Diary of 2nd Lieutenant Benjamin F. Pearson, August 22, 1862

Capt Campbell got home afternoon I have been assisting in drilling most of the day 4 Oc Mr T M Fee¹ our Orderly & I went in buggy to Moravia to a war meeting to assist Dr Sawrers in getting up a company Rev Kain made a whining speech and was invited to quitt and give place for others. I was called out & was cheered every fiew minutes by deafning shouts, there was 26 volunteered & sworn in & we returned home before morning

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¹ T. M. Fee of Centerville served as captain of Co. G. Thirty-sixth Iowa Inf.. and from 1895 to 1901 was a judge of the District Court of the Second Judicial District of Iowa,

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 87

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, August 11, 1862

I have been buisey in raising volunteers and swearing them in we have some 90 odd sworn in I got Mr. J. Miller & L. Spooner to go in my buggy to fill my appointment at Livingston

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 86

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, August 12, 1862

I have now over one hundred volunteers Sworn in I have administered the oath to most of them I got J Miller & Miller McCreary to take my horse & buggy & fill my appointment at Unionville, evening I presided in our literary society we had a pleasant time

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 86

Diary of Private Bartlett Yancey Malone, February 6, 1862

a very raney one And Lieutenant Lea and Sergeant Couvington and H. Rudd and Mr. Balden all started home to day as recruiting officers.

SOURCE: Bartlett Yancey Malone, The Diary of Bartlett Yancey Malone, p. 14

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Friday, August 9, 1861

Quarters Cleaned up. Nothing of importance today. Capt Parkes left for home to-day for new recruits.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 223

Diary of Private John J. Wyeth, August 7, 1862

THE ORGANIZATION.

On the evening of August 7th, 1862, the 4th Battalion Infantry (New England Guard) held a meeting at their Armory, Boylston Hall, Boston, Major Francis L. Lee presiding. It was resolved unanimously to respond to the order of Gen. Davis, and to accept the offer of Gov. Andrew for the battalion to recruit to a regiment. At the call for members to sign the new roll, there was a general rush, each being anxious to get his name on the list first between two and three hundred men enlisted. On the same day the battalion paraded the city, with Flagg’s band. This battalion was the nucleus of our regiment, our company being raised by Mr. Spencer W. Richardson, under the auspices of the Mercantile Library Association, of Boston (of which organization he was a prominent member), with the assistance of Messrs. James S. Newell and James S. Cumston. Our head-quarters being in the large hall of the Association on Summer Street.

SOURCE: John Jasper Wyeth, Leaves from a Diary Written While Serving in Co. E, 44 Mass. Dep’t of North Carolina from September 1862 to June 1863, p. 5

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, Tuesday, July 22, 1862

Mr. David C. Campbell &¹ I commenced getting up a Company of Volunteers for the US Service at noon We commenced & evening started a letter for Commissions.

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¹ We have followed the punctuation, capitalization, spelling, except proper names, etc., as they appear in the original dairy.—Editor.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 24, 1862

I went in buggy with Judge Tannyhill to see about getting Volunteers. Evening attended prayer meeting.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 25, 1862

I was out soliciting Volunteers took dinner at Brother James Robinson's

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 26, 1862

We had a meeting at Centerville to raise Volunteers. Several joined Judges Harris & Tannyhill & Joshua Miller I K Morey & I made speaches 2 Oc Our quarterly meeting commenced 4 Oc I was at qr Conference Evening Brother Pendegast Locle preached text 1st Corinthians 13 th & 13 v My license renewed MH Hare, P.E.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, Sunday, July 27, 1862

At 9 Oc we had a good Love feast 11 Oc M H Hare P. E. preached text Luke 16th 2nd had a glorious time the Lord was with us in power I took dinner with Br Williams 3 Oc the Sacrement was administered & the Shout of a King in the Camp evening Hare preached text Romans 1st 16th I took tea at Brother Rummels

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 29, 1862

7 Oc we left in Westley Campbells wagon to attend our meeting at Unionville Several of us made war Speeches & evening returned home had some success. evening attended & presided in our literary Society had a good time.

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 30, 1862

Afternoon 7 Oc we started to Moravia 12 miles North of Centerville to recruit Volunteers Mr J Miller G Udell & I spoke evening returned Mr T Alexander took us with his team

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of Benjamin F. Pearson, July 31, 1862

7 Oc we started in Sol Fenton's waggon to Iconium to our appointment Mr. Tanneyhill G Udell & I spoke evening we returned & I attended our prayer meeting I recd a commission from N B Baker Adj't Genl of Iowa to raise a company of volunteers

SOURCE: Edgar R. Harlan, Currator, Annals of Iowa, 3rd Series, Vol. 15, No. 2, October 1925, p. 85

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: November 3, 1864

Cold rain; rained all night.

Gen. Lee, urging that his regiments from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, etc. etc. be recruited from their respective States, concludes a recent letter thus: “I hope immediate action will be taken upon this subject, as I think our success depends much upon a speedy increase of our armies in every possible way.”

