OCTOBER 27th.—Nothing from the North or West to-day. But Beauregard telegraphs that the enemy’s batteries and monitors opened this morning heavily on his forts and batteries, but, as yet, there were no casualties. The Commissary-General to-day, in a communication to the department, relating to the necessity of impressment to subsist our armies, says “the armies [...]

October 27th.–Young Wade Hampton has been here for a few days, a guest of our nearest neighbor and cousin, Phil Stockton. Wade, without being the beauty or the athlete that his brother Preston is, is such a nice boy. We lent him horses, and ended by giving him a small party. What was lacking in [...]

Iuka, Miss., October 26, 1863. Let your pocket ‘kerchief float out on the breeze, halloo a little and throw up your bonnet. It’s only a “march at 12 o’clock to-night” but that’s good enough. We’ve been here a week now, drawing clothing and making all kinds of preparations for a “forward,” and the blessed word [...]

OCTOBER 26th.—No news from our armies. The President was in Mobile two days ago. Gen. Rosecrans has been removed from his command, and Grant put in his place. Meade, it is said in Northern papers, will also be decapitated, for letting Lee get back without loss. Also Dalgren, at Charleston, has been relieved. And yet [...]

OCTOBER 25th.—We have nothing new this morning ; but letters to the department from North and South Carolina indicate that while the troops in Virginia are almost perishing for food, the farmers are anxious to deliver the tithes, but the quartermaster and commissary agents are negligent or designedly remiss in their duty. The consequence will [...]

OCTOBER 24th.—To-day we have a cold northwest storm of wind and rain, and we have our first fire in the parlor. The elections in Ohio and Pennsylvania have gone for the Republican (War) candidates. We rely on ourselves, under God, for independence. It is said Gen. Lee learned that 15,000 Republican voters were sent from [...]

October 24th.–James Chesnut is at home on his way back to Richmond; had been sent by the President to make the rounds of the Western armies; says Polk is a splendid old fellow. They accuse him of having been asleep in his tent at seven o’clock when he was ordered to attack at daylight, but [...]

OCTOBER 23d.—Gen. Lee has retired to the south side of the Rappahannock again, while Meade remains in the intrenchments at Centreville. Gen. Imboden occupies Winchester. From the West we have only newspaper reports, which may not be true.

OCTOBER 22d.—Gen. Wheeler has taken 700 of the enemy’s cavalry in East Tennessee, 6 cannon, 50 wagons, commissary stores, etc. Per contra, the steamer Venus, with bacon, from Nassau, got aground trying to enter the port of Wilmington, and ship and cargo were lost. There is a rumor that Gen. Taylor, trans-Mississippi, has captured Gen. [...]

Iuka, Miss., October 21, 1863. We reached here the evening of the 18th inst., and I have been on extra heavy fatigue nearly ever since our arrival. We worked all night first night loading wagon trains and unloading cars. We were doing the work of another division, but, such is war. The impression is that [...]

OCTOBER 21st.—Gen. Lee telegraphed last night that our cavalry had routed the enemy’s horse on Monday, capturing some 200, etc. etc. The Legislature passed a series of resolutions yesterday, requesting the Secretary of War to impress free negroes for the public works; to detail the 2d class militia (over 45); and to order into the [...]

OCTOBER 20th.—Nothing definite from Lee. I fear his little campaign from the Rapidan to Bull Run was not a glorious one, although Meade did run to the fortifications at Centreville. He may possibly have had a counter-plot, which is not yet developed. Our papers are rejoicing over thousands of prisoners “picked up;” but Captain Warner, [...]

OCTOBER 19th.—After all the rumors from Northern Virginia, I have seen nothing official. I incline to the belief that we have achieved no success further than an advance toward Washington, and a corresponding retreat of the enemy. It is to be yet seen whether Lee captured more prisoners than Meade captured. It is said we [...]

ON MARCH NEAR RAPPAHANNOCK STATION, VA., October 18, 1863. My Dear Mother: I received your very welcome letter and did intend answering it last evening, but we were ordered to move, which prevented me from doing so. We left Rapidan about the 7th inst., and have been on the march ever since, and I believe [...]

OCTOBER 18th.—No authentic information of a battle near Manassas has been received at the War Department, although it is certain there has been some heavy skirmishing on the Rappahannock. We have several brigadier-generals wounded, and lost five guns; but, being reinforced, continued the pursuit of the enemy, picking up many prisoners—they say 1500. The pursuit [...]

OCTOBER 17th.—We hear to-day that a battle has taken place near Manassas, and that Lee has taken some 9000 prisoners and many wagons. At 3 P.M. there was no official intelligence of this event, and it was not generally credited. Gen. Wise writes from Charleston, that it is understood by the French and Spanish Consuls [...]

OCTOBER 16th.—No battle had occurred in Northern Virginia up to 10 o’clock yesterday morning, although there is a constant stream of prisoners being sent to this city daily, taken by our cavalry. At last accounts Meade’s army was retreating toward Washington City, hotly pursued by Lee. They were near Manassas, the first battle-field of the [...]

OCTOBER 15th.—To-day, at 12 M., I saw a common leather-wing bat flying over the War Department. What this portends I do not pretend to say, perhaps nothing. It may have been dislodged by the workmen building chimneys to the offices of the department. The order of the government conscribing all foreign residents who have acquired [...]

OCTOBER 14th.—A letter from Gen. Lee to the Secretary of War, dated 11th inst. at Madison C. H., complains of the injury done by the newspapers of Richmond, which contain early accounts of his movements, and are taken quickly (by flag of truce? or Gen. Winder’s corps of rogues and cut-throats?) to the enemy. He [...]

OCTOBER 13th.—Gen. Lee’s cavalry are picking up some prisoners, several hundreds having already been sent to Richmond. It is said the advance of his army has been delayed several weeks for want of commissary stores, while Commissary-General Northrop’s or Major Ruffin’s agent Moffitt, it is alleged, has been selling beef (gross) to the butchers at [...]

OCTOBER 12th.—Hon. G. A. Henry, Senator from Tennessee, writes to the Secretary that it is rumored that Gen. Pemberton is to command Gen. Polk’s corps in Tennessee. He says if this be true, it will be disastrous; that the Tennessee troops will not serve under him, but will mutiny and desert. It is reported to-day [...]

OCTOBER 11th.—I attended a meeting of “mechanics” and citizens at the City Hall last night. The prime mover of this organization is E. B. Robinson, some twenty years ago one of my printers in the Madisonian office. It was fully attended, and although not so boisterous as might have been expected, was, nevertheless, earnest and [...]

Memphis, Tenn., October 10, 1863, 4 p.m. Have just got here; bored to death. Had to march around three sandbars between Helena and Memphis. Never want to see a steamboat again. Never want to journalize again. We started at 5 in the morning for Corinth and then, maybe, for Rosecrans. I’ll be furiously glad to [...]

OCTOBER 10th.—The enemy is undoubtedly falling back on the Rappahannock, and our army is pursuing. We have about 40,000 in Lee’s army, and it is reported that Meade has 50,000, of whom many are conscripts, altogether unreliable. We may look for stirring news soon. About 2500 of the “local” troops were reviewed to-day. The companies [...]