Diary of Elvira J. Powers, Wednesday, May 4, 1864

A death in the house. Little Clark, the only son of Rev. E. P. Smith, aged three and a half years, died last night. It is a sad affliction. The disease, decline from measles. The funeral service was held in the parlor, this P. M., by Rev. Mr. Allen. His body was embalmed and is to be sent to the Sabbath School of the parish, over which Mr. S. presided, at Pepperill, Massachusetts.

To me it seems strangely touching this trusting of the precious remains to the chances of travel, and so many miles away, to land in the throng of sad little faces to whose questioning glances he can perchance respond

"From the land o' the leal."

He was laid out in a child's military suit of light blue, with star-flowers, snow-drops, rose-buds, and leaves of the rose geranium. It was a sweetly sacred bequest to the Sabbath School.

SOURCE: Elvira J. Powers, Hospital Pencillings: Being a Diary While in Jefferson General Hospital, Jeffersonville, Ind., and Others at Nashville, Tennessee, as Matron and Visitor, p. 72

The Death of Willie Lincoln.

The deceased son of President LINCOLN was a boy of unusual intelligence, and was a favorite with all who visited the White House. Some weeks since he was taken sick with an intermittent fever, which soon assumed a typhoid character, and since that time he has been gradually sinking. Much of the time his mind his mind has been wandering. His condition has been very critical for more than a week, and last Monday his case was considered almost hopeless. Since Wednesday he has sunk rapidly, and yesterday it was seen that he was dying, by he lingered until 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when his spirit was released.

Drs. STONE and HALL have attended the deceased and his younger brother since their illness. He was a fine looking boy, and his intelligence and vivacity made him a favorite with old and young. He was a faithful attended of Sabbath School, and the last day he was present there told his tutor that when he attained to manhood he wanted to be a school teacher or preacher of the gospel. WILLIAM WALLACE LINCOLN was the second son of the President and was named after the brother-in-law of Mr. LINCOLN. He was born on the twenty first day of December, 1850, and was consequently eleven years and two months old.

This morning the members of the Cabinet with their families called on the President and Mrs. LINCOLN, to tender their condolence. No others were admitted to the Presidential mansion. The foreign Ministers, Senators, and other leading citizens sent cards and letters of condolence. Senator BROWNING has entire chare of the funeral arrangements and the body will be embalmed and conveyed to Springfield.

SOURCE: “The Death of Willie Lincoln” The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 1, col. 1

Death of the President’s Son.

Willie Lincoln, the next to the youngest son of the President, aged over eleven years, died on Thursday afternoon, of pneumonia, after an illness of several weeks. He is said to have been a bright little fellow, and the favorite of the household of the Chief Magistrate of the Nation. The illumination intended for the evening of the 22nd was omitted on the count of the sad affliction at the White House.

The body of Willie Lincoln was embalmed by Drs. Brown and Alexander, assisted by Dr. Wood, in the presence of the attending physicians, doctors Stone and Hall, Senator Browning and Isaac Newton. The Method of Sagnet, of Paris, was used and the result was entirely satisfactory to the attendant friends of the family.

Thaddeus, the youngest son of the President, is still dangerously ill. Fears are entertained that his disease will assume the type which proved fatal to his brother.

SOURCE: “Death of the President’s Son,” The York Gazette, York, Pennsylvania, February 25, 1862, p. 2, col. 3

Funeral of Willie Lincoln.

The funeral of WILLIE WALLACE LINCOLN, second son of the President, whose death occurred on Thursday evening, will take place at two o’clock to-morrow (Monday) afternoon. The funeral will be attended by the friends and relatives of the family.

The body of Willie Lincoln has been embalmed by Drs. Brown and Alexander, assisted by Dr. Charles A. Wood and in presence of the family physicians, Drs. Hall and Stone, Senator Browning, Isaac Newton, Esq. and others. The embalmment was a complete success, and gave great satisfaction to all present. The body will be deposited in a vault to-morrow, (Monday,) and will be eventually removed to Illinois, to be deposited in the family burying ground of the President.

On Friday morning the members of the Cabinet, with their families, called on the President and Mrs. Lincoln to tender their condolence. No others were admitted to the Presidential mansion. The Foreign Ministers, Senators, and other leading citizens sent cards and letters of condolence. Senator Browning has entire charge of the funeral arrangements.—Sunday Chronicle.

SOURCE: “Funeral of Willie Lincoln,” Daily National Intelligencer, Washington, D.C., Monday, February 24, 1862, p. 3, col. 3

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: February 13, 1864

Bright, beautiful weather, with frosty nights.

