Civil War Notebook: Weather

Showing posts with label Weather. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2026

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Monday, May 5, 1862

A battle going on at Williamsburgh since morning. Our division marched into Yorktown towards afternoon, under a heavy rain. Explosions of torpedoes very frequent. We commenced to camp inside the fortifications, but we were ordered to march towards Williamsburgh immediately. The column started; halted shortly after on the turnpike road, and remained during the night, under an incessant rain. This was one of the most horrid nights we ever saw in the service. At two o'clock in the morning orders came for us to retire to our camps to rest.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, pp. 41-2

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Thursday, May 22, 1862

Remained in camp near Bottoms' Bridge, on the York River Railroad. During the afternoon, a heavy hailstorm occurred. Pieces of ice, two inches in diameter, were found.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 43

Diary of Private Theodore Reichardt, Friday, May 30, 1862

Near Coal Harbor. Heavy rain.

SOURCE: Theodore Reichardt, Diary of Battery A, First Regiment Rhode Island Light Artillery, p. 44

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, March 16, 1865

Pleasant day although cool morning, drill A. M. at 2. P. M. orders to move tomorrow with 3 days cooked rations. Go over to Commissary for box of sea biscuit & see the supply train loading, popped the last of the pop corn from home. Mail comes to the Regt at 9. P. M. was up late getting ready.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 578

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Friday, March 17, 1865

Revelie at 2.45, breakfast at 3.30 Genl call at 5. Brigade forms on the Gulf beach at 6 column of the 3d Div moves out at 8.39; in a quandary about Corys valise; at 11. pass the camp of 1st Brig 2d Div which is ahead, all Kinds of supplies left in camp & no one to pick them up. road sandy & marching heavy, we camp at 2 P. M 10 miles from the Cove Miller & I take a stroll through the woods which we find full of spanish moss flowers cactus &c find some families on the Bay Beach got some sweet milk to drink. Boys get plenty of Oysters in the slough near by where they have been planted hear that the Monitors and Gunboats all left the Cove soon after we did. We had a long talk with the women, brush so thick could hardly get back to camp. day has been warm.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 578

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, March 20, 1865

Regt in line to move at 6. Rec orders to wait. At 12. I am sent with a detail to corderoy the road. The train all stuck in the mud. men pull the wagons out with ropes. At 3. I am relieved and report to the Regt. At 3.40 Regt in line to guard a train of 20 wagons, (all that had been got over) to the other Brigade ahead, as they are out of rations. Met Genl Grangers ambulances one mile out, begins to rain before we get through rains hard & is very dark. Get through at 9. The train sticks in the mud & is hard to get through. hear cannonading on the Bay all P. M. we are now in the turpentine orchards, hundreds of pounds of resin on the trees, get supper at 9, raining, retire at 10. Genl Veaches Div has overtaken our rear. The Regt moved 6 miles today.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 578-9

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Tuesday, March 21, 1865

Rains hard all night. Grond [sic] flat & all drawn out of bed Rains all A. M. 1st Brig 2Div starts out early men pull the batteries through. Some Rebs seen yesterday, one Brig reported within 3 miles (?) train did not get through, heavy detail out cording the road & building a bridge washed away by last nights rain heavy cannonading on the Bay. all P. M. Bertrams Brigade gets through to Fish river & find 1 Div of Smiths corps there, we have good fires of resin

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 579

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, March 22, 1865

Fine day; lay in camp all day quite a no of the men out to forage. see some Rebs. Capt sent back with detail for rations. Men pull the wagons. Evening Genls Granger & Veach have Hd Qtrs in our camp. Heavy artillery heard all day supposed by some to be Steele fighting Genls. Canby Smith & Osterhaus are at Fish river Foragers sees the ruins of a large turpentine factory. destroyed by fire about 2 weeks ago, which accounts for the big smokes we had noticed & find 100 prs good new drawers & 200 prs negro's cotton pants

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 579

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, March 27, 1865

The whole command stood to arms from revelie until daybreak. troops in the rifle pits too. at 9.15 the column moves out at 10. we are in line of battle & the artillery opens on the forts of which we discover 3. Bertram brought his brigade up to our camp at daylight but was ordered back double quick, he had taken out of the road 15 torpedos, an orderly had been killed by the explosion of one last night, begins to sprinkle at 10. & P. M. rains quite hard. Our batteries keep up a steady firing to get the range & get a reply but the enemy replies but little. The skirmish line pushes up to within 150 yds of the Reb works and keep them well down behind them, it is reported that Smith who has closed in on the right had captured a rebel ammunition train. Regts are camped at dark in hollows behind hills protecting them from the fire of the enemy, large working parties are out all night building breastworks & strong skirmish line is kept out to protect them. I hear of 3 men killed & some 10 wounded. The Bay in front of the Fort is said to be litterally sown with torpedos & this Fort is said to be the Key of Mobile protecting one of the main channells of the Bay

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 580-1

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, March 29, 1865

E. Co relieves K. before daylight. The enemy & our skirmishers talked all night. Rebs say their torpedos had sunk one of our Monitors & would sink the rest of them. Rains part of the day. We strengthen our protection. I learn that the Monitor which was sunk is the Milwakee she is not destroyed & will probably be raised soon. another the Osage was sunk today by a torpedo name Osage. The Pioneer Corps have taken out of the road 18 more torpedos made of 64 lb percussive shells, barely buried, the weight of a man on them will explode them. The Gunboatman have raised several from the Bay are out in skiffs hunting them. The enemy shell the skirmish line sharply all day.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 581

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, March 30, 1865

At 12. last night the Jonnies made a charge out of their forts on the skirmish line, draw it in on the left where the 7th Vermont was stationed, camps wise all around & on the alert. brisk firing for an hour, some rain falling about this time. At 3. A. M. co C. relieves Co E. on the skirmish line They come in all whole & were not drivn back. reported that about 30 of the 29th Iowa were gobbled by the 7th Vermont giving back & letting the Jonnies in their rear; The day passes so so. Artillery firing from both sides. Reb Mortar boats shell us considerably & heavy firing on the skirmish line all day, some of the heavy guns to be put in position tonight. This evening the reported capture of the men of the 29th is contradicted Co "C" is relieved after dark & bring off 3 prisoners with them, they were out sharp shooting & got to close They talk confidantly & say we can never take Mobile or Spanish Fort which by their act is manned by 6000 reinforcing every night, one Brigade of the 16th A. C. is sent off this P. M. as guard to supply train with rations for Genl Steele who is in the vicinity of Blakely & reports to Genl Canby that he can keep reinforcements from coming here by land or allow it. Genl C. says to allow it. (this is rumor) There is a telegraph from Genl Canbys Hd Qtrs to all the Div Hd Qtrs & to the landing at our new base about 4 miles from our position. The Rebels use heavier guns today. Have a chill this morning & feel quite ill all day.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, pp. 581-2

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Monday, February 3, 1862

Camp Cairo, Illinois. Storm has abated. The troops that were enbarking yesterday will all leave to day. One soldier was drowned yesterday evening by being shoved overboard Gens. McClernand & Grant & Staffs respectively leave to day. Col. Buford is in command until noon to day. Gen. Paine will then assume command of the Three Posts with Head Quarters here. To inclement for Dress Parade.