General Robert E. Lee to his Daughter, December 25, 1861

COOSAWHATCHIE, S. C, December 25, 1861.

My Dear Daughter:

Having distributed such poor Christmas gifts as I had to those around me, I have been looking for something for you. Trifles even are hard to get these war-times, and you must not therefore expect more. I have sent you what I thought most useful in your separation from me, and hope it will be of some service. Though stigmatized as "vile dross," it has never been a drug with me. That you may never want for it, restrict your wants to your necessities. Yet how little will it purchase! But see how God provides for our pleasure in every way. To compensate for such "trash," I send you some sweet violets that I gathered for you this morning while covered with dense white frost, whose crystals glittered in the bright sun like diamonds, and formed a brooch of rare beauty and sweetness which could not be fabricated by the expenditure of a world of money. May God guard and preserve you for me, my dear daughter! Among the calamities of war, the hardest to bear, perhaps, is the separation of families and friends. Yet all must be endured to accomplish our independence and maintain our self-government. In my absence from you I have thought of you very often, and regretted I could do nothing for your comfort. Your old home, if not destroyed by our enemies, has been so desecrated that I cannot bear to think of it. I should have preferred it to have been wiped from the earth, its beautiful hill sunk, and its sacred trees buried, rather than to have been degraded by the presence of those who revel in the ill they do for their own selfish purposes. You see what a poor sinner I am, and how unworthy to possess what was given me; for that reason it has been taken away. I pray for a better spirit, and that the hearts of our enemies may be changed. In your homeless condition I hope you make yourself contented and useful. Occupy yourself in aiding those more helpless than yourself. . . . Think always of your father,

R. E. LEE.

SOURCES: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 156

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 21, 1861

CAMP PIERPONT, VA., December 21, 1861.

It has been several days since I last wrote to you, owing to occupation, principally drilling my command and yesterday going on a foraging expedition.¹ Of this last you are advised by this time through the public press, as what with the telegraph and the night train, it is actually a fact that at 11 A. M. to-day I read in the Philadelphia papers of this date an authentic account of the affair, furnished by McCall, before I had an opportunity of getting information either from Ord² or McCall. I do not know whether you will be disappointed in not seeing my name in connection with the affair, but this is the fortune of war. Reynolds and myself were allowed to secure our plunder undisturbed, but after permitting two expeditions, the enemy made preparations to capture the third, which was Ord's. He left early in the morning with his brigade, and Reynolds followed to support him, and it was intended that I should remain in camp for the day. About 10 o'clock, however, McCall received information from Ord, who was advancing, that he had reason to believe the enemy were going to dispute his advance. McCall immediately went out to join him, leaving word with me to get my command under arms and be ready to move at a moment's notice. About 1 P. M., hearing heavy firing, without waiting for orders, I started with the brigade and reached the scene, distant eleven miles, by 4 o'clock, only to learn that it was all over, and that I might march back to camp, which we did, arriving here about half-past 8, pretty well tired out. It appears they had four regiments and a battery of artillery. Ord had a battery and five regiments. They had the choice of ground and opened the attack. Their artillery was miserably served and did us no damage. Ours, on the contrary, under Ord's directions, was very well served and did great execution — so much so that, after throwing them into confusion, our men charged, and they fled in all directions, leaving their dead and wounded and lots of baggage on the ground, giving us a complete and brilliant success. I have just seen General Ord, and I asked him how the men behaved. He replied, better than he expected, but not so well as they ought; that there was much shirking and running away on the part of both officers and men. Still, he persuaded two regiments to maintain their ground and finally to charge. These were the Kane Rifles (Charley Biddle's regiment) and the Ninth, a very good regiment commanded by a Colonel Jackson. One regiment he could do nothing with — (but this, as well as all that precedes, is entre nous). The fact that the enemy were routed, leaving killed, wounded, baggage, etc., on the ground, will always be held up to show how gallantly the volunteers can and did behave, and the world will never know that it was the judicious posting and serving of the battery by Ord (himself an artillery officer) which demoralized and threw into confusion the enemy, and prepared them to run the moment our people showed a bold front, which it required all Ord's efforts and some time to get them to do. Ord says if they had charged when he first ordered them, he would have captured the whole battery and lots of prisoners. You will see therefore that the result proves the justness of my prediction. Owing to the success of our artillery, the men were gotten up to the charging point. Had the artillery of the enemy been served as ours was, and committed the same devastation, he could not have kept his command together five minutes. In other words, it is success in the beginning of an action which keeps volunteers together, and disaster or being checked is sure to throw them into confusion or cause them to run.

