Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: May 21, 1863

There was a rumor on the street last night that Gen. Johnston had telegraphed the President that it would be necessary to evacuate Vicksburg. This has not been confirmed to-day, and I do not believe it. It would be irremediably disastrous.

Mr. N. S. Walker writes from Bermuda, May 11th, 1863, that seventeen additional British regiments have been ordered to Canada. A large amount of ordnance and ordnance stores, as well as several war steamers, have likewise been sent thither. He states, moreover, that United States vessels are having their registers changed. Does this really mean war?

Strawberries were selling in market this morning at $4 for less than a pint. Coal $25 per load, and wood $30 per cord.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 329

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 31, 1863

Another stride of the grim specter, and cornmeal is selling for $17 per bushel. Coal at $20.50 per ton, and wood at $30 per cord. And at these prices one has to wait several days to get either. Common tallow candles are selling at $4 per pound. I see that some furnished houses are now advertised for rent; and, I hope that all the population that can get away, and subsist elsewhere, will leave the city.

The lower house of Congress has passed a most enormous tax bill, which I apprehend cannot be enforced, if it becomes a law. It will close half the shops — but that may be beneficial, as thousands have rushed into trade and become extortioners.

I see some batteries of light artillery going toward Petersburg. This is to be used against the enemy when he advances in that direction from Suffolk. No doubt another attempt will be made to capture Richmond. But Lee knows the programme, I doubt not.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 283

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant George G. Smith: August 5, 1864

Relieved Eighteenth Indiana, went home on the Iberville. Lieutenant Kerney and myself crossed the river early in the morning. Found Captain Felton sick. Took command of the company. The regiment had changed front and got new tents. Next day had regimental inspection and some company property condemned. Two or three days after I was relieved from guarding the telegraph station across the river, a rebel gunboat came down the Mississippi, and hitching the telegraph wires just above the station to the stern of their boat pulled them off the poles for quite a long distance below. The commander at the station sent a dispatch to a gunboat over at the Fort undergoing some repairs, but they had no coal on board. A coal barge was in the river loaded with coal, so the commander moved down alongside and coaled up affirming with oaths that he would catch that boat before she reached the Gulf of Mexico or sink his own. It was in the night time when the rebel boat went down. She passed the Essex laying near Baton Rouge, our fort (Butler) with eight guns and a gunboat, two forts between us and New Orleans and two or three iron clads at the latter city and never got fired on once. After they passed New Orleans they saw a heavy Ironclad coming up the river with a transport lashed alongside. This showed them that the game was up, and they run her ashore, blew her up, and the crew escaped into the woods The gunboat from Donaldsonville made good time, but when it came up with the prize, it was almost consumed to the water's edge.

SOURCE: Abstracted from George G. Smith, Leaves from a Soldier's Diary, p. 128-9

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: Tuesday, September 30, 1862

Up long before sunrise and prepared for the scout. At 6 A. M. reported to Gen. Salomon. Wanted us to go 30 miles for coal! Boys all mad. When two miles from Carthage, men fired upon the wagons and us from the brush. Drew up into line but they did not show themselves. Passed through Carthage. Kansas train fired upon. Twelve men went back and met them. Reached the coal pit 13 miles west of C., about dark. Bunked with Capt. Nettleton. Rained next morning at 2 A. M. Went to wagon. Got quite wet. Saw Miss Hood and Shirley at their doors. Heard artillery firing. Proved to be a battle at Newtonia between a reconnoitering party of 500 and against 7,000 rebels. 2nd Ohio Battery covered itself with glory.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 34

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 20, 1862 – 9 p.m.

After a very cold day, it has become intensely frigid. I have two fires in our little Robin's Nest (frame) on the same floor, and yet ice forms rapidly in both rooms, and we have been compelled to empty the pitchers! This night I doubt not the Potomac will be closed to Burnside and his transports! During the first Revolution, the Chesapeake was frozen over. If we have a winter like that, we shall certainly have an armistice in Virginia without the intervention of any other than the Great Power above. But we shall suffer for the want of fuel: wood is $18 per cord, and coal $14 per cart load.

Gen. Bonham, who somehow incurred the dislike of the authorities here, and was dropped out of the list of brigadiers, has been made Governor of South Carolina.

And Gen. Wise, who is possessed of perhaps the greatest mind in the Confederacy, is still fettered. They will not let him fight a battle, because he is “ambitious!” When Norfolk was (wickedly) given up, his home and all his possessions fell into the hands of the enemy. He is now without a shelter for his head, bivouacing with his devoted brigade at Chaffin's farm, below the city. He is the senior brigadier in the army, and will never be a major-general.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 219

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: November 25, 1862

Fredericksburg is not shelled yet; and, moreover, the enemy have apologized for the firing at the train containing women and children. Affairs remain in statu quo — the mayor and military authorities agreeing that the town shall furnish neither aid nor comfort to the Confederate army, and the Federals agreeing not to shell it — for the present.

Gen. Corcoran, last year a prisoner in this city, has landed his Irish brigade at Newport News. It is probable we shall be assailed from several directions simultaneously.

