SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 104-5
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 13, 1862
The department leaves Gen. Wise to his superior officer,
Gen. Huger, at Norfolk, who has 15,000 men. But I understand that Huger says
Wise has ample means for the defense of the island, and refuses to let him have
more men. This looks like a man-trap of the “Red-tapers” to get rid of a popular
leader. I hope the President will interfere.
Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 14, 1862
All calm and quiet to-day.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 105
Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: August 23, 1864
All in a muddle, and yet the news, confused as it is, seems
good from all quarters. There is a row in New Orleans. Memphis1 has
been retaken; 2,000 prisoners have been captured at Petersburg, and a Yankee
raid on Macon has come to grief.
At Mrs. Izard's met a clever Mrs. Calhoun. Mrs. Calhoun is a
violent partizan of Dick Taylor; says Taylor does the work and Kirby Smith gets
the credit for it. Mrs. Calhoun described the behavior of some acquaintance of
theirs at Shreveport, one of that kind whose faith removes mountains. Her love
for and confidence in the Confederate army were supreme. Why not? She knew so
many of the men who composed that dauntless band. When her husband told her New
Orleans had surrendered to a foe whom she despised, she did not believe a word
of it. He told her to “pack up his traps, as it was time for him to leave
Shreveport.” She then determined to run down to the levee and see for herself,
only to find the Yankee gunboats having it all their own way. She made a
painful exhibition of herself. First, she fell on her knees and prayed; then she
got up and danced with rage; then she raved and dashed herself on the ground in
a fit. There was patriotism run mad for you! As I did not know the poor soul,
Mrs. Calhoun's fine acting was somewhat lost on me, but the others enjoyed it.
Old Edward Johnston has been sent to Atlanta against his
will, and Archer has been made major-general and, contrary to his earnest
request, ordered not to his beloved Texans but to the Army of the Potomac.
Mr. C. F. Hampton deplores the untimely end of McPherson.2
He was so kind to Mr. Hampton at Vicksburg last winter, and drank General
Hampton's health then and there. Mr. Hampton has asked Brewster, if the report
of his death prove a mistake, and General McPherson is a prisoner, that every
kindness and attention be shown to him. General McPherson said at his own table
at Vicksburg that General Hampton was the ablest general on our side.
Grant can hold his own as well as Sherman. Lee has a heavy handful
in the new Suwarrow. He has worse odds than any one else, for when Grant has
ten thousand slain, he has only to order another ten thousand, and they are
there, ready to step out to the front. They are like the leaves of Vallambrosa.
_______________
1 General Forrest made his raid on Memphis in
August of this year.
2 General McPherson was killed before Atlanta
during the sortie made by Hood on July 22d. He was a native of Ohio, a graduate
of West Point, and under Sherman commanded the Army of the Tennessee.
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 323-4
Labels:
Army of the Tennessee,
Battle of Atlanta,
Confederate Army,
Grant,
James B. McPherson,
James J Archer,
John Bell Hood,
Kirby Smith,
Macon GA,
Mary Boykin Chesnut,
Memphis,
Nathan Bedford Forrest,
New Orleans,
Petersburg,
Richard Taylor,
Shreveport LA,
Vicksburg,
Wade Hampton,
William T. Sherman,
Yankees
Diary of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire: Wednesday, May 13, 1863
I have
just heard that my dear nephew, Will’by N., was wounded at Chancellorsville,
and that his left leg has been amputated. He is at Mr. Marye's, near Hamilton's
Crossings, receiving the warm-hearted hospitality of that house, now so widely
known. His mother has reached him, and he is doing well. I pray that God may
have mercy upon him, and raise him up speedily, for the Saviour's sake.
SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern
Refugee, During the War, p. 213
General Joseph E. Johnston to Senator Louis T. Wigfall, January 26, 1863
Chattanooga, Jany. 26th, 1863.
My dear Wigfall:
I have asked the government by telegraph if any additional
troops, new or old, can be furnished for Bragg's Army, but have had no reply.
