December 26th.–No answer yet. There can be but one. Press people, soldiers, sailors, ministers, senators, Congress men, people in the street, the voices of the bar-room–all are agreed. “Give them up? Never! We’ll die first!” Senator Sumner, M. De Beaumont, M. De Geoffroy, of the French Legation, dined with me, in company with General Van [...]

Winchester, December 26,1861. I applied to-day for a furlough, but was much disappointed to find that an order has been made that none shall be granted. I was promising myself much happiness in spending a few days with you at New Year’s, and am much grieved that it has to be deferred–I hope, however, not [...]

Dec. 26, 1861.—The foul weather cleared off bright and cool in time for Christmas. There is a midwinter lull in the movement of troops. In the evening we went to the grand bazaar in the St. Louis Hotel, got up to clothe the soldiers. This bazaar has furnished the gayest, most fashionable war-work yet, and [...]

Through the remainder of the month nothing of special interest occurred. The same daily routine of business. Through order of Quartermaster Thayer, the quartermaster and commissary sergeants formed a mess by themselves. Christmas lost my pocketbook containing upwards of five dollars.

Wednesday, 25th–This is a beautiful day, the snow having nearly all disappeared. The boys had a fine time today, this being our first Christmas experience in the army. There was no roast turkey with cranberry sauce and we all missed mother’s mince pies, cake and doughnuts. But we bought some pies and cakes of the [...]

WEDNESDAY 25 This has been “Christmas day” and a very pleasant day, not cold enough to freeze, but the air clear and braceing. I have spent the day at home fixing up things and did not go out till evening when I spent a couple of hours at Chas room with Mr Copersmith, Mis Wells [...]

DECEMBER 25th.—Mr. Ely, the Yankee member of Congress, who has been in confinement here since the battle of Manassas, has been exchanged for Mr. Faulkner, late Minister to France, who was captured on his return from Europe. Mr. Ely smiled at the brown paper on which I had written his passport. I told him it [...]

December 25th, 1861.—Christmas night! No festive gathering tonight. We did not have a Christmas tree. Mattie and Eddie hung up their stockings but they had so many things they might better have hung up a two bushel sack. I found a number of gifts on the lightstand beside my bed, when I awoke this morning. [...]

Eliza’s Journal:Christmas Day we spent with Joseph again in camp, going round by Alexandria to pick up Chaplain Hopkins and take him with us. We had taken some goodies and little traps with us for the men in the hospitals in Alexandria and were glad to find the nice arrangements that had already been made [...]

December 25th.–Lord Lyons, who had invited the English in Washington to dinner, gave a small quiet entertainment, from which he retired early.

Christmas. Dec. 24. Tomorrow will be Christmas, and the boys in all the camps are making great preparations for the coming event. The camps are being put in order and decorated with evergreens. Some of them are trimmed in good taste and look very neat and pretty. The boys are all looking forward to a [...]

Tuesday, 24th–We raised a flag pole today and ran up the Stars and Stripes high in the air, amidst cheering and singing the old song, “Columbia.” “Long may it wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave !” This afternoon we went over town and compelled all the secessionists to [...]

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1861. A fine Cool day, just freezing. Everybody preparing for “Christmas.” Turkeys from $1.75 to $4.00 a piece, rather “strong” that. Office not open tomorrow, it will be a general hubbub all over the City. The day will open with guns and fire crackers. Were it not for the shoulder straps one [...]

DECEMBER 24th.—I am at work on the resolution passed by Congress. The Secretary sent it to me, with an order to prepare the list of names, and saying that he would explain the grounds upon which they were permitted to depart. I can only give the number registered in this office.

Mother to Georgeanna and Eliza. Monday, December 24, 1861. My dear Girls: Col. D. is a godsend! I was in despair at the thought of not getting some little Christmas box off so as to reach you to-morrow, when lo! he appeared, like an angel of mercy and offered to take anything we might have [...]

Francis Bacon to Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey. Tybee Island, Dec. 24, ‘61. You speak of our hospital as a matter of course; and we are, by and by, to have one, as yet uncommenced; but we owe the medical department no thanks for this when we get it. Dr. Cooper, Medical Director of the expedition, a [...]

December 24th.–This evening came in a telegram from Europe with news which cast the deepest gloom over all our little English circle. Prince Albert dead! At first no one believed it; then it was remembered that private letters by the last mail had spoken despondingly of his state of health, and that the “little cold” [...]

Monday, 23d–We arrived at California about sunup, almost frozen; it cleared off during the night and a cold northwest wind was blowing. Leaving the train we entered the several churches in town and built fires to warm by, Company E going into a Catholic church, where the sexton and his wife brought us some hot [...]

DECEMBER 23d.—Gen. T. J. Jackson has destroyed a principal dam on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. That will give the enemy abundance of trouble. This Gen. Jackson is always doing something to vex the enemy; and I think he is destined to annoy them more. It is with much apprehension that I see something like [...]

MONDAY 23 Cold and windy with some snow but not enough to remain on the ground. News from England looks squaly. England is seeking a pretext for engaging in the quarrel on the Side of the rebels. We are likely to have our hands full. Our people are “fighting mad” with England whether the fight [...]

December 23rd.–There was a tremendous storm, which drove over the city and shook the houses to the foundation. Constant interviews took place between the President and members of the Cabinet, and so certain are the people that war is inevitable, that an officer connected with the executive of the Navy Department came in to tell [...]

Sunday, 22d–It snowed all day, the snow falling in large flakes, and the weather is fast turning colder. I was detailed on camp guard and with my overcoat on walked my beat for two hours at a time. At about 4 o’clock in the afternoon five companies of our regiment received marching orders to go [...]

SUNDAY 22 It is colder today but rains tonight with a prospect of a long rain. I have not been out to church today but staid at home to keep up fires &c and boil hominy. Went down to Willards, found a great crowd. Met Capt Dexter of the R.I. 1st Regt which came here [...]

Bird’s Point, Mo., December 22, 1861. This is a dark, dismal, snowy and confoundedly disagreeable Sunday. Cold, sloppy and nasty! We moved into our cabin last night but it is not finished yet, as a crack along the comb of the roof and sundry other airholes abundantly testify. The half snow half rain comes in [...]