No beggars can be found in the streets of this city. No cry of distress is heard, although it prevails extensively. High officers of the government have no fuel in their houses, and give nearly $20 per cord for wood for cooking purposes. And yet there are millions of tons of coal almost under the very city!

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 196

Diary of Salmon P. Chase: Thursday, October 2, 1862

Seward came to my house with letter to Stuart, vindicating the course of the Treasury Department concerning Trade Orders and Regulations. I approved the whole; but suggested that as the regulations embraced the coal order substantially, and as Great Britain took exception to that as particularly intended for her, he might say that, to prove the absence of such intention and as a proof of the entire absence of any wish to vex trade, the coal order would be rescinded.

SOURCE: Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1902, Vol. 2, p. 100

Southern News

BEFORE CORINTH, May 18.

The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph condemns in severe language the conduct of the rebel troops at Bridgeport, “by which the most important gateway to our State was opened to the enemy, and possession of all our rich mines and deposits of coal, iron and saltpetre placed in imminent danger.”

Martial law has been proclaimed over Charleston and ten miles surrounding.

The Memphis Appeal says that the Government wants and must have all tin roofs on cotton sheds in that city.

The Vicksburg Citizen of the 9th says nothing was heard of the Federal fleet at [Tunica], yesterday.

A large frigate supposed to be the Brooklyn passed Bayou Sara at 9 o’clock, A. M. on the 8th, going down.

The Baton Rouge Advocate has closed doors and suspended publication, on account of the approach of the Federal gunboats.

Col. Posser, commanding the post at Memphis, publishes a special order, by order of Beauregard, requiring all banks, persons, and corporations to take Confederate money at par, and all persons will distinctly understand that nothing in the least degree calculated to discredit the operations of the Government will be tolerated, as anything but disloyalty.

One Richmond correspondent of the Appeal mentions with great pain, the large amount of sick confined in the hospitals at Richmond and vicinity.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, May 20, 1862, p. 1

Transporation For The Government

As an evidence of the immense business done by the Government in the way of transportation it is stated that during the past six weeks there have been forwarded to Washington, from Baltimore, 15,000,000 feet of lumber (including heavy timberstock,) 12,000 cords of wood, and 10,000 tons of coal.  Since the 20th of October 9,000 car loads, carrying 800,000 bales of hay, have been sent from Baltimore to Washington, together with 5,000 car loads of oats and corn – nearly 8,000,000 bushels.  On the average 100 cars of the largest capacity, heavily laden with freight, have passed over the road every day since the 20th of October.  In addition to this five regular passenger trains, and from one to six extra trains for troops, have passed daily to and from the points above named.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 1, 1862, p. 1

Rumored Surrender of Ft. Donelson

BALTIMORE, Feb. 14.

Parties who came by the Old Point boat say it was reported in Norfolk, yesterday, that Ft. Donelson had been captured.  Our dispatches from Fort Monroe make no allusion to it.

A reliable passenger from Old Point says some workmen, from the city works at Richmond, say they left there for want of work.  So great was the scarcity of iron and coal that the works there were being suspended.  Coal was enormously high.

The men say there are few, if any, cannon left at Richmond, all having been sent away from time to time to other points.  Very few of the defenses there have any cannon mounted.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, February 17, 1862, p. 1

The Colliery Accident in England

We have already announced the fact of a fearful accident at the mine know as the “Hartley New Pit,” near Newcastle, England. The arrival of the mails of the Nova Scotian places us in possession of the details of the affair – one of the most appalling catastrophes that the annals of accidents record, involving a loss of probably two hundred lives or more. The accident occurred on the 16th of January, at ten o’clock in the morning.

By this catastrophe no less than two hundred men were entombed in the bowels of the earth. Of course people flocked from miles and miles around, and instant efforts were made to relieve the unfortunates, but the labor of clearing away the debris was immense, and only half a dozen men could work in the choked up shaft at a time. A week passed before an entrance to the fearful tomb could be effected. It was too late. The following telegram, published in the London papers of Thursday the 23d, gives the sad result of the calamity:


NORTH SHIELDS, 10 P. M.

The sad tragedy at Hartley Colliery has been revealed to us in its horrors this evening. The cloth battice [sic] was completed this afternoon and cleared the shaft to some extent of gas. Three pitmen (volunteers) went down, penetrated the obstruction, got into the yard seam by the engine drift, and found men lying dead at the furnace. They pushed their way through. The air was bad. Within this door they found a large body of men sleeping the sleep of death. They retreated, and came to the bank with appalling intelligence.

Mr. Humble, viewer of colliery, and Mr. Hall immediately went down, and returned in an hour and a half. Both had to be taken off the sling, seriously affected by gas. They have been all through the works, and found no living man, but a hecatomb of dead bodies. The bulk of the bodies are lying in the gallery near the shaft. An affecting report, has been made by them. Families are lying in groups; children in the arms of their fathers; brothers with brothers. Most of them looked placid as if asleep, but higher up near the furnace, some tall stout men seemed to have died hard. The cornbins were all cleared. Some few of the men had a little corn in their pockets. A pony was lying dead among the men, but untouched. Several volunteers have since penetrated the workings and confirm this statement. Nearly all of them, however, have been brought back seriously affected by the gas. There was great danger of more men loosing their lives. Medical men, of whom there were large numbers at the colliery, held a council at eight o’clock, and by their advice no more men will be allowed to go down until the ventilation is improved. It will be some time before the bodies can be brought to bank.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, February 12, 1862, p. 2


See Also: The Last Sleep Of The Miners.

