1862 January 31 [Staunton, Va.]

[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, civilian clerk, Quartermaster’s Dept., Staunton, Va.]

Friday night, Jan. 31, 1862.
When I left Alick’s this evening, at supper
time little Mary was sitting up, feeding her-
self with a spoon! It was delightful to see the
little thing with a placid countenance and free
from suffering. She appeared to get better yesterday
morning or the previous night, although she may
not now be out of danger. Cloths soaked in
hot water were applied to her throat & chest du-
ring the night and on yesterday, and to-day they
discovered that she was severely blistered. There was
also a discharge from her ear, which had prob-
ably contributed to her relief. Addy is thought to
be doing well – very bad and unmanageable –
He would be a very interesting child if he were not
so impracticable. Kitty is laid up with sore [-],
but not much sick, apparently. She imprudently
sat in her room with a window hoisted, day before
yesterday, when the weather was mild and the sun
shining. During the whole of January, with the
exception of that day only, I believe, we have had
rain, sleet, snow or at least clouds. The bad weath
-er, and consequently impassable roads, has prob-
ally prevented the long anticipated advance of the
enemy at the various points of invasion. There
was a rumor both yesterday and the day before,
that the Federalists had received a great overthrow at
Bowling Green, Ky. It came from Washington to
Norfolk. No confirmation of it. We have at last
something authentic from the Burnside expedition.
Gen. Burnside has reported to Washington that
thirty or forty of his vessels are missing, and he
fears they are lost, as several of them certainly are
The remainder, a large fleet, were on the coast of
North Carolina. I have finished the reports of our
office, for the last quarter, and have some expec-
tation of going to Richmond with them next week.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 38-258

1862 January 31 [Williamsburg, Va.]

[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan and Sgt., Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor’s) Louisiana Infantry]

Friday – January 31st. 1862
Rain most of the day – Battalion drill
& no parade – spent most of the day
in doors – reading – Wrote a long letter
to Sister Anna in answer to her most
remarkable letter rec’d last night – also
wrote to Sister Sallie by Mr Ross
who leaves tomorrow morning for N.O. –
acknowledging receipt of Box & also sent
by Mr Ross my Journal for 1861 & sent a
few relics, for Isabel, Sallie, Miss Neely [?] & Miss
Mary – Johnson & McVicker got their dis-
-charge today – according to our monthly report
the Company is today returned to 73 men.
Rain again tonight – I am thoroughly sick
of this inaction & more anxious each day to go
to some field of action – via N.O. I regret that
I did not write my journal over in a more
legible shape.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

1862 January 31 Centreville, Va.

Hd. Qrs. Outpost
Centreville Jan. 31, 1862
My Dear Father –
Since coming
down on picket I have learn-
ed that a Captn. of Our regt.
is raising a company of
Independent Cavalry, and that
he is authorized to do so by
the War Department. A number
of good men have been to
me, and requested me to get
up such a Company, should
the Art. scheme fail, and I
would be glad if you would
procure for me authority
to do so in that Event.
I prefer it next to the Light
Battery and I think it my
prospect for success would be
good. I hope you will be
able to procure for me

[page 2]
the necessary [word lined out] author-
ity.
Every thing is quiet out
here. The enemy are many
miles off. We are well
protected, and the present
tour will probably pass
off well.
Affectionately Your Son
Jno. W. Daniel

John Warwick Daniel, 1842-1910, known as the “lame lion of Lynchburg” was severely wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness, studied law at the University of Virginia and was later a U.S. Senator and noted orator.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 158

1862 January 31

[From the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio, currently home on furlough]

Called this morning at
Harwoods then went to
Atons[?] took dinner
Went this evening to
Town and to S[?]
Came home about
midnight

cloudy

MSS 10317

1862 January 31

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts, currently on assignment to the Commissary Dept., on the steamer “Admiral”]

Slept with Phineas last night and
staid here today. Got a very long and
good letter from Mary and three from home
one of them containing one from Sam Smith
we weighed anchor and went up to the Eagle
where the rest of the regiment is, Saw Ed
Brown and paid him the two dollars I borrowed
of him. It is so rough I shall not go back tonight.

MSS 11293

1862 January 31

Camp Walker
Jany 31st 1862
My own dear Wife
I received your very sweet letter
to day and am disposed if not interup-
ted to send you a long one in reply. Not
having received my letter giving my opinion
about your going to see Julia married I find
you are still in doubt as to your purpose
and very significantly ask if you ought
to go to a weding [sic]. My only apprehension
is in regard to your health. You have
recently suffered so much from those
misterious [sic] pains that I am really affr-
aid for you to take your usual exercise
If you feel no apprehension on this
account I hesitate not to say that my
Queen of Beauty will at any & all
times grace any gay assemblage
and I will be glad to hear of your
going & then hear from you a full
account of the affair. So you will still
have to use your own discretion in re-
gard to going. if you go you must wear
your prettiest clothes & your pretiest [sic]
looks. Oh could I only be your escort what
would I not give. You speak in all of your
letters as though somehow or other you still
expected me either to say I was coming
to see you or that you should come to vis
sat [sic] me my own darling Jennie disabuse
your mind of such a hope for the present
at any rate. I will indeed be satisfied
if I am yet off in March without tendering

