10th. On picket. Had a first class guard mount. Everything passed off splendidly. Made the rounds with the Brigade Officer of the Day in the deep snow.

February 10th.–Bright and cold. It is estimated that the enemy lost 1500 men in the fight near Petersburg, and we 500.

Sherman has got to the railroad near Branchville, and cut communications with Augusta.

At the meeting, yesterday, Mr. Hunter presided, sure enough; and made a carefully prepared patriotic speech. There was no other alternative. And Mr. Benjamin, being a member of the cabinet, made a significant and most extraordinary speech. He said the white fighting men were exhausted, and that black men must recruit the army–and it must be done at once; that Gen. Lee had informed him he must abandon Richmond, if not soon reinforced, and that negroes would answer. The States must send them, Congress having no authority. Virginia must lead, and send 20,000 to the trenches in twenty days. Let the negroes volunteer, and be emancipated. It was the only way to save the slaves–the women and children. He also said all who had cotton, tobacco, corn, meat, etc. must give them to the government, not sell them. These remarks were not literally reported in the Dispatch, but they were uttered. He read resolutions, adopted in certain regiments, indorsing the President and his cabinet–of which Mr. B. said, playfully, he was one.

Yesterday, in the House, upon the passage of a bill revising the Commissary Department, Mr. Miles said the object was to remove Col. Northrop. [His removal has been determined.] Mr. Baldwin said the department had been well conducted. Mr. Miles said in these times the test of merit must be success. The bill passed. [continue reading…]

“SENATE CHAMBER,
“10th February, 1865.

“My dear Sir:
“A letter has been addressed to you, urging the assignment of Genl. Joseph E. Johnston to the command of the Army in front of Sherman. This letter has been numerously signed by Senators, of whom I was not one. I did not sign because I did not wish to embarrass you. But my opinion is, that such an assignment would have a most beneficial effect. If I am to trust the manifestations which I have witnessed from certain members of Congress, there is nothing which could be done, which would so much revive hope, as the assignment of Genl. Joseph E. Johnston to the command of that Army.

“Very truly and respectfully,
“Your friend,
“R. M. T. HUNTER.”

“Official.
W. H. Taylor, A. A. G.”

Thursday, 9th–We remained in camp until noon, when we moved forward again about ten miles and went into bivouac on the east bank of the Edisto river. The First Division waded the river to drive the rebels back so that the engineers with our corps could lay the pontoons for the corps to cross. The Fifteenth Corps crossed the river about a mile above. A great deal of property is being destroyed by our army on this raid. The familiar clouds of smoke are becoming more numerous every day, while out on the left we can count from ten to twenty of the red clouds in the heavens every night.

Bamberg, S. C., February 9, 1865.

We were to go to Cannon’s bridge on the Edisto four miles, but heard the bridge was burned, so we did not go. I think we will go up the river towards Augusta. Late Confederate papers say that Thomas has started south towards Montgomery, leaving Hood behind him. Many of the officers have strong hopes of something resulting from the peace movement. Can’t say that I have.

Near Grahams. C. & A. R. R. February 9, 1865.

Rear guard on our road to-day. Made about a dozen miles, very disagreeable march. Snowed a little in the morning and terribly cold all day. Got into camp at 7:30 p.m. This is a pine, sand country, with some very good plantations, but all look neglected. The people who remain at home seem an ignorant, forlorn set who don’t care for their “rights” or anything else. I think the militia they have brought out to oppose us must suffer, this weather, being unused to the business and unprovided with rubbers, etc. Poor devils!

9th. Cleared up the grounds during the day. Received a letter from Sarah Felton and Will Hudson in evening, with Sarah’s picture. School in evening. Detailed for picket.

February 9th.–Bright, frosty, beautiful, after a cold night.

We have nothing more specific from the fight of Tuesday, when we learn another general was killed. It seems that most of Grant’s army was in the movement, and they have a lodgment several miles nearer the South Side Railroad–the objective point. Their superior numbers must ultimately prevail in maintaining the longest line.

There is to be public speaking in the African Church to-day, or in the Square, to reanimate the people for another carnival of blood. Mr. Hunter, it is said, has been chosen to preside, and no man living has a greater abhorrence of blood! But, perhaps, he cannot decline.

Papers from the United States indicate that the peace epidemic prevails in that country also to an alarming extent: for the day (15th instant) of drafting is near at hand; and even the Republican papers hope and pray for peace, and reconstruction without slavery.

Senator Brown’s resolution to put 200,000 slaves in the army was voted down in secret session. Now the slaveowners must go in themselves, or all is lost. [continue reading…]

Wednesday, 8th–Our division started out on the railroad at 7 o’clock this morning and destroyed about ten miles of track. We then returned to camp for the rest of the day and night. All is quiet in front.

February 8th. While everything is quiet with us, time goes on. This is my birthday, twenty years old. Weather cold at this time.

8th. Wednesday. Weather rather mild. Good sleighing. Wrote home. Shoveled the snow from the parade ground. Read in National Magazine. In evening attended school. Interesting time. Capt. Easton called to inquire into certain reports he had heard circulated by me. We had a plain talk. Sorry the thing came up.

