AUGUST 28th.—A bright, pleasant day. No news. Walked, as usual, to the department to see if any important letters had come, and then hastened back that the family might go to church in time. Oh what a lovely day in such an unlovely time! The recent rains have washed the dust from the still dark-green [...]

AUGUST 27th.—Bright morning, and fine shower last night. The people are smiling to-day from our success of Thursday, announced in the following dispatch from Gen. Lee: “HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA, “August 26th, 1864. ———“HON. J. A. SEDDON, SECRETARY OF WAR. ———“General A. P. Hill attacked the enemy in his intrenchments at Reams’s Station yesterday evening, [...]

AUGUST 26th.—Clear; but rained copiously last night. A letter from Gen. Lee indicates that the “Bureau of Conscription” fails to replenish the army. The rich men and slaveowners are but too successful in getting out, and in keeping out of the service. The Governor, who commissions magistrates, is exempting some fifty daily, and these, in [...]

AUGUST 25th.—Clear and warm. No war news, except reports that Gen. Wheeler has destroyed much of the railroad in Sherman’s rear, and that Early has forced Sheridan back across the Potomac. Gen. Lee writes that he already notices the good effect of the order published by our government, encouraging desertions from the enemy’s armies. He [...]

AUGUST 24th.—Clear and pleasant. Operations now must be initiated by the enemy. Gen. Lee writes that he is too weak to attempt to dislodge the Yankees from the Weldon Railroad. He cannot afford the loss of men necessary to accomplish it. He says the enemy, however, was “worsted” in the two conflicts, that of Friday [...]

AUGUST 23d.—Clear and pleasant. The enemy still occupy the Weldon Road, beyond Petersburg, in great force. Our loss in killed, wounded, and captured is estimated (in Sunday’s fight) at 1000; under the mark, perhaps. I hear of no raid yet against the Danville Road; but the flour speculators have put up the price again. Gen. [...]

AUGUST 22d.—Sunshine and clouds, cool and pleasant. There was heavy fighting on the Weldon Road yesterday evening, still held by the enemy; but no official account of the result—if it has yet reached a result—has been received. The city is full of extravagant rumors, and I incline to the belief that we gained no advantage [...]

AUGUST 21st.—Cloudy and pleasant; no rain last night, but the earth is saturated. No additional news from the army. It is said Gen. Bragg prevents news, good or bad, from expanding—believing that any intelligence whatever in the newspapers affords information to the enemy; and he is right. All the mysteries will be solved in a [...]

AUGUST 20th.—Rained hard all night, and a good deal to-day. Between 10 and 11 P.M. last evening, as we were retiring, a musket was fired somewhere in the rear of the building, and fragments of lime and brick were heard rattling against the window-shutters. This morning I perceived where the ball struck, a few inches [...]

AUGUST 19th.—Damp and cloudy. There was no serious battle. The wind was in a quarter which brought the sounds to us, even from the skirmishers, ten miles distant. But our gun-boats shelled the enemy out of their position on Signal Hill, and there was heavy cannonading along the line on the south side of the [...]

AUGUST 18th.—Cloudy and pleasant. Still we have no authentic account of the details of the fights on the north side of the James River. We know we lost two brigadier-generals, and that we captured some 600 prisoners. Of the number killed and wounded on either side is all conjecture, although a semi-official statement makes our [...]

AUGUST 17th.—Cloudy, and slight showers. In the afternoon dark clouds going round. We have nothing from below but vague rumors, except that we repulsed the enemy yesterday, slaughtering the negro troops thrust in front. From Atlanta, it is said the enemy have measurably ceased artillery firing, and it is inferred that their ammunition is low, [...]

AUGUST 16th.—Warm and cloudy. There are movements of interest of the armies below, from the fact that we have as yet no authentic account of the fighting during the last few days. I fear we have not been so successful as usual. The enemy is reported to be in force on this side (north) of [...]

AUGUST 15th.—Cloudy, damp, and pleasant. A rain fell last night, wetting the earth to a considerable depth; and the wind being southeast, we look for copious showers—a fine season for turnips, etc. Cannon was distinctly heard from my garden yesterday evening, and considerable fighting has been going on down the river for several days; the [...]

AUGUST 14th.—Hot and dry. Rumors of a fight down the river yesterday, driving the enemy from Deep Bottom, and grounding of the Richmond. Guns were heard, and I suppose we made a demonstration both by land and water. Cavalry (Hampton’s) still pass northward. They ride as if they grew to the horses. As they trot [...]

AUGUST 13th.—Hot and dry. Large green worms have attacked my tomatoes, and from the leaves are proceeding to the fruit. But not many of them will escape! I am warring on them. No war news, except the continuation of the movement of troops northward. Hampton’s division of cavalry, at least three brigades, passed this morning. [...]

AUGUST 12th.—Hot and dry. At 3 P.M. rained about three minutes. We are burning up. There is no war news. A rumor in the street says Atlanta has fallen. I don’t believe it. Yesterday Gen. Hood said no important change had occurred, etc. I saw a soldier to-day from Gen. Early’s army near Martinsburg, and [...]

AUGUST 11th.—Hot and dry. Dispatches from secret agents at Washington state that Grant and his staff have arrived, that half his army preceded him, and the remainder will soon follow. The campaign is considered a disastrous failure, and it is anticipated that henceforth the scene of operations is to be transferred from Richmond to Washington. [...]

AUGUST 10th.—Hot and dry until 4 P.M. Gust, and 15 minutes’ rain. Good for turnips. Forts Gaines and Powell are lost—the latter blown up. Gen. Maury telegraphs for infantry, has some 4000 men for the defense of mobile, etc. Our raiders, under McCausland and Bradley Johnson, it is said were surprised and defeated last Sunday, [...]

AUGUST 9th.—Very hot; very dry; very dusty. The President has directed the late Gen. (now Lieut. -Col.) Pemberton to organize a mortar and cavalry force to dislodge the enemy from Deep Bottom, on this side of the river, and to select three or four batteries to render the navigation of the James River difficult and [...]

AUGUST 8th.—Hot and dry. There are rumors of battles near Winchester and in Georgia. Mr. Benjamin writes the Secretary of War for a passport for ____, who is going to New York, “for our service.” In the assault on the fortifications near Petersburg last week, it is said Hancock’s (enemy’s) corps lost half its men. [...]

AUGUST 7th.—Hot and dry; but heavy rains in other parts of the State. The 1st Army Corps moved through the city last night, via the Central and Fredericksburg Railroads, and this morning Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry corps is passing in the same direction—9 A.M. All this indicates a transferrence of the scene of operations nearer the [...]

AUGUST 6th.—Hot and dry. The booming of cannon heard yesterday evening was from one of our batteries below Drewry’s Bluff. The enemy answered from their batteries, the existence of which we had no knowledge of before. No one was hurt. About the same time Gen. Beauregard sprung a mine under the enemy’s mine, and blew [...]

AUGUST 5th.—Hot and dry. I hope there will be a rain-cloud this evening. No war news, except a letter from Gen. Lee, indicating that Gen. Morgan is probably on a raid in Northwest Virginia and in Pennsylvania. Morgan proposed going into Georgia (rear of Sherman), but the Secretary indorsed that perhaps the matter had as [...]