Will you suggest to Mr. Seddon that we are in a very critical condition in
Tennessee? The enemy has fully supplied his losses, I am officially informed,
while our army has received stragglers and exchanged prisoners amounting to
about a third of our killed and wounded. Such being the case, if there is any
truth in arithmetic, another battle must drive us still farther back. If driven
across the Cumberland Mountains we can not hold East Tennessee and once in
possession of that country Rosecranz may choose his point on our South Eastern
or Eastern frontier from Richmond to Mobile. It is of the utmost importance
therefore to reinforce Bragg. The conscription is operating very slowly. Can no
mode of expediting its enforcement be adopted? I cannot draw upon Pemberton,
for his force is far too small now. I proposed the bringing to him 18,000 or
20,000 troops from Arkansas, none of whom ever came. The enemy is again at
Vicksburg, too, in heavier force, and doubtless with a different plan — probably
to attempt to attack from below instead of from the Yazoo.
Bragg has done wonders, I think — no body of troops has done
more in proportion to numbers in the same time. At Murfreesboro’ he killed,
wounded and took 17,000 and within the three weeks preceding 7,500. His own loss
in all that time about 9,000. My own official position does not improve on
acquaintance. It is little, if any, better than being laid on the shelf. I have
endeavored to explain this to the President, but he thinks it essential to have
one here who can transfer troops from this department to Pemberton's and
vice-versa. That would be extremely well if either department could possibly
spare troops, even for a short time, but that is not the case, each having too
few for immediate purposes and the distance and character of the intermediate
country such as completely prevents them from aiding each other, except an
occasional cavalry movement. It is an attempt to join things which cannot be
united. It would require at least a month to send 10,000 men from one of the
two armies to the other. Each department having its own commander and
requiring—indeed having room but for one. You perceive how little occupation I
can find. I can not unite the two armies — because they are too far apart, and
each is required where it is. Nor can I take command of one because each has
its proper commander, and yet the country may hold me responsible for any
failure between North Carolina and Georgia and the Mississippi, for I am
supposed to be commanding in all that country. After commanding our most
important, and I may add, best army for a year, it is hard to lose that command
for wounds in battle and to receive a nominal one. I must confess I cannot help
repining at this position. The President, however, evidently intends that I
shall hold a high position and important one; but I think he mistakes the
relation between Tennessee and Mississippi.
I flatter myself that I have never been so garrulous before
and won't be so again.
We rarely see Richmond papers, so I don't know what you are
doing for us. My cordial regards to Mrs. Wigfall and the young ladies.
If you can help me out of my present place I shall love you
more than ever. It will require diplomacy and cunning, however, and I don't
think you strong in the latter.
Yours truly,
J. E. Johnston.
SOURCE: Louise Wigfall Wright, A Southern Girl in
’61, p. 121-3
Labels:
Bragg,
East TN,
Georgia,
Jefferson Davis,
Joseph E. Johnston,
Louis T Wigfall,
Mississippi,
Mississippi River,
Mobile AL,
Murfreesboro,
Newspapers,
North Carolina,
Richmond VA,
Rosecrans,
Seddon,
Stones River,
Stragglers,
Tennessee,
Vicksburg
Diary of Sarah Morgan: [July] 12, 1862
Brother writes that rumors of the capture of Baton Rouge by our
troops have made him very uneasy about us; and he wishes us to go down to New
Orleans if possible. I wish we could. The impression here, is that an attack is
inevitable, and the city papers found it necessary to contradict the rumor of
Ruggles having occupied it already. I wish mother would go. I can see no
difference there or here, except that there, we will be safe, for a while at
least. . . .
I grow desperate when I read these Northern papers reviling
and abusing us, reproaching us for being broken and dispersed, taunting us with
their victories, sparing no humiliating name in speaking of us, and laughing as
to what “we'll see” when we vile rebels are “driven out of Virginia, and the
glorious Union firmly established.” I can't bear these taunts! I grow sick to
read these vile, insulting papers that seem written expressly to goad us into
madness! . . . There must be many
humane, reasonable men in the North; can they not teach their editors decency
in this their hour of triumph?
SOURCE: Sarah Morgan Dawson, A Confederate Girl's
Diary, p. 114
Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Saturday, November 5, 1864
We left our fires early this morning and marching toward
Marietta, went into bivouac for the remainder of the day and night within five
miles of the town. Captain Anderson of Company A, Eleventh Iowa, arrived from
Iowa this evening with one hundred and fifty conscripts for our regiment to
serve one year. They are a fine lot of men to be conscripts; however, only half
of them were drafted, the others being substitutes, each receiving from $150 to
$800.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 226
Friday, August 21, 2015
Captain Charles Fessenden Morse, August 13, 1862
On Picket Near Culpepper,
August 13, 1862.
