Diary of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire: April 18, 1863

A letter from our son J. to-day; full of pleasant feeling at finding himself again in the Army of Northern Virginia. He is just established near General Jackson's head-quarters, as Surgeon of the First Virginia Battalion; had just breakfasted with Stonewall, and is filled with enthusiastic admiration for the great Christian soldier and patriot.

The enemy seems to have left Charleston. The Northern papers, after much circumlocution, prevarication, and boasting of a successful reconnoissance, acknowledge that they were greatly injured by their last attack on it. “All quiet on the Rappahannock,” continues to be reported. God grant that it may continue so!

Yesterday spent in the hospital; some of the men are very ill. I go back to-morrow.

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 208

General Joseph E. Johnston to Senator Louis T. Wigfall, December 15, 1862

chattanooga, Dec. 15, 1862.

My dear Wigfall:

On my return from Murfreesboro' a day or two ago I had the pleasure to find your letter, and the President. The latter is on a military tour, and has taken immediate command in this country. Unless he is greatly mistaken Mr. Seddon has not carried our point and reinforced Pemberton with Holmes's troops. On the contrary he says that H. has not had orders on the subject — requests or suggestions instead — which he thinks himself unable to comply with and therefore will not comply with. Pemberton must be reinforced. I have no other resource than the troops on this front, and must draw upon them. This has blown away some tall castles in the air. I have been dreaming of crushing Grant with Holmes's and Pemberton's troops, sending the former into Missouri, and with the latter, Bragg and Kirby Smith, marching to the Ohio. Our troops beyond the Mississippi seem to be living in great tranquillity.

Bragg's troops are in fine condition. Healthy looking and well clothed. In fine spirits too. I see no evidence of the want of confidence and dissatisfaction of which we heard so much in Richmond.

A great mistake has been made in the arrangement of my command. Mississippi and Arkansas should have been united to form it. Not this state and Mississippi, which are divided by (to us) an impassable river and impracticable country. The troops in Middle Tennessee could reach Fredericksburg much sooner than Mississippi. Then Genl. Holmes's communications depend upon our possession of the Mississippi. It is certainly his business to at least assist in the maintenance of his communications. The troops in Arkansas, as having a common object, could be naturally united.

You perhaps see no special object on my part in troubling you with this, and in truth I have no other than putting my troubles before one, who has a head to comprehend grand war, and a heart to sympathize with me.

I start, this afternoon, to Pemberton's Army. About 9,000 men are ordered from Bragg's — and I hope to bring back a great many stragglers who are scattered over the country S. W. of us.

A telegram from the War Department to the President gave us information of the fighting at Fredericksburg on Saturday. What luck some people have. Nobody will ever come to attack me in such a place.

Mrs. J. wrote to Mrs. Wigfall a day or two ago. This mild climate is very favorable to her. She is in excellent health and spirits.

I hope that you have good accounts of Halsey — of his health, I mean, for professionally there can be no doubt. Present me cordially to Mrs. Wigfall and the young ladies.

Very truly yours,

J. E. Johnston.

SOURCE: Louise Wigfall Wright, A Southern Girl in ’61, p. 104-6

Diary of Sarah Morgan: July 5, 1862 – 1 o’clock p.m.

Thus far had I reached when news came that our forces were attacking the town, and had already driven the pickets in! I am well now.

We all rushed to make preparations instantly. I had just finished washing my hair, before I commenced writing, and had it all streaming around me; but it did not take a minute to thrust it into a loose net. Then we each put on a fresh dress, except myself, as I preferred to have a linen cambric worn several times before, to a clean one not quite so nice, for that can do good service when washed. The excitement is intense; mother is securing a few of father's most valuable papers; Lilly running around after the children, and waiting for Charlie who cannot be found; Miriam, after securing all things needful, has gone downstairs to wait the issue; and I, dressed for instant flight, with my running-bag tied to my waist, and knapsack, bonnet, veil, etc., on the bed, occupy my last few moments at home in this profitable way.

Nobody knows what it is. A regiment has been marched out to meet our troops, some say commanded by Van Dorn, which I doubt. The gunboats are preparing to second them; we hear the Garrison drum and see people running, that is all. We don't know what is coming. I believe it will prove nothing, after all. But —! The gunboat is drawn up so as to command our street here; the guns aimed up the street just below, and if a house falls, ours will be about the first. Well! this time next year, we will know all of which we are now ignorant. That is one consolation! The house will either be down or standing, then.

