Friday, January 30th.

A whole week has passed since I opened this book, a week certainly not spent in idleness, if not a very interesting one. For I have kept my room almost all the time, leaving Miriam and Anna to entertain their guests alone. Even when Mr. Halsey called on Sunday, I declined going down. Why, I wonder? I felt better than usual, was in a splendid humor for talking, yet – my excuses took my place, and I lay quietly in bed, dreaming by the firelight, and singing hymns to myself. Once in a while the thought would occur to me, “Why don’t I go down?” But it was always answered with a wry face, and the hymn went on. Yet I knew he had come expecting to see me.

On the table near me stood a bunch of snowdrops that Miriam had culled for her beloved Captain Bradford. An idea struck me so suddenly that my voice died instantly. The spirit of mischief had taken possession of me. Laughing to myself, I caught them up, drew three long bright hairs from my head – they looked right gold-y in the firelight – and tied them around the flowers – I thought I should never get to the end while wrapping them. Thus secured, a servant carried them into the parlor with “Miss Sarah’s compliments to Mr. Halsey.” Poor Miriam’s cry of surprise at finding her flowers thus appropriated, reached my ears and caused me to laugh again. It was rather cool! But then it was better fun than going down. And then did n’t it flatter his vanity! O men! you vain creatures! A woman would receive a whole bunch of hair and forty thousand bouquets, without having her head turned; while you – Well! I heard enough from Miriam to amuse me, at all events. [continue reading…]

30th. Friday. Concluded to wait until 2 P. M. Called with Thede at Maria’s, Fannie H. and Fannie A.’s and said goodbye. At two rode out to Cleveland. Time for Holland’s lecture. Ma and T. came on train. Lecture on “Fashion.” Very good. Visited with Uncle and Aunt. Thede went to the Bazaar.

Friday, 30th–Everything is quiet today. It came my turn to go on duty. Another gunboat came down the river today. General McArthur moved his headquarters from the boat, lying here in the river, out into a plantation house nearby. Things are very expensive here; butter is fifty cents a pound and cheese is forty cents.

JANUARY 30th.—There is a rumor that Kentucky has voted to raise an army of 60,000 men to resist the execution of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Fort Caswell, below Wilmington, has been casemated with iron; but can it withstand elongated balls weighing 480 pounds? I fear not. There are, however, submarine batteries; yet these may be avoided, for Gen. Whiting writes that the best pilot (one sent thither some time ago by the enemy) escaped to the hostile fleet since Gen. Smith visited North Carolina, which is embraced within his command. This pilot, no doubt, knows the location of all our torpedoes.

Nothing further from Savannah.

Mr. Adams, the United States Minister at London, writes to Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, dated 17th of October, 1862, that if the Federal army shall not achieve decisive successes by the month of February ensuing, it is probable the British Parliament will recognize the Confederate States. To-morrow is the last day of January.

I cut the following from yesterday’s Dispatch:

“The Results of Extortion and Speculation.—The state of affairs brought about by the speculating and extortion practiced upon the public cannot be better illustrated than by the following grocery bill for one week for a small family, in which the prices before the war and those of the present are compared:

1860

Bacon, 10 lbs. at 12½c……………. $ 1.25
Flour, 30 lbs. at 5c …………………… 1.50
Sugar, 5 lbs. at 8c ………………  ….. .. 40
Coffee, 4 lbs. at 12½c…………   ….. .. 50
Tea (green) ½lb. at $1…. ………….. .. 50
Lard, 4 lbs. at 12½c …………   …….. .. 50
Butter, 3 lbs. at. 25c…..  ……………. .. 75
Meal, 1 plc at 25c ………….   ………. .. 25
Candles, 2 lbs. at 15c……..  ……….. .. 30
Soap, 5 lbs. at 10c……………    …….. .. 50
Pepper and salt (about)……………. .. 10
Total ………..     …………………………. $6.55