Among the wounded was an officer, and from his person was taken a letter which was evidently written by a person of intelligence and position. It speaks of their fortifications at Centreville, says they are prepared for McClellan's attack, that whilst they know an attack from him would be a military faux pas and cannot but result disastrously, yet their hopes are based upon the knowledge of the pressure that is being brought to bear on him by the people of the North, who are ignorant of war and deluded with an overweening sense of their own power and a blind contempt for their enemy. This letter has been sent to McClellan. We have heard nothing from them since our return.

__________

¹ Engagement, Dranesville, Va., December 20, 1861. Federal loss, killed, wounded, and missing, 68 (O. R.).

² Brigadier-General Edward O. C. Ord, commanding 3d Brg. Pa. Reserves.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 236-8

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Sunday, January 4, 1863

I was on picket again today. A work train came in from Memphis, and four trains passed through going to Memphis; but none of them brought provisions, and as our provisions are so low, the division quartermaster sent all the teams to Memphis to bring provisions.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 91

Major General William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, May 6, 1863

Camp opposite Grand Gulf, Mississippi,

May 6, 1863.

It is done of course by the cursed stragglers who won't fight, but hang behind and disgrace our cause and country. Dr. Bowie had fled, leaving everything on the approach of our troops. Of course devastation marked the whole path of the army, and I know all the principal officers detest the infamous practice as much as I do. Of course I expect and do take corn, bacon, ham, mules and everything to support an army, and don't object much to the using offences for firewood. But this universal burning and wanton destruction of private property is not justified in war.

SOURCES: M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Editor, Home Letters of General Sherman, p. 259-60.  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 2/04.

General Robert E. Lee to Charlotte Wickham Lee, December 29, 1861

COOSAWHATCHIE, S. C., December 29, 1861.

You have no occasion to inform me, you precious Chass, that you have not written to me for a long time. That I already knew, and you know that the letters I am obliged to write do not prevent my reading letters from you.

If it requires fits of indignation to cause you to ventilate your paper, I will give occasion for a series of spasms, but in the present case I am innocent, as my proposition was for you to accompany your mama to Fayetteville, and not to run off with her son to Fredericksburg. I am afraid the enemy will catch you, and besides there are too many young men there. I only want you to visit the old men — your grandpapa and papa. But what has got into your heads to cause you to cut off of them your hair? If you will weave some delicate fabrics for the soldiers of the family out of it, I will be content with the sacrifice. Or if it is an expression of a penitential mood that has come over you young women I shall not complain. Poor little A., somebody told me that a widower had been making sweet eyes at her through his spectacles. Perhaps she is preparing for caps. But you can tell her not to distress herself. Her papa is not going to give her up in that way. I am, however, so glad that you are all together that I am willing you should indulge in some extravagances if they do not result in serious hurt, as they will afford a variety to the grave occupation of knitting, sewing, spinning, and weaving. You will have to get out the old wheels and looms again, else I do not know where we poor Confederates will get clothes. I have plenty of old ones for the present, but how are they to be renewed? And that is the condition of many others. I do not think there are manufactories sufficient in the Confederacy to supply the demand, and as the men are all engrossed by the war, the women will have to engage in the business. Fayetteville or Stratford would be a fine manufactory. When you go to see your grandpa, consult him about it. I am glad to hear that he is well, and hope he will not let these disjointed times put him out of his usual way or give him inconvenience. I would not advise him to commence building at Broadneck until he sees whether the enemy can be driven from the land, as they have a great fondness for destroying residences when they can do it without danger to themselves . . . Do not let them get that precious baby, as he is so sweet that they would be sure to eat him. . . . Kiss Fitzhugh for me and the baby. That is the sweetest Christmas gift I can send them. I send you some sweet violets. I hope they may retain their fragrance till you receive them. I have just gathered them for you. The sun has set, and my eyes plead for relief, for they have had no rest this holy day. But my heart with all its strength stretches toward you and those with you, and hushes in silence its yearnings. God bless you, my daughter, your dear husband and son. Give much love to your mama, and may every blessing attend you all, prays,

Your devoted father,

R. E. LEE.

SOURCES: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 155-6

Mrs. Margaret D. Drips has been appointed . . .