At last I believe I have a chance to write you an account of
our doings during the last few days, and to relieve all your anxiety about
myself. Last week Wednesday, our army corps marched from Washington, making
about fourteen miles under a terribly hot sun; the next day, we went on five
miles further to Hazel River. Friday night we made a moonlight march to
Culpepper. Saturday morning, we started away again at ten o'clock towards the
Rapidan River, leaving everything behind us, knapsacks and all, taking only two
days' rations and plenty of ammunition.
We were ordered to the front to support General Crawford's
brigade; following our brigade was General Augur's division, consisting of two
small brigades, the whole making up Banks' army corps; we formed line of battle
about six miles from Culpepper in a very strong position, our brigade on the
right and Augur's division on the left. Nothing occurred until about half-past
three in the afternoon, when a cannonading gradually began, increasing every
minute until our entire left became engaged. From our position, we could see
all that was taking place, and it was a sight that I shall never forget, to see
two lines of infantry gradually approach each other across an almost level
plain, both under a heavy artillery fire. As they drew near enough, we could
see them exchange volley after volley of musketry; then everything became
enveloped in smoke and we could see only whether our line advanced or retreated
by watching the colors. It was easy to see that the men were falling fast by
the constant lines of ambulances that we saw going and returning from the
field.
About five o'clock, Crawford's brigade moved up in front of
us and became engaged. The firing of musketry now became tremendous. We could
see nothing of it in front on account of an intervening bill. At about six
o'clock, our brigade (Second Massachusetts, Third Wisconsin, and Twenty-seventh
Indiana), was ordered up on the double quick to relieve Crawford, his brigade
having been literally cut to pieces by the terrible fire of the rebels. After
going about a mile over the hardest kind of swampy and wooded ground, we
reached the edge of the woods and came under fire. We marched steadily along,
our whole flank being exposed, and took a position behind a low rail fence, the
men being ordered to lie down. I will give you an idea of how things stood at
the time. General Augur's division had been obliged to fall back to their
original position and was now disengaged. Of General Crawford's brigade which
went into the fight two thousand strong, twelve hundred had been killed,
wounded or taken prisoners; the small remainder was rallying at some distance
from the field, so there was nothing left to fight the rebels with but our
three small regiments. Crawford met with his great loss in charging across the
open field lying between the woods. General Gordon was ordered by Banks to do
the same thing with our brigade; Gordon protested against it as an
impossibility without supports, and finally gained his point.
At first, we sustained a fire from the rebels only in the
woods, which was not very severe, but soon the enemy made their appearance in
an oblique line and commenced a cross fire which was perfectly fearful. The Twenty-seventh
Indiana gave way almost at once; the Third Wisconsin stood it nobly and did not
fall back until the enemy was almost in their rear. In our regiment, not a shot
was fired until Colonel Andrews gave the order “Commence firing!” which was not
until the rebels were within two or three hundred yards of us. The effect was
tremendous; we actually tore great gaps through their ranks, and their whole
right was wavering; if we could have had any support at that time, we might
have charged and driven their line like sheep, but that wasn't in Banks'
programme. Meanwhile, the roar of musketry was perfectly deafening; the noise
of the bullets through the air was like a gale of wind; our poor men were
dropping on every side, yet not one of them flinched but kept steadily at his
work.
Sergeant Willis of my company (I forgot to say I was in
command of Company I), who was acting first sergeant, stood directly in front
of me; he received a ball in his head and fell back into my arms saying, “Lieutenant,
I'm killed!” and almost instantly died; he was a very handsome young fellow,
and as he expired his face had a beautifully calm expression. I laid him down
gently on the ground beside me and had hardly done so, when one of my corporals
named Pierson, who was touching me on the left, was shot almost in the same
place, but not killed. It is impossible to relate all the incidents that took
place; it seemed as if only a miracle could save any one. I received two
bullets through my trousers, but wasn't scratched. Colonel Andrews was
splendid! He kept riding from one end of the line to the other, giving his
orders coolly, as if on drill; his horse was wounded twice.
