Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Considerable Stir—More Men.

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Monday, August 26.—Great excitement. Reports of artillery firing in the direction of Edwards Ferry, created considerable stir. Capt. Reynolds, with two pieces, started towards Edwards Ferry. We changed our camp out of the enemy’s sight. Nothing of interest from this time up to Sunday, September 1.—Col. Geary received three hundred additional men for his regiment.

Diary of Battery A, First Regiment, Rhode Island Light Artillery, by Theodore Reichardt

Rebel War Clerk

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AUGUST 26th.—What a number of cavalry companies are daily tendered in the letters received at this department. Almost invariably they are refused; and really it is painful to me to write these letters. This government must be aware, from the statistics of the census, that the South has quite as many horses as the North, [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Mary Chesnut’s Diary: “Why do you write in your diary at all,” some one said to me, “if, as you say, you have to contradict every day what you wrote yesterday?”

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August 26th.–The Terror has full swing at the North now. All the papers favorable to us have been suppressed. How long would our mob stand a Yankee paper here? But newspapers against our government, such as the Examiner and the Mercury flourish like green bay-trees. A man up to the elbows in finance said to-day: [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Extracts from the journal of Commander Semmes, C.S. Navy, commanding C.S.S. Sumter

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Monday, August 26.— Morning cloudy, clearing off about 9 o’clock. Coaling and receiving wood and water. Little breeze and warm. The governor sends me an apology by the paymaster for not being able to show me some official civility and hopes that I will return at some future period under different circumstances. The dunce! His [...]

War of the Rebellion: from the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies and Navies

“The jealousy existing in the military towards the medical department of the army astounds me.”–Journal of Surgeon Alfred L. Castleman.

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26th.–I was visited by my Colonel to-day. He introduced the subject of reducing my hospital force. I was extra-polite, and replied that I had not the slightest objection, provided it was done with the understanding that it would shift the responsibility of the care of the sick from my shoulders to those of others. The [...]

Journal of Surgeon Alfred L Castleman.

William Howard Russell’s Diary: A tour of inspection round the camp.—A troublesome horse.—McDowell and the President.—My description of Bull’s Run endorsed by American officers.—Influence of the Press.—Newspaper correspondents.—Dr. Bray.—My letters.—Capt. Meagher.—Military adventurers.

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August 26th.–General Van Vliet called from General McClellan to say that the Commander-in-Chief would be happy to go round the camps with me when he next made an inspection, and would send round an orderly and charger in time to get ready before he started. These little excursions are not the most agreeable affairs in [...]

My Diary North and South – William Howard Russell

Red Legged Devil

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Civil War Era Photographic Portraiture No. 11 Almost 10 years ago, this tintype was the subject of a couple of involved NPR articles/podcasts on the image and identifying who the soldier in the Union Zuave uniform was. In the first, Unknown No More: Identifying A Civil War Soldier1, he is identified as Thomas A. Ardies [...]

Library of Congress

“Hurry up and send me my commission quick.”–Adams Family Letters, Henry Adams, private secretary of the US Minister to the UK, to his brother, Charles Francis Adams.

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In the book, the following appears as a post script to a letter that was written on August 5.   However, Henry’s brother, Charles, replied on August 23 to a “letter of the 5th” from Henry.P.S. August 26. After studying over the accounts of the battle and reading Russell’s letter to the Times, I hardly [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

“ ‘Burn it, bum it to the ground!’ She ran to the yard to know the cause; instantly this lonely woman was surrounded by a lawless, shouting soldiery, each with a burning torch, revealing, by its lurid and fitful light, a countenance almost demoniac.”—Diary of a Southern Refugee, Judith White McGuire.

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Norwood, Near Berryville, August 26.—On a visit of a few days to our relative, Dr. M. The people of this neighbourhood occupied as they are in the one I left. All hearts and hands seem open to our army. Four heavily laden wagons have left Berryville within a few days, for the hospitals below. We [...]

Diary of a Southern Refugee During the War by Judith White McGuire

Tygart’s Valley, near Cheat Mountain Pass.—Rutherford B. Hayes

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Monday evening, August 26.– Marched today up the beautiful valley, “Tygart’s Valley” I believe, to this pretty camp in the hills, eighteen miles. Saw our general. About forty-five, a middle-sized, good-looking man, educated at West Point. An army man, good sense, good talker–General Reynolds. Oh, what a lovely spot! _______ August 26, 1861. DEAR UNCLE:–We [...]

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Civil War Day-By-Day

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August 26, 1861 Battle of (Kessler’s) Cross Lanes. General John Floyd routs an Ohio regiment General Benjamin Butler leads a successful amphibious landing on Cape Hatteras. King Kamehameha IV proclaimed the neutrality of the Hawaiian Islands during the Civil War. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Seventh Ohio Regiment, while breakfasting at [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day