Friday, 13th–We made the entire trip of thirty miles from Davenport last night and reached home by daylight. I went up to Tipton this afternoon and was sworn into the State service, my service dating back to August 10th. Our former captain, Mr. McLoney, and some of the other Inland boys are here, besides four of the Le Claire boys. We are trying to form a new company and everything looks good for a new company in a short time, quite a number of the boys having already enrolled. We are boarding at the hotel.

September 12th.–The day passed quietly, in spite of rumours of another battle; the band played in the President’s garden, and citizens and citizenesses strolled about the grounds as if Secession had been annihilated. The President made a fitful appearance, in a grey shooting suit, with a number of despatches in his hand, and walked off towards the State Department quite unnoticed by the crowd. I am sure not half a dozen persons saluted him–not one of the men I saw even touched his hat. General Bell went round the works with McClellan, and expressed his opinion that it would be impossible to fight a great battle in the country which lay between the two armies–in fact, as he said, “a general could no more handle his troops among the woods, than he could regulate the movements of rabbits in a cover. You ought just to make a proposition to Beauregard to come out on some plain and fight the battle fairly out where you can see each other.”

_______

posted on the 13th as there were two entries dated the 11th, with the second one posted on the 12th.

September 13, 1861

• The siege of Lexington, also known as the Battle of First Lexington, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War. The siege took place from September 13 to 20, 1861 between the Union Army and the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard in Lexington, county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. The victory won by the Missouri Guard bolstered the considerable Southern sentiment in the area, and briefly consolidated Missouri State Guard control of the Missouri River Valley in the western part of the state. Confederate Sterling Price, with 18,000 men, faced a federal force of 3.600 under Colonel James Mulligan. After fighting intensified on September 19, Mulligan surrendered on the 20th.
• Entering Confederate-controlled Pensacola harbor, Lt. John Henry Russell destroys the privateer Judah, marking the first naval action of the Civil War.

A Chronological History of the Civil War in America¹

• Booneville, Mo., attacked by rebels, who were repulsed by the Home Guard stationed there.
• Thirteen members of the Maryland Legislature, two editors of secession newspapers, one member of Congress, and the gubernatorial candidate of the secession party arrested in Baltimore.
• C. S. privateer “Judith.” destroyed at Pensacola, Fla., by a boat expedition from the U. S. ship “Colorado.”

1. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

Civil War Era Photographic Portraiture No. 22

Title: [Roswell K. Bishop of Company I, 123rd New York Infantry Regiment in uniform with holstered revolver]
Date Created/Published: [between 1861 and 1863]
Medium: 1 photograph : sixth-plate tintype, hand-colored ; 9.5 x 8.5 cm (case)
Summary: Photograph shows identified soldier in Union uniform.
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-27241 (digital file from original item)
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
Access Advisory: Use digital images. Original served only by appointment because material requires special handling.
Call Number: AMB/TIN no. 2379 [P&P]
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Notes:
….Title devised by Library staff.
….Case: Berg, no. 3-181.
….Additional information in collections file; killed at Chancellorsville, Virginia May 3, 1863.
….Albumen print of Bishop processed as LOT 14043-2, no. 9.
….Gift; Tom Liljenquist; 2010; (DLC/PP-2010:105).
….More information about this collection is available at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.lilj
….Forms part of: Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress).

Library of Congress item permalink.

_______________

Mike’s notes:

Image restoration note – This image has been digitally adjusted for one or more of the following:
– fade correction,
– color, contrast, and/or saturation enhancement
– selected spot and/or scratch removal
– cropped for composition and/or to accentuate subject matter
– straighten image

Image restoration is the process of using digital restoration tools to create new digital versions of the images while also improving their quality and repairing damage.

SEPTEMBER 12th.—Gen. Pillow has advanced, and occupied Columbus, Ky. He was ordered, by telegraph, to abandon the town and return to his former position. Then the order was countermanded, and he remains. The authorities have learned that the enemy occupies Paducah.