I never was more surprised in my life than when I heard the
order to retreat. I did not know what had taken place on our right, and could
not understand what it was for. With Lieutenant Abbott's assistance, I managed
to help Lieutenant Oakey off the field to the hospital; he was quite severely
wounded. Our regiment formed behind the hospital, about a quarter of a mile
from the field, the rest of the brigade joining us. It was not until I saw the
regiment in line that I began to appreciate our loss. Major Savage had been
left severely wounded on the field; Captain Abbott, dead; Captains Carey,
Goodwin, Williams and Quincy, Lieutenants Perkins and Miller, wounded and left
behind; Lieutenants Robeson, Grafton, Oakey, Browning and Surgeon Leland,
wounded and brought off, and Captain Russell missing, and our regimental line
was not more than half its usual length. The only officers left were Andrews,
Adjutant Shelton, Captain Bangs, Lieutenants Pattison, Choate, Fox, Abbott and
myself. Our colors, those which the Boston ladies gave us, had five bullet
holes through them; the eagle was shot off and the staff was shot through by a
minié ball,
splintering it into two pieces; our color-bearer, Sergeant George, brought off
the whole of it. This is the second flag we have had honorably used up in
battle.
Soon after forming our second line, I was detailed by the
Colonel to go to the hospital to take charge of sending off the wounded. A
house with quite a large yard had been taken for hospital use; the scene in and
about it was very painful. Soldiers lying in all directions, with every variety
of wounds. I took hold and worked hard, loading the ambulances, for about an
hour, when our regiment moved and I was ordered to join it.
Our brigade now took up a position on the left of the line
of battle, to do picket duty, Ricketts' division being on the right. Our
sentinels were close to the rebels and we had continual skirmishes throughout
the night. We had one man killed, and took several of the rebel cavalry
prisoners. Once the enemy crept down on us, as they did that night at Newtown,
and poured a volley over us, which, luckily, was too high and did no harm.
Morning came at last, after, to tell the truth, a pretty nervous, disagreeable
night. Daylight showed us that large reinforcements had arrived and that we
were now in a condition to fight, but the day wore on, still no attack was made
by the enemy. Banks' division was in reserve.
The battle I do not consider a victory to either side; we
held our original position and they theirs, the ground between being neutral.
Our brigade was withdrawn from the field about noon and bivouacked in a wood
near by. I was sent into Culpepper on official business for Colonel Andrews.
The town seemed to be one great hospital, every hotel and private house,
almost, being used for that purpose. I saw Robeson, Grafton, Oakey and
Browning; they were all suffering considerably from want of attention; the first
is wounded in the wrist, the second in the forehead, the third in the hip, and
last in the thigh, a very severe, dangerous wound. I got back to camp early in
the evening. Soon after, Lieutenant Abbott, Mr. Quint and a burial party, left
for the battle field to perform the last duties for our poor men. Abbott
returned early in the morning and brought the shocking and sad intelligence
that Captains Abbott, Carey, Goodwin and Williams and Lieutenant Perkins, were
lying dead on the field, and that a number of our wounded were still there. I
was sent right off with all our ambulances to the field. The scene there was
too awful to attempt to describe; very few of the dead had been buried, and
they were lying thick in every direction. Captain Carey had lived nearly
twenty-four hours and looked as natural as if alive.
I had the bodies of all the officers put into the ambulances
and sent them back to the regiment; the wounded also were all cared for. I then
went over to the rebel lines with Bob Shaw, under a flag of truce, to see what
could be heard of Harry Russell, the Major, Captain Quincy and Lieutenant
Miller. We met some very pleasant rebel officers who were very gentlemanly and
kind, and found out from them and some other sources, that Russell was unhurt
and a prisoner, Quincy and Miller wounded and prisoners; we managed to get some
money to Savage and Russell.
Our loss, as it stood yesterday morning, was as follows:—
5 Commissioned
officers killed,
|
8 wounded,
|
1 prisoner.
|
|
25 Enlisted men killed,
|
97 wounded,
|
33 missing.
|
|
30 killed,
|
106 Wounded,
|
34 missing,
|
Total 169.*
|
We carried into action twenty-two commissioned officers and
four hundred and seventy-four enlisted men, a little more than one out of three
meeting with some casualty. In Company I, there are, one sergeant killed, one
sergeant wounded, one corporal wounded, nine privates wounded and one missing.
Yesterday afternoon, Banks' army corps moved back to Colpepper to reorganize. I
was sent out on picket immediately after arriving last night, and am taking the
opportunity to write this long letter. I have not had my clothes off since last
Thursday night, so you can imagine I am not very pretty to look at. I am a
full-fledged Captain now, and have got my commission. I shall be assigned to
Company B, if possible.