1863

Bacon, 10 lbs. at $1 ……………….. $ 10.00
Flour, 30 lbs. at 12½c………  ……… .. 3.75
Sugar, 5 lbs. at $1.15…………….. .. .. 5.75
Coffee, 4 lbs. at $5…………………. .. 20 00
Tea (green), ½ lb. at $16………….. .. 8.00
Lard, 4 lbs. at $1 ………… .. ……….. .. 4.00
Butter, 3 lbs. at $1.75…….. ……….. .. 5.25
Meal, 1 plc at $1 ……………  ………. .. 1.00
Candles, 2 lbs. at $1.25………… …. .. 2.50
Soap, 5 lbs. at $1.10……………  ….. .. 5.50
Pepper and salt (about)…………… .. 2.50
Total …………….   …………………….. $ 68.25

“So much we owe the speculators, who have stayed at home to prey upon the necessities of their fellow-citizens.”

We have just learned that a British steamer, with cannon and other valuable cargo, was captured by the enemy, two days ago, while trying to get in the harbor. Another, similarly laden, got safely in yesterday. We can afford to lose one ship out of three—that is, the owners can, and then make money.

Cotton sells at seventy-five cents per pound in the United States. So the blockade must be felt by the enemy as well as ourselves. War is a two-edged sword.

Thursday, 29th.—Some cannonading down the river this morning; reported that Federals have passed through their canal.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

29th. Thursday. Went to Minnie’s at nine. Found E. and M. about to go to the skating pond. Went as far as shop. No ice. Went down by the mill with E. Ice good. Called at Chester’s, Bigelow’s, Ella Clark’s and French’s, Mrs. Kenaston’s and Johnson’s. In the evening saw Fannie. Went down to F. Henderson’s. Bid F. goodbye at 9:30 P. M. Hard. Found Theodore at Prof. Ellis’s. Heard them sing awhile, then home. Bed at twelve.

Thursday, 29th–We have plenty of wood now. At about 2 o’clock this afternoon a brisk fire opened between our men and the rebels. We have not yet heard what was the cause of it.^[1] A scouting party seventeen miles out from the city had a skirmish with the rebel cavalry, but there were no losses outside of several horses. A report came into camp that Port Hudson has been taken by our forces.

[1] This was down at Vicksburg, where there was some heavy cannonading between our gunboats and the Confederate batteries.—A. G. D.

The following correspondence contains wording that is offensive to many in the world of today. However, the correspondence is provided unedited for its historical content and context.

(excerpts)

from Camp near Chesterfield Station:

“. . . My home is in a wild pine grove and sweetest melancholy, poesy’s child, keeps watch and ward over my innocent spirit. I sit on my bench and muse on the time when the Yank-Yanks shall meet me in battle array and when, ‘Virginia leaning on her spear,’ I shall retire on my laurels with one arm and no legs to some secluded dell to sigh away my few remaining years in blissful ignorance. But a truce to such deep Philosophy. We are all jogging along as usual. All the day I long for night, and all the night I long for its continuance. In fact it is very disagreeable to get up to attend Reveillé roll-call, as I do every fourth morning, and it is vastly more pleasant to remain in my comfortable (?) bed and have no other care upon my mind than that of keeping warm with the least exertion possible. But then comes that inevitable too-diddle-tooty, too-diddle-tooty, &c., &c., &c., and up I have to jump and go out in the cold to hear that Von Spreckelson and Bullwinkle are absent and look at the exciting process of dealing out corn in a tin cup. . . . The snowing began before daylight yesterday morning and kept it up with scarcely an interval until late last night. It fell to a depth of about nine inches. This morning¹, the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Regiments came by our camp, marching in irregular line of battle, with their colors gotten up for the occasion, and with skirmishers thrown out in advance, and passing us, attacked the camp of the 3rd Arkansas, which is immediately on our right. A fierce contest ensued, snow balls being the weapons. The Texans steadily advanced, passing up the right of the camp; the Arkansians stubbornly disputing their progress, and their shouts and cheers as they would make a charge, or as the fight would become unusually desperate, made the welkin ring. A truce was finally declared and all four regiments marched over the creek to attack Anderson’s brigade. After crossing they formed in line, deployed their skirmishers, and at it they went. The Georgians got rather the best of the fight and drove them back to the creek, where they made a stand and fought for some time. They then united and started back across the Massoponax for Genl. Law’s brigade. Just before arriving opposite our camp they saw another brigade coming over the top of the hill behind their camp (i. e., Anderson’s) and back they went to meet them. How that fight terminated I don’t know. . . . I suppose this rain and snow will retard the movements of the enemy too much for them to attempt to cross for some time to come. . . . Yesterday and to-day have been lovely days and I trust that the weather will clear up and continue so. I expect Burnside feels very grateful for the interposition of the elements to give him an excuse for deferring a little longer the evil day on which he is forced to attack us or be decapitated. . . . I saw in my ride the other day a body of Yankees, apparently a Regiment, drawn up in line, firing. They were using blank cartridges I suppose. This looks as though they had some very fresh troops. If that is the case they had better keep them out of the fight, as they will do precious little good in it. . . .

