October 5, 1861 Major papers in London reflect the division over the American Civil War in Britain. In an editorial, the London Post backs an independent Southern Nation. Previously, the London Times had backed the Union. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Unsuccessful efforts of the rebels to retake the Hatteras Inlet [...]

October 5th.—To-day several Southern-born gentlemen, who have lived long in the North, and have their fortunes and families there, applied for passports. They came hither to save the investments of their parents in Northern securities, by having them transferred to their children. This seems legitimate, and some of the parties are old and valued friends [...]

London, October 5, 1861 Your letter and your articles in the Courier arrived last Monday. I sent one set of them down to Lucas, the editor of the London Star, and received a complimentary note in return which I will enclose to you. The other set I sent down to the editor of the Spectator, [...]

OCTOBER 4th. — Sundry applications were made to-day to leave the country under flag of truce, provided I would not permit the names to be published. The reason for this request is that these persons have connections here who might be compromised. I refused compliance. In one or two instances they intimated that they would [...]

Camp Leslie, near Falls Church, Fairfax County, Va., Oct. 4th, 1861. Dear Friends at Home:– I last wrote from Camp Corcoran and once before from Camp Casey, and you see by date we have moved again. The Colonel here presented us to McClellan as a well drilled regiment and asked the privilege of taking a [...]

OCTOBER 3d.—The President not having taken any steps in the matter, I have no alternative but to execute the order of the Secretary.

October 3, 1861 Battle of Greenbriar WV A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Battle at Greenbrier, Va.; rebels defeated after an hour’s fighting, and a large number of cattle and horses taken by the U. S. troops. Ex-Street Commissioner of New York, Gustavus W. Smith, appointed a brig.-general in the rebel army. [...]

OCTOBER. 2d.—A day or two ago Col. Bledsoe, who visits me now very seldom, sent an order by Mr. Brooks for me to furnish a list of the names of alien enemies for publication. This was complied with cheerfully; and these publications have produced some excitement in the community.

Bird’s Point, October 2, ’61. Just at noon yesterday orders came to strike tents and in an hour we were under way and have come to a halt in this forsaken hole. It seems that the 8th can’t get out of hearing of the Cairo morning and evening gun anyway. Our major says they are [...]

October 2, 1861 A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Rebels defeated at Chapmansville, Va. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

OCTOBER 1st.—I find that only a few hundred alien enemies departed from the country under the President’s proclamation, allowing them forty days, from the 16th of August, to make their arrangements; but under the recent order of Mr. Benjamin, if I may judge from the daily applications, there will be a large emigration. The persons [...]

October 1, 1861 A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Rebel camp at Charleston, Mo., broken up by Union troops. U. S. transport “Fanny” captured by two rebel steamers between Hatteras Inlet and Chicamacoffico. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

SEPTEMBER 30th.—A pretty general jail delivery is now taking place. Gen. Winder, acting I suppose, of course, under the instructions of the Secretary of War—and Mr. Benjamin is now Secretary indeed—is discharging from the prisons the disloyal prisoners sent hither during the last month by Gens. Johnston, Floyd, and Wise. Not only liberating them, but [...]

Norfolk, September 30, 1861. You think I’m doing pretty well in the number of my letters, don’t you? I can afford to for you are the only correspondent I have. You musn’t be surprised if you don’t get letters from me so regularly after this, for if we start back in the country, as I [...]

Camp Corcoran, Arlington Heights, Va., Monday, Sept. 30, 1861. Dear Sister L. :– My soldiering now is not play, it is work. The last time I wrote you we were in Camp Casey, above Washington. Last Saturday afternoon we received orders to strike tents and be ready to march. We were ready in half an [...]

September 30, 1861 Great public pressure was put on Lincoln to give his backing to an attack on Richmond led by McClellan. The president had to balance public desires with what McClellan had told him about the size of the Confederate force near the capital.

SEPTEMBER 29th.—To-day Mr. Benjamin issued several passports himself, and sent several others to me with peremptory orders for granting them.

September 29, 1861 A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Two advance bodies of the Union troops came into collision by mistaking each other for the enemy, near Falls Church, and before the error was discovered 15 were killed and 30 or 40 wounded. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America [...]

SEPTEMBER 28th.—I sent the paper containing my article to J. R. Davis, Esq., nephew of the President, avowing its authorship, and requesting him to ask the President’s attention to the subject.

London, September 28, 1861 Time goes precious fast and yet seems to leave very little behind it. I have been very busy for the last three weeks but now am at leisure again though I have some ideas of beginning a new tack. Papa got back late last night from a visit to Lord Russell’s [...]

September 28, 1861 A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Rebel forces fall back from their positions before Washington, and the U. S. troops again occupied Munson’s and Upton’s Hills and Falls Church, Va. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

SEPTEMBER 27th.—To-day I prepared a leading editorial article for the Enquirer, taking ground directly opposite to that advocated by Mr. Benjamin. It was written with the law before me, which gave no warrant, as I could perceive, for the assumption of the Secretary.

September 27, 1861 McClellan responded to the public’s overwhelming desire for him to launch an offensive against Confederate forces near Washington. McClellan discussed his strategy with President Lincoln. McClellan based his future strategy on highly inflated figures regarding the strength of Confederate forces near the capital. He told Lincoln that there were 150,000 Confederate troops [...]

SEPTEMBER 26th.—Had a conversation with the Secretary to-day, on the policy of sending Union men out of the Confederacy. I told him we had 15,000 sick in the hospitals at Manassas, and this intelligence might embolden the enemy to advance, capture the hospitals, and make our sick men prisoners. He said such prisoners would be [...]