SOURCE: Sarah Morgan Dawson, A Confederate Girl's Diary, p. 105-6

Diary of Sarah Morgan: July 5, 1862 – 6 p.m.

We have once more subsided; how foolish all this seems! Miriam and I laughed while preparing, and laughed while unpacking; it is the only way to take such things, and we agree on that, as on most other subjects. “They say” the affair originated from half a dozen shots fired by some Federal soldiers through idleness, whereupon the pickets rushed in screaming Van Dorn was after them at the head of six thousand men. I have my reasons for doubting the story; it must have been something more than that, to spread such a panic; for they certainly had time to ascertain the truth of the attack before they beat the long roll and sent out their troops, for if it had been Van Dorn, he would have been on them before that. Whatever it was, I am glad of the excitement, for it gave me new life for several hours; I was really sick before. Oh, this life! When will it end? Evermore and forevermore shall we live in this suspense? I wish we were in the Sandwich Islands.

SOURCE: Sarah Morgan Dawson, A Confederate Girl's Diary, p. 106-7

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, October 29, 1864

We were routed out at 2 o'clock this morning and at daybreak took up our march. We covered fifteen miles and went into bivouac near Spring creek. We reached Cedar Bluffs by 10 o'clock, where the Fifteenth Army Corps passed us, turning on a road to the right. About noon we crossed the Coosa river on a pontoon bridge and marched all the afternoon through a miserable swamp. The country is heavily timbered with white oak, and is thinly settled.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 225

Major-General John Sedgwick to George Woodruff, October 1, 1863

Headquarters 6th Army Corps,

Culpeper, October 1, 1863.

To George Woodruff, Esq.

Dear sir:

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 25th instant in regard to the services of your son, the late Lieutenant G. A. Woodruff, 1st Artillery, U. S. A. I will to-day forward your letter to Lieutenant-Colonel James H. Taylor, who was Chief of Staff of the late Major-General Sumner, under whose command the artillery of the division was directed. I assumed command of the division to which your son belonged in January, 1862, and had occasion to notice him expressly for the zeal and fidelity which he manifested in the discharge of his duties. Upon our arrival on the Peninsula we formed part of Sumner's corps. At the battle of Fair Oaks my division was the first of the corps to reach the field, and I placed the battery in position. I herewith enclose an extract from my report. I consider that the battery contributed essentially in the repulse of the rebels. At the battle of Glendale the battery was again in a prominent position. General Sumner and myself were both wounded inside the battery. I enclose an extract of my report. I presume General Sumner noticed more particularly its service, as was his promise. At the battle of Antietam I again had occasion to notice your son's gallantry, then in command of his battery. Whilst leaving the field, my horse having been killed, and badly wounded myself, I was left for some time within the battery, which was then engaged in repulsing and did repulse the column of the enemy that had broken my division. No veteran could have selected a better position, and no one could have shown more gallantry in defending it. I made no report of this battle, or I should have mentioned especially the services of your son and his battery. This was the last of my service with him; but I presume Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor will give you a more detailed and connected history of your son's service.

I would here remark that no General officer has authority to confer brevets; the President only has that right, with the sanction of the Senate. I have no means of knowing, but have no doubt your son's name went in to the Senate for two, perhaps three, brevets.

I am, very respectfully,

John Sedgwick,

Major-General.

SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of John Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 158-9

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Wednesday, January 22, 1862

Cold, threatening rain or snow all day.  . . . In the evening reports from Raleigh. Three of Company K, Thirtieth, and young Henderson, scout Company H, captured by the enemy. Report says no fighting except by Henderson. No other fired a gun. Rumor says they were drunk.

A great bushwhacker captured with three others. In the night bushwhacker taken with pains in his bowels — rolled over the floor, etc., etc., suddenly sprang up, seized two muskets and escaped! This is the official (false!) report. The other prisoners report that the sentinels were asleep, and the bushwhacker merely slipped out, taking two muskets with him.

Report says that three thousand milish of Mercer [County] are on or near Flat Top Mountain twenty miles from Raleigh and thirteen hundred cavalry!!

