We are still camped
here. Have been prisoners since the 5th of this month, and have drawn three and
a half days' rations. On that kind of a diet I am not getting very fat. We
certainly would have suffered a great deal, but our Yankee guard gave us quite
a lot of their own rations.
SOURCE: Louis
Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier, p. 63
After a very cold
night spent in sleeplessness, I arose, determined to have something better to
eat than our daily ration of coarse meal and poor beef, supplemented
occasionally with a little sugar and molasses. I procured a permit from Captain
Feeney, which was duly approved by Colonel Tillman, but could not pass the
pickets on it: had to return a short distance and go around them, which was no
easy job, considering the topography of the country. After cooning logs over
the same crooked little stream some half dozen times, we (Arch Conaway and
myself) found ourselves in a dense canebrake, and then in the midst of an
impassable swamp. Being lost, we struck out straight ahead, and finally came to
a farm-house; asked if we could purchase any potatoes, pork, or butter, and
were told "nary tater;" pushed on to the second house, and the same
question asked, and the same answer returned; ditto at the third house and the
fourth started on return; found an aged colored individual, who agreed to steal
us a small hog at night for the small consideration of ten dollars and a half.
No help for it. Must have a change of diet. [A story is told of a soldier in
this regiment, when at Port Hudson, which is appropriate in this connection.
He, like our author, needed a "change of diet," and slipped into a
farmer's hog-pen one night to get it. He saw, what appeared to him, a fine
large porker, lying fast asleep, and with practiced skill approached and
knocked it in the head with his axe. On attempting to turn it over he found his
game had been dead three or four days.]
SOURCE: Edwin L.
Drake, Editor, The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and Early Western History,
Vol. 1, p. 20-1
Yesterday we moved
back into civilization, and took up quarters in a swamp near the broad
Mississippi. Have a good camping-ground for this country, and if we can get
good rations, I think we will have a healthy regiment once more. We have been
through the flint-mills since we went into quarantine.
The men have
suffered a great deal from bowel complaints, colds, and measles: some have died
of small-pox, and but for the promptness of Surgeon McNelly in having us well
vaccinated, and the infected sent to the pest-house, we might have had a
serious time of it. We are now in better spirits, as we can see what is going
on and hear the news, besides having the advantage of the sunshine and facilities
for purchasing provisions, etc. While writing, I have been detailed as ship's
carpenter on board of a steamboat now fitting out to capture the Federal
gunboat Indianola, which passed our batteries at Vicksburg sometime since, and
has been annoying our transports between this point and Red River. The attempt
will be dangerous, and nothing but the exigency of the case would warrant the
undertaking.
SOURCE: Edwin L.
Drake, Editor, The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and Early Western History,
Vol. 1, p. 22-3
Embarkation of the
Second Battery on the steamer Kill Von Kull, and of the Second Rhode Island
Infantry, on the State of Maine.
Early in the morning
the tents were struck, everything packed up, order was given to mount, and by
nine o'clock we commenced our march through Westminster street; from thence,
through South Main street, to India Point, where the steamers lay, and started
by about four o'clock in the afternoon. The docks were crowded immensely during
the day; the fair sex, especially, was strongly represented. Amid the pealing
of cannon and the farewell cheers of the multitude, we gradually distanced the
shore. Those present will well remember that memorable day. Gov. Sprague and
the patriotic Bishop Clark accompanied the Second Regiment, infantry, on the
State of Maine. On our approaching Fort Adams, we were saluted by the artillery
there. By nightfall, we were made acquainted with the first government ration—pilot
bread, the so-called salt-junk, and a cup of coffee. The meat was of a rather
poor quality, although it was served out with good grace by our respected
captain, W. H. Reynolds.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First
Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 6
Camp near
Centreville. The troops remained quiet all day. Fresh beef as rations.
