Wednesday, 8th 1862
Aniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, another Battle is expected there soon. No particular news today. Our boys were at Genl McClellans House today with the Lincoln boys. The Genl was out riding, his health is nearly restored. There is a good deal of alarm in the City on account of the prevalence of the Small pox. There are cases of it in almost every Street in the City. There is said to be over 400 cases in private families. The City authorities have as yet taken no notice of it in any official way. We are getting vaccinated again. I have spent the evening at home hearing the boys recite their lessons. The Mercury was down to 14 this morning, but it thawed in the middle of the day and tonight it rains. It is 9 o’clock. The boys have gone to bed. Julia is over to Mr Hartlys. I must go after her soon. Our family room has a good coal Stove and the fire does not go out all night, it is always warm and comfortable. We burn wood in the cooking Stove (oak at $10.00 pr cord), hard coal is but $8.50. Went to Mr Hartlys for Julia. Mr Greenleaf was there. I staid an hour in pleasant conversation.
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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.