Showing posts with label James H Trapier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James H Trapier. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2015

Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: March 20, 1862

The Merrimac is now called the Virginia. I think these changes of names so confusing and so senseless. Like the French “Royal Bengal Tiger,” “National Tiger,” etc. Rue this, and next day Rue that, the very days and months a symbol, and nothing signified.

I was lying on the sofa in my room, and two men slowly walking up and down the corridor talked aloud as if necessarily all rooms were unoccupied at this midday hour. I asked Maum Mary who they were. “Yeadon and Barnwell Rhett, Jr.” They abused the Council roundly, and my husband's name arrested my attention. Afterward, when Yeadon attacked Mr. Chesnut, Mr. Chesnut surprised him by knowing beforehand all he had to say. Naturally I had repeated the loud interchange of views I had overheard in the corridor.

First, Nathan Davis called. Then Gonzales, who presented a fine, soldierly appearance in his soldier clothes, and the likeness to Beauregard was greater than ever. Nathan, all the world knows, is by profession a handsome man.

General Gonzales told us what in the bitterness of his soul he had written to Jeff Davis. He regretted that he had not been his classmate; then he might have been as well treated as Northrop. In any case he would not have been refused a brigadiership, citing General Trapier and Tom Drayton. He had worked for it, had earned it; they had not. To his surprise, Mr. Davis answered him, and in a sharp note of four pages. Mr. Davis demanded from whom he quoted, “not his classmate.” General Gonzales responded, “from the public voice only.” Now he will fight for us all the same, but go on demanding justice from Jeff Davis until he get his dues — at least, until one of them gets his dues, for he means to go on hitting Jeff Davis over the head whenever he has a chance.

“I am afraid,” said I, “you will find it a hard head to crack.” He replied in his flowery Spanish way: “Jeff Davis will be the sun, radiating all light, heat, and patronage; he will not be a moon reflecting public opinion, for he has the soul of a despot; he delights to spite public opinion. See, people abused him for making Crittenden brigadier. Straightway he made him major-general, and just after a blundering, besotted defeat, too.” Also, he told the President in that letter: “Napoleon made his generals after great deeds on their part, and not for having been educated at St. Cyr, or Brie, or the Polytechnique,” etc., etc. Nathan Davis sat as still as a Sioux warrior, not an eyelash moved. And yet he said afterward that he was amused while the Spaniard railed at his great namesake.

Gonzales said: “Mrs. Slidell would proudly say that she was a Creole. They were such fools, they thought Creole meant—” Here Nathan interrupted pleasantly: “At the St. Charles, in New Orleans, on the bill of fare were ‘Creole eggs.’ When they were brought to a man who had ordered them, with perfect simplicity, he held them up, ‘Why, they are only hens' eggs, after all.’ What in Heaven's name he expected them to be, who can say?” smiled Nathan the elegant.

One lady says (as I sit reading in the drawing-room window while Maum Mary puts my room to rights): “I clothe my negroes well. I could not bear to see them in dirt and rags; it would be unpleasant to me.” Another lady: “Yes. Well, so do I. But not fine clothes, you know. I feel — now — it was one of our sins as a nation, the way we indulged them in sinful finery. We will be punished for it.”

Last night, Mrs. Pickens met General Cooper. Madam knew General Cooper only as our adjutant-general, and Mr. Mason's brother-in-law. In her slow, graceful, impressive way, her beautiful eyes eloquent with feeling, she inveighed against Mr. Davis's wickedness in always sending men born at the North to command at Charleston. General Cooper is on his way to make a tour of inspection there now. The dear general settled his head on his cravat with the aid of his forefinger; he tugged rather more nervously with the something that is always wrong inside of his collar, and looked straight up through his spectacles. Some one crossed the room, stood back of Mrs. Pickens, and murmured in her ear, “General Cooper was born in New York.” Sudden silence.

