20th.–This morning we received marching orders to Bailey’s, to have a grand review of the whole army. Very few had any confidence in that part of the order announcing the purpose–a review. All believed it was to take Fairfax, and then perhaps to move forward on Centreville and Manassas ; but all were disappointed. It was a “Grand review,” –a very grand one–such as I doubt whether this continent ever witnessed before. It may never witness the like again. There were about one hundred thousand men in battle array; not in one long line stretching far beyond the reach of vision, and leaving the imagination to picture what we could not see, but all in sight at once, on an immense plain, in squares and columns, marching and countermarching, charging and retreating. The President was there; General McClellan and the Prince de Joinville were there; all the elite were there. But to the poor soldiers it was a very hard day. They marched heavy, with knapsacks and all the equipments of a soldier. They started early, marched ten miles, were then several hours under review, and then marched back to camp. Many gave out, and were left by the way side, to come up when they can; the rest of us are back in camp to-night, worn out and heartily tired of grand reviews. I hope that the crowding of my hospital is not to be one of the result of the overwork.

November 20th.–To-day a grand review, the most remarkable feature of which was the able disposition made by General McDowell to march seventy infantry regiments, seventeen batteries, and seven cavalry regiments, into a very contracted space, from the adjoining camps. Of the display itself I wrote a long account, which is not worth repeating here. Among the 55,000 men present there were at least 20,000 Germans and 12,000 Irish.

Tuesday, 19th–We started down the river again at daylight and reached St. Louis at 3 p. m. We landed and marched to Benton Barracks, where we were to be at home. Just as we left the boat it commenced to rain and we marched the whole way in a downpour of rain which soaked our clothes through and through. Reaching the barracks we built fires to dry our clothes before retiring for the night.

TUESDAY 19

A delightful day, bright but cool. Called up to the “White House” this morning to see Maj Watt, did not find him. Walked into the “East room” to see the New Carpet and papering, all very elegant. Called at Willards, met Doct Harris of the R.I. Brigade. He was released from Richmond on his parole. Got letters from Surgeon Barnes and Jas Bourne. Went to Wall Stevens & Co for Barnes and to [McCle[lle]n?] for Bourne. Made fire Board for parlor and spent the evening at home reading.

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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.

NOVEMBER 19th.—To-day Monsieur Paul, French Consul, applied in person for passports on behalf, I believe, of some French players (Zouaves) to Norfolk. Of course I declined granting them. He grew enthusiastic, and alleged that British subjects had enjoyed the privilege. He said he cared nothing for the parties applying in this instance; but he argued vehemently against British subjects being favored over French subjects. I sent a note concerning our interview to the Secretary; and while Monsieur Paul still sat in the office, the following reply came in from the Secretary: “All you need do is to say to the French Consul, when he calls, that you obey your instructions, and have no authority to discuss with him the rights of French subjects. J. P. B.” Monsieur Paul departed with “a flea in his ear.” But he received an invitation to dine with the Secretary to-day.

New York, November, 1861.

Dear Girls: I went to the provisional Hospital here to see if the volunteers wanted anything. Mrs. Darragh took me all over, and said she wanted woolen shirts and socks very much. So I sent the requisition to the society and she will get all she wants there. . . . Mrs. D. also suggests slates for the men to scribble on, cypher on, do puzzles, etc.; thought they would be very nice, in which I agree. Perhaps the idea may be useful to you. . . . Do you remember Peck, the man all twisted with rheumatism? He is getting well, and is a great gourmand. They let him have anything he wants. While we were there he remarked sentimentally, “I say, send we some more of that roast pig, won’t you.” I shall adopt the New York volunteers to the mild extent of taking them some papers occasionally. . . . Mrs. Bennett, poor old soul, called yesterday to tell of the death of her son with typhoid dysentery in the camp, and, what with her grief and childish elation at having news to tell and being an object of sympathy, was most pathetically comic,– “dead and gone! dear, dead and gone! and this is his picter that he sent home to his mar,” was her greeting to everyone that came down stairs; “and I hope you’ll all be ready in time, my dears. It’s bad enough to be left by the cars, but worse not to be ready when you come to die.” Her great desire seemed to be to see and thank a drummer boy, who in the last few days of her son’s life walked a mile and a half every day to get him a canteen of spring water. He was consumed with thirst and could not drink the river water. . . . Do the surgeons know that you can have money at your disposal for delicacies, as well as clothes, etc.? Let them know it, if you have not, and spend, spend indefinitely. I say to myself often, “fifty or sixty thousand dollars would give quite a lift, why do I cumber the ground?” So if you don’t want to see me dead and the ducats in my coffin directed to the Sanitary Commission, say what I can do or send.