Poor Captain Williams! I saw him standing perfectly erect
only a few minutes before he was shot, and ran over and spoke to him. His was
the next company to mine. He will be a great loss to us all.
_______________
* The actual loss was 58 killed and mortally wounded, 101
wounded, 15 prisoners not wounded. Total loss 174.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 75-81
Labels:
27th IN INF,
2nd MA INF,
Ambulances,
B3rd WI INF,
Banks,
Battle of Cedar Mountain,
Charles F Morse,
Christopher C Augur,
Flags,
Flags of Truce,
George L Andrews,
Henry Sturgis Russell,
horses,
Hospitals,
James B Ricketts,
On The March,
Robert Gould Shaw,
Samuel W Crawford,
Truces
Major Wilder Dwight to William Dwight Sr., October 9, 1861
PLEAsanT HiLL, MARYLanD, October 9, 1861.
my Dear Father,
— Your prompt and energetic kindness is truly splendid. I think one thousand
pairs of stockings are enough for the present. What we may need, or the
government may be able to supply before spring, we cannot now say. Mrs. George
Ticknor writes to Colonel Gordon that a number of ladies in Boston desire to
form an association to supply the Second Regiment with whatever they need. She
will aid you in the stocking direction. The truth is, the government ought to
supply every real want of the soldier. I hope it will soon do so. If it fail to
do so, we must appeal to benevolence now and then. The principle is a bad one,
however, and I do not wish to extend it an inch beyond the immediate necessity.
One bad effect of appealing to benevolence is, that men will
not be as careful of things given to them as things paid for by
them.
Some frost-nipping compulsion is important to keep them
economical and careful.
I am quite anxious to hear about Howard. I do not so much
care whether Fremont is a good or bad general; if Howard gets a footing there
he will do well, and will hang on.
SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and
Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 112
Major-General John Sedgwick to Brigadier-General Lorenzo Thomas, December 15, 1863
Headquarters 6th Corps,
Welford's Ford, Virginia,
December 15, 1863.
Brigadier-General L. Thomas,
Adjutant-General U. S. A.
General:
I have the honour to ask you to lay before the Honourable
Secretary of War, for his consideration, the name of Brigadier-General J.
H.Ward for the appointment of Major-General. General Ward came out at the first
breaking out of the Rebellion as Colonel of the 38th Regiment New York
Volunteers, which formed a part of the brigade which I then commanded. I feel,
therefore, that I am justified in recommending him to the consideration of the
Honourable Secretary.
For his efficiency in preparing his regiment for the field,
and his gallantry in leading in battle, he was appointed a Brigadier and
assigned to his old brigade, which he has led in every action since, when he
was not in command of the division. Of the services of that brigade and
division it is not necessary to speak, as they are well known to every General
officer in this army. I would also mention that General Ward has been connected
with the regular and volunteer service for the past twenty years, and his
experience in that time and his services during the Rebellion eminently fit him
for the position recommended.
I am, very respectfully,
Your obedient
servant,
John Sedgwick,
Major-General.
SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of
John Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 166-7
Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Sunday, January 26, 1862
A lovely winter day, frozen in the morning, warm and thawing
before noon. Inspected with Adjutant Avery the quarters; creditably clean. Feel
happy today; fine weather, good health, the probable victory over Zollicoffer,
the prospect — this chiefly — by next Sunday of seeing my darling Lucy and the
boys — “all the boys.”
A pleasant trip with Lieutenants Avery and Ellen and two
riflemen of Company B to Long Point, with its romantic views of New River. The
only dash to this pleasure is the report that my friend Bob McCook is seriously
wounded. Later, not seriously only gloriously wounded. Good! He and I were
friends before the war and more intimately since. His regiment and ours also
fraternized very cordially — Yankees and Germans. Sperry went to Raleigh last night
with Company B.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 194
Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 12, 1862
Gen. Wise, whose headquarters are to be fixed at Nag's Head
on the beach near Roanoke Island, reports that the force he commands is
altogether inadequate to defend the position. Burnside is said to have 20,000
men, besides a numerous fleet of gun-boats; and Gen. Wise has but 3000
effective men.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 104
Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: August 22, 1864
Hope I may never know a raid except from hearsay. Mrs. Huger
describes the one at Athens. The proudest and most timid of women were running
madly in the streets, corsets in one hand, stockings in the other— déshabillé as far as
it will go. Mobile is half taken. The railroad between us and Richmond has been
tapped.
