August 2d, Saturday. I had thought my running days were over; so little did I anticipate another stampede that I did not notice the report of the attack that was prophesied for night before last, and went to bed without gathering my clothes. But to-day comes a hasty note from Charlie, telling us to leave [...]
AUGUST 2d.—The Adjutant-General, “by order” (I suppose of the President), is annulling, one after another, all Gen. Winder’s despotic orders.
AUGUST 1st.—Vicksburg has triumphantly withstood the shelling of the enemy’s fleet of gun-boats. This proves that New Orleans might have been successfully defended, and could have been held to this day by Gen. Lovell. So, West Point is not always the best criterion of one’s fitness to command.
FLAT ROCK, N. C, August 1, 1862.–Being ill I left Mrs. McMahan’s for Flat Rock.¹ It was very hot and disagreeable for an invalid in a boarding-house in that climate. The La Bordes and the McCord girls came part of the way with me. The cars were crowded and a lame soldier had to stand, [...]
JULY 31st.—Gen. Breckinridge has beaten the Yankees at Baton Rouge, but without result, as we have no co-operating fleet.
July 31st. I believe I forgot to mention one little circumstance in my account of that first night at the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, which at the time struck me with extreme disgust. That was seeing more than one man who had no females or babies to look after, who sought there a refuge from [...]
July 30th.—Both Gen. Jackson and Gen. Stuart were in the department to-day. Their commands have preceded them, and must be near Orange C. H. by this time. These war-worn heroes (neither of them over forty years of age) attracted much attention. Everybody wished to see them; and if they had lingered a few minutes longer [...]
JULY 29th.—Pope’s army, greatly reinforced, are committing shocking devastations in Culpepper and Orange Counties. His brutal orders, and his bragging proclamations, have wrought our men to such a pitch of exasperation that, when the day of battle comes, there will be, most be terrible slaughter.
July 29th. This town, with its ten thousand soldiers, is more quiet than it was with the old population of seven thousand citizens. With this tremendous addition, it is like a graveyard in its quiet, at times. These poor soldiers are dying awfully. Thirteen went yesterday. On Sunday the boats discharged hundreds of sick at [...]
JULY 28th.—The Examining Board of Surgeons, established by the Secretary of War, has been abolished by order of Gen. Lee. It was the only idea of the Secretary yet developed, excepting the “handing over” of the” whole business of passports to Gen. Winder.”
We had a pleasant passage to New Orleans, where we arrived July 28th, and found the U. S. transport Connecticut awaiting us with a large mail. On this evening we had a heavy shower of rain, accompanied by heavy thunder and sharp lightning, purifying the air to a very pleasant degree. We now proceeded to [...]
JULY 27th.—Gen. Lovell, it is said, will be tried by a court-martial. The same has been said of Generals Magruder and Huger. But I doubt it.
July 27th. I have my bird back! As I waked this morning, I heard a well-known chirp in the streets, and called to mother I knew it was Jimmy. Sure enough it is my bird. Lucy Daigre has had him ever since the shelling, as a negro caught it that day and gave it to [...]
Headquarters, 1st Brigade Cavalry Division, Tuscumbia, Ala., July 27, 1862 (Sunday). We received orders for our brigade to march on the 19th, and started the 21st. We only made Jacinto that night, when the colonel and myself stayed with Gen. Jeff. C. Davis, who is a very approachable, pleasant and perfectly soldier-like man. There is [...]
JULY 26th.—There is a pause in the depreciation of C. S. securities.
JULY 25th.—More Northern papers received to-day, containing news from the South. Most fortunately, they can know nothing reliable of what is passing within Gen. Lee’s lines. The responsibility of keeping his gates closed against spies rests in a great measure on myself, and I endeavor to keep even our own people in profound ignorance of [...]
July 25th. An old gentleman stopped here just now in a carriage and asked to see me. Such a sad, sick old man! He said his name was Caldwell, and that passing through East Feliciana, Mrs. Flynn had asked him to deliver a message to us. Had we heard from our brothers? I told him [...]
JULY 24th.—Already the flood-gates of treasonable intelligence flowing North seem to be thrown wide open. The Baltimore papers contain a vast amount of information concerning our condition, movements in progress, and projected enterprises. And to crown all, these rascals publish in the same papers the passports given them by Gen. Winder. I doubt not they [...]
We had now reached the 24th of July, and the climate had become deleterious to the health of our sailors, mostly in the shape of a malarious fever, which was prostrating a dozen a day. We had a sick list of about one hundred men, and we now most gladly started down the river, leaving [...]
Thursday, July 24th. Yes; that must be the date, for one day and two nights have passed since I was writing here. Where shall I begin the story of my wanderings? I don’t know that it has a beginning, it is all so hurried and confused. But it was Tuesday evening that the Federals were [...]
JULY 23d.—To-day I received the following note from the Secretary: “JULY 23D, 1862.” “J. B. JONES, ESQ. “Sir:—You will not issue passports except to persons going to the camps near Richmond. “Passports elsewhere will be granted by Brig.-Gen. Winder. “Respectfully, “GEO. W. RANDOLPH, “Secretary of War.”
JULY 22d.—Today Gen. Winder came into my office in a passion with a passport in his hand which I had given, a week before, to Mr. Collier, of Petersburg, on the order of the Assistant Secretary of War–threatening me with vengeance and the terrors of Castle Godwin, his Bastile! if I granted any more passports [...]
July 22d, Tuesday. Another such day, and there is the end of me! Charlie decided to send Lilly and the children into the country early to-morrow morning, and get them safely out of this doomed town. Mother, Miriam, and I were to remain here alone. Take the children away, and I can stand whatever is [...]
We lay here two or three days taking in coal, &c., and it was finally arranged that the iron-clad Essex should run down by the batteries, with a prospect of destroying the ram, and of relieving the wooden ships which had already been ordered down the river. Accordingly, on the morning of the 22d we [...]
JULY 21st.—A Marylander, a lieutenant employed by Gen. Winder to guard the prisoners (the generals and other high Yankee officers), came to me to-day, with a friend who had just arrived from Baltimore, and demanded passports to visit Drewry’s Bluff, for the purpose of inspecting the defenses. I refused, fearing he might (I did not [...]