November 6th.–Sally Hampton went to Richmond with the Rev. Mr. Martin. She arrived there on Wednesday. On Thursday her father, Wade Hampton, fought a great battle, but just did not win it–a victory narrowly missed. Darkness supervened and impenetrable woods prevented that longed-for consummation. Preston Hampton rode recklessly into the hottest fire. His father sent [...]
Vinings Station, November 5, 1864. Our brigade rear guard all day. Foragers could not find a thing. Traveled through a perfect labyrinth of breastworks. Rebel or Yankee grave every 100 yards. One month ago we passed here confident of overtaking Hood, but he was too swift for us, and after 300 miles travel we are [...]
November 5th.–Clear and cold. Grant has attempted nothing this week, and it is probably too late for any demonstration to affect the election. I infer that the government is convinced President Lincoln will be re-elected, else some desperate effort would have been made in his behalf by his generals. Will he float on a sea [...]
Powder Springs, November 4, 1864, 6 p.m. Cold rain to-day. Made 15 miles. Country only fit for (?) Come through a long line of fine works the Rebels put up after they took up our railroad at Acworth. This about the last day of pork and potatoes; to-morrow will bring us to a country we [...]
November 4th.–Rained all night; glimpses of the sun between the running clouds this morning. Windy, and likely to be cold. Our iron-clad “Albemarle” was blown up by a handful of the enemy at Plymouth–surprising the water pickets (all asleep). The manner of the loss of the town, and of the counties east of it, is [...]
Five miles northwest of Villa Rica, Ga., November 3, 1864, 6 p.m. Forty-eight hours’ rain without a stop and a good prospect for as much more. We left Van Wirt and Dallas to the left, and by 16 miles hard marching have got near enough over this barren ridge, I think, to find a few [...]
November 3d.–Cold rain; rained all night. Gen. Lee, urging that his regiments from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, etc. etc. be recruited from their respective States, concludes a recent letter thus: “I hope immediate action will be taken upon this subject, as I think our success depends much upon a speedy increase of our armies in [...]
Van Wirt, Ga., November 2, 1864. It has rained steadily all day. Moved 12 miles. I have an excellent pair of shoes. A good deal of water got into them to-day, but it all ran out. Camp to-night on a high pine ridge. Pine knot fires come in first rate. That 40th boy that was [...]
November 2d, 1864. This morning we heard Jimmy is engaged to Helen Trenholm, daughter of the Secretary of the Confederate States. He wrote asking Brother’s consent, saying they had been engaged since August, though he had had no opportunity of writing until that day – the middle of September. I cried myself blind. It seems [...]
November 2d.–Dark and dismal. The Governor continues his exemptions, now amounting to thousands. S. Basset French (State agent to buy and sell supplies to the people), with one or more clerks, and such laborers, etc. as may be necessary, I find among his last exemptions. A smart and corrupt agent could make a fortune out [...]
November 1st. On duty at the camp. Waiting for the election to take place. I was one of the three corporals in charge of the main gate. The grounds and barracks are surrounded by a high board fence. A number of recruits are here, waiting to be sent to the different regiments.
November 1st.–Bright and frosty morning. All quiet. No confirmation of Early’s defeat; and the nightfeat of Mahone puts the people in better hope. One-third of all our lead comes from the mines near Wytheville, Virginia. I got 128 pounds of flour from the investment in supplies in North Carolina, and one-fourth of that amount is [...]
Cedar Town, Ga., November 1, 1864. Abomination of abominations, train guard to-day. It is the most disagreeable duty we are subject to on the march. I escaped the afternoon duty by being sent out foraging. Got all the men would carry, and disgusted a rich citizen considerably, also saw a nice, rosy-faced girl, whose teeth [...]
October 31st. Arrived at Jersey City all right, this morning. Crossed the Hudson River by Cortlandt Street ferry. On the march up Cortlandt Street we were hooted and jeered at by the toughs. We passed along without taking any notice of it. Our march was up Broadway. At Martinsburg, West Virginia, we were sent off [...]
Near Cave Springs, Ga., 26 miles south of Rome, October 31, 1864, 1 a.m. We think we are going to Rome. Had an extremely disagreeable march yesterday of only 12 miles, over pine and scrub oak ridges. A swamp in every valley. Camped before dark for almost the first time of the trip. This is [...]
October 31st.–Bright. Tom’s rations came in–worth $200– for a month. Gen. Lee writes that it is necessary for the gun-boats to guard the river as far below Chaffin’s Bluffs as possible, to prevent the enemy from throwing a force to the south bank in the rear of Gen. Pickett’s lines; for then Gen. P. must [...]
October 30th. Not much sleep last night. Early in line this morning. Relieved by an Iowa Regiment. Cheers were given for each regiment, then all together for Honest Old Abe. The Iowa boys shouted, “A good time and good luck.” Soon reached the train where a crowd gave cheers for Old Abe, and wishing us [...]
Sunday, October 30th.–Bright and beautiful. Some firing was heard early this morning on the Darbytown road, or in that direction; but it soon ceased, and no fighting of moment is anticipated to-day, for Gen. Longstreet is in the city. My son Thomas drew a month’s rations yesterday, being detailed for clerical service with Gen. Kemper. [...]
October 29th. All things have been quiet with us since the last date. The regiment voted for President. Commissioners were here from Connecticut. Each voter was given two ballots and an envelope. One for Lincoln and one for General McClellan. The voter, taking his ballots to his tent or anywhere he chose, put in the [...]
Camp in piney woods, five miles South of Cedar Bluffs, October 29, 1864. Such a march over pine ridges and through swamps; Egyptian darkness would take a back seat in comparison with this night. It just happened to strike the men as funny, and they kept up a roar of cheering the whole distance.
October 29th.–Clear and pleasant. We are beginning to get authentic accounts of the operations on Thursday; and yet, from the newspaper publications, we see that the government has withheld one of Gen. Lee’s dispatches from publication. Altogether, it must be regarded as a decisive failure on the part of the enemy to obtain any lodgment [...]
October 28th.–Rained all night, but bright this morning. We have no clear account yet of the fighting yesterday; but we know the enemy was repulsed on this side of the river. It is thought that the operations on the south side were of greater magnitude, where we lost a brigadier-general (Dearing) of cavalry. We shall [...]
October 28th.—Burton Harrison writes to General Preston that supreme anxiety reigns in Richmond. Oh, for one single port! If the Alabama had had in the whole wide world a port to take her prizes to and where she could be refitted, I believe she would have borne us through. Oh, for one single port by [...]
Cedar Bluff, Ala., October 27, 1864. Waiting here for the 17th Army Corps to get across the Coosa. It is a beautiful little river, not as wide as the Illinois, but has a deeper channel. We are starting on the road to Talladega; don’t even know whether we are starting on a campaign or not. [...]
October 27th.–Slightly hazy and sunshine. Quiet, save aimless and bootless shelling and picket firing along the lines on the south side of the river. Hon. Geo. Davis, Attorney-General, to whom was referred the question of the constitutionality of the purposed removal from office of clerks appointed to fill places specifically created by act of Congress [...]