THURSDAY 12

This has been a delightful day. I was at the Pat office and at the Treasury Dept, did not see Mr Chase. The fight near the Chain Bridge yesterday proved to be only a rather severe skirmish, two of our soldiers killed. Went with Julia after dinner up to Camp Cameron to see the “Anderson Zouaves,” visited the Head Qrs, the old (“Madison House”), with Capt Meeks. Capt Lafarta of the French Zouave Company was very polite. He is an Italian. 1500 Cavalry passed our door last evn’g. Long trains of army wagons pass all day, 4 horse teams.

______

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.

Lenox, Sept. 12, 1861.

To-day has been very beautiful. Such floating clouds and corresponding shadows, such liquid blue on the distant hills and such gold green on the nearer meadows! We saw it to advantage at sunset, from Mrs. Sedgwick’s house. Only Miss Catherine was at home, and we saw her in her own little parlor, hung with photographs and engravings and one or two old choice portraits. But the picture from the window was best of all. . . . We had a charming drive one day with the Warners (of the “Wide, Wide World”) to Tyringham, the Shaker settlement below Lee, which name reminds me of the story we heard of the loyalty of that little village. It had already sent its full proportion to the army. But that dreadful night when the news of disaster at Bull Run came, the baker told the Warners “Nobody couldn’t eat nothin’ and nobody couldn’t sleep none.” That very midnight sixty men of Lee started in the cars for New York and enlisted for the war. … I had a chance of seeing Mrs. Kemble to-day as she drove by, silks and lace and birds of paradise, several I should think by the size. She is the great woman of the place here. Her daughter, Mrs. Wistar, was with her–strikingly like her, and yet young, fair, simple and beautiful. She came back yesterday from New York with Julia Butler the sister. They had been down to see their father in Fort Lafayette.

.   .   .   .   .   .

.   .   .   .   .   .

Sarah C. Woolsey, writing from Lenox, says;

. . . I was highly diverted by a story Mrs. Kane told Jenny Yardley of Mrs. Kemble. She was playing whist the other night with Mrs. Ellery Sedgwick as a partner, and became really furious because Mrs. Sedgwick played so badly. Finally, just as her rage had reached its height, Mrs. Sedgwick remarked, “I do not know what is the matter with me! somehow I can’t play well, or talk straight, or do anything right this evening, and it is strange, for I certainly do know how to play whist.” Whereupon the majestic Fanny exploded: “Well, I am glad to hear that. It is a comfort to know that one has for a partner an inattentive genius and not a born fool!”

Mrs. Kemble was most friendly with the various members of the family, though unexpected at times, as for instance when she remarked to Harry Yardley, while Lilly Woolsey was his guest, “Mr. Yardley, you have a very handsome young woman at your house; I do not refer to Mrs. Yardley.” However, the people in Lenox seemed used to these little bursts. They never resented them and only made a good story of it all, which they enjoyed.

Arkansas True Democrat [Little Rock],
September 12, 1861

From the Van Buren Press.

Camp Frank Rector, Aug. 28, 1861.

Friend Dunham: We arrived at this place, about seven miles below Bentonville, on Sunday, and are here awaiting the arrival of Paymaster Duval and our discharges to be off for “Home, Sweet Home.” . . .

Many of the soldiers and officers are entirely destitute of clothing, hundreds being barefoot and clothes so torn and tattered as to scarcely cover their nakedness. These brave and patriotic men are perfectly content, if necessary, to go home without a cent of pay, but they will not be trifled with by the officers placed over them by that universally obnoxious Military Board. Brigadier General Napoleon Bonaparte Burrow made a narrow escape at our camp near Springfield, and a few days longer only will be necessary to place Paymaster General Ben. T. Duval in a delicate and precarious situation.

Col. Thos. C. Hindman will address us in a day or two upon the importance of remaining in the service, and allowing ourselves to be transferred, like so much live stock, to the service of the Confederate States. He will be very eloquent, no doubt, and appeal to every sentiment and feeling of our natures, but we all understand the nature of the case very well, and instead of getting a regiment, as he expects, to go away from our western frontier, and join Hardee’s force at Pittman’s Ford, he will do well if he gets a full company out of the four regiments. We intend going home, just now, and in the course of a month or two the most of us, no doubt, will be ready and anxious to go out again. . . .