. . . postmaster at Maquoketa, Jackson county, in this state, in the place of her husband Captain A. W. Drips, who was killed at the battle of Pea Ridge.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 12, 1861

CAMP PIERPONT, VA., December 12, 1861.

We have nothing new in the army. Congress and its doings I suppose you see in the papers. It appears Cameron¹ has come out on the Abolition side, but honest old Abe² made him suppress the principal part of his report. I see Congress refused to pass a vote of censure on General Halleck³ for his order about slaves, which indicates the ultras are not yet to have it all their own way.

__________

¹ Simon Cameron, Secretary of War of the United States.

² Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States.

³ Major-General Henry W. Halleck, U. S. A., in command of the Department of the Missouri.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 236

The destruction of the Merrimac . . .

. . . releases the formidable squadron which has been held at Fortress Monroe to guard against her depredations.  She is no longer the skeleton in our national closet.  The Monitor and other iron-clad gunboats are now at liberty to finish the work of repossessing the United States forts on the coast.  It would not be surprising to hear of her in a few days at Wilmington N C., clearing the way for the destruction of the railroad communication between Virginia and the Southern coast.  Or she may appear under the walls of Sumter, or at the Charleston docks.  There is much that she could do, and she should not remain inactive for a single day.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, January 3, 1863

A work train came in from Corinth today, and troops are coming in from the front. It is said they are bound for Memphis where they will take transports down the river, to go into camp just above Vicksburg. The Fifteenth Iowa left camp here and took up quarters down in Lafayette.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 91

Major General William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, May 2, 1863

MILLIKEN'S BEND, May 2, 1863.

As I wrote you on Wednesday, I went up Yazoo with two ironclad boats, four or five mosquitoes, or small stern wheel gun-boats, and ten transports carrying a part of Blair’s division for the purpose of making a simulated attack on Haines' Bluff to divert attention from Grant's movements on Grand Gulf. The first night we spent at our old battle ground of Chickasaw Bayou, and next morning moved up in sight of the batteries on Drumgould's Hill. We battered away all morning and the enemy gave us back as much as we sent. The leading gun-boat got fifty-three shots in her, but her men being in iron casemates were not hurt. A wooden boat had a shot through the engine room. I was in the Black Hawk which was a wooden boat with two thirty pound rifles on the bow. We kept up a brisk cannonade for about five hours and then hauled out of range. I then disembarked the men in full view and made all the usual demonstrations of attack and remained so till night when the men were recalled. Next morning we made renewed examination, and I had just given orders for a new cannonade when a messenger came up from Grant saying they had had hard work at Grand Gulf and were compelled to run below, but that he would land at Bayou Pierre and turn back on Vicksburg, ordering me to come with two of my divisions to Perkins' plantation about forty miles down the river. I sent down orders for Tuttle's and Steele's divisions to march at once and yesterday afternoon we renewed the cannonade and kept it up till night when he ran down to our camp and moved up to Milliken's Bend. Steele's and Tuttle's divisions have gone out and I start to-morrow to overtake and pass them. I have nothing positive from below. Blair's division remains here. . . .

SOURCES: M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Editor, Home Letters of General Sherman, p. 258-9.  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 2/04.

Putting Down His Foot

At no time has President Lincoln “put his foot down” to such good acceptance by the people as at Willoughby’s Point.  Here he was the first to land of the land [sic] of the expedition which took possession of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and caused the destruction of the Merrimac, and with little or no cost of blood or treasure.  It is said the President selected the day previous, the place where he subsequently “put his foot down” with such magnificent results. – Peoria Trans.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

General Robert E. Lee to His Daughters, November 22, 1861

SAVANNAH, 22d November, 1861

My Darling Daughters:

