JANUARY 21st.—Last night the rain fell in torrents, and to-day there is a violent storm of wind from the N.W. This may put an end, for a season, to campaigning on land, and the enemy’s fleet at sea may be dispersed. Providence may thus intervene in our behalf. It is feared that we have met [...]
JANUARY 20th.—The rumor of fighting on the Rappahannock is not confirmed. But Gen. Lee writes that his beeves are so poor the soldiers won’t eat the meat. He asks the government to send him salt meat. From Northern sources we learn that Arkansas Post has fallen, and that we have lost from 5000 to 7000 [...]
Monday, January 19th. That blessed Mr. Halsey like an angel of mercy sent me “Kate Coventry” yesterday, just when I was pining far a bonne bouche of some kind, I did not care what, whether a stick of candy or an equally palatable book. It is delightful to have one’s wishes realized as soon as [...]
JANUARY 19th.—We have rumors of fighting this morning on the Rappahannock; perhaps the enemy is making another advance upon Richmond. There was a grand funeral to-day,—Gen. D. R. Jones’s; he died of heart disease. Gen. Bragg dispatches that Brig.-Gen. Wheeler, with his cavalry, got in the rear of Rosecrans a few days ago, and burned [...]
JANUARY 18th.—It was bitter cold last night, and everything is frozen this morning; there will be abundance of ice next summer, if we keep our ice-houses. In these times of privation and destitution, I see many men, who were never prominent secessionists, enjoying comfortable positions, and seeking investments for their surplus funds. Surely there must [...]
JANUARY 17th.—Gen. Lee has left the city. His troops, en-camped thirty miles north of Richmond, marched northward last night. So it is his determination to cross the Rappahannock? Or is it a demonstration of the enemy to prevent him from sending reinforcements to North Carolina? We shall know speedily. North Carolina, one would think, is [...]
The following material contains wording that is offensive to many in the world of today. However, the work is provided unedited for its historical content and context. Camp 103d Illinois Infantry, Jackson, Tenn., January 16, 1862. (1863) It commenced raining early the morning of the 14th and did not cease until about 2 a.m. the [...]
January 16th. This morning, at ten o’clock, the officers, twelve men, and marine guard of this ship went on shore to attend the funeral of Lieutenant-Commander T. McKean Buchanan, who was killed in action by the rebels in Berwick’s Bay, while commanding the Calhoun on Jan. 14th, 1863. To-day we received another mail from home, [...]
JANUARY 16th.—Gen. Lee is in the city, doubtless to see about the pressure upon him for reinforcements in North Carolina. Gen. Smith still writes from Goldsborough for more men, with doleful forebodings if they be refused. From Eastern Tennessee, we have bad accounts of outrages by the disloyal inhabitants, who have fled, to escape conscription, [...]
BOOK IV From my sick bed, this 15th day of January, 1863. Linwood, Thursday. . AM I not glad to get another blank book! On Sunday my old one gave out, to my unspeakable distress, and I would have been désolée if I had not had three or four letters to answer, as writing is [...]
JANUARY 15th.—The President’s message is highly applauded. It is well written; but I do not perceive much substance in it, besides some eloquent reproaches of England and France for the maintenance of their neutrality, which in effect is greatly more beneficial to the United States than to us. The President essays to encourage the people [...]
JANUARY 14th.—Gen. Beauregard, some of whose forces have been taken from him and sent to the defense of Wilmington, is apprehensive that they may be lost, in the event of the enemy making a combined naval and land attack, and then Charleston and Savannah would be in great peril. Gens. Smith and Whiting call lustily [...]
JANUARY 13th.—The generals in North Carolina are importunate for reinforcements. They represent the enemy as in great force, and that Weldon, Goldsborough, Raleigh, and Wilmington are in extreme peril. Lee cannot send any, or, if he does, Richmond will be threatened again, and possibly taken. How shall we live? Boarding ranges from $60 to [...]
Camp 103d Illinois Infantry, Jackson, Tenn., January 12, 1863. Your letters are beginning to come through with more regularity and on decidedly better time. Have received your date of December 30, although the last was dated November 16th, and was the first you wrote after we left Peoria. You bewailed our being sent south of [...]
January 12th. Nothing of importance is occurring now-adays to mark one day from another.
JANUARY 12TH.—The news of the successful defense of Vicksburg is confirmed by an official dispatch, to the effect that the enemy had departed up the Mississippi River. By the late Northern papers, we find they confess to a loss of 4000 men in the several attacks upon the town! Our estimate of their loss did [...]
JANUARY 11th.—The message of Gov. Seymour, of New York, if I am not mistaken in its import and purposes, will have a distracting effect on the subjugation programme of the government at Washington. I shall look for riots, and perhaps rebellions and civil wars in the North. Mr. Stanley, ycleped Governor of North Carolina, has [...]
JANUARY 10th.—We have news from the West, which is believed to be reliable, stating that Bragg captured 6000 prisoners altogether in his late battles; took 30 cannon, 800 stand of arms, and destroyed 1500 wagons and many stores. The estimated loss of the enemy in killed and wounded is put down at 12,000. Our loss [...]
JANUARY 9th.—The Northern papers say the Federals have taken Vicksburg; but we are incredulous. Yet we have no reliable intelligence from thence; and it may be so. It would be a terrible blow, involving, for a time, perhaps, the loss of the Mississippi River. But we have cheering news from Galveston, Texas. Several of our [...]
JANUARY 8th.—Gen. French writes that the enemy at Suffolk and Newbern amounted to 45,000; and this force now threatens Weldon and Wilmington, and we have not more than 14,000 to oppose them. With generalship that should suffice. All the Virginia conscripts are ordered to Gen. Wise, under Major-Gen. Elzey. The conscripts from other States [...]
Holly Springs, Miss., January 7, 1862 1. The colonel and I were ordered to report here to give evidence before the “Court of Inquiry,” convened to inquire into the case of the 109th Illinois Infantry reported for disloyalty. I started from Jackson yesterday but had to lay over at Grand Junction last night waiting for [...]
JANUARY 7th.—To-day I was requested to aid, temporarily, in putting in operation a new bureau, created by the military authorities, not by law, entitled the Bureau of Conscription. From conscription all future recruits must be derived. I found Gen. Rains, the chief, a most affable officer; and Lieut.-Col. Lay, his next officer, was an acquaintance. [...]
January 6th. Last night, while on guard duty, I was taken suddenly ill. Had to be relieved from duty. Placed in an old barn, used for a field hospital, with a leaky old roof, the rain coming down on me. Colonel, I was informed, came to the barn, saw my condition, ordered me carried to [...]
JANUARY 6th.—To-day we are all down again. Bragg has retreated from Murfreesborough. It is said he saved his prisoners, captured cannon, etc., but it is not said what became of his own wounded. The Northern papers say they captured 500 prisoners in the battle, which they claim as a victory. I do not know how [...]
JANUARY 5th.—We learn from Gen. Bragg that the enemy did not retire far on the 2d inst., but remain still in the vicinity of Murfreesborough. He says, however, that our cavalry are still circling the Yankees, taking prisoners and destroying stores. During the day an absurd rumor was invented, to the effect that Bragg had [...]