“Christmas eve we went to see the Hood’s Minstrels perform. One of the best performances was ‘We are a band of brothers’ sung by three make-believe darkies, dressed entirely in black, with tall black hats and crêpe hatbands, looking more like a deputation from a corps of undertakers than anything else—and was intended, I suppose, as a burlesque upon Puritanism. At all events it was supremely ridiculous. . . . I understand that several of the tailors in Charleston have committed suicide lately, driven to it by the ruinously low rates at which their wares (no pun intended) are now selling. They can only obtain two hundred and fifty dollars for a second lieutenant’s uniform coat and pantaloons. Poor wretches! They should bear their burdens with more patience, however, and remember that (according to the newspaper) the hardships of this war fall on all alike and must be endured by high and low, rich and poor, equally. I saw Col. Jenifer who told me he had met Papa and Mama at a party at Col. Ives’s in the city of Richmond. Isn’t that dissipation for you? Do they have cake ‘and sich’ at parties now, or is it merely ‘a feast of reason and a flow of soul?’ And in conclusion tell me of my overcoat. Have you seen it? If not, has anybody else seen it? If not, how long will it be, in all human probability, and speaking well within the mark, before somebody else will see it?. . . My old one has carried me through two winters and is now finishing the third in a sadly dilapidated condition. There is a sort of ‘golden halo, hovering round decay,’ about it, which may perhaps be very poetical, but is far from being practical as regards its weather resisting qualities. . . . ”

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

1. The date of the excerpts of a letter from was determined by a description of the snowball fight on website mentalfloss.com (accessed 6-16-2020), very similar to that described above by Francis Wigfall.

“the First and Fourth Texas Infantry put their military training to work. On the morning of January 29, they launched a major snowball offensive against their comrades in the Fifth Texas Infantry, who somehow repelled their attackers before deciding to join them in a snow assault on the Third Arkansas Infantry, which surrendered quickly beneath a slushy barrage…”

June 29th. From twelve midnight to four o’clock this morning the mortars and batteries of the army firing from the rear into the rebel batteries, the enemy not taking any notice whatever. This morning, Lieut. J. H. Higbee, U. S. M. C., with a corporal, went over to the army in charge of the three prisoners of the 75th regiment of N. Y. V. At nine o’clock, inspected crew at quarters. The bombardment of Port Hudson, or Gibraltar No. 2 on the Mississippi, still going on, and continued through the remainder of this day.

Cut wood two or three days. Hard work.        Rev. J. W. Jenkins arrives on Saturday, Jan. 3. I attend Masonic meeting.

Jan. 4—Hear Bro. Jenkins preach in morning. Spend afternoon reading my Greek Testament.

Jan. 5—Get ready to start to Virginia. At eleven at night I leave, the moon shining bright, but my spirits being sad. Luter takes me to Durham.

Jan. 6—Reach Raleigh and draw pay for November and December, 1862. Night at Bain’s Hotel.