Three prisoners brought down last night. Captain McVey, a bushwhacking captain, armed with sword and rifle, was approaching a Union citizen's house to capture him, when [the] Union man, hearing of it, hid behind a log, drew a bead on Secesh as he approached, called out to him to lay down his arms, which Secesh prudently did, and thereupon the victor marched [him] to our camp at Raleigh. Another prisoner, a son of General Beckley, aged about sixteen. Why he was taken I don't understand. He carried dispatches when the militia was out under his father, but seems intelligent and well-disposed. Disliking to see one so young packed into a crowded guardhouse (thinking of Birch and Webb, too), I took him to my own quarters and shared my bed with him last night. He talked in his sleep incoherently, otherwise a good bedfellow.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 192-3

Francis Lieber to Senator Charles Sumner, April 4, 1865

New York, April 4,1865.

How do you feel now? was the constant question yesterday in the street, in the clubs, in the dwellings of the people, and I cannot help asking you the same question, even though the answer be known to me. I am sure the breaking up of the conspiracy, and settling some sort of order, — in short, the military action, will occupy us fully a year yet. In the mean time the question of admission comes nearer and nearer. Had we adopted the Amendment there would have been little difficulty, I take it. By a State-rebellion the States went out; by State-revolution, against the temporary de facto government, they might come back. But shall Virginia be readmitted “in thirty days,” as is intimated in the papers? A fine thing it would be! Vestigia nulla retrorsum was John Hampden's motto; let it be ours. Not a step backward. No slavery, no plenary pardon to all. It would be the ruin of the country. I very much wish I knew how the President thinks and feels on this subject; Mr. Seward, I suppose, is altogether for eau sucrée.

SOURCE: Thomas Sergeant Perry, Editor, The Life and Letters of Francis Lieber, p. 356-7

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 3,1862

The enemy have in the field, according to their official reports, some three-quarters of a million of men; we, about 250,000, or one-quarter of a million. This might answer for defense if we could only know where their blows will fall; but then they have a strong navy and thousands of transports, and we have next to nothing afloat to oppose to them. And there is no entente cordiale between Mr. Benjamin and any of our best generals.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 103

Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: August 3, 1864

Yesterday was such a lucky day for my housekeeping in our hired house. Oh, ye kind Columbia folk! Mrs. Alex Taylor, née Hayne, sent me a huge bowl of yellow butter and a basket to match of every vegetable in season. Mrs. Preston's man came with mushrooms freshly cut and Mrs. Tom Taylor's with fine melons.

Sent Smith and Johnson (my house servant and a carpenter from home, respectively) to the Commissary's with our wagon for supplies. They made a mistake, so they said, and went to the depot instead, and stayed there all day. I needed a servant sadly in many ways all day long, but I hope Smith and Johnson had a good time. I did not lose patience until Harriet came in an omnibus because I had neither servants nor horse to send to the station for her.

Stephen Elliott is wounded, and his wife and father have gone to him. Six hundred of his men were destroyed in a mine; and part of his brigade taken prisoners: Stoneman and his raiders have been captured. This last fact gives a slightly different hue to our horizon of unmitigated misery.

General L––– told us of an unpleasant scene at the President's last winter. He called there to see Mrs. McLean. Mrs. Davis was in the room and he did not speak to her. He did not intend to be rude; it was merely an oversight. And so he called again and tried to apologize, to remedy his blunder, but the President was inexorable, and would not receive his overtures of peace and good-will.

General L––– is a New York man. Talk of the savagery of slavery, heavens! How perfect are our men's manners down here, how suave, how polished are they. Fancy one of them forgetting to speak to Mrs. Davis in her own drawing-room.

SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 317-8

Diary of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire: April 17, 1863

On going to the hospital yesterday, I found that young Stansberry had died, surrounded by sympathizing friends, and having a bright hope of a blessed immortality. We are anxious about our armies everywhere, from the Mississippi to the seaboard. Rumours are rife about General Longstreet having thrown his forces between Norfolk and the Yankee army at Suffolk. In the mean time we must possess our souls in patience.