The dispatches I cut from the papers to-day are interesting. Gen. Wise, it appears, has met the enemy at last, and gained a brilliant success—and so has Gen. Finnegan. But the correspondence between the President and Gen. Johnston, last spring and summer, indicates constant dissensions between the Executive and the generals. And the President is under the necessity of defending Northern born generals, while Southern born ones are without trusts, etc.

INTERESTING FROM FLORIDA.

 

OFFICIAL DISPATCH.

 

Charleston, February 11th, 1864.

To Gen. S. Cooper.

 

Gen Finnegan has repulsed the enemy's force at Lake City— details not known.

 

G. T. Beauregard.

 

SECOND DISPATCH.

 

Charleston, February 11th—11 A.m.

To Gen. S. Cooper.

 

Gen. Finnegan's success yesterday was very creditable—the enemy's force being much superior to his own. His reinforcements had not reached here, owing to delays on the road. Losses not yet reported.

 

G. T. Beauregard.

 

 

REPULSE OF THE ENEMY NEAR CHARLESTON.

OFFICIAL DISPATCH.

 

Charleston, February 12th, 1864.

 

Gen. Wise gallantly repulsed the enemy last evening on John's Island. He is, to-day, in pursuit. Our loss very trifling. The force of the enemy is about 2000; ours about one-half.

 

G. T. Beauregard.

Every day we recapture some of the escaped Federal officers. So far we have 34 of the 109.

The President sent over a "confidential" sealed letter to the Secretary to-day. I handed it to the Secretary, who was looking pensive.

Dr. McClure, of this city, who has been embalming the dead, and going about the country with his coffins, has been detected taking Jews and others through the lines. Several live men have been found in his coffins.

Again it is reported that the enemy are advancing up the Peninsula in force, and, to-morrow being Sunday, the local troops may be called out. But Gen. Rhodes is near with his division, so no serious danger will be felt, unless more than 20,000 attack us. Even that number would not accomplish much—for the city is fortified strongly.

It is rumored by blockade-runners that gold in the North is selling at from 200 to 500 per cent, premium. If this be true, our day of deliverance is not distant.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the ConfederaStates Capital, Volume 2, p. 148-9

THE WAR NEWS

Rebels Evacuating Corinth for Memphis.

CONTRADICTORY REPORTS FROM THE TENNESSEE.

McDowell occupies Fredericksburg. YORKTOWN SHELLED.

Jennison Released.

DEAD SOLDIERS TO BE EMBALMED.

Death of Maj. Gen. Smith.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 1

Tribune’s Correspondence

WASHINGTON, April 25.

A special order has been issued form the War Department conferring upon Doctors Brown and Alexander and such assistant surgeons as they may appoint, the right to embalm the dead of the U. S. army, any where within the lines, either in the camp or in the field, and to follow up the advance of the land forces.

Our Minister at London, Mr. Adams, recently visited Paris for an official conference with Mr. Dayton upon an important subject of diplomatic negotiation. The former by the last steamer reports that he has returned to his post.

The House to-day reversed its yesterday’s action on the motion to print 25,000 copies of the agricultural part of the Patent Office report in the German language. Mr. Walton, chairman of the military committee stated that the government printing office has neither German type nor German printers. He said the work would have to be translated.

The Sanitary Commission will to-morrow dispatch the steamer Daniel Webster to Fort Monroe as a floating hospital. She is to carry a large supply of hospital stores, medicines, clothing, ice, &c., and a corps of surgeons, nurses and hospital dressers.

The Navy Department has received dispatches from Com. Foote, enclosing a report from Lieut. Commanding Gwynn, dated 14th inst., in which he says: The Tyler and Lexington conveyed two transports, containing 2,000 troops, infantry and cavalry, under command of General Sherman, to Chickasaw, where they disembarked and proceeded rapidly to Bear Creek bridge, at the crossing of the Memphis and Charleston railroad, for the purpose of destroying it and as much of the trestle work as they could find. The bridge, consisting of two spans of 110 feet each, was completely destroyed, that is the superstructure, together with 500 feet of trestle work and half a mile of telegraph line. The rebels made a feeble resistance to our cavalry, 120 in number, but soon [retreated], losing four killed. Our loss none.

The navy department is desirous of learning the address of Mr. Birney, the inventor of the combustion shell.

A dispatch received at the War department from Ft. Monroe says that the Richmond Dispatch states that a Federal gunboat has successes in passing Ft. Jackson, below New Orleans, but the rebels say they regard it as of little importance, as they have other defences to be depended on.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 28, 1862, p. 1