Yours, in a hurry, Private.

Thursday, 12th–I attended the Scott County Fair again today. The attendance was about the same as yesterday. A part of the Second Iowa Cavalry is in camp here, Camp Holt.

For three days now I have been trying to find some new company in which to enlist, but not caring to go into a company of entire strangers, I made up my mind to go home for a few days. About sundown, with two other boys, Sylvester Daniels and David Huff, I started for home, going with a Mr. Chesbro in a farm wagon.

12th.–Part of the truth relating to the story of yesterday’s fight has come to light. The fact is, these “great fights,” “great victories,” “great number of prisoners,” “great numbers killed,” are the greatest humbugs of the times, and as a specimen I put on record here the stories with the facts of yesterday. At 8 o’clock A. M. a body of soldiers passed up the turnpike. They were followed by batteries of artillery, and a few companies of cavalry. What does all this mean? was asked. And everyone wishing to be wise, an answer was soon manufactured satisfactory “to all concerned.” “Four thousand infantry and artillery had passed (Lie No. 1, there were only 2,000), to take a fort about seven miles off.” (Lie No. 2, there was no fort near.) About 12 o’clock we began to hear frequent reports of artillery, and by 2 P. M. the firing was brisk, and we could see the smoke of the shells exploding in the air from four to five miles away. About 3 o’clock we got orders to march on double-quick to the support of our troops, who were said to be retreating. (Truth No. 1.) Off we went on a full run, all vieing to see who could get there first. We had gone about a mile, when we were told to push forward, that one of our regiments was surrounded and being cut to pieces. (Lie No. 3.) On we went for another half mile, when “Halt, the rebels are retreating,” (lie No. 4,) and in a few minutes, “We must change our position, for the rebels were flanking us.” (Lie No. 5.) A few minutes later, our officers ordered us back to camp; we had gained a great victory. (Lie No. 6.)

Now these are the generalities of statements of the “great victory” of yesterday, which are being proclaimed to-day loud-mouthed. Let me put here the particulars, that in future when I hear of our great victories, I may refer to these, and draw some conclusion as to the probability of their truth.

In the morning, about two thousand men from Gen. Smith’s division, with a few pieces of artillery, passed up the pike to reconnoitre, in other words to examine the country and to ascertain what they could of the whereabouts of the enemy. They made their reconnoissance and started for camp. When they had marched about a quarter of a mile on their return, the rebels opened fire on them from a masked battery. Our artillery replied quickly and with spirit, our shot and shell mowing down hazels, oak grubs and saplings. These’ were all the enemy they saw. But above the heavy brush, in which the enemy’s batteries were masked, the smoke from their guns could be distinctly seen, and into this brush we fired without knowing the effects of our shot, though it is said that we silenced their battery. After about an hour thus spent our force retired, with the loss of some twenty or thirty men in killed and wounded, without capturing the battery which they had silenced, or without taking time to bring away even our own killed and wounded! What a “glorious victory!” So glorious that we must rush back to camp to announce it, leaving the enemy to look after our killed and wounded! A few such victories would ruin us. Gen. McClellan visited us to-day; made a speech, and promised us the luxury of a fight soon unless the rebels run. The appreciation of his kind promise was manifested by most unmistakable signs of joy.

September 11th.–Captain Johnson, Queen’s messenger, started with despatches for England from the Legation to-day, to the regret of our little party. I observe by the papers certain wiseacres in Philadelphia have got up a petition against me to Mr. Seward, on the ground that I have been guilty of treasonable practices and misrepresentations in my letter dated August 10th. There is also to be a lecture on the 17th at Willard’s, by the Professor of Rhetoric, to a volunteer regiment, which the President is invited to attend–the subject being myself.

