Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Sabbath, December 13, 1863

Last night hard rain Day cold and misty Official, scouting party drove rebs from Princetown took some prisoners

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 500

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Saturday, December 5, 1863

Large scouting party of several regts of the 2d Div go out

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 500

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: Saturday, August 30, 1862

In the morning was on picket in the town. Roasted corn for breakfast. Ate and slept on a porch to a jayhawked store. Slept soundly. Went to the tannery and had a good wash. Got some peaches. Went out about noon and joined the main command, two miles out. Went out a mile where Capt. Welch was staying with a picket guard. Got plenty of melons to eat from a Mrs. Dade, whose husband was in the secesh army, a surgeon. Scouting parties went out ten and twelve miles each way, north and east. Went out and met our command. Slept in a house on floor. Strange.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 29

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Sunday, July 19, 1863

Scouting party of. 35 Mo. 28 Wis. 43. Ind. 117. Ill. inft. regts. and 1st Ind cav. 4 pieces of Dubuque battery go out with 3 day. ration in haversacks This party back before night. Inft. went 5 mile cav. 15. Saw Dobbs pickets

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 493

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Wednesday, June 17, 1863

small scouting party went out early A. M. turned over old guns draw enfield rifles. P. M. hard rain.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 491

Diary of Corporal Charles H. Lynch: November 23, 1864

Called up early this morning. Sorry to leave our good camp in the Faulkner's woods, Martinsburg. Our boys often repeat, “There is no rest for the wicked.” Soldiers must obey orders and not ask questions. Left camp, on the march for Halltown. After an uneventful march of about eighteen to twenty miles we reached Halltown at night, tired, foot-sore, marching over rough roads. This town consists of a railroad station and a few old houses, which show the effect of the war. General Sheridan will open up the Harper's Ferry and Winchester Railroad, as it is reported his army will go in winter quarters at Winchester. Our regiment must hold this point, owing to scouting parties of the enemy, who may attempt to capture his supply trains.

SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary, 1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 135

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Friday, March 27, 1863

Most of reg. on picket. Rebels fired on scouting parties from their batteries over on yellow bushy. Two heavy Siege guns come down today.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 486

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Sunday, February 14, 1864

Clear and chilly but very little wind; fields and woods in front of the line to-day all on fire. A squadron of Cavalry has been out on a scout to-day and captured Billy Scott and two or three of his comrades. He is a noted guerilla. It is also reported that our cavalry ran onto the enemy in force. We are ordered to be on the alert this evening; no countersign.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 18-9

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: May 2, 1862

An iniquitous looking prisoner was brought in to-day from Orange C. H., by the name of Robert Stewart. The evidence against him is as follows: He is a Pennsylvanian, though a resident of Virginia for a number of years, and owns a farm in Orange County. Since the series of disasters, and the seeming downward progress of our affairs, Stewart has cooled his ardor for independence. He has slunk from enrollment in the militia, and under the Conscription Act. And since the occupation of Fredericksburg by the enemy he has made use of such equivocal language as to convince his neighbors that his sympathies are wholly with the Northern invader.

A day or two since, near nightfall, three troopers, weary and worn, halted at Stewart's house and craved food and rest for themselves and horses. Stewart, supposing them to be Confederate soldiers, declared he had nothing they wanted, and that he was destitute of every description of refreshments. They said they were sorry for it, as it was a long ride to Fredericksburg.

“Are you Union soldiers?” asked Stewart, quickly.

“Yes,: said they, “and we are on scouting duty.”

“Come in! Come in! I have everything you want!” cried Stewart, and when they entered he embraced them.

A sumptuous repast was soon on the table, but the soldiers refused to eat! Surprised at this, Stewart demanded the reason; the troopers rose, and said they were Confederate soldiers, and it was their duty to arrest a traitor. They brought him hither. Will he, too, escape merited punishment?

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 122

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to [Brigadier-General Jacob D. Cox (?)], March 14, 1862

Headquarters, Camp Hayes, Raleigh, Virginia,

March 14, 1862.

Sir: — A scouting party consisting of Sergeant A. H. Bixler, and seven men belonging to Captain George W. Gilmore's Company C, First Virginia Cavalry, was this morning attacked about seven miles from Raleigh on the pike leading to Princeton, by about fifty bushwhackers. Sergeant Bixler and Private James Noble were killed. Privates Jacob McCann and Johnson Mallory were dangerously wounded, and Private Thomas B. Phillips was taken prisoner. Three escaped unhurt. The attacking party rendezvous on Flat Top Mountain. Major Hildt will, perhaps, recognize the names of some of them. Christ Lilley, Daniel Meadows, and Joshua Rowls were certainly of the party.

On hearing of the affair I dispatched Captain Gilmore with his cavalry, and Captain Drake with three companies of infantry to the scene of the occurrence. They found that the bushwhackers had instantly fled to their fastnesses in the hills, barely stopping long enough to get the arms of the dead and to rob them of their money. Captain Drake followed them until they were found to have scattered. Two horses were killed, one captured, one wounded, and one lost. Vigilant efforts will be made to ascertain the hiding-places of the bushwhackers and when found, unless orders to the contrary shall be received, all houses and property in the neighborhood which can be destroyed by fire, will be burned, and all men who can be identified as of the party will be killed, whether found in arms or not.

Will you direct the brigade quartermaster to procure tents enough for Captain McIlrath's Company A, Twenty-third Regiment O. V. I., as soon as practicable, and send that company here as soon as the tents arrive. There will be no quarters for them until the tents are obtained.