November 19th.–I rarely sat down to write under a sense of greater responsibility, for it is just possible my letter may contain the first account of the seizure of the Southern Commissioners which will reach England; and, having heard all opinions and looked at authorities, as far as I could, it appears to me that the conduct of the American officer, now sustained by his Government, is without excuse. I dined at Mr. Corcoran’s, where the Ministers of Prussia, Brazil, and Chili, and the Secretary of the French Legation, were present; and, although we did not talk politics, enough was said to show there was no dissent from the opinion expressed by intelligent and uninterested foreigners.

18th. Monday. Theodore, Roxena and mother came to camp in the afternoon.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1861.

Cold, clear day but no frost. Went to Geotown in the morning to pay my rent. Got there an hour too early, waited in the Hotel (reading the morning paper) for Mr Bangs. Walked over and rode in the omnibus back. Bought a fine board for the parlor. Have concluded to discard the old grate and have got up a wood stove. Oak wood is $10.00 pr cord, pine $9.00, Hickory $12.00, all owing to the Blockade of the Potomac. Lieut McFarlan called this evening.

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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.

Monday, 18th–We left Keokuk at daylight and ran all day without accident or incident. We again tied up for the night, for fear of encountering a “secesh” battery on the banks. The weather is delightful and riding on the “Father of Waters” is very enjoyable.

NOVEMBER 18th.—To-day the Secretary told me, in reply to my question, that he had authentic information of the seizure of Messrs. Slidell and Mason, our commissioners to Europe, by Capt. Wilkes, of the U. S. Navy, and while on board the steamer Trent, a British vessel, at sea. I said I was glad of it. He asked why, in surprise. I remarked that it would bring the Eagle cowering to the feet of the Lion. He smiled, and said it was, perhaps, the best thing that could have happened. And he cautions me against giving passports to French subjects even to visit Norfolk or any of our fortified cities, for it was understood that foreigners at Norfolk were contriving somehow to get on board the ships of their respective nations.

Nov. 18th.

Dear Eliza: Your most delightful letter has just been read aloud amid the cheers of the assembled family. What a splendid time you are having with your brigadiers and serenades. How I should like to sacrifice myself and join you in a few of your “noble” sprees, and become acquainted with some of your suffering generals. We, meantime, have been devoting ourselves, giving all our time and energy to the work of soothing and captivating a poor nervous soldier, Major Anderson. I suppose you heard that we started on our Christian enterprise the day after you left again for the same work. When we reached Tarrytown, the scene of our labors, we were received, as such heroines should be, with a great deal of state, and as we found a dinner-party of some twenty awaiting us we rushed up stairs to dress in our red silk and our mauve. . . . The whole regiment of us encamped in the house for the night and we had a jolly time.

On Wednesday, General Anderson, wife and son arrived. Mrs. A. is a great invalid and did not appear for the first two days, and when at last she was announced I looked to see a pale shadow glide in, and was astonished by the sight of a little, fat, plumpy woman with big bare arms and a good deal of jet jewelry; quite a talkative, frisky person. The General is lovely, quiet and gentlemanly and devoted to young ladies–a very important requisite in a hero. His health is very much shattered but his loyalty is unshaken. We were speaking of a lady who was engaged to a Southerner. “Break it off,” he said, “break it at once, he is a lunatic; I would as lief go into an insane asylum and argue with a man who calls himself Christ, as reason with a secessionist.” Mrs. Anderson said she never saw such a change as being up in Tarrytown made in her husband. In town he was worn out by callers and indifferent people who came to see the hero and ask him why he did not do this and that and the other at Sumter; and propound their own theories as to how he should have acted. . . . We told General Anderson you were in Washington doing what you could, etc., and he said “God bless them, it is a good work they are doing.” . . . We were sorry to come home on Tuesday, but had to, as I had invited the _______s and Mr. ______ to dinner. When we got home about an hour before dinner not a soul was here, Mother and Abby gone to Sing Sing for the day, Jane dodging a procession on Broadway, and one dish of chops ordered for dinner! We sent William out for jelly-cake, beef, etc., and with a spread of linen and glass, which fortunately was not in the closet of which Mother had the key, we set out quite a nice little table. . . . Cousin Mary Greene, Gardiner, and little Gardy arrived yesterday; the two last are still here. Gardy cuts into every conversation, asking innumerable and unanswerable questions: is now reading Ferdinand Second as pastime! aged ten.

