Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 19, 1865

As beautiful a spring morning as ever dawned since the sun spread its glorious light over the Garden of Eden.

Cannon is heard at intervals down the river; and as we have had a few days of wind and sunshine, the surface of the earth is becoming practicable for military operations.

I heard no news at the department; but the belief prevails that Raleigh has fallen, or must speedily fall, and that Richmond is in danger a danger increasing daily.

Thousands of non-combatants and families, falling weekly within the power of Sherman's army, have succumbed to circumstances and perforce submitted. I suppose most of those remaining in Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, etc. have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States; and I hear of no censures upon them for doing so. Whether they will be permitted long to enjoy their property—not their slaves, of course—will depend upon the policy adopted at Washington. If it be confiscated, the war will certainly continue for years, even under the direction of President Davis, who is now quite unpopular. If a contrary course be pursued, the struggle may be more speedily terminated-perhaps after the next great battle.

And Mrs. Davis has become unpopular with the ladies belonging to the old families. Her father, Mr. Howell, it is said was of low origin, and this is quite enough to disgust others of "high birth," but yet occupying less exalted positions.

Ladies are now offering their jewels and plate at the Treasury for the subsistence of the army. It is not a general thing, however. Yesterday bacon was selling at $20 per pound, and meal at $140 per bushel. If Sherman cuts the communication with North Carolina, no one doubts that this city must be abandoned by Lee's army—and yet it may not be so if diligent search be made for food. The soldiers and the people may suffer, but still subsist until harvest; and meantime the God of battles may change the face of affairs, or France may come to our relief.

Four P. M. It is reported that the enemy have taken Weldon. They seem to be closing in on every hand. Lee must soon determine to march away—whether northward or to the southwest, a few weeks, perhaps days, will decide. The unworthy men who have been detained in high civil positions begin now to reap their reward! And the President must reproach himself for his inflexible adherence to a narrow idea. He might have been successful. 

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 452-3

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: March 24, 1865

Clear and very windy. The fear of utter famine is now assuming form. Those who have the means are laying up stores for the day of siege,—I mean a closer and more rigorous siege, when all communications with the country shall cease; and this makes the commodities scarcer and the prices higher. There is a project on foot to send away some thousands of useless consumers; but how it is to be effected by the city authorities, and where they will be sent to, are questions I have not heard answered. The population of the city is not less than 100,000, and the markets cannot subsist 70,000. Then there is the army in the vicinity, which must be fed. I suppose the poultry and the sheep will be eaten, and something like a pro rata distribution of flour and meal ordered.

There is a rumor of a great victory by Gen. Johnston in North Carolina, the taking of 4500 prisoners, 70 guns, etc.—merely a rumor, I am sure. On the contrary, I apprehend that we shall soon have news of the capture of Raleigh by Sherman. Should this be our fate, we shall soon have three or four different armies encompassing us!

I tried in vain this morning to buy a small fish-hook; but could not find one in the city. None but coarse large ones are in the stores. A friend has promised me one—and I can make pin-hooks, that will catch minnows. I am too skillful an angler to starve where water runs; and even minnows can be eaten. Besides, there are eels and catfish in the river. The water is always muddy.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 457-8

Diary of 1st Lieutenant Daniel L. Ambrose: April 10, 1865

After building houses and making our camp pleasant and comfortable, we move from Goldsboro on the tenth of April and march towards Raleigh, North Carolina.