February 8th.–Rained all day yesterday–slush–bright this morning and cool–ground still covered with snow. It is reported by Gen. Lee that the losses on both sides on Monday were light, but the enemy have established themselves on Hatcher’s Run, and intrenched; still menacing the South Side Railroad. It is also said fighting was going on yesterday afternoon, when the dreadful snow and sleet were enough to subdue an army!

We have nothing from Charleston or Branchville, but the wires are said to be working to Augusta.

A deficiency of between $300,000,000 and $400,000,000 has been discovered in the amount of our indebtedness! the present Secretary being led into the error by the estimates of his predecessor, Memminger. Congress is elaborating a bill, increasing taxation 100 per cent! An acquaintance, who has 16 acres near the city, says he will sell, to escape a tax of $5000.

Senator Brown, of Mississippi, has introduced a resolution for the employment of 200,000 negroes, giving them their freedom. [continue reading…]

“HEAD QUARTERS,
“Army N. Va.,
“8th February, 1865.

“HON. LOUIS T. WIGFALL,
“Richmond.

“Dear Sir:
“I have received your letter of the 3rd inst. with reference to permitting the Texas Brigade to return home to recruit.

“No troops in the Army have earned a better title to indulgence than the brave Texas Brigade, and to none would I more willingly grant any privilege consistent with the interests of the service. I have no doubt but that they would return, and I hope they would realize all you promise in the way of recruits. But it is impossible for me to detach any men from this army now. I do not think that we shall remain long inactive. Operations on our right have already begun, and there are indications of movements in other quarters in which this army has an immediate concern. Such is our great want of men, that the absence of even four hundred would be severely felt, especially four hundred of our best troops. I see no way to accomplish your wish except by first bringing some regiments or a brigade from Texas to take the place of these now here. If that can be done I need not say how much pleasure it would afford me to let the old brigade go home, and how pleased I should be to see it return augmented to a Division.

“I do think it extremely important that some of the troops west of the Mississippi should be brought to this side.

“The enemy has brought away a large part of the force with which he has been operating in the West, and concentrated upon our eastern armies. I think we must do the same with ours, and will be greatly obliged for any assistance you can render to accomplish it.

“We are greatly in need of men.

“Very respectfully,
“Your obt. servt.,
“R. E. LEE,
“Genl.”

February 8.—I feel more and more anxious about Richmond. I can’t believe that it will be given up; yet so many persons are doubtful that it makes me very unhappy. I can’t keep a regular diary now because I do not like to write all that I feel and hear. I am constantly expecting the blessing of God in a way that we know not. I believe that all of our difficulties are to be overruled for good. A croaker accuses me of expecting a miracle to be wrought in our favour, which I do not; but we have been so often led on in a manner so wonderful, that we have no right to doubt the mercy of God towards us. Our troops, too, are standing up under such hardships and trials, which require the most sublime moral as well as personal courage to endure, that I cannot avoid expecting a blessing upon them!

Sherman moves on in his desolating path. Oh for men to oppose and crush him!

In the midst of our trials, Hymen still comes in to assert his claims, and to amuse and interest us. We have lately seen our beautiful young friend, M. G., led to his altar; and two of our young office associates are bidding us farewell for the same sacrifice. One of them, Miss T. W., has sat by my side for more than a year, with her bright face and sweet manners. She will be a real loss to me, but I caunot find it in my heart to regret that she will bless with her sweetness one of our brave Confederate officers.

Tuesday, 7th–We had another all day, cold, drizzling rain. We left our bivouac at 7 o’clock and after marching fourteen miles stopped for the night. With every mile the road got better as we moved upon higher ground, and the forage also became more plentiful. Just after we had stacked arms to go into bivouac, our regiment was ordered to fall in again. We marched out on the Augusta and Charleston railroad to burn the bridge over the Edisto river, but the pickets, on hearing our approach, for it was too dark to see anything, all hastened across the bridge and set fire to it themselves. This saved us the trouble and we went back, reaching our bivouac about midnight, after marching in all about ten miles.

7th. Great snow storm. Six or eight inches. Read in Atlantic. Letter from home. No school.

Bamber’s Station, A. & C. R. R.
February 7, 1865.

Our regiment led the corps to-day. The 17th Corps strikes the railroad at Midway, three miles to our right, and the 20th to the left five miles. We are 14 miles northwest of Branchville. The enemy are on the opposite bank of the Edisto, two miles from us. There is a great “peace” excitement among the citizens here. This day’s work cuts off all railroad communication between Georgia and the eastern part of the Confederacy. I saw another new thing (to me) in the destruction of railroads. After the iron has been heated by the burning ties, by a simple contrivance, four men twist each rail twice around. They put a clamp on each end of the rail, and put a lever in the clamp perpendicularly, and two men at each end of the lever, will put the neatest twist imaginable in the heated part of the rail. I never saw so much destruction of property before. Orders are as strict as ever, but our men understand they are in South Carolina and are making good their old threats. Very few houses escape burning, as almost everybody has run away from before us, you may imagine there is not much left in our track. Where a family remains at home they save their house, but lose their stock, and eatables. Wheeler’s Cavalry is about all we have yet found in our front and they keep afar off. The citizens fear them fully as much as they do us. A lady said to-day that she would as lief have us come as Wheeler’s men; she could see no difference. Wheeler’s men say, “Go in, South Carolina!” and the Yankees say the same thing. We got 50 bales of cotton here, which I suppose will be burned. Struck the railroad at 9:30 a.m.