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 207-8

James A. Seddon to Senator Louis T. Wigfall

. . . When you write to me, mark your letter on the outside “Private” and then it will come under my own eye.  . . . I shall always receive with gratitude the suggestions of your fuller knowledge and riper experience. . . .

Most cordially yours,

J. A. Seddon.

SOURCE: Louise Wigfall Wright, A Southern Girl in ’61, p. 104

Diary of Sarah Morgan: July 5, 1862

Think, that since the 28th of May, I have not walked three squares at a time, for my only walks are to Mrs. Brunot's!

It is enough to kill any one; I might as well be at Ship Island, where Butler has sentenced Mrs. Phillips for laughing while the corpse of a Federal officer¹ was passing — at least, that is to be the principal charge, though I hope, for the sake of Butler's soul, that he had better reasons. Shocking as her conduct was, she hardly deserved two years' close confinement in such a dreadful place as that, because she happened to have no sense of delicacy, and no feeling.

“The darkest hour is just before the day”; we have had the blackest night for almost three months, and I don't see the light yet. “Better days are coming —” I am getting skeptical, I fear me.

I look forward to my future life with a shudder. This one cannot last long; I will be “up and doing” before many months are past. Doing what? Why, if all father left us is lost forever, if we are to be penniless as well as homeless, I’ll work for my living. How, I wonder? I will teach. I know I am not capable, but I can do my best. I would rather die than be dependent; I would rather die than teach. There now, you know how I feel! Teaching before dependence, death before teaching. My soul revolts from the drudgery. I never see a governess that my heart does not ache for her. I think of the nameless, numberless insults and trials she is forced to submit to; of the hopeless, thankless task that is imposed on her, to which she is expected to submit without a murmur; of all her griefs and agony shut up in her heart, and I cry Heaven help a governess. My heart bleeds for them and —

_______________

¹ Note by Mrs. Dawson in 1906: DeKay, our relative.

SOURCE: Sarah Morgan Dawson, A Confederate Girl's Diary, p. 104-5

EDITOR’S NOTE:  The Federal officer in question was Lieutenant George Coleman DeKay (August 24, 1843 – June 27, 1862), son of Comodore George Coleman DeKay & Janet Halleck Drake, and aid to Brigadier-General Thomas R. Williams.  He was a 2nd cousin once removed from Sarah Morgan.

Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Friday, October 28, 1864

Weather still pleasant. The Seventeenth Army Corps was reviewed by General Mower. We were out in full dress with knapsacks, haversacks and canteens on. There is to be only one battery to each division of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Twentieth Army Corps. The remainder of the artillery, with all defective wagons, horses and mules, is being sent back to Chattanooga. All things quiet in camp. We received orders to be ready to march in the morning at daylight.

Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B., Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 224-5

1st Lieutenant Charles Fessenden Morse, July 18, 1862

Camp Near Washington, Va.,

July 18, 1862.

We are experiencing a long, severe rain storm, which is attended with the usual discomforts in camp. With the men, it is particularly hard, as they have now lost their comfortable Sibley tents and have only small shelter tents in their places, which afford them very little protection. Wednesday, just at dinner, we received orders to march at once. We were off in an hour's time on the back track towards Gaines' Cross Roads. We went only a distance of five or six miles, crossing Hedgeman's River; the rain poured most of the time in torrents; it cleared off at sunset and we had a beautiful rainbow. We were on the road the next morning by five o'clock. The day was terribly hot and sultry, but at noon the rain began again and fell by pitchers-full for several hours. We marched fourteen or fifteen miles to Washington, a small village on the Luray road. The fields by the roadside were as usual filled with blackberries, and, as we had frequent rests, every man had a share of the fruit.

The cause of our retrograde movement was this: General Pope's adjutant general sent an order to General Banks to take up a strong position with his corps near Warrenton; instead of writing Warrenton, he should have written Washington, so we had thirty-five miles' extra marching for nothing: one man's mistake causing several thousand to swear and wear out shoe-leather. We are encamped in line of battle, the batteries all in position; our line extends along a high ridge for a little over a mile. We are near the centre, supporting Cathran's battery. Our camp is on the side of the hill and commands a beautiful and very extensive view; the mountains are on every side, some close by, others blue and misty in the distance. Right below us on the level is the little village, quite a pretty one, almost hidden by trees. The whole country half way up to the top of the mountain, is covered by either wheat or fine woods, so that there are no bare, unpleasant looking spots. Before camping, there was directly behind our line a field of fifteen or twenty acres full of wheat stacks; an hour afterwards the field was there, but every stack was gone and every man in the division had a comfortable bed. Mr. Secesh was saved the trouble of threshing his grain at the expense of a good many barrels of flour.

