Diary of Captain Luman Harris Tenney: Tuesday, January 31, 1865

Millard on picket. Read "Rob Roy," "Lucile," Harper's. Drilled.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 142

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Luman Harris Tenney: December 31, 1863

Looked for rations all day. Read some in Harper's. In evening Lt. Baird and I rode to Mossy Creek in search of rations and to make an effort to procure a mill. Put up a tent fly in the P. M. Rained till 12 P. M. and then turned awfully cold and blew a hurricane. Fly came down. Wet and cold. Year comes in rather roughly.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 103

Captain Charles Wright Wills: March 19, 1863

Camp 103d Illinois Infantry, Lagrange, Tenn.,

March 19, 1863.

Nine whole days of the most beautiful sunshiny weather imaginable. Warm as our home June, almost. The boys bathe in the river that runs near our camp. The little birds warble in the trees, the beautiful young ladies walk out to enjoy the gentle spring breezes. Seldom now do we hear those gloomy omens of cold in the head, viz.: sneezes, and nature, grand old mother nature, almost in human tongue proclaims this balmy Southern spring atmosphere, a sure cure for the wheezes. Poetry, my dear, is the soul of — Sis, I'm getting under the influence of this weather, as happy as a clam, and as lazy as I can be, that is when I have nothing to do. I enjoy it intensely. Lieutenant Nick's resignation has been accepted and he will be at home within a few days. I send this by him, probably. I came pretty near having a fight a few days since. I had 40 men out guarding a forage train of some 125 wagons. There was also about 50 cavalry. We stationed the cavalry as pickets while the teams were loading, and 50 guerrillas attacked and drove our cavalry in (only 20 of our boys). We got ready for a muss, but the other thirty of our horsemen charged secesh and scattered them, wounding several and capturing two. 'Twas certainly censurable in our post commander's sending so light a guard with so large a train, which was over a mile long. My men showed the right spirit. That is the nearest to a fight any of the 103d have yet been.

10 p. m. — I want you to be sure and get “Harpers Weekly” of March 14th, and read that army story about the officers captured by pretended guerrillas. It is all true and happened near Waterford, Miss., while we were there. I know the two women well. Don't fail to get the paper or you'll miss one of the best things of the war. I have just returned from a whist party. Colonel Wright, Dr. Morris and Dr. Shaw, of the 6th Iowa, and no liquor. I don't drink any, and intend to continue my habits in that respect. Very few of our officers drink.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 164-5

Diary of John Hay: Sunday, June 12, 1864

[Passed] through Mingo, Cadiz, to Cincinnati, where I arrived on Sunday morning. I washed my face and went out; saw a plain, old church covered with ivy, and congratulated myself that there I would find some decent people worshipping God comme il faut; and was horribly bored for my worldliness. After dinner, where I met a rascally looking Jew, who was dining with a gorgeous lorette, and who insisted on knowing me and recognising me from a picture in Harper's Weekly, I strolled out to make visits. The Andersons were not at home, except young Larz. I plunged into the bosom of a peaceful family, and demanded to see the wife of a quiet gentleman on the ground that she was a young lady now travelling in Europe. He commiserated my wild and agitated demeanor, and asked me to dinner.

SOURCES: Abstracted from Clara B. Hay, Letters of John Hay and Extracts from Diary, Volume 1, p. 201; This diary entry was clearly written after June 9. See Michael Burlingame & John R. Turner Ettlinger, Editors, Inside Lincoln’s White House: The Complete War Diary of John Hay, p. 202-3 for the full diary entry which they date June 17.

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Monday, August 8, 1864

All quiet in camp to-day. Lieut. D. G. Hill and Sergt. J. M. Read's commissions came this afternoon. Lieut. Hill has been mustered; haven't done much but read Harper's Weekly and visit; baggage came up this evening; warm and sultry; rumors of a move tonight; men have been enjoying themselves to-day.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 131

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, July 6, 1862

Flat Top Mountain, July 6, 1862.

Dearest: — Sunday afternoon about 4 P. M. — hotter than ever. I have just finished reading your letter written last Sunday at Chillicothe. I am very glad you are so happily homed at Uncle Scott's. It is far better- up on that beautiful hill with such kind friends, young and old, than in a hot and dirty city. You cannot think oftener of me than I do of you and the dear ones around you; no, nor more lovingly.

I knew you would be troubled when Fremont was relieved from duty, and perhaps still more when you hear of McClellan's repulse before Richmond. These things appear to postpone the termination of the war; but are such disasters as must be looked for in such a contest. We must make up our minds that we have a heavy work, and that reverses must frequently occur.

We have no right to complain of our lot. We have a beautiful and healthy camp, with the enemy in front, strong enough to keep us busy holding our position, without much danger of losing it. It is the common opinion that if the reverse before Richmond has been serious, we shall be sent to eastern Virginia, and I may add that it is the universal wish that we may see some of the movements that are going on there.

Drs. Joe and Jim are both very well and with little to do. Our loss by sickness during the last three months is only three.

Dr. Joe and I sent early in June to your address nine hundred and fifty dollars. Did you get it? It is important we should know if it has failed to reach you. As letters miscarry sometimes, be sure to speak of it in two or three letters.

I got from Mr. Stephenson a Harper and Atlantic for July today. All reading matter is in the greatest demand. . . .

It is not of much consequence to Boggs whether he returns or not; yet he ought to be allowed to do it. If a soldier is well enough to be a nurse he can be useful with his regiment. If he can neither nurse nor march, he can get his pay or a discharge easier here than elsewhere. But we will do our best for the man.

Think of it, the Fourth was a lovely day but we sat around a fire in the evening and slept under blanket and coverlid. . . .

Good-bye, darling. Don't get downhearted about the war and our separation. It will all come right, and then how happy we shall be — happier than if we had not known this year's experience.

Affectionately ever, your

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 297-8

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, April 22, 1865

It is quite pleasant today. I went out with a team after a load of lumber for our company. We pulled down an old, vacant barn. No property is being burned and destroyed in this state, and only vacant buildings are torn down to get lumber with which to build “ranches.” There is a large amount of land lying idle around here. The field where we have our camp has not been farmed for two or three years. But there are some fine wheat fields here and the wheat is just heading out. We have a fine camp; all of the tents are raised now, and our brigade has shade trees set in rows throughout our camp. There being no trees, we went to the timber and cut down small bushy pine trees for the purpose, setting them in the ground. Our camp looked so fine that the staff artist of Harper's Weekly took a picture of it for the paper.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 269

The Attack Of The Second Iowa Regiment On The Rebel Batteries At Fort Donelson

Sketched By Mr. Alexander Simplot.

– Published in Harper’s Weekly, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 1