Marched eleven miles to Fisher's Hill. Ascended Round Top Mountain,
Rebel signal station. A fine view of the Valley, marred by the fires and smoke
of burning stacks and barns. A bitter, windy, cold afternoon and night. Rebel
cavalry harrassing our rear.
Felt a great repugnance to fighting another battle last night; all
right this morning. Our cavalry flogged the Rebels handsomely today. Took nine
pieces of artillery and many prisoners and train. Captain H. J. Farnsworth. a
quartermaster, reported to my division.
This morning the army is breaking camp, and taking the backward track. We look for our turn to come soon, and it finally comes; we take up the weary march; the roads are very dusty; the heat is intense; the troops almost suffocate. This grand army is suffering to-day in Mississippi, but they move on; they murmur not. We hope soon to go into camp and rest for a while. Night comes, and the army lies down to sleep.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 80
This morning we are soon on the march, moving in the direction of Corinth. Oh! how hot and dusty; we seem to be moving through one vast hot cloud of dust, and what adds more to the suffering of the soldier, is the scarcity of water. We come to a halt, with orders to rest for the night, for the soldiers are weary.
This morning about three o'clock we move. It is more comfortable marching to-day; we march briskly until we come up with the Second Brigade and our baggage train, when we stop to eat our breakfast. We do not stop long; we soon move on through the heat and dust, and in the evening go into camp at our former camping ground, near the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 80
To-day we remain in camp; everything seems quiet, the boys look cheerful.
Close by, in a winding ravine gushes a stream of sparkling water, which God, the Eternal, brews for all his children. It is beautiful, and the boys in blue kneel often there.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 80-1
We have divine service to-day. The men pay due deference to the preaching of the gospel, though they are engaged in working war's mad machine, a machine which is said to be demoralizing in its work. The weather still continues very hot, even warmer than it has heretofore been.
“Keep us in the shade,” is the universal cry among the men.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 81
This morning a large detail is made from the regiment to prepare a new and permanent camping ground for the summer. It rains to-day, making all nature look smiling and healthy.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 81
This morning after the rain, the world around seems all beauty; the south winds blow soothingly around the Union soldiers in Mississippi.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 81
To-day we move our camp; we now have a pleasant situation. The signs of the times are changing. Direct communication is now open from Corinth to the Mississippi River.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 81
This morning is still and beautiful. From the distant fields come the sound of the bugle's sharp notes. The artillery is going pell mell, practicing in the evolutions. Drill, drill, seems to be the order of the day, coming from every quarter. During our stay in camp here, nothing of much interest occurs; now and then an occasional something turns up to relieve the dull monotony of camp life.
SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 81-2
Cloudy all day, with occasional light showers. No war news; but the papers have an account of the shooting of an infant by some Yankees on account of its name. This shows that the war is degenerating more and more into savage barbarism.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 179
It rained furiously all night; wind northwest, and snowed to-day until 12 M. to a depth of several inches. It is still blowing a gale from the northwest.
To-day the clerks were paid in the new currency; but I see no abatement of prices from the scarcity of money, caused by funding. Shad are selling at $10 each, paper; or 50 cents, silver. Gold and silver are circulating—a little.
A letter from Liberty, Va., states that government bacon (tithe) is spoiling, in bulk, for want of attention.
From Washington County there are complaints that Gen. Longstreet's impressing officers are taking all, except five bushels of grain and fifty pounds of bacon for each adult—a plenty, one would think, under the circumstances.
Senator Hunter has asked and obtained a detail for Mr. Dandridge (under eighteen) as quartermaster's clerk. And Mr. Secretary Seddon has ordered the commissary to let Mrs. Michie have sugar and flour for her family, white and black.
Mr. Secretary Benjamin sent over, to-day, for passports to the Mississippi River for two “secret agents.” What for?
Gen. Lee has made regulations to prevent cotton, tobacco, etc. passing his lines into the enemy's country, unless allowed by the government. But, then, several in authority will “allow" it without limit.
I set out sixty-eight early cabbage-plants yesterday. They are now under the snow!