I wish I could see you, be with you, and never again part from you. God only can give me that happiness. I pray for it night and day. But my prayers, I know, are not worthy to be heard. . . . . I am much pleased at your description of Stratford and your visit there. It is endeared to me by many recollections, and it has always been the desire of my life to be able to purchase it. Now that we have no other home, and the one we so loved has been for ever desecrated, that desire is stronger with me than ever. The horse-chestnut you mention in the garden was planted by my mother. I am sorry the vault is so dilapidated. You do not mention the spring, one of the objects of my earliest recollections. How my heart goes back to those happy days! . . . . This is my second visit to Savannah. I have been down the coast as far as Amelia Island to examine the defences. They are poor indeed, and I have laid off work to employ our people a month. I hope our enemy will be polite enough to wait for us. It is difficult to get our people to realize their position. . . .

Your devoted father,

R. E. Lee.

SOURCES: John William Jones, Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee: Soldier and Man, p. 154; Armistead Lindsay Long, Marcus Joseph Wright, Memoirs of Robert E. Lee: His Military and Personal History, p. 139-40

Heavy Retrenchment

The Ohio Legislature, at its recent session has cut down the ordinary State, county and local taxes $2,359,293, and has reduced expenditures accordingly.  This sum will pay all the States expenses for the present year.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 11, 1861

CAMP PIERPONT, VA., December 11, 1861.

I went into town last evening to the wedding of Captain Griffin with Miss Carroll. I had another object in view, which was to avail myself of a capital opportunity of seeing in one place and at one time numerous friends. Kuhn and myself left camp about 5 o'clock, getting in about half-past 6. Kuhn found some nice rooms where his connections, the young Adamses, were staying, and where the landlady was gracious enough to admit us for the night. After tea and a stroll to Willards', we returned and beautified ourselves, and at 9 precisely repaired to the Carrolls'. Of course there was an immense jam; of course the bride and groom looked splendid, as did the fourteen bridemaids and groomsmen, the latter all handsome young officers in full uniform. Mr., Mrs. and the Miss C's were very civil to your humble servant. I saw McClellan and had the honor of making way for him to approach the bride. I saw Mrs. Lincoln, Lord Lyons, Governor Chase, Mr. Seward, and lots of other celebrities. All my old Washington friends greeted me with great cordiality, and any amount of rooms and plates at table were offered to me when I should come into town, and all the ladies referred to your visit and their regret that you were gone before they could get to see you. There was the usual amount of flirtations carried on by the old stagers, assisted by numerous younger fry. I had a very agreeable evening; they had a magnificent supper, and at midnight Kuhn and I returned to our quarters.

This morning, having seen Master Charley Turnbull at the wedding (he not having yet received his return despatches), I went at half-past 8 o'clock to his house and breakfasted with them. Just as we had finished breakfast, and I was thinking of going to the Bureau to write you a few lines, a telegram was put into my hands, announcing the reported approach of the enemy. I hurried to the stable, got my horse, and in thirty minutes by my watch was here in camp, to find, as I expected, that it was a stampede.

There is a story, brought in by one of their deserters, a negro, that on last Friday, the day I was out on a foraging expedition, we approached so near an advanced command they had, consisting of a brigade of infantry and a battery, that they thought they were going to be attacked, and retreated in such a hurry that they abandoned their artillery, and did not return for it all the next day. Unfortunately, we were in ignorance of their presence, or of their stampede, or we might have had a glorious and bloodless capture. The Southern papers have recently been vehemently urging an advance of their army in order to stop our expeditions by sea, and we know Jeff. Davis was at Centreville (where they are said to have sixty thousand men) last Friday. As he has adhered to the defensive policy, in opposition to his generals, it is not impossible he may have yielded, and determined to advance and give us battle. This may account for their movement last night and this morning. I think if they come out of their ratholes about Bull Run and give us a fair chance half-way, that McClellan will eagerly seize it, and the question may be settled by one grand battle. Were it not that I am determined to take things as they come and have no wishes, I would say, so let it be. The sooner this thing is settled the better, and it can only be settled by one side or the other gaining a most decisive and complete victory. I think, if we have a fair, open fight, our chances are good for a victory. But all battles are more or less the result of accidents, and no one can tell in advance what will be the result. We have been in readiness to move all day, but as nothing further has occurred, I suppose an immediate action for the present is postponed.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 235-6

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Friday, January 2, 1863

We are now on less than half rations and the outlook for anything better in the next few days is not good, although a train was expected to come through from Memphis today.¹ The railroad east and west from us has been torn up; the rebel cavalry seem to be able to destroy it as fast as we can repair it.

