Update: As readers have pointed out in the comments, this entry is obviously dated wrong. The battle at Shiloh is still in the not-to-distant future. MARCH 31st.—Gen. Joseph E. Johnston is to command on the Peninsula. The President took an affectionate leave of him the other day; and Gen. Lee held his hand a long [...]
March 31st. Discovered a portion of a submarine telegraph cable across the river directly under our ship. The cable was destroyed, and a sample brought on board ship.
MARCH 30th.—Gen. Lee is to have command of all the armies—but will not be in the field himself. He will reside here. Congress passed an act to create a commanding general; but this was vetoed, for trenching on the executive prerogative—or failed in some way. The proceedings were in secret session.
March 29th. Nothing of importance is occurring now-a-days to mark one day from another. Yesterday, Capt. Bell, with the gunboats Kennebeck, Wissahickon and Winona, ascended the river to the forts, when Fort Jackson opened fire on them, and after firing about one hundred rounds at us our vessels hauled off. They discovered the position of [...]
by Horatio Nelson Taft Friday March 28th Very pleasant today. Streets quite dry & dusty. A great movement of troops. A stream of men and Govt Wagons have been going down 14th St for a number of hours. The Divisions of Genl Keyes and Casey, 10,000 or 12,000 each, have moved for Alexandria to embark. [...]
Point Pleasant, Mo., March 28, 1862. There isn’t a thing to write only that they keep up the infernal “boom, boom,” with their cannons all day and night long. It’s perfectly disgusting the way they waste powder and iron without killing anyone. They have knocked every house in town to flinders, and round shot and [...]
MARCH 28th.—Mr. Benjamin has been promoted. He is now Secretary of State. His successor in the War Department is G. W. Randolph, a lawyer of modest pretensions, who, although he has lived for several years in this city, does not seem to have a dozen acquaintances. But he inherits a name, being descended from Thomas [...]
March 28th.–I did leave with regret Maum Mary. She was such a good, well-informed old thing. My Molly, though perfection otherwise, does not receive the confidential communications of new-made generals at the earliest moment. She is of very limited military information. Maum Mary was the comfort of my life. She saved me from all trouble [...]
MARCH 27th.—It is said Mr. Benjamin has been dismissed, or resigned.
Camp near Point Pleasant, Mo., March 26, 1862. It is, to-day, very much warmer. I’m altogether too hot to be comfortable in my shirt sleeves. Don’t know what is to become of us in July if it is so hot in proportion. I shake in my boots at the thought of the mosquitoes, flies, etc., [...]
MARCH 26th.—The apothecaries arrested and imprisoned some days ago have been tried and acquitted by a court-martial. Gen. Winder indorsed on the order for their discharge: “Not approved, and you may congratulate yourselves upon escaping a merited punishment.”
MARCH 25th.—Gen. Bonham, of South Carolina, has also resigned, for being overslaughed. His were the first troops that entered Virginia to meet the enemy; and because some of his three months’ men were reorganized into fresh regiments, his brigade was dissolved, and his commission canceled. Price, Beauregard, Walker, Bonham, Toombs, Wise, Floyd, and others of [...]
MARCH 24th.—Gen. Walker, of Georgia—the same who had the scene with Col. Bledsoe—has resigned. I am sorry that the Confederate States must lose his services, for he is a brave man, covered with honorable scars. He has displeased the Secretary of War.
Point Pleasant, Mo., March 24, 1862. It’s only 9 a. m, and didn’t get to bed until 2 this morning, so if I do not talk rational you will excuse me. That isn’t the excuse either. I rode 50 miles between 9 a. m. yesterday and midnight over roughest road. Two hundred of us were [...]
MARCH 23d.—Gen. Winder was in this morning listening to something MacCubbin was telling him about the Richmond Whig. It appears that, in the course of a leading article, enthusiastic for the cause, the editor remarked, “we have arms and ammunition now.” The policemen, one and all, interpreted this as a violation of the order to [...]
HDQTS. SPECIAL BRIGADE, NEAR RAPIDAN STATION, VA., March 23rd, 1862. My Dear Mother: We received your letter last night dated the 6th of March. ‘Tis the first time any of us have heard from home within the last two weeks. We have had considerable excitement since you last heard from us. To-day, two weeks ago, [...]
by Horatio Nelson Taft Saturday March 22nd 1862 We have been listening all day to the booming of Cannon and beating of Drums. Troops are constantly embarking at the Arsenal and marching through and about the City. But the tents on the hills back of the City do not seem to diminish in number, but [...]
MARCH 22d.—Capt. Godwin, the Provost Marshal, was swearing furiously this morning at the policemen about their iniquitous forgeries.
MARCH 21st.—Gen. Winder’s detectives are very busy. They have been forging prescriptions to catch the poor Richmond apothecaries. When the brandy is thus obtained it is confiscated, and the money withheld. They drink the brandy, and imprison the apothecaries.
Twentieth.—To-day ’tis cloudy and we have fire in the tent and I wear my cloak besides. There are no news of any kind to-day. We are on a little piece of dry land here (some of the earthquake’s “get up” I suppose) entirely surrounded by swamps of the vilest kind, cane and cypress. We have [...]
MARCH 20th.—There is skirmishing every day on the Peninsula. We have not exceeding 60,000 men there, while the enemy have 158,000. It is fearful odds. And they have a fleet of gun-boats.
March 20th.–The Merrimac is now called the Virginia. I think these changes of names so confusing and so senseless. Like the French “Royal Bengal Tiger,” “National Tiger,” etc. Rue this, and next day Rue that, the very days and months a symbol, and nothing signified. I was lying on the sofa in my room, and [...]
MARCH 19th.—Mr. MacCubbin, whom I take to be a sort of Scotch-Irishman, though reared in the mobs of Baltimore, I am informed has given some passports, already signed, to some of his friends. This interference will produce a rupture between Capt. Godwin and Capt. MacCubbin; but as the former is a Virginian, he may have [...]
March 19th. Thirteen sail of Capt. Porter’s fleet arrived today, being towed up the river by tugboats, and immediately taken to Pilot Town to dismantle. As business is monotonous at this season, our journal occasionally skips a few days.
March 19th.–He who runs may read. Conscription means that we are in a tight place. This war was a volunteer business. To-morrow conscription begins–the dernier ressort. The President has remodeled his Cabinet, leaving Bragg for North Carolina. His War Minister is Randolph, of Virginia. A Union man par excellence, Watts, of Alabama, is Attorney-General. And [...]