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 179-80
The snow has disappeared; but it is cloudy, with a cold northwest wind. The James River is very high, and all the streams are so much swollen that no military operations in the field are looked for immediately. It is generally believed that Grant, the Federal lieutenant-general, will concentrate an immense army for the capture of Richmond, and our authorities are invoked to make the necessary dispositions to resist the attempt.
The papers contain a supplemental proclamation of President Lincoln, and understand it to be merely an electioneering card to secure the Abolition vote in the convention to nominate a candidate for the Presidency. If it does not mean that, its object must be to induce us to send an army North to burn and pillage, so that the Federal authorities may have a pretext to raise new armies, and prosecute the war, not for the Union, but for conquest and power.
Custis and I received yesterday $500 in the new Treasury notes, but we had to pay $16 for two pounds of bacon. So no diminution of prices is yet experienced. It is now a famine, although I believe we are starving in the midst of plenty, if it were only equally distributed. But the government will not, it seems, require the railroads to bring provisions to the exclusion of freight for the speculators. Certain non-combating officers of the government have abundance brought them by the Southern Express Co., and the merchants have abundance of goods brought hither by the same company for the purposes of speculation. Well, we shall see the result! One is almost ready to believe that the government declines to fill the depots here, harboring the purpose of abandoning the city. That would be abandonment of the cause. Nearly all who own no slaves would remain citizens of the United States, if permitted, without further molestation on the part of the Federal authorities, and many Virginians in the field might abandon the Confederate States army. The State would be lost, and North Carolina and Tennessee would have an inevitable avalanche of invasion precipitated upon them. The only hope would be civil war in the North, a not improbable event. What could they do with four millions of negroes arrogating equality with the whites?
A cold rain all day; wind from northwest.
Mr. Ould and Capt. Hatch, agents of exchange (of prisoners), have returned from a conference with Gen. Butler, at Fortress Monroe, and it is announced that arrangements have been made for an immediate resumption of the exchange of prisoners on the old footing. Thus has the government abandoned the ground so proudly assumed—of non-intercourse with Butler, and the press. is firing away at it for negotiating with the “Beast” and outlaw. But our men in captivity are in favor of a speedy exchange, no matter with whom the agreement is made.
Forrest has destroyed Paducah, Ky.
There is a little quarrel in progress between the Secretaries of War and the Treasury. Some days ago the Postmaster-General got from the President an order that his clerks should be detailed for the use of the department until further orders. The Secretary of the Treasury made an application to the Secretary of War for a similar detail, but it was refused. Mr. Memminger appealed, with some acerbity, to the President, and the President indorsed on the paper that the proper rule would be for the Secretary of War to detail as desired by heads of departments. Nevertheless, the clerks were detailed but for thirty days, to report at the Camp of Instruction, if the detail were not renewed. To-day Mr. Memminger addresses a note to Mr. Seddon, inquiring if it was his purpose to hold his clerks liable to perform military duty after the expiration of the thirty days, and declaring that the incertitude and inconvenience of constantly applying for renewal of details, deranged and obstructed the business of his department. I know not yet what answer Mr. S. made, but doubtless a breach exists through which one or both may pass out of the cabinet. The truth is, that all clerks constitutionally appointed are legally exempt, and it is the boldest tyranny to enroll them as conscripts. But Mr. Memminger has no scruples on that head. All of them desire to retain in “soft places” their own relatives and friends, feeling but little sympathy for others whose refugee families are dependent on their salaries.
On Saturday, the cavalry battalion for local defense, accepted last summer by the President, were notified on parade that 20 days would be allowed them to choose their companies in the army, and if the choice were not made, they would be assigned to companies. They protested against this as despotic, but there is no remedy.
Cold rain all might and all day; wind northwest.
The Quartermaster-General now recommends that no furloughs be given, so as to devote the railroads to the transportation of grain to Virginia.
The Commissary-General again informs the Secretary of War, to-day, that unless the passenger trains were discontinued, the army could not be subsisted, and Richmond and all Virginia might have to be abandoned, and the country might be pillaged by our own soldiers. Not a word against the Southern (Yankee) Express Company.