SOURCE: Theodore
Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First
Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 11
We are now camped upon the banks of Chicamauga, a name that has gone to history inscribed with deeds of blood. This evening companies D, H and I receive marching orders, and under the command of Lieutenant Sullivan of company I, (the captains of companies having been left back at Athens to settle their mule accounts with the A. Q. M,) we now move down the railroad. We stop and draw rations at Ringgold, after which we move on about two miles and go into camp for the night. The country every where along the railroad is all desolated. Trains pass up this evening from Atlanta loaded with wounded soldiers from Sherman's army, which tell us that there has been a fearful work of blood down there.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 246
We moved our camps from our picket posts seven miles from Orange Court House. On the turnpike from there to Fredericksburg, and commenced putting up winter quarters. On the 31st moved into them, and for the first time in a year or two we have with our rations some coffee, sugar and dried apples.
SOURCE: Louis Leon, Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate
Soldier, p. 55
Bright and warm.
It is said there is
a movement of the enemy menacing our works on the north side of the river.
There was shelling down the river yesterday and day before, officially
announced by Gen. Lee—two of the enemy's monitors retired.
Gen. Longstreet says
“over 100 of Gen. Pickett's men are in the guard-house for desertion, and that
the cause of it may be attributed to the numerous reprieves, no one being
executed for two months.” Gen. Lee indorses on the paper: "Desertion is
increasing in the army, notwithstanding all my efforts to stop it. I think a
rigid execution of the law is mercy in the end. The great want in our army is
firm discipline." The Secretary of War sent it to the President "for
his information." The President sent it back with the following biting
indorsement:
"When deserters are arrested they should be tried, and if the
sentences are reviewed and remitted, that is not a proper subject for the
criticism of a military commander.—JEFF. DAVIS. November 29th, 1864."
Another dispatch
from Gen. Bragg:
AUGUSTA,
November 30th, 1864.—Following just received from Major Gen. Wheeler: “Four
Miles West Buckhead Church, November 29th, 9 P.M.—We fought Gen. Kilpatrick all
night and all day, charging him at every opportunity. Enemy fought stubbornly,
and left a considerable number of their killed. He stampeded, and came near
capturing Kilpatrick twice; but having a fleet horse, he escaped, bareheaded,
leaving his hat in our hands. Our own loss about 70, including the gallant Gen.
Robertson, severely wounded. Our troops all acted handsomely.”
Gen.
Robertson has arrived here. His left arm is badly broken at the elbow, but he
is doing well.—B. B.
Another dispatch of the same date:
To
establish our communications west, I have ordered the immediate repair of the
Georgia Railroad to Atlanta. With the exception of bridges, the damage is
reported as slight. We should also have a line of telegraph on that route.—B.
B.
I succeeded to-day
in buying of Government Quartermaster (Major Ferguson) four yards of dark-gray
cloth, at $12 per yard, for a full suit. The merchants ask $125 per yard—a
saving of $450. I hope to have it cut and made by one of the government
tailors, for about $50, trimmings included. A citizen tailor asks $350!
The Senate passed a
bill, yesterday, increasing my salary and Custis's $500, which we don't thank
them for unless we can buy rations, etc. at schedule prices. The money is
worthless when we go into the open market.
My landlord, Mr.
King, has gone into the grocery business; and, although he did not raise the
rent for the present year, still asked more upon my offer to pay the amount of
the first quarter to-day—$500, six months ago, were really worth more than
$1000 to-day. At that time I acknowledged the house would bring more than $500.
To-day it would rent for more than $1000. He left it to me to do what was
right. I think it right to pay $800 or $1000, and will do so.
This evening our
servant stepped into the yard just in time to save some clothes drying on the
line. A thief was in the act of stealing them, and made his escape, springing
over the fence into the alley.
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 343-5
Bright, clear, and
warm.
A dispatch from Gen.
Bragg.
AUGUSTA,
December 3d, 6 P. M.— A strong force of the enemy's cavalry and infantry
advanced from Louisville and encamped last night six miles from Waynesborough.
