October 11th.–Bright and pleasant. All is quiet below. From Georgia we have many rumors. It is reported that a battle has been fought (second time) at Altoona, which we captured, with 4000 prisoners; that Rome has been taken, with 3000 negro prisoners; and, finally, that we have Atlanta again. I have seen no such dispatches. [...]
Near Kenesaw Mountain, October 10, 1864. Was on the ground we charged on the 27th of June, and also on top of Kenesaw to-day. Very fine view, but nothing like equal to that from Lookout. The signal station here communicates direct with Atlanta, Allatoona and Roswell. I picked up some black oak acorns to-day from [...]
October 10th.–A white frost; first frost of the season. All quiet below. Gen. W. M. Gardner (in Gen. Winder’s place) reports that of the exempts and citizens taken from the streets to the front, last week, a majority have deserted This proves that even a despotic military act cannot be committed with impunity. Gen. Beauregard [...]
Two miles north of Kenesaw Mountain, October 9, 1864. About 5 o’clock last night, just when we should have been relieved, we heard the “General” sounded through the camp, and in half an hour more the “Assembly.” The corps started toward Marietta, and in another half hour we assembled, and in charge of the division [...]
October 9th, Sunday.–Cloudy, windy, and very cold. Vol. Ii. 26 I hear of no operations yesterday, although, as usual, some cannonnading was audible yesterday evening. It is said Gen. Pemberton was in great perturbation during the several advances of the enemy last week. Like Boabdil, the Unlucky of Grenada, he lost some of his cannon, [...]
On picket four miles south of Marietta, October 8th. We occupy the old Johnny skirmish pits. It was outrageously cold last night. I elected myself fireman and did not neglect my duties. I have men from every regiment in the brigade (seven). There are an abundance of chestnuts here, and at every post the boys [...]
October 8th.–Cloudy, windy, and cold. The fighting yesterday was more serious than I supposed. It was supposed the conflict would be resumed to-day, but we have no information of any fighting up to this hour–5 P.M. From Gen. Hood we have a dispatch, saying Major-Gen. French attacked Altoona day before yesterday. He carried all the [...]
October 7, 1864. The Rebels have left the railroad after being whipped by General Corse at Allatoona Pass. The 14th Corps drove them out to Lost Mountain yesterday. No hard fighting. They tore up not more than eight miles of railroad, which will be rebuilt in a very few days. Deserters report the whole Rebel [...]
October 7th.–Bright and beautiful. The government, after giving the news from Georgia, position of Hood, to the press, suppressed it. It is well, perhaps, not to permit Grant, who sees our papers daily, to know what we are doing there. There are rumors of fighting to-day near Chaffin’s Bluff, but we hear no cannon, except [...]
October 6, 1864, 12 m. Rained all last night, and has just suspended for a few minutes, I expect. Kept dry, thanks to our rubber blankets. Drew five days’ rations this morning, full of everything except beans; plenty of beef, though. We only drew one-quarter of a pound per man for the whole five days. [...]
October 6th.–Bright, and very warm. The President returned this morning, hastened hither by the perils environing the capital. An order is published this morning revoking all details for the army of persons between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years of age. If this be rigidly enforced, it will add many thousands to the army. [...]
Six miles south of Marietta, October 5, 1864. Had an awful day’s march yesterday, full 20 miles and the road very muddy and slippery. County peculiarly Georgian, the like of which, I hope, is to be found nowhere else in Uncle Sam’s domain. When we started the “spring or grapevine” dispatch said that Hardee’s headquarters [...]
October 5th.–Bright, and very warm. There is a report that Gen. Hood’s army is at Marietta, in Sherman’s rear, and it may be so. One of the clerks (Mr. Bechtel) was killed yesterday by one of the enemy’s sharpshooters at Chaffin’s Farm. He was standing on the parapet, looking in the direction of the enemy’s [...]
October 4, 1864. We have been expecting to move for several days. The Rebels have crossed the Chattanooga and are moving on our rear, a la Jonesboro. If half the force they took over get back I’ll be much disappointed. We yesterday sent our extra baggage to Atlanta to store, and at 11 last night [...]
Saturday.–The President will be with us here in Columbia next Tuesday, so Colonel McLean brings us word. I have begun at once to prepare to receive him in my small house. His apartments have been decorated as well as Confederate stringency would permit. The possibilities were not great, but I did what I could for [...]
October 4th.–Foggy; then bright; then very warm. Gen. Lee is at Chaffin’s Bluff. A dispatch from him this morning states that the enemy’s infantry are near Harrisonburg, in the Valley, and that his cavalry is retiring. 9 A.M. Another dispatch from Gen. Lee. The raiders’ cavalry, only 250 strong, are at Brandy Station, a body [...]
October 3d.–Misty and damp, but warm. Guns heard down the river. On Friday, it seems, the enemy penetrated and held a portion of our works below Petersburg; and although we captured many prisoners, it does not appear that we regained the works or retook the cannon. So far, although the enemy’s loss in men may [...]
October 2d–Cloudy and calm. All quiet. It was a false alarm yesterday evening. Nothing but some of the enemy’s cavalry scouts were seen from the intermediate batteries, and it was merely a waste of ammunition on our part, and destruction of timber where the enemy were partially sheltered. Not a gun, so far as I [...]
October 1st.–Raining and cold. Horrible for the troops in the trenches! The battle, yesterday (on this side of the river), was an attempt of Gen. Lee to retake Fort Harrison, near Chaffin’s Bluff, which failed, after two essays. Gen. Lee deemed its recapture important, and exposed himself very much in the assault: so much so [...]
October 1st.–Mary Cantey Preston’s wedding day has come and gone and Mary is Mrs. John Darby now. Maggie Howell dressed the bride’s hair beautifully, they said, but it was all covered by her veil, which was of blond-lace, and the dress tulle and blond-lace, with diamonds and pearls. The bride walked up the aisle on [...]
September 30th. At Harper’s Ferry with the prisoners, having been on duty all night. Had a great time talking to the rebs over past experiences. Met one, formerly from our old home town, Norwich, Conn. Turned the prisoners over to the commander of the post, when we returned to Martinsburg. As soon as we arrived [...]
SEPTEMBER 30TH.–Cloudy, and occasional showers. None of the papers except the Whig were published this morning, the printers, etc. being called out to defend the city. Every device of the military authorities has been employed to put the people here in the ranks. Guards everywhere, on horseback and on foot, in the city and at [...]
September 29th. Early this morning our regiment ordered out in light marching order. After line was formed we marched out on the Winchester Pike. About a mile out we came to a halt at the roadside, waiting for some cause, under arms. After waiting a long time, late in the afternoon, a marching column could [...]
UNITED STATES PRISONERS CAMP, POINT LOOKOUT, MD., Sept. 29, 1864. My Dear Mother: At the battle of Winchester, fought the 19th of this month, myself, together with seven others of our company, were captured, namely Henry Warren, Emerson Winstead, Pat Wooten, Bunyan Barnes, Edwin Barnes, Byrant Stokes and Joel Taylor. All of us are in [...]
SEPTEMBER 29TH.–Bright and beautiful. As I walked down to the department, heavy and brisk cannonading below assailed the ear. It was different from the ordinary daily shelling, and to my familiar senses, it could only be a BATTLE. The sounds continued, and even at my desk in the department the vibrations were very perceptible. About [...]