Diary of 1st Sergeant John L. Ransom: December 21, 1863

Still cold. Have enough to eat myself, but am one of a thousand. The scurvy is appearing among some of the men, and is an awful disease — caused by want of vegetable diet, acids, &c. Two small pox cases taken to the hospital to-day A sutler has been established on the island and sells at the following rates: poor brown sugar, $8 per pound; butter, $11; cheese, $10; Sour milk $3 per quart and the only article I buy; eggs, $10 per dozen; oysters, $6 per quart and the cheapest food in market.

SOURCE: John L. Ransom, Andersonville Diary, p. 20

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, June 12, 1862

Camp On Flat Top, Virginia, June 12, 1862.

Dearest: — I began a letter to you yesterday intending to finish it after the mail came in; I can't find it. No loss. I recollect I told you to [give] Mrs. Sergeant McKinley ten dollars on account of the sergeant, which please to do. I probably also said that up on this mountain the weather is colder than Nova Zembla, and that since the enemy left us we have been in a state of preparation to go ahead — which means do-nothingness, so far as soldiers are concerned. I have now an expedition out under Major Comly, not important enough for a regimental commander, so I am here in inglorious idleness.

A day's life runs about thus: — At 5 A. M., one or the other of our two Giles County contrabands, Calvin or Samuel, comes in hesitatingly and in a modest tone suggests, “Gentlemen, it is ’most breakfast time.” About ten minutes later, finding no results from his first summons, he repeats, perhaps with some slight variation. This is kept up until we get up to breakfast, that is to say, sometimes cold biscuits, cooked at the hospital, sometimes army bread, tea and coffee, sugar, sometimes milk, fried pork, sometimes beef, and any “pison” or fraudulent truck in the way of sauce or pickles or preserves (!) (good peaches sometimes), which the sutler may chance to have. After breakfast there is a little to be done; then a visit of half an hour to brigade headquarters, Colonel Scammon's; then a visit to division ditto, General Cox's, where we gossip over the news, foreign and domestic (all outside of our camps being foreign, the residue domestic), then home again, and novel reading is the chief thing till dinner. I have read "Ivanhoe," "Bride of Lammermoor," and [one] of Dickens' and one of Fielding's the last ten days.

P. M., generally ride with Avery from five to ten miles; and as my high-spirited horse has no other exercise, and as Carrington (Company C boy) is a good forager and feeds him tip-top, the way we go it is locomotive-like in speed. After this, more novel reading until the telegraphic news and mails, both of which come about the same hour, 5:30 P. M. Then gossip on the news and reading newspapers until bedtime — early bedtime, 9 P. M. We have music, company drills, — no room for battalion drills in these mountains, — and target practice with other little diversions and excitements, and so “wags the world away.”

We get Cincinnati papers in from four to six days. My Commercial is running again. Keep it going. Write as often as you can. I think of you often and with so much happiness; then I run over the boys in my mind — Birt, Webb, Ruddy. The other little fellow I hardly feel acquainted with yet, but the other three fill a large place in my heart.

Keep up good heart. It is all coming out right. There will be checks and disappointments, no doubt, but the work goes forwards. We are much better off than I thought a year ago we should be. — A year ago! Then we were swearing the men in at Camp Chase. Well, we think better of each other than we did then, and are very jolly and friendly.

“I love you s'much.” Love to all.

Affectionately,

R.

Since writing this we have heard of Fremont's battle the other side of the Alleghanies in the Valley of Virginia. It will probably set us a-going again southward. — R.

Mrs. Hayes.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 288-90

Diary of Luman Harris Tenney: Wednesday, October 29, 1862

Up at daybreak. In the rear guard. Waited several hours for the train to get by. Stewart and Jacobah came up and joked. Read a Leslie. Very slow work today, so many halts. Can not admire Capt. Seward. Had the impudence to keep me carrying water for him to drink. Lingered to guard a sutler, whose stock he tried — the miserable poison. Advance guard fired upon near a mill, three stories. Got into camp at Price's old headquarters three miles from Maysville — an old Free Love Institute, they say. Had a little conversation with our guide of the 1st Arkansas. Bill and I went to work to get supper — soon others joined us.

