Sunday, October 30th.–Bright and beautiful. Some firing was heard early this morning on the Darbytown road, or in that direction; but it soon ceased, and no fighting of moment is anticipated to-day, for Gen. Longstreet is in the city. My son Thomas drew a month’s rations yesterday, being detailed for clerical service with Gen. Kemper. [...]
October 29th. All things have been quiet with us since the last date. The regiment voted for President. Commissioners were here from Connecticut. Each voter was given two ballots and an envelope. One for Lincoln and one for General McClellan. The voter, taking his ballots to his tent or anywhere he chose, put in the [...]
Camp in piney woods, five miles South of Cedar Bluffs, October 29, 1864. Such a march over pine ridges and through swamps; Egyptian darkness would take a back seat in comparison with this night. It just happened to strike the men as funny, and they kept up a roar of cheering the whole distance.
October 29th.–Clear and pleasant. We are beginning to get authentic accounts of the operations on Thursday; and yet, from the newspaper publications, we see that the government has withheld one of Gen. Lee’s dispatches from publication. Altogether, it must be regarded as a decisive failure on the part of the enemy to obtain any lodgment [...]
October 28th.–Rained all night, but bright this morning. We have no clear account yet of the fighting yesterday; but we know the enemy was repulsed on this side of the river. It is thought that the operations on the south side were of greater magnitude, where we lost a brigadier-general (Dearing) of cavalry. We shall [...]
October 28th.—Burton Harrison writes to General Preston that supreme anxiety reigns in Richmond. Oh, for one single port! If the Alabama had had in the whole wide world a port to take her prizes to and where she could be refitted, I believe she would have borne us through. Oh, for one single port by [...]
Cedar Bluff, Ala., October 27, 1864. Waiting here for the 17th Army Corps to get across the Coosa. It is a beautiful little river, not as wide as the Illinois, but has a deeper channel. We are starting on the road to Talladega; don’t even know whether we are starting on a campaign or not. [...]
October 27th.–Slightly hazy and sunshine. Quiet, save aimless and bootless shelling and picket firing along the lines on the south side of the river. Hon. Geo. Davis, Attorney-General, to whom was referred the question of the constitutionality of the purposed removal from office of clerks appointed to fill places specifically created by act of Congress [...]
October 26th. All quiet up to early this morning, before daylight, when the long roll sounded out calling us out under arms. It makes much excitement in the dark. We were quickly in line and on the Winchester Pike. In line waiting for orders. After waiting some time, later on, we learned the cause. General [...]
At Little River again, October 26, 1864. Got back on the 25th, and have been laying quiet. Our foragers have been skirmishing a good deal with the enemies’ scouts, but few casualties however.
October 26th.–Clear and frosty. Quiet below. Gen. W. M. Gardner (in Gen. Winder’s place here) has just got from Judge Campbell passports for his cousin, Mary E. Gardner, and for his brother-in-law, F. M. White, to go to Memphis, Tenn., where they mean to reside. Mr. Benjamin publishes a copy of a dispatch to Mr. [...]
Nine miles northwest of Gadsden, Ala., October 25, 1864. Found the Rebels about noon to-day in position behind a rail work, running across from Lookout Mountain to Coosa river. It was only Wheeler’s cavalry, and we blew them out easily. We formed to charge them, but they wouldn’t wait. We followed until we were satisfied [...]
October 25th.–Bright and beautiful morning. All quiet below. Mr. McRae has been permitted by Gen. Butler to return again to the city to await his exchange, pledged not to bear arms, etc. Many more of the government employees, forced into the trenches, would be happy to be in the same predicament. A great many are [...]
Eight miles southeast of last night’s camp, October 24, 1864. With five brigades of our corps started at 3.30 p.m. to look after Rebels reported. Came through a little hamlet called Blue Pond from a little lake in the neighborhood of a dirty mud color. Plenty of milk and honey.
October 24th.–Clouds and sunshine. Nothing new of importance from the army. Gov. Smith has been writing letters to Gen. Lee, asking that Gen. Early be superseded in the Valley. Pity it had not been done! Gen. Lee replied, expressing confidence in Early; and the President (since the disaster!) coincides with Lee. The President administers a [...]
October 23d. Our regular routine is kept up day after day. A part of the duty of a soldier and laboring man. Everything quiet in this vicinity except reports that come to us about the guerillas. Don’t think they care to come near infantry.
October 23, 1864. A day of rest and washing. The cavalry was out some dozen miles southwest, and report the enemy intrenched and in force.
Sunday, October 23d.–Bright and frosty. From the United States papers we learn that a great victory is claimed over Gen. Early, with the capture of forty-three guns! It is also stated that a party of “Copperheads” (Democrats), who had taken refuge in Canada, have made a raid into Vermont, and robbed some of the banks [...]
October 22d. Report comes to us of the death of our Brigade and Division Commander at Cedar Creek. We are all sorry that he was killed. He was one of the best officers in our corps. Colonel Thoburn, 1st West Virginia Regiment, a good friend to our regiment, a medical doctor by profession.
October 22, 1864. I was foraging to-day for the regiment with about 20 men. Got plenty of hogs and potatoes. Sweet potatoes are about the size of ordinary pumpkins and most delicious.
October 22d.–Cloudy; rained last night. 2 P.M.–Cold, and prospects of snow. The news of Early’s disaster, and loss of artillery at Strasburg, is confirmed, and casts a new vexation over the country. Mr. M. Byrd, Selma, Ala., is addressing some bold letters to the President on the blunders of the administration. Gen. Longstreet has resumed [...]
October 21st. We are rejoicing over the defeat of Early, and Sheridan’s great victory. We are also happy over the part our corps, the 8th under Crook, had in bringing about the great victory. It was not our fault that we were not there. We continue our picket duty and laboring for the good of [...]
Gaylesville, Ala., October 21, 1864. Marched about 18 miles yesterday down a very fine valley, between Lookout Mountain and Taylor’s Ridge, crossed the latter after dark through a pass that beat all for blackness and stones, to tumble over, that I ever saw. Got a very large mail yesterday, but only one letter from you. [...]
October 21st.–Bright. Fort Harrison (Federal) opened its batteries on our lines at Chaffin’s Farm yesterday evening, without effect. An officer tells me that heavy and quick firing was also heard on the Petersburg lines, indicating, he thought, a battle. We have nothing of this in the papers, or in any dispatch I have seen. Assistant [...]
October 20th. Many reports of the great battle came late last night and this morning. Great cheering and rejoicing. Our gallant Phil rode from Winchester to the army and saved the day. Expressions on all sides, General Sheridan was never defeated. Jubal Early found out that our gallant Phil Sheridan was in command of the [...]