November 18th.–There is a storm of exultation sweeping over the land. Wilkes is the hero of the hour. I saw Mr. F. Seward at the State Department at ten o’clock; but as at the British Legation the orders are not to speak of the transaction, so at the State Department a judicious reticence is equally observed. The lawyers are busy furnishing arguments to the newspapers. The officers who held their tongues at first, astonished at the audacity of the act, are delighted to find any arguments in its favour.

I called at General McClellan’s new head-quarters to get a pass, and on my way met the Duke of Chartres, who shook his young head very gravely, and regarded the occurrence with sorrow and apprehension. McClellan, I understand, advised the immediate surrender of the prisoners; but the authorities, supported by the sudden outburst of public approval, refused to take that step. I saw Lord Lyous, who appeared very much impressed by the magnitude of the crisis. Thence I visited the Navy Department, where Captain Dahlgren and Lieutenant Wise discussed the affair. The former, usually so calm, has too much sense not to perceive the course England must take, and as an American officer naturally feels regret at what appears to be the humiliation of his flag; but he speaks with passion, and vows that if England avails herself of the temporary weakness of the United States to get back the rebel commissioners by threats of force, every American should make his sons swear eternal hostility to Great Britain. Having done wrong, stick to it! Thus men’s anger blinds them, and thus come wars.

It is obvious that no Power could permit political offenders sailing as passengers in a mail-boat under its flag, from one neutral port to another, to be taken by a belligerent, though the recognition of such a right would be, perhaps, more advantageous to England than to any other Power. But, notwithstanding these discussions, our naval friends dined and spent the evening with us, in company with some other officers.

I paid my respects to the Prince of Joinville, with whom I had a long and interesting conversation, in the course of which he gave me to understand he thought the seizure an untoward and unhappy event, which could not be justified on any grounds whatever, and that he had so expressed himself in the highest quarters. There are, comparatively, many English here at present; Mr. Chaplin, Sir F. Johnstone, Mr. Weldon, Mr. Browne, and others, and it may be readily imagined this affair creates deep feeling and much discussion.

17th. Sunday. Stayed at Uncle’s in the morning. Theodore rode my horse to Uncle Jones’. Stayed over night.

Sunday, 17th–We had a pretty stiff introduction to our first night on a river boat, for it snowed in the night. My bunk-mate, James Fossett, and I lay down on the deck with our heads to the smoke-stack instead of our feet, in order to avoid lying with our heads down hill. By morning we were covered with snow, about two inches deep. At 8 a. m. we landed at Montrose, where two of our companies were transferred from our boat to another boat in order to lighten our boat for the purpose of passing through the rapids just above Keokuk. We reached Keokuk in safety about noon and went on shore to cook some provisions. At dusk we returned to the boats, our company being transferred to another boat which lay at Keokuk all night while the “Jennie Whipple” proceeded down the river.

SUNDAY 17

Cool, pleasant day, did not go out to church. Wife and the boys went. Julia is still confined to the house and coughs a good deal yet. Took a long walk this evening, brought up at Willards Hotel. Saw Mr Stillson there from Rochester. Hotel very full, in fact the City seems to now be running over now. Where will the Congressmen go with all the hangers on. No News today of any importance.

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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.

NOVEMBER 17th.—There are also quite a number of letter-carriers obtaining special passports to leave the Confederacy. They charge $1.50 postage to Washington and Maryland, and as much coming hither. They take on the average three hundred letters, and bring as many, besides diverse articles they sell at enormously high prices. Thus they realize $1000 per trip, and make two each month. They furnish the press with Northern journals; but they give no valuable information: at least I have not conversed with any who could furnish it. They seem particularly ignorant of the plans and forces of the enemy. It is my belief that they render as much service to the enemy as to us; and they certainly do obtain passports on the other side.

Gen. Winder and his alien detectives seem to be on peculiar terms of intimacy with some of these men; for they tell me they convey letters for them to Maryland, and deliver them to their families. This is an equivocal business. Why did they not bring their families away before the storm burst upon them?