SOURCE: Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary Of Luman Harris Tenney, p. 39-40

Diary of 4th Sergeant John S. Morgan: Friday, October 2, 1863

Sign pay rools — Sutlers opens chabang in regt. Weather fine — health improveing. Officers have a noisy spree after night.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, 33rd Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 13, No. 7, January 1923, p. 498

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Friday, April 15, 1864

Weather fine this forenoon but began to cloud up towards night. Major Harper has paid off the regiment to-day. The sutler is also selling off his stock of goods, as to-morrow is the time appointed for all sutlers to leave the army; looks like a move in a few days; am detailed for picket to-morrow; no letter from home to-night, am sorry to say.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 36

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Tuesday, April 12, 1864

Weather comfortable and warm, but few clouds and very little wind. If the weather still continues fine a few days longer the army will make an advance without doubt; have been talking with our sutler's clerk, Huntington, who was a lieutenant in the rebel army thirteen months, but being a Vermonter, on the death of his wife and child who were living in the south, he deserted to our army.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 35-6

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Tuesday Morning, April 8, 1862

A. M. Still raining! Have borrowed “Jack Hinton” to read to pass time. Rained all day. At night heard a noise; found the sutler was selling whiskey; ordered two hundred bottles poured out.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 225

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Lemuel A. Abbott: Saturday, March 5, 1864

Weather continues fine; completed B Company's muster and pay rolls this forenoon; Sutler George Skiff gave a ball in the chapel this evening; distinguished guests present; fine time. Dr. Child and wife called this evening, also Mrs. Hunt and Morse; no mail.

SOURCE: Lemuel Abijah Abbott, Personal Recollections and Civil War Diary, 1864, p. 24

Diary of 5th Sergeant Alexander G. Downing: Tuesday, July 4, 1865

General Sherman reviewed the Army of the Tennessee today for the last time, our division passing in review at 9 a. m. He made a short speech — a farewell address — to all the troops. He told us that we had been good soldiers, and now that the war is over and the country united once more, we should go home, and as we had been true soldiers, we should become good citizens. This is a rather dull Fourth. I stayed in camp the rest of the day after the review, but in the evening I went down town to a theater — Wood's theater — for the first time in my life. For a while today there was a lively time in camp when a lot of the boys tried to break through the guard line. When they failed at that, they next made a raid on the sutlers, who have been doing a big business since our arrival at Louisville. Before the officer of the day could get guards to the sutlers' tents, the boys had secured a considerable amount of booty.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 285-6

Major Wilder Dwight: October 14, 1861

pleasant Hill, October 14, 1861.

I was looking, last evening, at the bright gold of the western sky, and the frosty silver of the evening star, and was marking the cold glitter of the moonlight, when Mr. Spiegel appeared with my buffalo-robe in great glee. It was an opportune visitor, and I must not let our quartermaster go to Washington without a line of acknowledgment from me. Tell father that size is anything but an objection. I cannot hope to grow to it, but I will bring it to my model, and compose myself as comfortably as a warrior in his martial cloak. It will be glorious o' nights when we bivouac by camp-fires, as I hope we must soon.

We have had a glorious October day. Drill in the morning, drill in the afternoon. Questions of suttler's prices, of commissary's authority to settle rations, of quartermaster's allowance of stationery, &c., &c., &c., — the family jars of our little family. I wish I could write you a letter about' something in particular? but just now there is “nothing special.” I think the order to cook rations and hold ourselves in readiness to march came direct from McClellan, and was a precaution against an expected attack or resistance by the enemy opposite Washington. If so, that danger has blown over, and we may lie still for another week. They have, however, in this division, an organized secrecy, which covers everything with a drop-curtain. I received yesterday a letter from Judge Abbott, congratulatory on my expected promotion. I hope your ambition did not wilt when you heard that things stood still. It is much better for the regiment that they should, and far better for me, and I experienced a rebound from my quite decided depression when I found that the danger of losing our colonels was over.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 116-7

Official Reports of the Capture of Union Wagon Train near Annandale, Va. – August 11, 1863: No. 1. Report of Col. Charles R. Lowell, Jr., Second Massachusetts Cavalry.

