MARCH 30th.—It rained all night, the wind blowing a gale from the east. This morning the wind was from the west, blowing moderately; and although cloudy, no rain. The enemy’s gun-boats down the river shelled the shore where it was suspected we had troops in ambush; and when some of their barges approached the shore, [...]
MARCH 29tgh.—A furious gale, eastern, and rain. No news, except the appearance of a few gun-boats down the river; which no one regards as an important matter. Great crowds are funding their Treasury notes to-day; but prices of provisions are not diminished. White beans, such as I paid $60 a bushel for early in this [...]
MARCH 28th.—April-like day, but no rain; clouds, and sunshine, and warm. About 2 P.M. the Secretary received a dispatch stating that the enemy had appeared in force opposite Fredericksburg, and attempted, without success, to cross. A copy of this was immediately sent to Gen. Lee. It is said that Gen. Longstreet is marching with expedition [...]
MARCH 27th.—Bright morning, but windy; subsequently warmer, and wind lulled. Collards coming up. Potatoes all rotted in the ground during the recent cold weather. I shall rely on other vegetables, which I am now beginning to sow freely. We have no war news to-day.
MARCH 26th.—Bright morning, but a cold, cloudy, windy day. A great crowd of people have been at the Treasury building all day, funding Treasury notes. It is to be hoped that as money gets scarcer, food and raiment will get cheaper. Mr. Benton, the dentist, escaped being conscribed last year by the ingenuity of his [...]
MARCH 25th.—Raining moderately. Yesterday Mr. Miles, member of Congress from South Carolina, received a dispatch from Charleston, signed by many of the leading citizens, protesting against the removal of 52 companies of cavalry from that department to Virginia. They say so few will be left that the railroads, plantations, and even the City of Charleston [...]
MARCH 24th.—A bright pleasant day—snow nearly gone. Next week the clerks in the departments, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, are to be enrolled, and perhaps the greater number will be detailed to their present employments. Gov. Vance is here, and the President is about to appoint some of his friends brigadiers, which is [...]
MARCH 23d.—Snow fell all night, and was eight or ten inches deep this morning; but it was a bright morning, and glorious sunshine all day,—the anniversary of the birth of Shakspeare, 300 years ago,—and the snow is melting rapidly. The Secretary of War had a large amount of plate taken from the department to-day to [...]
MARCH 22d.—Cloudy morning, with ice; subsequently a snowstorm all day long. No war news. But meat and grain are coming freely from the South. This gives rise to a rumor that Lee will fall back, and that the capital will be besieged; all without any foundation. A Mrs. _____ from Maryland, whose only son is [...]
MARCH 21st.—Although cloudy, there was ice this morning, and cold all day. Yesterday another thousand prisoners were brought up by the flag of truce boat. A large company of both sexes welcomed them in the Capitol Square, whither some baskets of food were sent by those who had some patriotism with their abundance. The President [...]
MARCH 20th.Bright and beautiful weather. There are fires occurring now every night; and several buildings have been burned in the immediate vicinity of the War Department. These are attributed to incendiary Yankees, and the guard at the public offices has been doubled. Mrs. Seddon, wife of the Secretary of War, resolved not to lose more [...]
MARCH 19th.—Warmer, calm and cloudy. I saw a large turkey to-day in market (wild), for which $100 was demanded. I saw Dr. Powell to-day. He says the Federals asked his servants where the master and mistress had gone? and they were told that they had been called to Petersburg to see a sick daughter. They [...]
MARCH 18th.—Bright and warmer, but windy. Letters received at the department to-day, from Georgia, show than only one-eighth of the capacity of the railroads have been used for the subsistence of the army. The rogues among the multitude of quartermasters have made fortunes themselves, and almost ruined the country. It appears that there is abundance [...]
MARCH 17th.—Bright, clear, and pleasant; frosty in the morning. Letters from Lieut.-Gen. Hood to the President, Gen Bragg, and the Secretary of War, give a cheering account of Gen. Johnston’s army at Dalton. The men are well fed and well clothed. They are in high spirits, “and eager for the fray.” The number is 40,000. [...]
MARCH 16th.—There was ice last night. Cold all day. Gen. Maury writes that no immediate attack on Mobile need be apprehended now. He goes next to Savannah to look after the defenses of that city. The Examiner to-day publishes Gen. Jos. E. Johnston’s report of his operations in Mississippi last summer. He says the disaster [...]
MARCH 15th.—A clear, cool morning; but rained in the evening. By the correspondence of the department, I saw to-day that 35,000 bushels of corn left North Carolina nearly a week ago for Lee’s army, and about the same time 400,000 pounds of bacon was in readiness to be shipped from Augusta, Ga. At short rations, [...]
MARCH 14th.—Bright, pleasant day. The city is full of generals—Lee and his son (the one just returned from captivity), Longstreet, Whiting, Wise, Hoke, Morgan (he was ordered by Gen. Cooper to desist from his enterprise in the West), Evans, and many others. Some fourteen attended St. Paul’s (Episcopal) Church yesterday, where the President worships. Doubtless [...]
MARCH 13th.—A lovely spring day–bright, warm, and calm. There is nothing new, only the burning of houses, mills, etc. on the York River by the Yankees, and that is nothing new. Subsequently the day became very windy, but not cold. The roads will be dry again, and military operations will be resumed. The campaign will [...]
MARCH 12th.—–It cleared away yesterday evening, and this morning, after the dispersion of a fog, the sun shone out in great glory, and the day was bright, calm, and pleasant. The trees begin to exhibit buds, and the grass is quite green. My wife received a letter to-day from Mrs. Marling, Raleigh, N. C., containing [...]
MARCH 11th.—Rained all night–a calm, warm rain. Calm and warm to-day, with light fog, but no rain. It is now supposed the clerks (who saved the city) will be kept here to defend it.
MARCH 10TH.–th.—Raining fast all day. There was a rumor to-day that the enemy were approaching again, but the Secretary knew nothing of it. Major Griswold is at variance with Gen. Winder, who has relieved him as Provost Marshal, and ordered him to Americus, Ga., to be second in command of the prisons, and assigned Major [...]
MARCH 9th.—A frosty morning, with dense fog; subsequently a pretty day. This is the famine month. Prices of every commodity in the market—up, up, up. Bacon, $10 to $15 per pound; meal, $50 per bushel. But the market-houses are deserted, the meat stalls all closed, only here and there a cart, offering turnips, cabbages, parsnips, [...]
MARCH 8th.—An application of Capt. C. B. Duffield, for a lieutenant-colonelcy, recommended by Col. Preston, came back from the President to-day. It was favorably indorsed by the Secretary, but Gen. Cooper marked it adversely, saying the Assistant Adjutant-General should not execute the Conscription act, and finally, the President simply said, “The whole organization requires revision.—J. [...]
MARCH 7th.—Bright and frosty morning; cloudy and warm in the evening. Cannon and musketry were heard this morning some miles northwest of the city. Probably Gen. Hampton fell in with one of the lost detachments of the raiders, seeking a way of escape. This attempt to surprise Richmond was a disgraceful failure. The Secretary of [...]
MARCH 6th.—My birthday—55. Bright and frosty; subsequently warm and pleasant. No news. But some indignation in the streets at the Adjutant-General’s (Cooper) order, removing the clerks and putting them in the army, just when they had, by their valor, saved the capital from flames and the throats of the President and his cabinet from the [...]