November 17th.–For my sins I went to see a dress parade of the 6th Regular Cavalry early this morning, and underwent a small purgatory from the cold, on a bare plain, whilst the men and officers, with red cheeks and blue noses, mounted on horses with staring coats, marched, trotted, and cantered past. The papers contain joyous articles on the Trent affair, and some have got up an immense amount of learning at a short notice; but I am glad to say we had no discussion in camp. There is scarcely more than one opinion among thinking people in Washington respecting the legality of the act, and the course Great Britain must pursue. All the Foreign Ministers, without exception, have called on Lord Lyons–Russia, France, Italy, Prussia, Denmark. All are of accord. I am not sure whether the important diplomatist who represents the mighty interests of the Hanse Towns has not condescended to admit England has right on her side.

16th. Theodore surprised me in the morning. Took a ride to Woodland Cemetery. Lizzie and Nettie came to camp. Heard Slade, Riddle and several others in the evening.

Nov. 16. Here it is the middle of November, and the weather is most delightful. No frosts, but a warm, mellow atmosphere like our Indian summer in October. It is beautiful, indeed; I am charmed with it. While our farmers in New England are putting up and feeding their cattle in barns, the cattle here are luxuriating in white clover, young, sweet and tender enough to suit the most fastidious taste of any of the cattle on a thousand hills. The farmers about here are harvesting their crops of corn and sweet potatoes, some of which are very fine. Some of the boys brought in some egg plants which grow about here. I never saw any before, but am told they are very good, when properly cooked. I am not disposed to doubt it, never having eaten any of them, but I cannot believe they would make good egg nog.

We begin to see a little something of the peculiar institution,—slavery. There are a great many negroes strolling around the camps, most of them runaways, and as Maryland is supposed to be a loyal state, we have no right to take sides and afford them protection. But we have adopted a kind of English neutrality, although not giving them much protection, we give them whatever information they desire. The masters and hunters are frequently here, looking up their boys, as they call them, and we generally manage to put them on the wrong track and then run the boys into other camps, and they run them into the woods.

Our regiment was yesterday inspected and reviewed by Brig. Gen. John G. Foster. We put in our best work, and tried to make the best appearance we could. The general seems to be a man who understands his business. At a single glance he takes a man and his equipments all in; looks at his rifle, passes it back and goes for the next one. He complimented Col. Upton on the good drill and appearance of his regiment, and flattered his vanity a little by telling him that with a little more practice his regiment would be as near regulars as it would be possible to bring a volunteer regiment.

Saturday, 16th–Reveille sounded at 2 a. m., and packing our knapsacks, we started at 8 o’clock for the boat down at the levee. Here we stacked our arms and waited until the quartermaster with his detail got the commissariat loaded, putting it upon our boat and the two barges, one on either side. By noon all was ready and we marched on board, some going upon the boat and some upon the barges, and at 2 p. m. left Davenport, bound for St. Louis.

We reached Muscatine about sundown and because there are so many Muscatine people in the regiment, we landed and marched uptown to Main Street. Here we had dress parade for the benefit of the citizens, who turned out in large numbers. Companies A and H are made up of Muscatine boys, while our colonel and quartermaster reside here; besides, Company I is from Louisa county just west of this place. After the parade we marched back to the boats and left at once for Keokuk. Our boat is the “Jennie Whipple,” and Company E is stationed on the hurricane deck.

SATURDAY 16

The coldest day yet but no frost, a cold strong wind. The 11th Maine Regt passed through the City, just arrived. Capt Rogers of the 27th called today, brought letter from Doct Barnes enclosing $50.00. The City was thrown into quite an excitement by the news of the arrest of Mason & Slidel. They were taken from the English Mail Steamer from Cuba to England. I have been at home most of the day, have purchased some wood and shoes for the boys, and attended to their lessons in the forenoon. They take to their studies at home very well.

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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.

NOVEMBER 16th.—It is sickening to behold the corruption of the commercial men, which so much wounds our afflicted country. There are large merchants here who come over from Baltimore breathing vengeance against the Northern “despots,” and to make a show of patriotism they subscribed liberally to equip some volunteer companies in the city; but now they are sending their agents North and importing large amounts of merchandise, which they sell to the government and the people at most fabulous prices. I am informed that some of them realize $50,000 per month profit! And this after paying officials on both sides bonuses to wink at their operations.

After the order of Mr. Benjamin for applicants for passports to leave the country to be arrested, some of these men applied to me, and I reported the facts to Gen. Winder; but they were not molested. Indeed, they came to me subsequently and exhibited passports they had obtained from the Secretary himself.