There is an absolute nullity of events, out of which the New York papers endeavour, in vain, to extract a caput mortuum of sensation headings. The Prince of Joinville and his two nephews, the Count of Paris and the Duke of Chartres, have been here for some days, and have been received with marked attention by the President, Cabinet, politicians and military. The Prince has come with the intention of placing his son at the United States Naval Academy, and his nephews with the head-quarters of the Federal army. The empressement exhibited at the White House towards the French princes is attributed by ill-natured rumours and persons to a little pique on the part of Mrs. Lincoln, because the Princess Clothilde did not receive her at New York, but considerable doubts are entertained of the Emperor’s “loyalty” towards the Union. Under the wild extravagance of professions of attachment to France are hidden suspicions that Louis Napoleon may be capable of treasonable practices and misrepresentations, which, in time, may lead the Philadelphians to get up a petition against M. Mercier.

The news that twenty-two members of the Maryland Legislature have been seized by the Federal authorities has not produced the smallest effect here: so easily do men in the midst of political troubles bend to arbitrary power, and so rapidly do all guarantees disappear in a revolution. I was speaking to one of General McClellan’s aides-de-camp this evening respecting these things, when he said– [continue reading…]

Camp Norfolk, September 12, 1861.

Agreeable to our very short notice we packed our knapsacks, put three days rations in our haversacks, were carried across the river to Bird’s Point in two boats (our whole regiment), and just at dark started out through the woods. ‘Twas a confounded, dark, dirty, narrow road, and I was right glad when the word “halt” was given and preparations made for bunking in for the night. The next morning we started again along down the river, the gunboats, two of them, keeping a couple of miles ahead of us. We started with a couple of pieces of field artillery, but the road got so bad that we had to leave it after about three miles. We advanced about five miles when the gunboats, which were about a mile and one-half ahead of us, opened mouth, and thunder! what a rumpus they did keep up. We could not see them for the thick brush between us and the river, but we thought sure our little fight had come at last. We were drawn up in the front yard of some secesher’s deserted house (a fine one), and the colonel with a small party went ahead to reconnoiter. While they were gone we ate our dinners, and made ready for the expected march and fight. But the colonel on his return, scooted us back to our morning’s starting place. Whew, but that was a sweating old march. About an hour after we started back, 15 of our cavalry scouts were run in, through the place where we took dinner, by 60 or 70 secesh cavalry. Three or four were wounded and our boys say that they killed several of the Rebels. The gunboats came up in the p.m. reported fighting the “Yankee” and two land batteries, one of which was but three and one half miles below us (and some say but one and one half miles) and had 16 guns. They crippled the dam’d “Yankee” although the latter carries 84’s, while ours hadn’t but 64’s. Our boats were not touched. A deserter came up from Columbus yesterday afternoon and says that our boats killed 200 in the fight. (I believe he is a liar and a spy). We have had it sweet the last day and two nights. Rained like sixty and we have no tents. There is no shelter but a few trees and you know they amount to nothing in heavy rains. It is amusing to see the boys figure at night for dry beds. Every thing, gates, cordwood, rails, cornstalks, weeds and panels of fence and boards are confiscated, and genius is taxed its utmost to make the sleeping as comfortable as possible. Milo Farewell, Hy. Johnson and myself sleep on an armful of cornstalks thrown on a floor of rails. With nothing between us and the clouds. Sid., (Sidney Stockdale) and Theo. each had three sticks of four foot cord wood for a couch, with their feet resting in a mudpuddle. We are further out than any other regiment now. I tell you I like this, and feel like knocking down any man that I hear grumble. None of our boys do that I hear of. We will have our tents here this p.m. though I would rather be without them; they are so much trouble. I know we will have no dirtier time than we have had the last two days, and until it gets cold I would rather not have tents if it is the same all the time. I fell in love with Paducah while I was there, and I think I will settle there when the war is over. I never saw so many pretty women in my life. All fat, smooth-skinned small boned, highbred looking women. They hollered “Hurrah for Jeff” at us, some of them, but that’s all right. I could write until to-morrow morning about Paducah, but I must go and confiscate some corn for dinner.