They turned off this morning toward Savannah. Our cavalry is pressing in the
rear, and all available means is being thrown to their front by rail. There is
time yet for any assistance which can be spared, to be sent by way of Charleston.—B.
B.
The Northern papers
say our army under Hood in Tennessee has met with a great disaster. We are
still incredulous—although it may be true. If so, the President will suffer,
and Johnston and Beauregard will escape censure—both being supplanted in the
command by a subordinate.
Brig.-Gen. Preston
is still directing orders to Col. Shields, who is under the command of
Major-Gen. Kemper, and the conflict of conscription authorities goes on, while
the country perishes. Preston is a South Carolina politician—Kemper a
Virginian. Mr. Secretary Seddon leans to the former.
The law allowing
exemptions to owners of a certain number of slaves is creating an antislavery
party. The non-slaveholders will not long fight for the benefit of such a
"privileged class." There is madness in our counsels!
We are still favored
by Providence in our family. We have, at the market prices, some $800 worth of
provisions, fuel, etc., at the beginning of winter, and my son Thomas is well
clad and has his order for a month's rations of beef, etc., which we get as we
want it at the government shop near at hand in Broad Street. His pay and
allowances are worth some $4500 per annum.
Major Ferguson
having got permission of the Quartermaster-General to sell me a suit of
cloth-there being a piece too dark for the army, I got four yards, enough for
coat, pants, and vest, at $12 per yard—the price in the stores is $125; and I
have the promise of the government tailor to make it up for some $30 or $40,
the ordinary price being $350; the trimmings my family will furnish—if bought,
they would cost $100. Tom has bought a new black coat, made before the war, for
$175, the peace price $15, in specie, equivalent to $600. And my daughter Anne
has made three fine bonnets (for her mother, sister, and herself), from the
debris of old ones; the price of these would be $700. So I fear not but we
shall be fed and clad by the providence of God.
SOURCE: John
Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate
States Capital, Volume 2, p. 346-7
Clear and frosty. Ice half an inch thick this morning. All quiet below.
Col. St. John, Niter and Mining Bureau, required 13,000 men to furnish ammunition, etc.
Col. Northrop, Commissary-General, reports only 15 days' bread rations in Richmond for 100,000 men, and that we must rely upon supplies hereafter from the Carolinas and Virginia alone. The difficulty is want of adequate transportation, of course. The speculators and railroad companies being in partnership, very naturally exclude the government from the track. The only remedy, the only salvation, in my opinion, is for the government to take exclusive control of the railroads, abate speculation, and change most of the quartermasters and commissaries.
Hon. J. B. Clarke proposed a resolution of inquiry in the House of Representatives, which was adopted, calling for the number and name of employees in the departments, and the State they were appointed from. Virginia has more than half of them.
Gen. Cooper, the Adjutant-General, Northern by birth, turned out twenty of his eighty clerks yesterday, to replace them with ladies.
It is said and believed that Sherman's cavalry has reached Milledgeville, and destroyed the public buildings, etc.
We have nothing from Wheeler since the 18th inst.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 337-8
Clear, and warm as summer almost.
Another dispatch from Bragg:
"AUGUSTA, November 28th, 1864.—On the 26th instant, the enemy started a heavy cavalry force in this direction, from his main body near Sandersville; Gen. Wheeler promptly following, leaving a portion of his force to confront Sherman. Kilpatrick reached vicinity of Waynesborough yesterday, where Wheeler overtook and attacked him. A running fight has continued to this time; the advantage with us. We are driving them toward Millen. Young's command has just arrived, and will go forward to Wheeler, who will, I hope, be able to mount most of them from his captures. Devastation marks the enemy's route. Hear nothing from the movements of the enemy's infantry, since Wheeler left their front. I fear they may cross the Savannah, and make for Beaufort. It is perfectly practicable."