I desire to have your views in the premises.

Respectfully,

R. B. Hayes,

Lieutenant-colonel Twenty-third Regiment O. V. I.,

Commanding.

[general J. D. Cox (?)]

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 208-9

Diary of Margaret Junkin Preston: June 4, 1864

Such a blessed deliverance! Mr. P. was all ready to start out with the scouting party — his horse saddled — to start in an hour, when a messenger came in with the tidings that J. had had a sharp skirmish with an advance party of Averill, and on McCausland's coming up with 4 regiments, they retreated. McCausland is now between us and the enemy. General Jones is coming on from Salem; so we feel respited.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Preston Allan, The Life and Letters of Margaret Junkin Preston, p. 182

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: April 2, 1862

Messenger came in and reported Indians coming north. A scouting party was sent out.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 10

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: April 4, 1862

Moved camp again. Nothing of importance occurred. Many rumors afloat. Scouting parties still being sent out.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 10

Major Wilder Dwight: Sunday, July 28, 1861

Head-quarters, Harper's Ferry, Sunday, July 28, 1861.

There is so much of drag and so little of incident in my present life that a letter seems hardly worth while. The sunlight, as it breaks the fog this Sunday morning, discloses some of our batteries on the hills commanding our somewhat defenceless position. On Friday General Banks ordered all the wagons to be sent across the river, and all stores of every kind to be removed from our temporary storehouses. We have been in bivouac ever since, sleeping on hay, and indulging in every variety of soldierly discomfort. General Banks is unwilling to signalize his first military service by ordering a retreat; yet, unless we are promptly reinforced, there is no other way. I feel very sorry to desert the Union-loving men of this country. Our army never should retreat, because no sooner do loyal men under its protection avow themselves, than they are marked for the first prey by the rebels which our retreat allows. O for a strong will and a large energy and patience, till every preparation is made! Then we can walk to the Gulf and wipe out these villains. Yesterday we had scouting-parties out, and as our spies came in at night, they reported the enemy's pickets near our lines, and a movement of a large body making in our direction. So at eleven o'clock I took through the drowsy camp, rousing sleeping piles of humanity and blankets, an order for their action, in case of alarm during the night. No such alarm came. Yesterday the Massachusetts Twelfth, Colonel Webster, arrived on the other side of the river, and is now in camp there; so we are stronger by one regiment. I do not know how long we shall stay here, but suppose that either our wagons will come back or we shall join them soon. Indeed, a mere nominal holding of Harper's Ferry like the present one does not seem to indicate great strength. I am right in my conjecture. At this moment an order comes in from the commanding general directing the passage of the troops across the river to-day, and indicating the order of march. The order concluded, however, with the direction: “The Second Massachusetts Regiment will remain as a garrison to this place. The colonel of this regiment will so establish his pickets as to give him timely warning of the enemy's approach. For this object, twenty men of the cavalry and one non-commissioned officer will be left with the garrison of the place.” So we are to have the honor to be the first to occupy and the last to quit the sacred soil of Harper's Ferry. Well, we marched into Virginia full of hope and fight and purpose. We dinned the Star Spangled Banner into the unwilling ears of the startled villagers. We had doleful marches but delightful measures. “Grim-visaged war” had her front smoothed of its wrinkles, to be sure, but we thought to meet the front of fearful adversaries.

Now, however, instead of all this ecstasy of advance, we are employed in the anxious endeavor to retreat as little as possible. No matter, the fulness of time will bring only one result, and we can wait for it. Military glory, however, will not turn out to be so cheap an article as some of our holiday soldiers thought it. The price of it is rising everyday Doubleday's battery just went by with the long rifled cannon which throws a ball five miles, and now the air is full of the dust and music of the New York Twelfth, which is also on the march. They will soon leave us alone in our glory. We shall occupy the lower part of the town, near the ford, and shall only hold the place till some stronger force comes to claim it. This duty will exact a lively vigilance, but it is free from danger, I think, and my own strong belief is, that, with our cannon frowning from the hills, the Rebels will not think it worth while to claim the town, especially as it is utterly worthless for any military purpose.

I think of you all enjoying a quiet Sunday morning at home, and should like to join you for a time; but I am getting, in the presence of these outrages, to desire only the results of war. Cavalry and artillery, — we must have these before we can be completely effective.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 58-60

Diary of Private Charles H. Lynch: May 4, 1864

On the third relief last night from 1 to 3 A. M. Visited by the grand-rounds about 2 A. M. All was well. Relieved this morning. Weather clear and fine. Saw one of our cavalry scouting parties pass along the pike, having captured a rebel Major and twelve men up near Strasburg. Drilling and dress parade kept up when the weather permits.

SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary, 1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 57

Diary of Private Charles H. Lynch: April 23, 1864

Early this morning the Johnnie Rebs made an attack on the outposts on the Charlestown Pike. A hot fire was kept up. Our pickets holding them in check while our regiment was ordered out, double quick. We made a forced march out about two miles but the enemy had left. It was thought to be a scouting party, who came near the outposts. Our scouts reported the enemy going up the valley. Our regiment returned to camp. Two large field guns were mounted in our camp, pointed towards the Loudon Heights. Can be seen by the enemy. They are ready for work at any moment Weather permitting drill and dress parade are kept up. Spare time devoted to reading and writing letters and discussing the war question. Wondering what the outcome will be and when the end will come. All is quiet in our camp.

SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary, 1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 54