We are divided in
divisions and companies. There is a thousand in each division and one hundred in
each company. A sergeant commands each company. We get light bread one day and
crackers the other.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
Saw Darnell, of my
company, to-day. He was just from the front. He brings us very bad news. Our
General Daniels was killed, which is certainly a great loss to us, for he was a
good and brave man, also our major of the 53d, Iredell, and my captain, White,
all killed. Colonel Owens, my colonel, was mortally wounded, and quite a number
of my company were killed and wounded. He says there is only seven of our
company left, and that our Lieutenant-Colonel Morehead is commanding Daniels'
Brigade.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63-4
Three years ago
to-day the Old North State left the Union, and we went to the front full of
hopes to speedily show the Yankee Government that the South had a right to
leave the Union; but to-day, how dark it looks!
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 64
I heard to-day that
my brother Morris was a prisoner at Fort Delaware, Pa. I asked for a parole
to-day to go and see my parents in New York, but they could not see it.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 64
Nothing new from the
front.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 64
We are guarded by
negro troops, who are as mean as hell. At each meal there is a guard placed
over 500 prisoners, who go to their meals in ranks of four. We are not allowed
to cross a certain line, called the "Dead Line," but as 500 men go at
one time to meals, of course near the door there is always a rush. To-day one
of our men accidentally crossed the line. He was pushed over by the crowd, when
a black devil shot and killed him, and wounded two others.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 64