Arrival of the America

HALIFAX, Feb. 10.

The America, from Liverpool 25th ult., via Queenstown 26th, has arrived.

Sales of cotton Saturday, 5,000 bales; market closing quiet. Breadstuffs dull. – Provisions heavy. Consols 92 3-4a92 7-8.

There are vague rumors that the Emperor Napoleon has notified that he will shortly officially demand joint action in raising the blockade of the Southern ports of the U. S. If England refuses to take part, he will take the initiative alone.

The London Times continues to urge England not to interfere, and says, the nation can afford to wait.

The pirate Sumter is reported Cruising off Genoa.

FRANCE. – The Emperor’s speech to the Corps Legislatif, on the 25th, was expected with great interest, under the belief that he will say something important on American affairs.

The London Times in another editorial says, we need not be eager to meddle with American affairs. This is the time for waiting and we can afford to wait quite easily as the North and South can afford to be looking across the Potomac, at a cost of two million pounds a week each of them. – If there does come any real cause of complaint, it will tell all the more our present patience and forbearance.

The London Globe editorially remarks that the maritime powers cannot be expected to respect Federal blockades unless really effective. The commerce of the world cannot suffer itself to be despoiled for an indefinite period under a mere paper blockade.

As to intervention, says the Globe, We may be invited or offered to intervene, but our great aim must be to preserve consistency with our principles.

In a letter from Mr. Seward to Smith O’Brien, in response to the latter’s recently proffered advice, Mr. Seward urges Mr. O’Brien, if he would promote the cause of America, of Great Britain and humanity at large, to speak and act in every case and without qualification for the American Union. Mr. Seward’s tone is highly patriotic for Union, and friendly towards European powers, in regard to whom he is determined to stand always not only in the right, but upon the defensive.

Geo. Thompson had been lecturing again at Manchester on American affairs. His remarks were mainly in response to a late speech of Mr. Massy at Salford, whose statements he branded as absolutely false, and a great injustice to the North. The lecturer said the breaking of the blockade would be a wicked and fiendish act, and no greater crime could be created against any country. He had faith, however, in the pacific and neutral policy of Earl Russell.

The Times, in an editorial on Mr. Sumner’s speech, protests against any suggestion that England has budged one step from her former position with respect to her rights, either neutral or belligerent. What she agreed to at the Congress of Paris, she still stands by, and what she had before limited only by those concessions she has still. The case of the Trent has made no new phase whatever.

A telegram of the 22d ult., from Algiers, says, on Monday a prolonged cannonading was heard here, proceeding, apparently from a distance about six miles form shore.

A vessel was sighted this morning which is supposed to be the Sumter. It is presumed she sank her adversary.

The above is considered doubtful, as an Algiers telegram of the 24th ult. says the Sumter has been seen in the Genoese waters, a few leagues off the port of Genoa.

The Gibraltar Chronicle says the United States Consul at Cadiz protested against the assistance given the Sumter at that port. The authorities, however, considered themselves bound to afford such aid as was indispensable. The Sumter having sprung a leak near the screw she was permitted to effect the necessary repairs in the arsenal.

Worst fears were realized relative to the accident at the Hartley Coal Mines. Not one of the buried miners was found alive.

The has been very stormy weather on the Irish Chanel. There were several vessels wrecked and some loss of life.

FRANCE. – The dissatisfaction with M. Fould’s Budget was apparently giving way.

The Paris Bourse on the 24th ult. was buoyant. Rentes advanced 1-2 per cent. and closed 70/75c.

SPAIN. – The Minister of State has declared in Congress that Spain would demand reparation from Mexico on account of the war of independence. It was also stated that Spain had received an official communication respecting any further resolution of France and England in reference to Mexico. He concluded by saying that Spain would fittingly support the interests of Mexico.

PRUSSIA. – A rupture was anticipated between the Prussian Government and the Archbishop of Posen, who in a letter to the minister of Public Worship, defends the national attitude assumed by his countrymen.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, February 11, 1862, p. 1

Government Order

PHILADELPHIA, April 14. – Dispatch was received here this morning from the Secretary of the Treasury, directing the Collector of the Port to clear no vessels with anthracite coal for foreign or home ports south of Delaware Bay, until further orders. This dispatch being misconstrued on the first report created quite an excitement in the stock board, it being supposed to apply to all vessels, and exciting fears that the Merrimac had got out. From certain facts that have transpired, the order is supposed to be a precautionary on the part of the Government, to prevent the rebels from receiving supplies of coal via Havana, shipped from Northern ports in barrels, &c.

– Published in the Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862