Dined with General Cooper at the Prestons. General Hampton and Blanton Duncan were there also; the latter a thoroughly free-and-easy Western man, handsome and clever; more audacious than either, perhaps. He pointed to Buck — Sally Buchanan Campbell Preston. “What's that girl laughing at?” Poor child, how amazed she looked. He bade them “not despair; all the nice young men would not be killed in the war; there would be a few left. For himself, he could give them no hope; Mrs. Duncan was uncommonly healthy.” Mrs. Duncan is also lovely. We have seen her.

SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 148-50

Thursday, January 17, 2013

From Pensacola

Evacuation of Forts McRae and Barrancas – The People of Florida Coming to their Senses – A Loyal State Government to be Organized.

NEW YORK, March 30. – The Steamer Empire City, from Port Royal, has arrived.  The following is from the New South newspaper of the 22d:

Gen. Sherman visited Jacksonville on the 19th and was waited on by a committee of citizens, who represented that all in town were Unionists.  The rebels, when they left, threatened to hang all who remained.

Guerrilla bands were destroying the property of all suspected Unionists, by the orders of the rebel General Trapier.

The sentiment of eastern Florida is declared to by loyal.  Rebel deserters are numerous. – Many ware willing to take up arms against the rebel tyranny.  Our troops were treated hospitably.

The gunboat Ottowa [sic] has been 120 miles up St. Johns river, beyond Jacksonville, meeting with no opposition.  White flags were displayed and the inhabitants claimed protection.

The steamer St. Mary and the yacht America were found sunk, but we are raising them.

Pensacola has been evacuated, including Forts Barrancas and McRae.  The troops raised in Florida were ordered off by refused to go.

Gen. Sherman issued a proclamation to the people of East Florida, saying he came to protect loyal citizens and enable them to resuscitate a State government.  The sole desire of the Government is to maintain the integrity of the Constitution and laws, and reclaim the revolted States to their allegiance.

At a meeting of loyal citizens of Jacksonville, on the 20th, it was declared that no State has the constitutional right to separate from the United States, and that the act of secession by Florida is void and in conflict with the Constitution, never having been submitted to the people for ratification, and they protested against all acts of the Convention depriving them of their rights as citizens of the United States; the despotism which denied them freedom of speech and the press, and forced contributions of money, labor and enlistments.  They recommended a convention to be called forthwith, to organize a State government, and the United States government be requested to keep a sufficient military force to keep order and protect persons and property.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4

Saturday, September 10, 2011

From Washington

WASHINGTON, March 20.

An official dispatch from Commodore Foote received at 12 o’clock last night, at Cairo, and telegraphed hither says that Island No. 10 is harder to conquer than Columbus, as the Island shores are lined with forts, each fort commanding the one above it.

I am gradually approaching the Island but still do not hope for much until the occurrence of certain events which promise success.

Commodore Foote adds: “We are firing day and night on the rebels, and we gain on them.  We are having some of the most beautiful rifle practice ever witnessed.  The mortar shells have done fine execution.  One shell was landed on their floating battery and cleared the concern in short metre.”

Three rebel deserters, brought up by the steamer Leslie, this morning, confirm the report of the evacuation of Acquia Creek.  They say the rebel forces there had been 2,000.  Before the rebels left they tore up a large portion of the railroad, set fire to the station and wharves and burnt a large schooner.

A dispatch from flag officer Dupont, March 15th, San Augustine, contains the following:

Further information from St. Johns river is satisfactory.

The burning of the mills and lumber with the fine hotel at Jacksonville, and the house of Mr. Robinson, a Union man, was by order of the rebel General Trapier.  After ingloriously flying with his forces from the town, with very considerable means of defence at hand, he sent a large force back for that incendiary purpose, on discovering that our gunboats had not been able on their first arrival to get across the bar.

Ex-Governor Morehead, of Kentucky was to-day released by order of the Secretary of War, upon the conditions of the parole, which he was requested to take at the time of his discharge from Fort Monroe.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 22, 1862, p. 1