Sept. 12th.—Yesterday was the wedding of our dear _____.   The marriage of a child is always melancholy when it involves separation, but particularly so under such circumstances. But surely never were refugees so blessed with friends. Our plan was to have the ceremony in the church, and then to proceed to Winchester, where the bridal party would take the stage for Strasburg, and thence by the cars to Richmond; but we were overruled by Mr. P., who invited his and our friends for the evening, and a beautiful entertainment was prepared for them. We all exercised our taste in arranging the table, which, with its ices, jellies, and the usual etceteras of an elegant bridal supper, made us forget that we were in a blockaded country. A pyramid of the most luscious grapes, from Bishop Meade’s garden, graced the centre of the table. The bridesmaids were three, and groomsman one, and he, poor fellow, had to go off in the storm of last night, because his furlough lasted but forty-eight hours, and his station is Culpepper Court-House. The groom had a furlough of but three days, to come from and return to Richmond. The Bishop and Mrs. J. arrived in the morning. The party consisted of ladies, and gentlemen too old for the service. Bishop J. performed the ceremony. Bishop Meade professed to be too old for such occasions, and declined coming. We feel very lonely this morning, and turn to the newspapers more than we have done for some time.

I saw a young soldier the other day, who told me he could see the top of our house distinctly from “Munson’s Hill.” Oh, that I could know what is going on within those walls, all encompassed by armies as it is. With my mind’s eye I look into first one room and then another, with all the associations of the past; the old family Bible, the family pictures, the library, containing the collection of forty years, and so many things which seemed a part of ourselves. What will become of them? Who are now using or abusing them?

September 12, 1861

• Siege of Lexington, Missouri begins
• September 12 to 15—Battle of Cheat Mountain, Virginia (now West Virginia)
• Lee, with 30,000 men under his command, expected to fight a force led by the Unionist General Rosecrans at Meadow Bridge, western Virginia. However, at the last moment Rosecans changed his direction of movement and engaged a Confederate force at Cheat Mountain, comprehensively defeating them. Union losses were 9 dead and 12 wounded while the Confederates lost nearly 100 men.

A Chronological History of the Civil War in America¹

• Col. John A. Washington (rebel), former proprietor of Mount Vernon, killed near Elk Water, Va., while reconnoitering.
• Mayor Berrett, of Washington, took the oath and was released from Fort Lafayette.
• The provost-marshal of St. Louis issued a proclamation manumitting two slaves, the property of a secessionist.
• Battle of Cheat Mountain, Va.; rebels defeated.

1. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

WEDNESDAY 11

Was at the Pat office this morning with Doct D, visited the Hospital there. Called upon Mr Seward, got letter of introduction from him to Mr Chase, could not see Mr C today. There has been heavy firing over the river all the afternoon. The report tonight is that there has been a very smart skirmish near the chain Bridge which is three miles above Georgetown. I was at Willards this evening but could hear no definite account, but large bodies of troops have gone up that way and we may have a battle tomorrow.

______

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.

SEPTEMBER 11th.—The colonel enjoys a joke. He whispered me today, as he beheld Major Tyler doing the honors of his office, that I might just hint at the possibility of his resumption soon of the functions of chief of the bureau. But he said he wanted a few days holiday.

Civil War Era Photographic Portraiture No. 21

Title: [Private Simeon J. Crews of Co. F, 7th Texas Cavalry Regiment, with cut down saber and revolver]
Date Created/Published: [between 1861 and 1865]
Medium: 1 photograph : quarter-plate ambrotype, hand-colored ; 12.4 x 10.1 cm (case)
Summary: Photo shows identified soldier.
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-34975 (digital file from original item)
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
Access Advisory: Use digital images. Original served only by appointment because material requires special handling.
Call Number: AMB/TIN no. 3069 [P&P]
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Notes:
…..Title devised by Library staff.
…..Case: Berg, no. 2-10.
…..Gift; Tom Liljenquist; 2012; (DLC/PP-2012:127).
…..More information about this collection is available at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.lilj
…..Purchased from: B.G. “Chip” Newman, Broker of Fine Antiquities, Madison, Mississippi, 2012.
…..Forms part of: Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress).
…..Forms part of: Ambrotype/Tintype photograph filing series (Library of Congress).
…..Published in: Serrano, Domenick A. Still more Confederate faces. Bayside, N.Y.: Metropolitan Co., 1994, p. 33.