Jan. 7—Leave Raleigh at day. Meet Rev. M. J. Hunt and Dr. Smith on train. Meet Dr. J. S. Robinson on his way to Virginia. Miss train at Petersburg. Spend night with my cousin, Grey Utley, of Chapel Hill, at his boarding house.

Jan. 8—Reach Richmond and find Lieuts. Carr and Swain sick there.

Jan. 9—Snow on ground. Capt. Collins and I go on to Guinea Station, and thence to our regiment. Meet Rev. F. M. Kennedy, of the South Carolina Conference, on his way to report for duty as Chaplain for 28th North Carolina Regiment, now in General Lee’s army.

Sun. Jan. 11—Preach twice. Damp, cold weather. Sleeping on ground gives me bad cold.

Jan. 16—J. B. Williams, of Co. “C,” dies at 6 a. m., suddenly. Bury him at 6 p. m. Turns very cold. Slept in a dark barn last night. Where tonight? In a wagon.

Sun. 18—Preach in cold wind.

Jan. 19—Go to Richmond. Too late for express. I mail official papers to Raleigh for Capt. Collins.

Jan. 20—Busy all day. Buy some things for Regiment. Visit Congress. Write to wife.

Jan. 21—Visit Richard Lloyd. Rain. Fall on box and bruise right thigh. Fire at night. Fall in street and bruise left knee badly.

Jan. 22—Ship sundry boxes to Regiment. Quite lame from yesterday’s falls.

Jan. 23—Leave early for Guinea. Reach camp late. Mud! Mud!

Jan. 24, 1862—Met Rev. J. W. Ward, Missionary Baptist, 3rd Va. Infantry; Rev. W. E. Walters, Jenkins S. C. Brigade.

Sunday Jan. 25.—Hear Bro. Barkley of Nash county, N. C., preach to my regiment in a. m., Bro. Power in p. m., and at wagon yard at night.

Jan. 26—Ride to Division Surgeon for W. H. Westcott of Smithville. That must have been the last I saw of that noble boy. He was dying of chronic diarrhoea. He got as far as Wilmington, where he died Feb. 28, 1864. His good father and mother were my friends. Glad I put up my tent on 26, for it snows all day on 28.

Jan. 29—Men very cheerful, though the snow is nearly knee deep.

JANUARY 29th.—It appears from the Northern press that the enemy did make three attempts last week to cross the Rappahannock; but as they advanced toward the stream, the elements successfully opposed them. It rained, it snowed, and it froze. The gun carriages and wagons sank up to the hubs, the horses to their bodies, and the men to their knees; and so all stuck fast in the mud.

I saw an officer to-day from the army in North Carolina. He says the prospect for a battle is good, as soon as the roads admit of marching.

We have nothing further from the bombardment near Savannah. The wires may not be working—or the fort may be taken.

Gov. Vance has sent to the department a strong protest against the appointment of Col. August as commandant of conscripts in Northern Tennessee. Col. A. is a Virginian—that is the only reason. Well, Gen. Rains, who commands all the conscripts in the Confederate States, is a North Carolinian. But the War Department has erred in putting so many strangers in command of localities, where natives might have been selected. Richmond, for instance, has never yet been in the command of a Southern general.

There are indications of a speedy peace, although we are environed by sea and by land as menacingly as ever. The Tribune (New York) has an article which betrays much desperation. It says the only way for the United States Government to raise $300,000,000, indispensably necessary for a further prosecution of the war, is to guarantee (to the capitalists) that it will be the last call for a loan, and that subjugation will be accomplished in ninety days, or never. It says the war must then be urged on furiously, and negro soldiers sent among the slaves to produce an insurrection! If this will not suffice, then let peace be made on the best possible terms. The New York World denounces the article, and is for peace at once. It says if the project (diabolical) of the Tribune fails, it may not be possible to make peace on any terms. In this I see indications of a foregone conclusion. All over the North, and especially in the Northwest, the people are clamoring for peace, and denouncing the Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation. I have no doubt, if the war continues throughout the year, we shall have the spectacle of more Northern men fighting against the United States Government than slaves fighting against the South.