I suppose that you have heard that Captain Underwood has been commissioned Major in the Thirty-third Massachusetts. If this is so, there is speedy promotion ahead for a certain first lieutenant. Don't address me yet as Captain of Company I; it might be embarrassing before I get my commission.

SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 72-3

Major Wilder Dwight: October 2, 1861

washington, Willard's Hotel, October 2, 1861.

The date will explain the episode in my history, which has relieved the monotony for a day or two. I rode down here to accomplish some business for the regiment, and go back to-morrow morning William and I rode over to the forts this morning. They seem strong and uninviting. The enemy, however, will never attempt them. The big battle is not to be fought behind the breastworks of either party. In my judgment, the next severe blow our cause gets will be in Kentucky, whither the theatre of war is moving.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 109

Major-General John Sedgwick to his Sister, September 18, 1863

Culpeper, September 18, 1863.

My dear sister:

I received your letter last night. I have written this morning to Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor, in whose charge the sword is, to send it by express to West Cornwall as soon as convenient, and it will probably be there within a week after the receipt of this. Have a nice horse (trestle) made for the saddle, put together in my chamber. You will perceive that we have made a move to the front without any opposition. What the plans are I do not know. I think the move was ordered from Washington; whether a judicious one remains to be seen.

I enclose a drawing for the stand. Yale will see what is wanted. Have a nice one, either black walnut or fine painted. The horse is the handsomest one in the army. I hope some day to take him home.

With much love,

Your affectionate brother,

J. S.

SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of John Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 157

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Tuesday, January 21, 1862

Colder, but still raining. What a flood this will cause if it's general, as I think it is.

After being aroused by Thomas building a fire, I fell into a doze and dreamed. I thought Lucy had come and was in the room opposite to mine. I seemed to be partially asleep, and couldn't awake. She came in and stood by the bedside, not very affectionate in manner. I tried to arouse and succeeded in telling her how much I loved her. She was kind but not “pronounced.” I thought, as I happened to see little Joe in her arms, that she was waiting to see me notice him and was hurt that I had not done so sooner. I spoke up cheerfully, held out my arms for him. I saw his face. He was a pretty child — like Webb, with sister Fanny's eyes, a square forehead, but his face looked too old, bright, and serious for a boy of his age; looked as a child of two or three years who had lost flesh.

I also dreamed during the night of being at home — anxiously, so anxiously, looking at the newspapers for news from the Cairo expedition; feared it would be defeated; reflected on the advantages the enemy had in their fortifications over an attacking party, and began to feel that the news must be disastrous.

SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 192

Francis Lieber to Senator Charles Sumner, March 29, 1865

New York, March 29, 1865.

. . . How often have I said, “Let us beat the enemy and the logic will soon enough follow.” Such letters as Orleans’s and Cobden’s you should read to the President, and pound it into him that we want no peace. We want the restoration of the country minus slavery.  . . . Cobden touches on a very sore point, the necessary statesmanship of the Republican party when the military acting begins to cease. Now the Republican party has fervor, impulse, national convictions, and self-sacrifice; but we are sadly deficient in statesmanship, both with reference to financial and international matters.  . . . You will have to walk very bolt and straight before those English who seem to be so intensely anxious about your friendship to England, mais “soyez forts, et nous vous protégerons.”

SOURCE: Thomas Sergeant Perry, Editor, The Life and Letters of Francis Lieber, p. 356

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 2,1862

The enemy are making preparations to assail us everywhere. Roanoke Island, Norfolk, Beaufort, and Newbern; Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, Pensacola, and New Orleans are all menaced by numerous fleets on the sea-board, and in the West great numbers of iron-clad floating batteries threaten to force a passage down the Mississippi, while monster armies are concentrating for the invasion of Tennessee and the Cotton States. Will Virginia escape the scourge? Not she; here is the bull's-eye of the mark they aim at.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 103