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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
September 26, 1861 Skirmish near Fort Thorn, New Mexico Territory A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 National Fast, observed in accordance with President Lincoln’s recommendation. Second action at Lucas Bend, Ky.; rebel loss four killed and ?ve prisoners. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New [...]
SEPTEMBER 25th.—Mr. Benjamin and Gen. Winder, after granting a special interview to Messrs. G. and R., have concluded to let them depart for Pennsylvania and New York! Nor is this all. I have an order from Mr. Benjamin to give passports, until farther orders, to leave the country to all persons who avow them-selves alien [...]
September 25, 1861 A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Gen. Prentiss took command of the Union forces at St. Joseph. Skirmish near Chapmansville, Va. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863
SEPTEMBER 24th.—The time is up for the departure of alien enemies. This is the last day, according to the President’s proclamation. We have had no success lately, and never can have success, while the enemy know all our plans and dispositions. Keep them in total ignorance of our condition and movements, and they will no [...]
September 24, 1861 Frémont shut down a newspaper printed in St Louis that questioned his leadership during the siege of Lexington. The editor of the ‘St. Louis Evening News’ was also arrested. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America1 Count de Paris and Due de Chartres entered the U. S. service as aids [...]