Almost every day, now, ships from Europe arrive safely with merchandise: and this is a sore vexation to the Northern merchants. We are likewise getting, daily, many supplies from the North, from blockade-runners. No doubt this is winked at by the United States military authorities, and perhaps by some of the civil ones, too.

If we are not utterly crushed before May (an impracticable thing), we shall win our independence.

Thursday Jan’y 29^th 1863

It has been a wintery day, the snow still lying on the ground but it has frozen very little. The streets are deep with “slush.” The City is very quiet. All are in anxious expectation of hearing important news from some quarter, either from Rosecrans in Tennessee, or from Grant at Vicksburgh. From Hunter in S.C. or from Gen^l Foster in N.C. The “Army of the Potomac” is near by and will move when it can get out of the Mud. A little excitement in the Senate for the past day or two. A motion to expel Senator Saulsbury of Delaware for disorderly conduct on the floor was postponed today upon his making an apology. The Bill in the House to authorize the raising of Negro Regiments for the War creates much excitement there and the House did not adjourn yesterday, but sat all night and adjourned this morning without coming to a vote upon the question. I have not been out of my room since dinner. The side walks are too wet for walking. Doct Barnes called upon me today on his return from Rochester. I paid him $15.00 which I owed him. He is on his way back to his Reg^t. Business in the office has not been very brisk today, and the “Examining Board” have not had much to do. I have been reading and writing most of the day. Wrote “The Last Salute” for one thing and another article for a newspaper in reference to Hospital Funds. Pay Master Austin returned from the Army today, left there this morning.

Wednesday, 28th.—Went round fortifications along the river; about four miles long.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

28th. Wednesday. Went to prayer meeting at nine. Had a nice fall at Goodrich’s. Went to Minnie’s and played chess. Ellie and Minnie came down. Played battledore. Good time. In the evening by invitation went to Libbie’s. Small party. Had a very pleasant time. Pins and backgammon. Got home at 11, in bed by 12.

Wednesday, 28th–We had ten or twelve teams at work all day hauling wood to the boats. I worked till noon with the detail of men hauling wood and loading the transports, while the other detail was on picket. In the afternoon our detail was on picket and the others completed the loading. We were called in from picket at sundown and with all on board the transports started on the return trip, reaching our camp a little before midnight.

JANUARY 28th.—The bombardment of Fort McAlister continued five hours yesterday, when the enemy’s boats drew off. The injury to the fort can be repaired in a day. Not a man was killed or a gun dismounted. The injury done the fleet is not known. But the opinion prevails here that if the bombardment was continued to-day, the elongated shot of the enemy probably demolished the fort.

Last night and all this day it snowed incessantly—melting rapidly, however. This must retard operations by land in Virginia and probably in North Carolina.

Washington Wednesday Jan’y 28^th 1863.

It has snowed all day without cessation, but it has melted about as fast as it has come. It is a little colder tonight and the snow is three or four inches deep on the ground. Mr & Mrs Bemis called on me again today and I took them to the Agricultural Department and introduced them to the Commissioner Hon Isaac Newton who was quite attentive to them and the interview was very pleasant and quite interesting. He gave Mrs B. a number of specimens of paper made from the common cornhusk and recently rc^d from Germany, proveing beyond a doubt that the best of paper can be made from the husks of indian corn. The Dutch have got ahead of the Yankees in that thing. They then went with me to the Ascension Hospital. She was anxious to see the patients. She was also highly pleased to see Charley, who was one of her old Sunday School scholars in Lyons. He was just using the “Hypodermic Syringe,” an instrument for injecting medicine under the skin instead of swallowing it. It is used in cases of billious cholic, Neuralgia & Rheumatic pains with much success. He was injecting a highly concentrated Morphia Solution for rheumatic pains. There is no particular news today. But things look a little more hopeful for the future, altho gold is 1.55 today in NY. I went out and have spent the evening at Charleys room, held the baby some, read some, and played a game of chess. It snows still and if it freezes we shall have sleighing tomorrow. O the poor soldiers in the field, how they must suffer tonight.