This dismal weather casts a deeper gloom upon the spirits of the croakers. They fear Richmond cannot be long defended.

Plymouth, N. C., has been retaken by the enemy.

During this damp weather the deep and sullen sounds of cannon can be heard at all hours, day and night. The firing is mostly from our iron-clads.

The market was well supplied this morning with abundance of good meat, vegetables, fruit, etc.; and I was glad to see but few making purchases. The reason may have been that the extortionate prices repelled the people; or it may have been the rain. I passed on.

SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 2, p. 323

Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: Wednesday, December 23, 1863

This morning Captain Ahern with two men from each company leave for Illinois to recruit for the regiment. The entire regiment is now making preparations to go home on furlough, which is one of the conditions in the veteran contract. All are now busy preparing for muster, making out rolls, filling up enlistment papers, &c.

SOURCE: Daniel Leib Ambrose, History of the Seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, p. 217

Brigadier-General George H. Thomas to Governor Andrew Johnson, November 7, 1861

HEADQUARTERS,        

Crab Orchard, November 7, 1861.

Gov. ANDREW JOHNSON, London, Ky.:

DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 6th instant is at hand.* I have done all in my power to get troops and transportation and means to advance into Tennessee. I believe General Sherman has done the same. Up to this time we have been unsuccessful.

Have you heard by authority that the troops at London were to fall back? because I have not, and shall not move any of them back unless ordered; because, if not interfered with, I can have them subsisted there as well as here. I am inclined to think that the rumor has grown out of the feverish excitement which seems to exist in the minds of some of the regiments that if we stop for a day that no further advance is contemplated. I can only say I am doing the best I can. Our commanding general is doing the same, and using all his influence to equip a force for the rescue of Tennessee.

If the Tenneseeans are not content and must go, then the risk of disaster will remain with them. Some of our troops are not yet clothed, and it seems impossible to get clothing.

For information respecting the organization of regiments, I inclose you General Orders, No. 70, from the War Department.

If the gentlemen you name can raise regiments agreeably to the conditions and instructions contained in said order, the Government will accept them, and I hope will have arms to place in their hands in the course of two or three months.

In conclusion I will add that I am here ready to obey orders, and earnestly hope that the troops at London will see the necessity of doing the same.

Very respectfully and truly, yours,

GEO. H. THOMAS,        

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers.

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* Not found.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 4 (Serial No. 4), p. 342-3

Diary of Sergeant David L. Day: January 27, 1864

VISITORS.

We had been here only two days when our common sense and judgment were still further imposed upon by three of our former officers from the News, soliciting enlistments. They probably thought that a fifty mile march and being in a strange city had perhaps taken the stiffening out of us somewhat, but they were not long in finding out that that was a delusion. Capt. Parkhurst laughed at them, telling them they had come to the wrong market to peddle their wares; the boy's crowded around them, giving them scarcely breathing room, and jokingly told them they had picked some chickens the night before, but had got no tar, but perhaps molasses would answer for a substitute. Finding they had come on a fool's errand, they then wanted Surgeon Hoyt to put as many of us on the sick list is possible, thereby increasing the working force at the News. The surgeon told them that men who could make a fifty mile march, carrying heavy knapsacks, were not supposed to be very seriously indisposed. Finding the leopard hadn't changed his spots, they left, taking with them two captives.

SOURCE: David L. Day, My Diary of Rambles with the 25th Mass. Volunteer Infantry, p. 114

Major-General Ulysses S. Grant to Brigadier-General Elias S. Dennis, July 11, 1863

Headquarters Department of the Tennessee

Vicksburg Miss. July 11.1863

Brig, Genl E. S. Dennis,

Comdg Dist N, E. La,

Genl, I have received a letter from Washington stating that the Duncan estate has been visited by the Press Gang or recruiting parties from your District, and their negroes carried off. The Duncan's have been loyal from the beginning of the rebellion and as loyal persons have had safe guard given them by myself and Admiral Porter; and I have further received instructions from Washington to protect all loyal persons found in the South and mentioning the family of Duncans in particular as being entitled to protection. They have gone so far as to acknowledge the freedom of their slaves, and made as I understand regular contracts with them to pay wages and employ them, just as negroes are being employed on the leased plantations, I want the matter fully investigated, and a report made to me. Send some officer immediately to Duncans to inquire for the facts. If their negroes have been carried off, find out where they are and who carried them off. Return to them as far as possible everything that has been taken. Arrest the parties engaged in this transaction, and all officers among them send to me under guard.

Very Respectfully

U. S. Grant

Maj, Gen.

SOURCE: John Y. Simon, Editor, The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 9, p. 39

Diary of Gideon Welles: Saturday, February 11, 1865

The local municipal authorities of New York City are taking high-handed ground in regard to naval enlistments in that city, — such as cannot be permitted. They forbid the recruiting of any in the city unless they are accredited to that locality.

A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury on the subject of trade regulations was got up by one who did not understand what he was writing about, or else intended no one else should understand. There is great swindling and rascality in carrying out these regulations.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 240