NOVEMBER 17th.—A cold, dark day. No news. It was a mistake about the enemy crossing the Rapidan—only one brigade (cavalry) came over, and it was beaten back without delay. Vice-President Stephens writes a long letter to the Secretary, opposing the routine policy of furloughs, and extension of furloughs; suggesting that in each district some one [...]
NOVEMBER 16th.—Governor Brown, Georgia, writes the Secretary that he is opposed to impressments, and that the government should pay the market price—whatever that is. And the Rhett politicians of South Carolina are opposed to raising funds to pay with, by taxing land and negroes. So indicates the Mercury. We have news to-day of the crossing [...]
NOVEMBER 15th.—After a fine rain all night, it cleared away beautifully this morning, cool, but not unseasonable. There is no news of importance. The Governor of Georgia recommends, in his message, that the Legislature instruct their representatives in Congress to vote for a repeal of the law allowing substitutes, and also to put the enrolling [...]
NOVEMBER 14th.—Some skirmishing between Chattanooga and Knoxville. From prisoners we learn that the enemy at both those places are on half rations, and that Grant intends to attack Bragg soon at Lookout Mountain. Either Grant or Bragg must retire, as the present relative positions cannot long be held. Mr. A. Moseley, formerly editor of the [...]
NOVEMBER 13th.—No news of battles yet. But we have a rumor of the burning of the fine government steamer R. E. Lee, chased by the blockaders. That makes two this week. Gen. Lee dispatched the President, yesterday, as follows: “Orange C. H., Nov. 12th.—For the last five days we have only received three pounds of [...]
NOVEMBER 12th.—No accounts of any fighting, but plenty of battles looked for. A. A. Little writes to the Secretary of War from Fredericksburg, that the attempt to remove the iron from the Aquia Railroad by the government having failed, now is the time for private enterprise to effect it. If the Secretary “will say the [...]
Winchester, Tenn., November 11, 1863. We arrived here at 9 this a.m., our brigade making the distance from Salem, 11 miles, in three hours. That, we call fast walking. I wrote you last from Florence., Ala., on the 1st inst. From there we marched to Rodgersville and thence up the right bank of Elk river [...]
CAMP NEAR MORTON’S FORD, VA., November 11th, 1863. My Dear Mother: We are once more in our same camp on the Rapidan, which we left just a month ago. We had just begun to be comfortable in our winter quarters on the Rappahannock when the Yankees run us out. Last Saturday, about ten o’clock, the [...]
NOVEMBER 11th.—NO news. I saw, to-day, Gen. Lee’s letter of the 7th instant, simply announcing the capture of Hoke’s and Haye’s brigades. They were on the north side of the river, guarding the pont de tete. There is no excuse, no palliation. He said it was likely Meade’s entire army would cross. This had been [...]
NOVEMBER 10th.—It is supposed our loss in the surprise on Saturday did not exceed 1500, killed, wounded, and taken. It is thought that a battle will occur immediately, if it be not already in progress. There is no news of moment from any quarter, except the loss of our steamer Cornubia, taken by the blockaders [...]
Monday, November 9th. Another odd link of the old, stale story has come to me, all the way from New York. A friend of mine, who went on the same boat with the prisoners, wrote to her mother to tell her that she had formed the acquaintance of the most charming, fascinating gentleman among them, [...]
NOVEMBER 9th.—The President returned Saturday evening, looking pretty well. Yesterday, Sunday, he was under the necestity of reading a dispatch from Gen. Lee, announcing the surprise and capture of two brigades on the Rappahannock! This is a dark and gloomy day, spitting snow; while not a few are despondent from the recent disasters to our [...]
NOVEMBER 8th.—At this late day the Secretary of War is informed by Col. Gorgas that, in consequence of the enemy’s possessing the coal mines in Tennessee, he shall not be able to supply orders for heavy shot, etc., for the defense of Charleston harbor, if the fleet of monitors were to pass the forts. Why, [...]
NOVEMBER 7th.—No news from any quarter, except the continued bombardment of the debris of Fort Sumter, and the killing and wounding of some 10 or 12 men there—but that is not news. There is a pause,—a sort of holding of the breath of the people, as if some event of note was expected. The prices [...]
NOVEMBER 6th.—The President was to have returned to-day, but did not. Various conjectures are made as to the object of his month’s tour of speech-making. Some deem the cause very desperate, others that the President’s condition is desperate. If the first, they say his purpose was to reanimate the people by his presence, and to [...]
NOVEMBER 5th.—The President has not yet returned, but was inspecting the defenses of Charleston. The Legislature has adjourned without fixing a maximum of prices. Every night troops from Lee’s army are passing through the city. Probably they have been ordered to Bragg. Yesterday flour sold at auction at $100 per barrel; to-day it sells for [...]
November 5th.–For a week we have had such a tranquil, happy time here. Both my husband and Johnny are here still. James Chesnut spent his time sauntering around with his father, or stretched on the rug before my fire reading Vanity Fair and Pendennis. By good luck he had not read them before. We have [...]
NOVEMBER 4th.—Mr. M_______, Major Ruffin’s commissary agent, denies selling government beef to the butchers; of course it was his own. But he has been ordered not to sell any more, while buying for the government. Mr. Rouss, of Winchester, merchant, has succeeded in getting some brown cotton from the manufacturer, in Georgia, at cost, which [...]
NOVEMBER 3d.—Gen. Lee writes that he will endeavor to protect the workmen while removing the iron at Aquia Creek, but he fears the work has been too long delayed. The government has been too slow. Gen. Sam Jones writes from Abingdon that his cavalry was at Jonesborough on the 30th ult., although the enemy’s raiding [...]
NOVEMBER 2d.—A refugee from Portsmouth reports the arrival of 6000 Federal troops at Newport News, and that Richmond is to be menaced again. Brig.-Gen. H. W. Allen, Alexandria, La., reports 8000 deserters and skulking conscripts in that vicinity, and a bad state of things generally. Gen. Lee has written three letters to the department, dated [...]
Florence, Ala., November 1, 1863. We struck tents on the 27th ult. at Iuka, Miss., and marched to Eastport, eight miles, that night. We had in our division some 200 wagons, all of which with 1,200 horses and mules were to be crossed in a barge over the Tennessee river. I received a complimentary detail [...]
NOVEMBER 1st.—No news from any of the armies this morning. But Gen. Whiting writes that he is deficient in ordnance to protect our steamers and to defend the port. If Wilmington should fall by the neglect of the government, it will be another stunning blow. However, our armies are augmenting, from conscription, and if we [...]
OCTOBER 31st.—Letters came to-day from the President (or rather copies in his own handwriting), relieving Lieut.-Gen. Hardee, in Mississippi, and assigning him to a command under Gen. Bragg. He also writes a friendly letter (from Meridian, Miss.) to Gen. Bragg, informing him that Gen. Hardee had been ordered to report to him without delay, and [...]
OCTOBER 30th.—We have nothing new to-day, except the continued bombardment of Charleston. That city has been besieged over one hundred days.
OCTOBER 29th.—Gen. Lee writes (a few days since), from Brandy Station, that Meade seems determined to advance again; that troops are going up the Potomac to Washington, and that volunteers from New York have been ordered thither. He asks the Secretary to ascertain if there be really any Federal force in the York River; for [...]