SOURCE: abstracted from Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 303

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Friday, April 28, 1865

The weather continues fine. We spent the day in washing and cleaning our clothing. We received orders to start for Washington at 8 o'clock in the morning, going by way of Richmond, Virginia. Great rejoicing in camp at the thought of going home — to come back no more. The report is that the four corps under Sherman, with Kilpatrick's cavalry, are going North, while the Twenty-third Corps under Schofield will remain at Raleigh until all of Johnston's men leave for their homes. He will take over the munitions of war surrendered by Johnston.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 271

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Monday, April 24, 1865

The Seventeenth Army Corps marched to Raleigh this afternoon and was reviewed by Lieutenant-General Grant and Major-General Sherman. Their reviewing stand was in front of the governor's mansion. The army was glad to see their old commander once more. We received orders to move forward in the morning, since the terms of the surrender of Johnston's army were not approved by the War Department at Washington. This is not good news for us, but we are hoping that Johnston will surrender without more fighting.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 269-70

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Tuesday, April 18, 1865

General Sherman went out to the front on the cars, and the two generals agreed upon the terms for the surrender of Johnston's army. Both armies are to go into camp and remain until the terms of surrender have been approved by the War Department at Washington. The Union army is to go into camp in the vicinity of Raleigh, and the rebel army in the vicinity of Chapel Hill. I came in from picket this morning, having been out on the picket line for twenty-four hours.

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

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Friday, April 14, 1865

We started at 5 a. m. and marched twenty-one miles. We crossed the Neuse river at noon and passed through Raleigh about dusk, going into bivouac four miles west of town. Raleigh is a very nice place, and not a building was burned. Our division had the advance, the Eleventh and Thirteenth Iowa being on train guard.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 268

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, April 13, 1865

It rained nearly all day and I never saw it rain harder than it did this forenoon. We left our bivouac at 5 a. m. and marched eighteen miles. The roads are good now. The left wing of our army marched into Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, the rebels having evacuated the place last night.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 268

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Sunday, April 9, 1865

Very pleasant weather. Our division was inspected this forenoon by General Smith. Two regiments in the division did not pass inspection and were sent back to their “ranches” with the order to get themselves up in better style and come back at 4 o'clock for inspection. The Eleventh Iowa was complimented for its neat appearance. We were ordered to come over to General Smith's headquarters at 5 o'clock in the evening to hold our dress parade. The officers of the two disgraced regiments were ordered to appear at his headquarters to see our regiment go through the manual of arms on our dress parade. We returned to our “ranches” much elated over the high compliments we had received from our division commander. We set to work at once preparing for our dress parade, not even taking time to cook our noon-day mess. A number of the boys were sent down town to buy all the white gloves and white collars they could find, besides shoe blacking and shoe brushes, and then we spent all the time till the parade in fixing ourselves up. We went over to the general's headquarters looking our best, and every move ordered by our colonel was nicely executed in the presence of the line officers of the other two regiments.¹

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¹ The next day when we started for Raleigh, one of those two regiments having marched out on the road ahead of our regiment, was ordered to halt while ours passed to the front. While we were marching by they could not find words strong enough to express their contempt for us. — A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 266-7

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, March 23, 1865

An order from General Sherman was read this morning, stating that the campaign was over,¹ and that we should now prepare to take a short rest. We left the rifle pits at 7 o'clock, marched fifteen miles, and bivouacked within five miles of Goldsboro. Our army is concentrating there, and we are to get supplies, rest up, and prepare for another campaign.

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¹ This battle proved to be our last, and it is known as the battle of Bentonville. We took part later in the surrender of Johnston's army at Raleigh, N. C. but there was no battle then, or before the surrender, only a little skirmishing. — A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 263-4

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Wednesday, March 22, 1865

Companies E and F of the Eleventh Iowa were sent out at 6 o'clock this morning on the skirmish line, but there were no rebels to be seen in our front. They left during the night, crossing the Neuse river, and retreating towards Raleigh, the state capital. Kilpatrick's cavalry pursued them for several miles. The rebels fought in the pine woods, which were set on fire by the shells from our artillery. The fire compelled them to fall back, and they left their dead and wounded on the battlefield, to the mercy of the flames; the clothing was entirely burned off some of the bodies. The loss was very light on both sides. We remained all day in bivouac at the rifle pits, while the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps moved back towards Goldsboro.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 263

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: May 10, 1862

The President's family have departed for Raleigh, and the families of most of the cabinet to their respective homes, or other places of refuge. The President has been baptized (at home) and privately confirmed in St. Paul's Church.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 123

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: May 9, 1862

My family, excepting my son Gustis, started to-day for Raleigh, N. C., where our youngest daughter is at school. But it is in reality another flight from the enemy. No one, scarcely, supposes that Richmond will be defended. Rut it must be!