__________

¹ The train the day before did not have provisions. — A. G. D.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 91

Information by Contrabands

From the N. Y. Times, Tuesday.

One of our correspondents at Yorktown adds a postscript to his letter, dated on Saturday, May 3, at noon, to the effect that our picket had been puzzled at encountering no pickets of the enemy during the previous night and morning, and adds: “A contraband, has just come in, reports the rebels have evacuated Yorktown.”  It will be seen that the news did not reach Gen. McClellan until the morning of the 4th, when the pursuit was instantly commenced with vigor.  Nor is this the only instance where the loyalty and reliability of the fugitive slaves have been tested.  Our armies have hardly taken a step without reliance upon the reports of the faithful black fellows whose accuracy has been remarkable.  Gen. Banks has had frequent occasions to acknowledge the value of these volunteer guides; and it is credibly stated that but for information carried by them to Gen. McDowell’s officers, when they approached the Rappahannock, that important division of the army would have pressed forward and fallen into the hands of Gen. Gustavus Smith, whose rebel legions lay only a short distance beyond the river.  The country will owe much to its African allies by the time the war is ended.  Shall it pay the debt by giving them up to their vindictive masters and to hopeless slavery?

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, January 1, 1863

We have become somewhat indifferent about keeping our camp in the best possible order, for we have been disappointed so often in soon having to leave a camp which we took pains to build. We have, however, fairly good bunks in our tents, made of brush and leaves. Our duties are very laborious here, for besides the regular picket duty, we are almost constantly at work repairing the railroad. Today four companies were on picket patrol and at work repairing a railroad bridge. I was on picket duty with the countersign “helmet.” The army is on half rations, but we expect more soon, as a provision train came through today from Memphis. The Third Division went to Memphis. The weather is clear and cool.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 90-1

Hiatus

I received the very sad news this morning that my father has passed away in his sleep.  So needless to say there will be no blog posts on Civil War Notebook, while I make the trip from Tennessee to Iowa to be with my family at this time.  When I get back to Tennessee blog posts will begin again.  Thank you for your support of this blog, and me, it is forever and greatly appreciated.

From Gen. Halleck’s Army

CAIRO, May 14.

The division of Gen. Mitchell has formed a junction with Gen. Pope and now forms the extreme left of our line.

By the City of Memphis from Pittsburg, we learn there is great dissatisfaction among rebel troops; some want to go home, their time of enlistment being out, and others for being taken from their business by force.

No news from the fleet to-day.  The weather is getting very hot here.

The City of Memphis has three hundred and fifty sic; they are going to Keokuk under the charge of Dr. Turner.

Gen. Mitchell’s division has arrived at Farmington.

The story of the enemy’s lack for provisions, is denied by the deserters, who say that there is plenty of subsistence at Corinth.

On Tuesday Gen. Pope moved forward his column to retake the position lost in the skirmish of Friday last.  The result of this movement had not transpired at the time the steamer left Pittsburg.

A lamentable casualty occurred on board the steamer Gladiator.  As the steamer was passing up the Tennessee river, on Tuesday, with the 4th Minnesota regiment on board, just above Paris Landing, her upper works gave way, killing five and injuring several others.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, May 16, 1862, p. 2

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 9, 1861

CAMP PIERPONT, VA., December 9, 1861.

Most persons here pooh-pooh the news from England, but I think it very serious, as it confirms my apprehension that England would feel herself compelled to intervene in our domestic troubles, and would seize the first plausible pretext for doing so. There is no earthly doubt but that we were justified by the laws of nations in arresting Mason and Slidell. It is, however, a question whether it was done in the right mode, and whether Wilkes ought not to have captured the vessel and carried it into port, where an admiralty judge could have settled the legal points involved, and have ordered the release of the prisoners, in case their arrest was contrary to national law. This I understand is the point England now makes, viz.: that no naval officer is empowered to decide on the spot questions of international law — which can only be settled by admiralty courts.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 234-5