Notes from a letter written by a young lady who is riding a
high horse. Her fiancé, a maimed hero, has been abused. “You say to me
with a sneer, ‘So you love that man.’ Yes, I do, and I thank God that I love
better than all the world the man who is to be my husband. ‘Proud of him, are
you?’ Yes, I am, in exact proportion to my love. You say, ‘I am selfish.’ Yes,
I am selfish. He is my second self, so utterly absorbed am I in him. There is
not a moment, day or night, that I do not think of him. In point of fact, I do
not think of anything else.” No reply was deemed necessary by the astounded
recipient of this outburst of indignation, who showed me the letter and
continued to observe: “Did you ever? She seems so shy, so timid, so cold.”
Sunday Isabella took us to a chapel, Methodist, of course;
her father had a hand in building it. It was not clean, but it was crowded,
hot, and stuffy. An eloquent man preached with a delightful voice and wonderful
fluency, nearly eloquent, and at times nearly ridiculous. He described a scene
during one of his sermons when “beautiful young faces were turned up to me,
radiant faces though bathed in tears, moral rainbows of emotion playing over
them,” etc.
He then described his own conversion, and stripped himself
naked morally. All that is very revolting to one's innate sense of decency. He
tackled the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, and so on down to Joseph, who was “a man
whose modesty and purity were so transcendent they enabled him to resist the
greatest temptation to which fallen man is exposed.” “Fiddlesticks! that is
played out!” my neighbor whispered. “Everybody gives up now that old Mrs.
Pharaoh was forty.” “Mrs. Potiphar, you goose, and she was fifty!” “That solves
the riddle.” “Sh-sh!” from the devout Isabella.
At home met General Preston on the piazza He was vastly
entertaining. Gave us Darwin, Herodotus, and Livy. We understood him and were
delighted, but we did not know enough to be sure when it was his own wisdom or
when wise saws and cheering words came from the authors of whom he spoke.
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 322-3
Diary of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire: Tuesday Evening, May 12, 1863
How can I record the sorrow which has befallen our country!
General T. J. Jackson is no more. The good, the great, the glorious Stonewall
Jackson is numbered with the dead! Humanly speaking, we cannot do without him;
but the same God who raised him up, took him from us, and He who has so
miraculously prospered our cause, can lead us on without him. Perhaps we have
trusted too much to an arm of flesh; for he was the nation's idol. His soldiers
almost worshipped him, and it may be that God has therefore removed him. We bow
in meek submission to the great Ruler of events. May his blessed example be
followed by officers and men, even to the gates of heaven! He died on Sunday
the 10th, at a quarter past three, P. M. His body was carried by yesterday, in
a car, to Richmond. Almost every lady in Ashland visited the car, with a wreath
or a cross of the most beautiful flowers, as a tribute to the illustrious dead.
An immense concourse had assembled in Richmond, as the solitary car containing
the body of the great soldier, accompanied by a suitable escort, slowly and
solemnly approached the depot. The body lies in state to-day at the Capitol,
wrapped in the Confederate flag, and literally covered with lilies of the
valley and other beautiful Spring flowers. Tomorrow the sad cortege will
wend its way to Lexington, where he will be buried, according to his dying
request, in the “Valley of Virginia.” As a warrior, we may appropriately quote
from Byron:
“His spirit wraps the dusky
mountain,
His memory sparkles o'er the
fountain,
The meanest rill, the mightiest
river,
Rolls mingling with his fame
forever.”
As a Christian, in the words of St. Paul, I thank God to be
able to say, “He has fought the good fight, he has finished his course, he has
kept the faith. Henceforth there s laid up for him a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give him at the last day.”
SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern
Refugee, During the War, p. 211-3
Charlotte Cross Wigfall to Louise Wigfall, February 1863
February, 1863.
Your father has gone to introduce Burke (the scout) to Mr.
Seddon. He wanted to know the Secretary of War and to tell him, I suppose, his impressions
of his visit to New York. He spent a week there and has just got back!