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 123

Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: May 29, 1862

Betsey, recalcitrant maid of the W.'s, has been sold to a telegraph man. She is as handsome as a mulatto ever gets to be, and clever in every kind of work. My Molly thinks her mistress “very lucky in getting rid of her.” She was “a dangerous inmate,” but she will be a good cook, a good chambermaid, a good dairymaid, a beautiful clear-starcher, and the most thoroughly good-for-nothing woman I know to her new owners, if she chooses. Molly evidently hates her, but thinks it her duty “to stand by her color.”

Mrs. Gibson is a Philadelphia woman. She is true to her husband and children, but she does not believe in us — the Confederacy, I mean. She is despondent and hopeless; as wanting in faith of our ultimate success as is Sally Baxter Hampton. I make allowances for those people. If I had married North, they would have a heavy handful in me just now up there.

Mrs. Chesnut, my mother-in-law, has been sixty years in the South, and she has not changed in feeling or in taste one iota. She can not like hominy for breakfast, or rice for dinner, without a relish to give it some flavor. She can not eat watermelons and sweet potatoes sans discrétion, as we do. She will not eat hot corn bread à discrétion, and hot buttered biscuit without any.

“Richmond is obliged to fall,” sighed Mrs. Gibson. “You would say so, too, if you had seen our poor soldiers.” “Poor soldiers?” said I. “Are you talking of Stonewall Jackson's men? Poor soldiers, indeed!” She said her mind was fixed on one point, and had ever been, though she married and came South: she never would own slaves. “Who would that was not born to it?” I cried, more excited than ever. She is very handsome, very clever, and has very agreeable manners.

“Dear madam,” she says, with tears in her beautiful eyes, “they have three armies.” “But Stonewall has routed one of them already. Heath another.” She only answered by an unbelieving moan. “Nothing seemed to suit her,” I said, as we went away. “You did not certainly,” said some one to me; “you contradicted every word she said, with a sort of indignant protest.”

We met Mrs. Hampton Gibbes at the door — another Virginia woman as good as gold. They told us Mrs. Davis was delightfully situated at Raleigh; North Carolinians so loyal, so hospitable; she had not been allowed to eat a meal at the hotel. “How different from Columbia,” said Doctor Gibbes, looking at Mrs. Gibson, who has no doubt been left to take all of her meals at his house. “Oh, no!” cried Mary, “you do Columbia injustice. Mrs. Chesnut used to tell us that she was never once turned over to the tender mercies of the Congaree cuisine, and at McMahan's it is fruit, flowers, invitations to dinner every day.”

After we came away, “Why did you not back me up?” I was asked. “Why did you let them slander Columbia,” “It was awfully awkward,” I said, “but you see it would have been worse to let Doctor Gibbes and Mrs. Gibson see how different it was with other people.”

Took a moonlight walk after tea at the Halcott Greens'. All the company did honor to the beautiful night by walking home with me.

Uncle Hamilton Boykin is here, staying at the de Saussure's'. He says, “Manassas was play to Williamsburg,” and he was at both battles. He lead a part of Stuart's cavalry in the charge at Williamsburg, riding a hundred yards ahead of his company.

Toombs is ready for another revolution, and curses freely everything Confederate from the President down to a horse boy. He thinks there is a conspiracy against him in the army. Why? Heavens and earth — why?

SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 169-71

Major General William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, March 26, 1865

ON BOARD STEAMER Russia

At Sea, Sunday, March 26, 1865.