No. 1.

Report of Col. Charles R. Lowell, jr., Second Massachusetts Cavalry.

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CAMP,

August 12, 1863.

COLONEL: I have the honor to report information on Mosby's last raid as far as collected.

Mosby's and White's men – together about 140 strong – came down Little River turnpike the day before yesterday, and passed that night near Gum Springs. Moved down yesterday forenoon through Ox road junction toward Flint Hill. Hearing that our pickets were there, turned to the north again, and, passing through Vienna by Mills Cross-Roads, to Little River pike, near Gooding's Tavern, captured one sutler's train there between 3 and 4 p.m. and another about a mile farther east. An hour later half plundered some of the wagons, took all the horses and mules, and started back in a hurry through Vienna, toward Hunter's Mill.

About 1 mile south of the mill they divided, one-half going toward Dranesville, the other by Hunter's Mill, nearly down to Chantilly, then turned to the right, and, I presume, passed through Gum Springs early this a.m.

On receiving your dispatch about camp of 40 men 5 miles from Falls Church, on Monday, I placed pickets on Ox road, at Fairfax Court-House, at Flint Hill and at all cross-roads between there and Vienna. These pickets had orders to return to Fairfax Court-House at 12 a.m. on Tuesday. Put 30 men at Vienna and 75 men at Freedom Hill and in that neighborhood. These last with orders to move toward Falls Church by all the roads from the west early Tuesday morning, carefully examining all cross-roads. These instructions were obeyed, and nothing suspicious found.

From Falls Church I sent 70 men to relieve Captain Reed at Fort Ethan Allen, and started with the remaining 30 to beat up the country round Chichester Mills. This I did thoroughly, and reached Fairfax Court-House, by back roads, about 11 a.m., and passed on to Germantown and Centreville.

The pickets at Flint Hill, &c., came in at the time ordered, and Captain McKendry, the officer in charge, was examining into the liquor traffic, said to be carried on at Fairfax Court-House, when news was brought of the capture of the sutler's train. He started down at once with 40 men, and arrived about dark, Mosby having already left.

As soon as I heard of it I telegraphed to Captain Reed at Fort Ethan Allen to take his 80 men toward Dranesville, and directed Captain McKendry to follow as soon as he could see the trail.

Major Hall, Sixth New York Cavalry, with 70 men – part his own, part furnished from this command – having already started on a scout toward Gum Springs and Aldie, he could not be communicated with, but I relied on him to stop the main roads to the west. From Major Hall I learn force, and fact that Mosby and White had joined, and left Aldie on Monday.

From Captain McKendry I learned the force, and the route taken by Mosby on Tuesday. From Captain Reed I have not heard, but hope that he may yet give some account of the party that went toward Dranesville. He had 80 men with him and an excellent guide.

From other facts collected by Major Hall, I think it is Mosby's intention to leave the country round Gum Springs to White's men, and himself to move his headquarters to near Dranesville.

With your approbation, I propose to establish a regular escort of 30 to 50 men over the pike from Centreville to some point near Alexandria, once each way at irregular hours, all sutlers and stray wagons to be halted and compelled to come with this escort. This will be less fatiguing to my horses, and will, I think, with the detachments going to the front, afford all necessary protection to the sutlers.

I would call your attention to the necessity of having good officers in command of all detachments going to the front of cattle guards. With so many sutlers on the road anxious for escort, whisky is very easily obtained, and it is not uncommon to see both officers and men drunk.

I think most of the wagons broken down or left by Mosby have been plundered by our stray cavalrymen. I would also suggest that some more systematic method be adopted for encouraging citizens to bring in information. When citizens bring in valuable and reliable information, is there any fund from which I can rely upon their getting some reward?

I sent in 61 horses on Monday, and 55 more to-day, most of them United States horses, some captured, some collected to the northwest of here, and some near Maple Valley.