SOURCE: Louise Wigfall Wright, A Southern Girl in
’61, p. 120
Diary of Sarah Morgan: July 11, 1862
A letter from George this morning! It was written on the
20th of June, and he speaks of being on crutches in consequence of his horse
having fallen with him, and injured his knee. Perhaps, then, he was not in the
first battle of the 25th? But bah! I know George too well to imagine he would
keep quiet at such a moment, if he could possibly stand! I am sure he was there
with the rest of the Louisiana regiment. The papers say "the conduct of
the First Louisiana is beyond all praise"; of course, George was there!
And Jimmy is with him at Richmond; but whether in the army,
or navy, or what rank if in the first, he does not say; he only says he is
looking remarkably well. Gibbes he had heard from in a letter dated the 16th,
and up to then he was in perfect health. His last letter here was dated 10th of
March, so we are thankful enough now. I was so delighted to read the accounts
of the “gallant Seventh” in some paper we fortunately procured. At Jackson's
address, and presentation of the battery they had so bravely won, I was beside
myself with delight; I was thinking that Gibbes, of course, was “the” regiment,
had taken the battery with his single sword, and I know not what besides.
Strange to say, I have not an idea of the names of the half-dozen battles he
was in, in June, but believe that one to be Port Republic.
SOURCE: Sarah Morgan Dawson, A Confederate Girl's
Diary, p. 113
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Friday, November 4, 1864
Left Dallas this morning, marched ten miles, and went into
camp near Lost mountain. I went out with a foraging party from our regiment. We
brought in five head of cattle and seven hogs, and also some cane molasses and
corn meal. We also searched for cabbage, but the negroes did not know what we
meant; they said that they had never seen any such thing growing. We found very
few citizens at home, mostly poor families at that; but the men were away in
the rebel army.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 226
Diary of Corporal Alexander G. Downing: Thursday, November 3, 1864
Still raining. Our march today covered sixteen miles and the
troops are very much fatigued. We camped for the night in Dallas, Georgia, one
division, the Fourth, going into vacant houses and buildings in the town. The
citizens all left the place upon our approach. There had been a cotton mill
here, but it was closed down last summer when the Yankees were besieging
Atlanta.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 225-6
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: January 11, 1862
We have three candidates in the field in this district for
Congress: President Tyler, James Lyons, and Wm. H. McFarland. The first will, of
course, walk over the track.
SOURCE: John Beauchamp Jones, A Rebel War Clerk's
Diary at the Confederate States Capital, Volume 1, p. 104
Diary of Mary Boykin Chesnut: August 19, 1864
Began my regular attendance on the Wayside Hospital. To-day
we gave wounded men, as they stopped for an hour at the station, their
breakfast. Those who are able to come to the table do so. The badly wounded
remain in wards prepared for them, where their wounds are dressed by nurses and
surgeons, and we take bread and butter, beef, ham, and hot coffee to them.
One man had hair as long as a woman's, the result of a vow,
he said. He had pledged himself not to cut his hair until peace was declared
and our Southern country free. Four made this vow together. All were dead but
himself. One was killed in Missouri, one in Virginia, and he left one at
Kennesaw Mountain. This poor creature had had one arm taken off at the socket.
When I remarked that he was utterly disabled and ought not to remain in the
army, he answered quietly, “I am of the First Texas. If old Hood can go with
one foot, I can go with one arm, eh?”
How they quarreled and wrangled among themselves — Alabama
and Mississippi, all were loud for Joe Johnston, save and except the
long-haired, one-armed hero, who cried at the top of his voice: “Oh! you all
want to be kept in trenches and to go on retreating, eh?” “Oh, if we had had a
leader, such as Stonewall, this war would have been over long ago! What we want
is a leader!” shouted a cripple.
They were awfully smashed-up, objects of misery, wounded,
maimed, diseased. I was really upset, and came home ill. This kind of thing
unnerves me quite.
Letters from the army. Grant's dogged stay about Richmond is
very disgusting and depressing to the spirits. Wade Hampton has been put in
command of the Southern cavalry.
A Wayside incident. A pine box, covered with flowers, was
carefully put upon the train by some gentlemen. Isabella asked whose remains
were in the box. Dr. Gibbes replied: “In that box lies the body of a young man
whose family antedates the Bourbons of France. He was the last Count de
Choiseul, and he has died for the South.” Let his memory be held in perpetual
remembrance by all who love the South!
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 321-2
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