Library of Congress item permalink.

Note: image may be reversed — image at Find A Grave shows image with pistol in right hand vice left.

_______________

Mike’s notes:

Image restoration note – This image has been digitally adjusted for one or more of the following:
– fade correction,
– color, contrast, and/or saturation enhancement
– selected spot and/or scratch removal
– cropped for composition and/or to accentuate subject matter
– straighten image

Image restoration is the process of using digital restoration tools to create new digital versions of the images while also improving their quality and repairing damage.

September 11th.–A soft-voiced, round-faced, rather good-looking young man, with downy moustache, came to my room, and introduced himself this morning as Mr. H. H. Scott, formerly of Her Majesty’s 57th Regiment. “Don’t you remember me? I often met you at Cathcart’s Hill. I had a big dog, if you remember, which used to be about the store belonging to our camp.” And so he rattled on, talking of old Street and young Jones with immense volubility, and telling me how he had gone out to India with his regiment, had married, lost his wife, and was now travelling for the benefit of his health and to see the country. All the time I was trying to remember his face, but in vain. At last came the purport of his visit. He had been taken ill at Baltimore, and was obliged to stop at an hotel, which had cost him more than he had anticipated; he had just received a letter from his father, which required his immediate return, and he had telegraphed to New York to secure his place in the next steamer. Meantime, he was out of money, and required a small loan to enable him to go back and prepare for his journey, and of course he would send me the money the moment he arrived in New York. I wrote a cheque for the amount he named, with which Lieutenant or Captain Scott departed; and my suspicions were rather aroused by seeing him beckon a remarkably ill-favoured person at the other side of the way, who crossed over and inspected the little slip of paper held out for his approbation, and then, taking his friend under the arm, walked off rapidly towards the bank.

The papers still continue to abuse me fante de mieux; there are essays written about me; I am threatened with several farces; I have been lectured upon at Willard’s by a professor of rhetoric; and I am a stock subject with the leaden penny funny journals, for articles and caricatures. Yesterday I was abused on the ground that I spoke badly of those who treated me hospitably. The man who wrote the words knew they were false, because I have been most careful in my correspondence to avoid anything of the kind. A favourite accusation, indeed, which Americans make against foreigners is, “that they have abused our hospitality,” which oftentimes consists in permitting them to live in the country at all at their own expense, paying their way at hotels and elsewhere, without the smallest suspicion that they were receiving any hospitality whatever. [continue reading…]

Gauley River, 8 Miles South Of Summersville,

September 11, 1861.

Dear Lucy: – Well, darling, we have had our first battle, and the enemy have fled precipitately. I say “we,” although it is fair to say that our brigade, consisting of the Twenty-third, the Thirtieth (Colonel Ewing), and Mack’s Battery had little or nothing to do, except to stand as a reserve. The only exception to this was four companies of the Twenty-third, Captains Sperry, Howard, Zimmerman, and Woodward, under my command, who were detailed to make an independent movement. I had one man wounded and four others hit in their clothing and accoutrements. You will have full accounts of the general fight in the papers. My little detachment did as much real work – hard work – as anybody. We crept down and up a steep rocky mountain, on our hands and knees part of the time, through laurel thickets almost impenetrable, until dark. At one time I got so far ahead in the struggle that I had but three men. I finally gathered them by a halt, although a part were out all night. We were near half an hour listening to the cannon and musketry, waiting for our turn to come.

You have often heard of the feelings of men in the interval between the order of battle and the attack. Matthews, myself, and others were rather jocose in our talk, and my actual feeling was very similar to what I have when going into an important trial – not different nor more intense. I thought of you and the boys and the other loved ones, but there was no such painful feeling as is sometimes described. I doubted the success of the attack and with good reason and in good company. The truth is, our enemy is very industrious and ingenious in contriving ambuscades and surprises and entrenchments but they lack pluck. They expect to win, and too often do win, by superior strategy and cunning. Their entrenchments and works were of amazing extent. During the whole fight we rarely saw a man. Most of the firing was done at bushes and log and earth barricades. [continue reading…]

Wednesday, 11th–I went up to the Fair Grounds and spent the day there. The attendance was good, there being about two thousand present.