The railroad was finished yesterday into Goldsboro and I came down to Newbern and Morehead City and am now in a fleet blockade runner on my way to meet General Grant at City Point to confer on some points, when I shall forthwith go back to Goldsboro and get ready for another campaign. There is no doubt we have got the Rebels in a tight place and must not let them have time to make new plans. They abandoned all their cities to get men enough to whip me but did not succeed. They may unite Johnston and Lee, when if they make the further mistake of holding on to Richmond, I can easily take Raleigh and the Roanoke, when Richmond will be of little use to them. If Lee lets go of Richmond the people of Virginia will give up. I regard my two moves from Atlanta to Savannah and Savannah to Goldsboro as great blows as if we had fought a dozen successful battles. At Bentonsville, Johnston attempted to prevent my making a junction with Schofield, but he failed and I drove him off the field with my own army without the help of a man from Schofield, also got all my armies at Goldsboro the 21st of March, only one day from the time appointed. I will now conduct with great care another move. I have all the army I want and can take an hundred thousand if I want them. . . . The ship is pitching a good deal, we are just off Hatteras, and I cannot write more. . . .

SOURCES: M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Editor, Home Letters of General Sherman, p. 336-7.  A full copy of this letter can be found in the William T Sherman Family papers (SHR), University of Notre Dame Archives (UNDA), Notre Dame, IN 46556, Folder CSHR 2/21

Letter from Fortress Monroe

FORT MONROE, May 28 via BALTIMORE – The steamer Massachusetts, which left Sunday morning for City Point with a flag of truce, returned early this morning.  The boat took up Colonel Hamson, of Kentucky, who was expected to be exchanged for Col. Corcoran and also Capt. Robertson of Virginia, Lieut. Whitaker, a private, a lady, and Mr. Lowe, of Kentucky.  The boat arrived at City Point on Sunday evening.  The next morning Gen. Wool’s communications were delivered and on Tuesday an answer was received from Gen. Huger.  Col. Corcoran and the other prisoners not having been delivered up, Col. Hamson and the officers were brought back.  Col. Hamson is very severe upon General. Huger for his failure to fulfill his agreement.

Our gunboat fleet still remains 15 or 20 miles below City Point.  Nothing has recently been done beyond _____ county.

A short Distance on the Appomattox, a squad of Meigs Cavalry were seen on the banks.  A few Shells scattered them.

There are no troops or citizens at City Point.

A steamer arrived from Hatteras this morning.  No News of interest.

There is no truth in the report of Gen. Burnside’s occupation of Raleigh.

The Union prisoners at _____ are on their way to New York, having been released and delivered to Gen. Burnside at Washington, North Carolina.

The Norfolk Day Book, which was suspended yesterday morning reappeared in the afternoon, the restrictions having been removed.

In consequence of the frequent violation of the orders prohibiting trade with Norfolk and Portsmouth, a new and stringent order was issued today as follows:

HEADQ’RS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,

May 28.

No goods of any kind will hereafter be transported by express companies to Norfolk, Portsmouth or Gosport, except by permission of the commanding General, and then only in case the articles have been furnished with the name of those whom they belong and to whom they are to be delivered.  Hereafter no vessels, not employed by the army or navy will be permitted to go to Norfolk, Portsmouth or Gosport or any other place on either side of the roads not occupied by the troops of the United States, except by express authority of the commanding General.  Any violation of this order will subject the vessels and property to seizure and confiscation and the persons who may be the cause, directly or indirectly will be severely punished.

By command of Major General Wool.

Quite a disturbance took place in Norfolk last night.  It is said to have been occasioned by a negro shooting a corporal named John Bunks of Co C, 99^th New York Regiment. – The disturbance became general and the greater part of the company was engaged.  Three negroes were killed and two or three wounded.  Six of the ring leaders were sent to the Rip Raps.  To-day many others were arrested.  All is now quiet.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 3