The number of deserters, under General Order 65, received here and sent to Abingdon, Va., is 1224 men.
Senator Waldo P. Johnson, Missouri, told me he would move, to-day, to allow the civil officers, etc. to buy rations and clothes of government, at schedule prices. This would be better than an increase of salary.
No movements below, to-day, that I hear of.
Gen. Jos. E. Johnston was at the department to-day, and was warmly greeted by his friends. If Sherman's campaign should be a success, Johnston will be a hero; if the reverse, he will sink to rise no more. A sad condition, for one's greatness to depend upon calamity to his country!
This morning it is
raining; we are now out of rations; report to the regiment on Blue Water, where
we go into camp and draw from the teams three days' rations, and after feeding
and enjoying each a quart of fine coffee, as good (so we thought then) as any
woman ever made, we again receive orders to saddle up and be off. We proceed
back to Raw Hide, where we join Company K, who came before us in the morning.
Our orders are to remain here and patrol the river between this point and Eastport.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib
Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
p. 229-30
The weather has been
fine recently and there have been some indications of a move. Yesterday we were
ordered to cook one day's rations and be ready to march, but it has turned very
cold to-day and everything is quiet again.
About ten days ago I
succeeded in buying some turnips and cabbage, and I found them most delightful
for a change until our box from home arrived. Everything in it was in excellent
condition except the sweet potatoes. It contained ten gallons of kraut, ten of
molasses, forty pounds of flour, twelve of butter, one-half bushel of Irish
potatoes, one-half peck of onions, about one peck of sausage, one ham, one side
of bacon and some cabbage. I am expecting Edwin to visit me to-morrow and I
shall offer him part of the kraut and some of the molasses, but he is so
independent I am afraid he will not accept it.
I saw Colonel Hunt's
wife yesterday, and she is the first lady with whom I have conversed since my
return in December. He pays ten dollars a day board for himself and wife at a
house near our camp.
Dr. Tyler has had
his furlough extended twenty days by the Secretary of War, and will not return
before February. I have been alone for over four weeks. I have had such a quiet
time that I have been reading Shakespeare some recently. I received a letter
from Robert Land's wife begging me to give her husband a sick furlough, and I
told him to write her that if he could ever get sick again he certainly should
go at once.
The postmaster is
here and I must close.
SOURCE: Dr. Spencer
G. Welch, A Confederate Surgeon's Letters to His Wife, p. 88-9
Colonel McNairy
started home on a furlough on account of ill health, leaving Captain Allison in
command of the battalion.
Allison received
orders to cross the river and report to Zollicoffer's headquarters as soon as
his men could cook three days' rations. We did not have three days’ rations,
but we cooked what we had, went to the river and commenced crossing, when, on
learning that we did not have the requisite amount of rations, Zollicoffer
ordered Allison to go back to camps and cook the rations, which he ordered the
brigade commissary to furnish. As soon as we had cooked our rations Allison
crossed the river and reported to our General that the First Battalion was
ready to move. Our Captain soon after returned and reported that the order to
cross the river was countermanded.
Mr. Andy Bogle, from
Cannon County, Tennessee, came in a carriage after Clabe Francis, a member of
Allison's Company, who was sick.
SIR: A rebel
steamboat passed Burkesville yesterday at 12 o'clock, loaded with men and
cannon and other arms, clothing, &c.
I send 300 cavalry
to heights on this side to intercept it, if possible. I will move with 300 of
Third Kentucky and the Nineteenth Ohio to an advantageous position at the mouth
of Renick's Creek, 2½ miles above Burkesville, on the Cumberland. I shall move
the whole force here to Burkesville. It is only 4 miles farther from Glasgow
than Columbia. I am not willing to see the Cumberland surrendered, without a
struggle, to Zollicoffer and the rebel invaders. If this movement is wrong, it
can be censured. I know it will be right if we whip the scoundrels and wrong if
otherwise. More boats are expected up. If we delay much longer the enemy will
have time to bring his re-enforcements from Texas and Louisiana.