Business is becoming quite dull. The war seems to put a stop to all improvements, and there is no demand for farm produce. Money is getting scarce, gold having been out of circulation so long that people have forgotten how it looks, and merchants say that it will not be long until silver goes the same way. For a long time now we have had wild-cat money, but everybody is afraid to go to sleep with any of it on hand for fear that it will be worthless in the morning.

11th.–Had some skirmishing to-day. Took some prisoners, who state that within twelve miles of us is the center of operations of about one hundred thousand rebels, who are preparing to attack us and march on Washington. This, if true, falsifies all the predictions of this journal, that there is no considerable force of the enemy in front of us, and that we shall have no general engagement here. Nevertheless, my opinion is unchanged.

This morning quite a body of troops, infantry, cavalry and artillery, passed us, on the road going in the direction of where the enemy are supposed to be. By twelve o’clock artillery firing was distinctly heard some four miles in the direction which they took. In the afternoon we were hurriedly called to march to the support of our retreating men.

We met them about two miles this side of where the fight was. They claim to have gained a great victory, but they brought in no prisoners, no guns captured. Why was that. These reports of victories are very unreliable affairs. All kinds of stories are going through the camp, but I shall record none of them till they have assumed a shape worthy to be remembered.

September 11, 1861

• Lincoln ordered Frémont to withdraw his order regarding property and slave confiscation in Missouri for anyone who voiced their support for the Confederacy. Lincoln ordered Frémont to come into line with the Confiscation Act passed by Congress. To emphasize his order, Lincoln sent Judge Joseph Holt to St. Louis to push Frémont towards moderating his stance.
• President Lincoln orders John C. Fremont to rescind his order freeing some slaves in Missouri and issue a new order conforming to the Confiscation Act passed by Congress

A Chronological History of the Civil War in America¹

• Kentucky Legislature passed a resolution ordering the C. S. troops to leave the State.
• President Lincoln, in a letter to Gen. Fremont, directs him to modify the confiscation clause of his proclamation.
• A number of fine vessels captured by the Union fleet at Hatteras Inlet.
• Skirmish at Lewinsville, Va.; rebels defeated.
• Skirmish at Elk Water, Va.; Union troops victorious.
• Skirmish at Stewart’s Mill, Wa.

1. A Chronological History of the Civil War in America by Richard Swainson Fisher, New York, Johnson and Ward, 1863

Lenox, September.

My dear Girls: Abby, as usual, is writing away vigorously, and I am very sure her letters to you are better far than mine would be, therefore I always give place to her; but do not think me indifferent to you or to any little circumstance whatever connected with you in the most remote way, for I assure you every word relating to Washington has a deeper interest than I can express to you, and in all my reading of news I turn with indifference from other parts of the country and items of other regiments, to seek eagerly for some word of those immediately about Alexandria and Washington, and we look with more desire than ever for your letters. The “expected attack” dwells upon our minds and hearts, and our sympathies and fears are all alive. When will the end come? In God’s own time, and we must only wait in patience and faith, looking to God for strength to help us in this time of need. . . . Ask counsel of some of your wise friends in Washington as to the prudence of your remaining for the present there. Do you not think in case of an attack upon the city you would be better elsewhere? I scarcely know where either, south of Philadelphia. Had you not better take the chance, before communication is cut off, of coming north? I should fear your being in Baltimore more than staying in Washington. I hope you will call on Mrs. McClellan and her mother, if the latter is with her. I knew them both, you recollect, in North Conway, and I would like you to make their acquaintance. You might consult with your familiar, General Scott, as to the propriety and safety of your being in Washington in case of an attack. What a nice thing for you to have dined so socially with the General. It will come in as a pleasing little incident in that history which I hope you are writing for coming generations.

Tuesday, September 10.—Gov. Sprague, Col. Wheaton, Major Tompkins, and Capt. Reynolds, visited the section on picket. Quiet up to (Monday, September 16).