Tuesday, 27th.—Had very wet and cold trip. Arrived at Vicksburg 3 P. M. Went down into town; could see Yankee fleet across the bend of the river, about seven miles away. Baggage unloaded and tents pitched.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

27th. Tuesday. After breakfast went up to prayer meeting. Met Minnie at the corner. Called with Minnie on Henry Lincoln, Prin. Fairchild, and Haynes. Went to the new house and then home. After a lunch played battledore and game of chess. W. N., F. D., and D. R. called, good time. Took tea with Fred. Charade party. F. D. A. and H., M. and J., Ella and Libbie acted Masquerade and Mendicant. Music.

Tuesday, 27th–Wood for fuel is becoming very scarce in camp, and also on the transports. The Thirteenth Iowa, with thirty of us from my regiment, were detailed to go with the transports up the river for wood. We reached the woodyard about thirty miles up the river at dark and Company C of the Thirteenth Iowa was detailed for picket. There are six thousand cords of wood piled up here.

JANUARY 27th.—It is too true that several thousand of our men were captured at Arkansas Post, and that Little Rock is now in danger.

There seems to be no probability, after all, of an immediate advance of the enemy across the Rappahannock.

But there are eight iron-clad gun-boats and ninety sail at Beaufort, North Carolina, and, it is reported, 52,000 men. Wilmington will probably be assailed.

Mr. Foote said, yesterday, if Indiana and Illinois would recede from the war, he should be in favor of aiding them with an army against Lincoln. And all the indications from the North seem to exhibit a strong sentiment among the people favoring peace. But the people are not the government, and they link peace and reconstruction together.

Yesterday Mr. Crockett, of Kentucky, said, in the House of Representatives, that there was a party in favor of forming a Central Confederacy (of free and slave States) between the Northern and Southern extremes. Impracticable.

To-day we have news of the bombardment of Fort McAlister, near Savannah. No result known. Now we shall have tidings every few days of naval operations. Can Savannah, and Charleston, and Wilmington be successfully defended? They may, if they will emulate the example of Vicksburg. If they fall, it will stagger this government—before the peace party in the North can operate on the Government of the United States. But it would not “crush the rebellion.”

Tuesday Jan’y 27^th 1863

This has been a wet drizzly day, one well calculated to give a person the “blues,” and I think that almost every one has the “blues” in view of our present state of affairs. The future looks as dark and unpromising as ever. The rebellion seems to be just as far from being “crushed” as it did a year ago, in fact much farther, for we as a Nation are much more divided among ourselves. Where the end will be no one human can divine. All sorts of opinions prevail in reference to the changes in the “Army of the Potomac.” Some think it is all for the best and some that there will be a general dissolution of it and that it will soon fall to pieces. But we may soon hear of important successes in the South West and Hooker may soon strike a successful blow, and then, all will be right again, but today gold is 154. Got letters from home today, family all well. “Willie” would like to come back to Washington. He doubts the Safty of his present location as in the late terrific storm the “Waves of the Sea roared so loud.” I have spent most of the evening at Maj Williams eating apples & nuts and talking about Lyons people. The Maj has gone done to Suffolk to pay a Regiment. Mrs W. told me that her daughter (Mrs Townley) was to have been married to Henry T. Tower this morning at Lyons. She expects they will visit Washington. Mr & Mrs Bemis called upon me this morning at the office and I went through the Pat office Museum with them. A few Patients still remain in the Hospital there, too sick to be removed. It is raining quite hard now, 10 o’clock P.M.

Monday, 26th.—Went over into Jackson; got plenty of sugar; went into cotton factory running forty looms. 5 P. M., train came for us; left Jackson 8 P. M.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Jan. 26th. Monday. In the morning read. At 1 P. M. went up town. Got chess and called at Fannie’s–played some. F. Henderson stopped in. Good visit–played on piano. Went to Young People’s meeting and enjoyed it much. Called on Libbie and played chess. Beat Hattie at checkers. Went to Minnie’s. Had some nuts and heard Ellie and John play and sing. Rich treat.