Our prospects are brighter than they have been for many a day, and the enemy are doomed, I think, to a speedy humiliation.
I saw a note to-day from Mr. Memminger stating his fears that the amount of Treasury notes funded will not exceed $200,000,000, leaving $600,000,000 still in circulation It is true, some $300,000,000 might be collected in taxes, if due vigilance were observed,—but will it be observed? He says he can make between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 of the new currency per day. If this be done, the redundancy will soon be as great as ever. Nothing but success in the field will prevent an explosion and repudiation of the currency, sooner or later.
At mid-day it cleared off; wind still northwest, and cool.
Beans (white) were held to-day at $5 per quart 1 and other articles of food in proportion. How we are to live is the anxious question. At auction old sheets brought $25 a piece, and there seemed to be an advance on everything, instead of a decline as was expected. The speculators and extortioners seem to act in concert, and the government appears to be no match for them. It is not the scarcity of food which causes the high prices, for wood and coal sell as high as other things, and they are no scarcer than at any former period. But it is an insatiable thirst for gain, which I fear the Almighty Justicer will rebuke in some signal manner, perhaps in the emancipation of the slaves, and then the loss will be greater than all the gains reaped from the heart's blood of our brave soldiers and the tears of the widow and orphan! And government still neglects the wives and children of the soldiers, a fearful risk!
But, alas! how are our brave men faring in the hands of the demon fanatics in the United States? It is said they are dying like sheep.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 183
A bright spring day.
We look for startling news from the Rappahannock in a few days. Longstreet will be there.
Gen. Lee writes that the fortifications around Richmond ought to be pushed to completion: 2000 negroes are still at work on them.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 183
Bright and warm—really a fine spring day. It is the day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, and all the offices are closed. May God put it into the hearts of the extortioners to relent, and abolish, for a season, the insatiable greed for gain! I paid $25 for a half cord of wood to-day, new currency. I fear a nation of extortioners are unworthy of independence, and that we must be chastened and purified before success will be vouchsafed us.
What enormous appetites we have now, and how little illness,
since food has become so high in price! I cannot afford to have more than an
ounce of meat daily for each member of my family of six; and to day Custis's
parrot, which has accompanied the family in all their flights, and, it seems,
will never die, stole the cook's ounce of fat meat and gobbled it up
before it could be taken from him. He is permitted to set at one corner of the
table, and has lately acquired a fondness for meat. The old cat goes staggering
about from debility, although Fannie often gives him her share. We see neither
rats nor mice about the premises now. This is famine. Even the pigeons watch
the crusts in the hands of the children, and follow them in the yard. And,
still, there are no beggars.
The plum-tree in my neighbor's garden is in blossom to-day, and I see a few blossoms on our cherry-trees. I have set out Some 130 early York cabbage-plants—very small; and to-day planted lima and snap beans. I hope we shall have no more cold weather, for garden seed, if those planted failed to come up, would cost more than the crops in ordinary times.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 183-4
Rained all day.
Lieut. Tyler, grandson of President Tyler, is here on furlough, which expires to-morrow. His father (the major), whom he has not seen for two years, he learns, will be in the city day after tomorrow; and to-day he sought admittance to Mr. Secretary Seddon to obtain a prolongation of his furlough, so as to enable him to remain two days and see his parent. But Mr. Kean refused him admittance, and referred him to the Adjutant-General, who was sick and absent; and thus “red tape” exhibits its insensibility to the dictates of humanity, even when no advantage is gained by it. Robert Tyler subsequently addressed a note to Mr. K., the purport of which I did not inquire.
We have no war news—indeed, no newspapers to-day. The wet weather, however, may be in our favor, as it will give us time to concentrate in Virginia. Better give up all the cities South, than lose Richmond. As long as we hold Richmond and Virginia, the “head and heart” of the “rebellion,” we shall not only be between the enemy (south of us) and their own country, but within reach of it.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 184