The party sent Sunday to Maple Valley remained two days scouring there, and has just returned from there.  Kinchiloe left a week ago, according to last information. His men are again returning by twos and threes.

I am, colonel, respectfully, your obedient servant,

 C. R. LOWELL, JR.,

 Colonel Second Massachusetts Cavalry, Commanding.

Lieut. Col. J. H. TAYLOR,

Chief of Staff.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 29, Part 1 (Serial No. 48), p. 68-9

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, October 29, 1863

It is quite pleasant today. The Mississippi river is slowly rising. Produce is very high here at Vicksburg and fruit and vegetables are scarce this fall because of the large armies in and around this section for more than a year. What little stuff has been grown by the farmers was confiscated by the soldiers before it was matured, so what we get is shipped down from the North, and we have to pay about four prices for it. Potatoes and onions are $4.00 a bushel, cheese (with worms) is fifty cents per pound, and butter — true, it's only forty cents a pound, but you can tell the article in camp twenty rods away. Vicksburg being under military rule makes it difficult for the few citizens to get supplies, which they can obtain only from the small traders who continued in business after the surrender, or from the army sutlers. No farmers are allowed to come in through the lines without passes, and even then no farmer, unless he lives a long distance from Vicksburg, has anything to bring in.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 149-50

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, July 25, 1863

Our brigade returned to the bridge and went into camp, with Colonel Chambers in command of the entire post. Our army field hospital is located here and the convalescents are being cared for in it. Refugees by the thousands are at this place and are still pouring in by the hundreds from every direction, ahead of Sherman's returning army. It is a wonderful sight to see; they are of all colors and ages, though mostly women and children. I bought a gold pen today from the sutler for $2.00, and had the misfortune to lose it before night.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 131

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Monday, April 13, 1863

Our nice weather was broken today by an all day rain. A large number of transports loaded with troops went down the river; the Twenty-fourth Iowa was on board. I went down to the sutler in the Fifteenth Iowa camp and bought a bushel of potatoes, paying $2.50.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 109

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Friday, March 20, 1863

Nothing of importance today. We have drill twice a day. I received a pass and went to Lake Providence. The water is already in the streets and the army sutlers occupying vacant buildings will have to move out tomorrow. I purchased a tin plate and spoon for thirty cents.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 105

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Wednesday, March 4, 1863

The engineers finished calking the steam tug and with ropes attached to it some five or six thousand men succeeded in pulling it overland to the lake where it is to be launched. I crossed the lake in a skiff to the south side to buy some notions of a sutler with the Fourth Division. Among other articles, I purchased a diary for seventy-five cents, for the purpose of keeping a record of my army life. We were ordered to prepare for inspection.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 103

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, February 28, 1863

Our regiment was mustered for pay at 9 o'clock this morning, and at 10 o'clock we had general inspection with all accouterments on, by the inspector general of the Seventeenth Army Corps, General William E. Strong.¹ I got an order today from the captain on the sutler for $1.50.

__________

¹ Iowa may well be proud of the Third Brigade of the Sixth Division, Col. M. M. Crocker commanding. It is composed of the following troops, viz.: The Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa Infantry. It turned out for inspection 1,935 rank and file. * * * Since I have been a soldier, it has so happened that I have seen many brigades of many different army corps, both in the Eastern and Western armies, but never have I seen a brigade that could compete with this Iowa brigade. I am not prejudiced in the slightest degree. I never saw any of the officers or soldiers of the command until the day when I saw them in line of battle prepared for inspection. * * * I cannot say that any one regiment of the brigade appeared better than another — they all appeared so well. The Eleventh was the strongest. It had 528 enlisted men and 20 officers present for duty, the Thirteenth 470 enlisted men and 22 officers, the Fifteenth 428 men and 29 officers, the Sixteenth 405 men and 33 officers. In the entire brigade there was not to exceed a dozen men unable to be present for inspection. — Roster of Iowa Soldiers, Infantry, Vol. II, p. 279.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 102

The 16th Regiment

We are asked so frequently whether we have had anything late from our brother, Add. H., that the following extract from a brief letter received from him yesterday, dated Camp near Pittsburg, April 24th, may be of interest:

“Mr. Parker, our sutler, going direct to Davenport, I send my trunk by him, that you my store it away in a safe place.  We are ‘stripping’ in a manner, for another fight. – Our regiment is going on the advance line to-morrow, and in case of any strong attack by the enemy we should be compelled to fall back, and in that event lose our baggage.  I have a satchel, in which to carry under clothing, &c., but will miss my trunk very much.  Col. C. goes away to0day, to stay a month, or twenty days at the shortest, to settle up his Government business, leaving me in command of the regiment.  I have had the diarrhea for eight or ten days, and cannot get rid of it except temporarily.  Yesterday afternoon I was sicker than I ever was in my life before.  This morning I am so weak I can hardly stand.”

The chronic diarrhea is one of the worst enemies of our soldiers in the South have to contend with, and will be far more fatal to many of them than the bullets of the enemy.  Add should either resign his position or leave until his health is recruited.  A few weeks of good nursing might save his life.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 2, 1862, p. 1

Iowa Legislature

(Special to the Hawk-Eye.)

– Des Moines, Jan. 24.

Nothing important in the Senate.

HOUSE. – A resolution was introduced requesting Adjutant General Baker to furnish the House with the names of all the members of the Governor’s staff – compensation of each, and from what funds paid.  Adopted.

Mr. LANE, of Scott, presented a resolution instructing the Committee on Ways and Means to inquire into the expediency of transferring the School Fund monies to the State as a loan, and provides that the State shall pay the annual interest thereon.

Mr. HARDIE, of Dubuque, tried to get up the tabled resolution instructing the committee to report a license law.  Negatived, 77 to 15.

The vote on the special order of 2 P. M. for assuming the Federal tax, vote in favor of the bill stood, ayes 90, nays 2. Kellogg, [of] Decatur and Hardie, of Dubuque, voting against the bill.  The bill provides for the collection of $450,000 each year for the years 1862 and 1863.

The House adopted the bill making the issues of the State Bank of Iowa and Us demand notes receivable of taxes – ayes 71, nays 19.

A provision was also adopted that the bill expires by its on limitation February 1st, 1864.  A good day’s work.

(Special to Burlington Hawk-Eye.)

DES MOINES, Jan. 24, 1862.

Hon. C. C. Carpenter, of Ft. Dodge, has received the appointment of Brigadier Quarter-Master under Brigadier General McKean, in Missouri, secured through the influence of Hon. James W. Grimes.

T. H. S.

DES MOINES, Jan. 25.

HOUSE. – A communication from the Governor in answer to the resolution of the House asking how regimental officers were appointed, was received and read.  The paper is an able one, citing the law of Congress on the subject, and fully justifying the course.  Ordered to be printed.

Also, a resolution of the House, asking how many acres of Railroad land had been certified to the Secretary of the Interior showing there has been seven hundred and twenty sections certified to the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad, by the Governor and his predecessor, and the same amount to the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad.  He has no official notice of the length of the Burlington and Missouri Railroad, and has certified no land to that company.  Passed.

SENATE. – A resolution was presented asking the attention of Congress to the neglected condition of Iowa troops and their want of more surgeons, nurses and hospital stores.

Mr. HARDIE of Dubuque presented a petition forty feet long asking the repeal of the prohibitory and establish a license law.

The Military Committee reported back Mr. Delavey’s resolution asking a reduction of the salaries of commissioned officers, abolishing sutlers, and all except one band to each Brigade.  It will pass.

The Senate spent most of the Session discussing the Post Master question for the Assembly.

The Ways and Means Committee reported back Senator Gue’s bill fixing juror’s fees at one dollar and twenty five cents, and collecting six dollars cost to be paid by the losing party.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 1, 1862, p. 4

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Monday, June 2, 1862

I was one of a hundred men detailed to clean up our camp ground. Pope's men who went in pursuit of the rebels are returning and going into camp in and around Corinth. I spent $1.00 for peaches and bread at the sutler’s tent.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 52