We have no cannon,
and must rely on our rifles to take off the men from the boats. With one piece
of artillery the boats could be torn to atoms or sunk.
Can you not send me
a section of a battery? I have ordered your commissary to supply rations to the
troops about to move.
Since our return to
this land of cotton, sallow humanity and scotch snuff, the boys have been
looking blue. The fond caresses and the beautiful smiles they received while
among the loyal people, have well nigh spoiled the Seventh, but the bugle's
blast, the whoop, the charge and the fray will soon give new vigor and point to
the soldier's life; will soon draw their minds in from their wanderings and
concentrate them on naught but the war line. Though they will not banish those
images, they will think of them only secondary to war and victory. This evening
we receive orders to be ready to move in the morning with six days' rations.
We are still in camp
at Florence; no steamers have yet come up; don't look for any now; the river is
low. Our rations have run out, and we are compelled to forage from the
citizens, who are almost destitute themselves. Our pickets at the river keep up
a continual firing with the rebel pickets on the opposite shore.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib
Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry,
p. 227
For two or three days we have been expecting another fight, and we had three days' rations cooked and were ready to move.
It now appears that the Yankees have all gone back and that they sent only their cavalry forward. We have a very strong position here, and it is doubtful if they will advance this way. I am inclined to think that we shall soon begin to maneuver for the autumn campaign. It is reported that Longstreet's Corps had orders to move, and it was thought that it would be sent to the Army of the West. A part of it has gone off somewhere, and some of Ewell's troops were also moving recently.
Two men will be executed in our division next Saturday for desertion, and the entire division will be ordered out to witness it. I have never cared to witness a military execution, although I have been near enough several times to hear the report of the guns. Two men deserted from our regiment two nights ago, and, if we get them again, and this we are apt to do, they are sure to be shot. There is no other way to put a stop to desertions.
We have a large number of preachers here now from home, who are preaching to the soldiers, and we have religious services in camp almost every day.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hunt's wife is here to see him. Many others—wives of privates as well as officers have come to visit their husbands. I think this is a very unsuitable place for women. If a battle should occur unexpectedly, they would all be in a nice fix.
My furlough has not been returned, but it has not had time, and it would also be delayed by the "rumpus” that the Yankees have just stirred up. I do not hope to have it approved
I now, but I am very apt to get home before Christmas. I have nothing more to tell this time, so good-by to you and little George.
This morning we move early; we are now in the enemy's country, far from support; all keep closely together, moving briskly, for to-day we are ordered to be at Eastport. At Pin Hook some of the loyal citizens informed us that the noted guerilla Moore was now at home, and as we were to pass his house, they urged us to capture him, as he was a terror to that whole country. When within a short distance of the house, the Lieutenant divides the command, directing one portion to file off and come up in the rear of the house. Arriving in sight we make the charge, but his little boy who was standing picket, soon gives the alarm, and Captain Moore seizes his gun and is soon in the brush. We jump the fence in front of the house, and on the charge we are met by the Captain's wife and daughter, who endeavor to scare our horses, but no scare; on we go in close pursuit of the Captain, with whom we exchange several shots—but no capture. He succeeded in evading us, in the brush, and as it was taking us too far from our route, we abandoned the pursuit. Taking his horse we move Near Waterloo we capture two conscripting officers from Bragg's army. Soon after we arrive at the landing opposite Eastport; we find the river swarming with transports loaded with troops; we feel more safe now. Lieutenant Roberts giving the signal, a skiff is brought over. The Lieutenant and two of the men take the prisoners over, deliver the dispatches, draw some rations and return, after which we go into camp for the night.
This morning the regiment leaves Pulaski with three days' rations; Lieutenant Roberts and squad are ordered to remain in camp. Oh! how lonely here since the regiment has been out on the war line making inroads in West Tennessee and North Alabama.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 215