February 7th.–A snow four inches in depth on the ground, and snowing. Last night Governor Smith, President Davis, Senator Oldham (Texas), Rev. Mr. Duncan, Methodist preacher, and a Yankee Baptist preacher, named Doggell, or Burroughs, I believe, addressed a large meeting in the African Church, on the subject of the Peace Mission, and the ultimatum of the United States authorities. The speakers were very patriotic and much applauded. President Davis (whose health is so feeble he should have remained away) denounced President Lincoln as ” His Majesty Abraham the First”–in the language of the press–and said before the campaign was over he and Seward might find “they had been speaking to their masters,” when demanding unconditional submission. He promised the people great successes, after our destined reverses had run out, provided they kept from despondency and speculation, and filled the ranks of the army. He denounced the speculators, and intimated that they might yet be called upon to “disgorge their earnings.”

A grand assemblage is called for next Thursday, to meet in the Capitol Square.

Congress will soon be likely to vote a negro army, and their emancipation after the war–as Lee favors it. [continue reading…]

Feb. 7, 1865—Rain and sleet. Our Division is ordered off. Three men in my Regiment had to leave their wives in camp. As the troops were ordered to “fall in” I saw the situation and made haste to tell the brave men that I would take their wives to the depot and see them start for their homes in N. C. The men may have lived to go to their homes. I wish I knew. That was a touching scene. The wife thought she might never see her husband again. She heard the men were in camp around Richmond. She got Grandma or some one to take care of the other children while she took the babe to see its father in camp. They reached the camp. Both were so happy for two or three days. Now! That drum calls the man to give his babe a hasty kiss (it may be the last one) and turn away from his wife, and go out to fight and face death. I secured an ambulance and took the three good women to the depot. I wish I now had their names.

Monday, 6th–The weather changed again, and we had a rather cold, drizzling rain nearly all day. We left our trenches at 7 o’clock this morning and were all day in marching ten miles, the country being so very swampy. We had a great deal of corduroy to build, and the rebels blocked our way by burning a bridge over a deep channel in the swamp. There was some skirmishing in the front. We were ordered to leave all our surplus bacon in the company parade ground, and the quartermaster would send a wagon with the extra forage for us; but we were skeptical and carried all that our haversacks would hold.[1]

[1] Our company alone left a load of the finest bacon, besides other articles. It was the last we saw of our store of surplus forage. We learned later that the officers took that way of having the forage left for the negroes and poor people of the vicinity, for we had cleaned the vicinity of everything.–A. G. D.

6th. Monday. In camp. Officers’ school.

Little Salkehatchie River,
February 6, 1865, 2 p.m.

Yesterday was quite warm, but my overcoat is useful again to-day. General Kilpatrick caught up with us last night, also General Williams with five brigades of the 20th A. C. So instead of waiting several days Sherman said he’d chance them for the railroad with what troops there are up. We took the road this morning. Stopped here for the 3d Division to clear the swamp of some Johnnies, which I think they have about effected.

Five p.m.—Miserable swamp, but the 3d Division only lost two men in crossing. There must have been a division of Wheeler’s here by the signs.

February 6th.–Bright and frosty. As I supposed, the peace commissioners have returned from their fruitless errand. President Lincoln and Mr. Seward, it appears, had nothing to propose, and would listen to nothing but unconditional submission. The Congress of the United States has just passed, by a two-thirds vote, an amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.

Now the South will soon be fired up again, perhaps with a new impulse–and War will rage with greater fury than ever. Mr. Stephens will go into Georgia, and reanimate his people. Gen. Wise spoke at length for independence at the Capitol on Saturday night amidst applauding listeners, and Governor Smith speaks to-night.

Gen. Breckinridge is here and will take his seat to-morrow. Every effort will be made to popularize the cause again. Hon. Mr. Foote is at Washington, in prison.

Gen. Wise’s brigade has sent up resolutions consenting to gradual emancipation–but never to reunion with the North. [continue reading…]

Sunday, 5th–The atmosphere is clear and it is getting quite warm. We remained in our rifle pits all day, but had to put up our shelter tents, for we actually suffered from the heat. All is quiet in front. We had company inspection this morning and dress parade in the evening. We drew two days’ rations to last ten days, but we have an abundance of forage. The boys brought in smoked bacon by the wagon load, also great quantities of corn meal, sweet potatoes, honey and other good things.

5th. Sunday. Spent the day in quarters reading Independent, Testament and a story. Windy.