March 18th. Nothing important has taken place during the past few days. Weather very good, but very cold nights along the Potomac. Out among the farmers buying straw for our tents. Ground too cold to sleep on. Try to keep comfortable, large campfires kept burning nights and days. When too cold to sleep sit around [...]
MARCH 17th.—Bright, clear, and pleasant; frosty in the morning. Letters from Lieut.-Gen. Hood to the President, Gen Bragg, and the Secretary of War, give a cheering account of Gen. Johnston’s army at Dalton. The men are well fed and well clothed. They are in high spirits, “and eager for the fray.” The number is 40,000. [...]
MARCH 16th.—There was ice last night. Cold all day. Gen. Maury writes that no immediate attack on Mobile need be apprehended now. He goes next to Savannah to look after the defenses of that city. The Examiner to-day publishes Gen. Jos. E. Johnston’s report of his operations in Mississippi last summer. He says the disaster [...]
Scottsboro, Ala., March 15, 1864. I am again on court martial duty, with a prospect of a long siege; but we have an experienced President and a Judge Advocate who promises to be a fast worker; so we may get through quicker than we anticipated. The President, Colonel Heath, 100th Indiana, is a Bob Ingersoll [...]
MARCH 15th.—A clear, cool morning; but rained in the evening. By the correspondence of the department, I saw to-day that 35,000 bushels of corn left North Carolina nearly a week ago for Lee’s army, and about the same time 400,000 pounds of bacon was in readiness to be shipped from Augusta, Ga. At short rations, [...]
March 15th.–Old Mrs. Chesnut is dead. A saint is gone and James Chesnut is broken-hearted. He adored his mother. I gave $375 for my mourning, which consists of a black alpaca dress and a crape veil. With bonnet, gloves, and all it came to $500. Before the blockade such things as I have would not [...]
MARCH 14th.—Bright, pleasant day. The city is full of generals—Lee and his son (the one just returned from captivity), Longstreet, Whiting, Wise, Hoke, Morgan (he was ordered by Gen. Cooper to desist from his enterprise in the West), Evans, and many others. Some fourteen attended St. Paul’s (Episcopal) Church yesterday, where the President worships. Doubtless [...]
March 14th. Cold, disagreeable morning. All quiet along the Potomac at this place. Received a number of letters from friends at home. These letters bring much comfort to a fellow. Some of our boys are being appointed officers in the colored regiments. These regiments must have white commissioned officers. L. A. Manning and I, of [...]
MARCH 13th.—A lovely spring day–bright, warm, and calm. There is nothing new, only the burning of houses, mills, etc. on the York River by the Yankees, and that is nothing new. Subsequently the day became very windy, but not cold. The roads will be dry again, and military operations will be resumed. The campaign will [...]
Scottsboro, Ala., March 12, 1864. I have been tremendously demoralized for nearly a month in consequence of a terrible cold I caught by some of my carelessness, I suppose, but am now coming out of it all right. Weather is most beautiful. Not too much duty, excellent camp, remarkably good health, and everything so near [...]
MARCH 12th.—–It cleared away yesterday evening, and this morning, after the dispersion of a fog, the sun shone out in great glory, and the day was bright, calm, and pleasant. The trees begin to exhibit buds, and the grass is quite green. My wife received a letter to-day from Mrs. Marling, Raleigh, N. C., containing [...]
March 12th. This morning opened up bright and pleasant. Camp located and tents put up. A busy day. We have here with us a battalion of cavalry known as the Loudon Rangers, composed of loyal Virginians and Marylanders. They make good scouts. Some few have been in the rebel service. They often ford the river, [...]
MARCH 11th.—Rained all night–a calm, warm rain. Calm and warm to-day, with light fog, but no rain. It is now supposed the clerks (who saved the city) will be kept here to defend it.
March 11th. Up to this date the weather has been very bad. We are also short of rations. On picket every other night. Late today our tents arrived, and a good supply of rations. We shall have to put in another night in the cold old barn. Somewhat discouraged over our present condition. It is [...]
MARCH 10TH.–th.—Raining fast all day. There was a rumor to-day that the enemy were approaching again, but the Secretary knew nothing of it. Major Griswold is at variance with Gen. Winder, who has relieved him as Provost Marshal, and ordered him to Americus, Ga., to be second in command of the prisons, and assigned Major [...]
MARCH 9th.—A frosty morning, with dense fog; subsequently a pretty day. This is the famine month. Prices of every commodity in the market—up, up, up. Bacon, $10 to $15 per pound; meal, $50 per bushel. But the market-houses are deserted, the meat stalls all closed, only here and there a cart, offering turnips, cabbages, parsnips, [...]
MARCH 8th.—An application of Capt. C. B. Duffield, for a lieutenant-colonelcy, recommended by Col. Preston, came back from the President to-day. It was favorably indorsed by the Secretary, but Gen. Cooper marked it adversely, saying the Assistant Adjutant-General should not execute the Conscription act, and finally, the President simply said, “The whole organization requires revision.—J. [...]
March 8th. A cold, wet, disagreeable night for picket duty. We are about as miserable as we can be. When off duty we find shelter in an old barn, until the arrival of our tents. Maryland mud is fully as bad as Virginia. Trying to make the best of our condition, hoping for sunshine and [...]
MARCH 7th.—Bright and frosty morning; cloudy and warm in the evening. Cannon and musketry were heard this morning some miles northwest of the city. Probably Gen. Hampton fell in with one of the lost detachments of the raiders, seeking a way of escape. This attempt to surprise Richmond was a disgraceful failure. The Secretary of [...]
March 7th. Broke camp early this morning. Marched through town. Boarded a train of box cars at the station. Headed east. Stopped at Harper’s Ferry. Five companies ordered to go in camp on Bolivar Heights. The train with five companies proceeded on, over the Potomac River into Maryland about ten miles farther, stopping at the [...]
March 7th.–Shopping, and paid $30 for a pair of gloves; $50 for a pair of slippers; $24 for six spools of thread; $32 for five miserable, shabby little pocket handkerchiefs. When I came home found Mrs. Webb. At her hospital there was a man who had been taken prisoner by Dahlgren’s party. He saw the [...]
Scottsboro, Ala., March 6, 1864. By marching 21 miles on the railroad ties we reached “home” yesterday, after an absence of 24 days, in which we traveled 280 miles. Altogether it was a very pleasant trip, although the first 10 nights were almost too cold for outdoor sleeping. I kept a “sort” of a diary [...]
MARCH 6th.—My birthday—55. Bright and frosty; subsequently warm and pleasant. No news. But some indignation in the streets at the Adjutant-General’s (Cooper) order, removing the clerks and putting them in the army, just when they had, by their valor, saved the capital from flames and the throats of the President and his cabinet from the [...]
March 6th. Sunday. Cloudy and cold. Attended church in town. Wrote letters. Late this afternoon marching orders received. Leave camp on the morrow for parts unknown to us. Soldiers must obey orders and not ask questions. At times some movements look very foolish to us. We often wish the war was over and we could [...]
March. Dead! Dead! Both dead! O my brothers! What have we lived for except you? We, who would have so gladly laid down our lives for yours, are left desolate to mourn over all we loved and hoped for, weak and helpless; while you, so strong, noble, and brave, have gone before us without a [...]