[page 2]
my resignation. knowing as I do how much
you desire my presence there I am willing
to sacrifice all other pleasure to gratify
your wishes in this respect. I confess
myself to tha be guilty of the weakness of
wanting to see [you] just as much as I did before
Xmas. I sometimes am almost tempted to
wish that we loved each other less. that
your beauty of person & character was less
captivating so that I might rest better
satisfied far away from you as I am
Sick as I was while with you, still I look
back with wonderful pleasure to the mo-
ments I spent with you and of deep re-
gret that the time was so very short. Oh
my precious darling why do I love you so
madly You say you are not pretty and
yet to me every line in your face is one of
beauty. Every feature as perfect as if it was
the workmanship of the skillful chisel of a
perfect artist and all together they form
a face of surpassing loveliness, and then
what a figure. Every limb of the most
perfect shape and beautifully tapering to
their extremity. But best of all where is the
woman who possesses a heart so warm
so pure, so full of high & noble impulses
And then when I think of your warm and
devoted love for me, so unworthy of it, and
of your unprecedented generosity which cau-
ses you to forgive & forget all of the faults
of your husband, which are so many. who
I say could not, would not love such
a wife with all the devotion of blind-

[page 3]
ness of a warm southern heart. I confess
it my darling that I do thus love you. that
I am utterly blind to any imperfections which
may exist in either mind person or heart
and while I was with you was perfectly
happy in my love and am just as unhap-
pey in my seperation [sic] from you. But
enough of love – it only makes me heart sick
to write it. And while I love to write
it I am the more unhappy after it is
writen [sic]. But my darling you like to get
such letters and this is another tempt
ation and I will promise you that for
every good long sweet love letter you send
me – I dont mean one complaining of my
absence, but one pouring out the inmost
secrets of your dear heart and telling
with perfect abandon all of its emotions
& throbings [sic] with the full confidence that
whatever you may say will find a resp-
onse from me – I will send you one
three times as long and just as honest
in the story it may tell. I am so glad
to hear that our dear little children
are again well. they have so far got
over the meazles [sic] a good dele [sic] better than
I expected. They are our jewels and I
constantly find myself looking forward in
the uncertain future and indulging the
hope that I may yet be able, in a time
of profound peace & prosperity, to take them
& you to a home of our own and there
far from all the exciting scenes of “busy
life” be happy in making you all so.

[page 4]
We are moving on in camp with our usual
sameness and monotony. Each day is but a
type of another. our cabin is a perfect curious
ity. Imagine a concern built of unhewn pine
logs with divided in two parts by a partition
of the same, with six light windows, a door
frame covered with canvas, chimneys made
partly of stone partly of sticks & mud & a plank
roof and the cracks between the logs daubed
with red mud and you have some idea of
the out side appearance of our abode. Inside
you will first observe the with a feeling
of utter discomfort an uneven slanting dirt
floor. To the left of the fireplace and about
two feet high I have constructed a trunk rack
out of tent poles on which repose mine and
the Majors trunks. under this rack is Billys pile
of wood. the door is in the right front corner
of the next side. the window is half way be-
tween the corner & the door. on one side of the
window hangs the Majors torch, on the other hangs
the mine. above it is our candle box & under it is
a fancy wash stand made by driving a four
pronged dogwood in the ground prongs up which
being cut off even supports the top of a cheese box
On the next side & behind the door as it opens I
have fixed wooden hooks on which hangs my
saddle bridle &c next sits my cot & above it
hangs our overcoats. On the fourth side sits
the Majors cot & above it hangs two or three articles
of his clothing & a few old straps. between his
cot & the fire sits my camp table on which
I am writing above the fire place hangs
my little looking glass and by it a beef tongue

[page 5]
to the right of the fire & high up, supported by
two large nails is [the] Majors sword, belt & spurs.
In the same position on the other side and
similarly supported is my own sword, spurs Hol-
sters & haversack. the remaining furniture of the
room consists of a broom in one corner, a stool
of my own make, a chair without a back & a camp
stool the only one I have left. Such is a per-
fect picture of my present abode outside
is mud – mud all the time. Write me my own
darling a long loving letter, in which the heart
shall speak & the pen only write
Your fond & devoted lover husband
ETHW

All three references were to Samuel T. Walker, Major, 10th VA Infantry

“Torch on page 4 line 21. This is not the object most would envisage today. Walker’s Critical Pronouncing Dictionary (Boston, MA: C. D. Strong and B. B. Mussey, 1839) defines torch as “a wax-light bigger than a candle.”

[transcription and annotations by John P. Mann, IV]

MSS 7786-g

1862 January 30

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio, currently on furlough]

January 30
This morning Jennie & I
started to Savan[nah]
broke down on the way
fortunetely met Mr Camp
bell with whom Jennie
came back. I went to
Town and had the necessary
repairs made Called this
time at Olins & Scotts
arived home in the
afternoon. Took Jennie
to Wm Campbells. had
pleasant visit With
Jennie & Mrs Campbell
came home after midnight

MSS 10317

1862 January 30

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts, currently on assignment to the Commissary Dept. on the steamer “Admiral”]

This forenoon we tried to get
off the bank but it was no go.
she would not start, but this afternoon
the wind changed and blew strong so we
blew off and went over safely all night
and anchored close to the ferry boat Cur-
lew, on which is part of my regiment.
Some of the boys came over with a boat
to have me go over with them so I went and
am going to stay over night. Had a good
chat with George Lowe and Phineas Phelps

MSS 11293

1862 January 30 Centreville, Va.

Centreville Va 30th Jany 1862
My dear Little Nannie:
I had just concluded a short letter
to you & was in the act of enclosing the left hand halves
of Clark’s 18 of of Bank Notes when I heard his very unex-
-pected familiar loud voice at “the cabin doors” – So I
destroyed that letter handed him the half notes – told him
that I had sent you the right hand halves and now
while he & Goodwin lie together on the floor before and
Brown on his plank bed behind me I have to write anew
and tell you what follows-
The weather has been unendurable for now
nearly three weeks but as soon as I can I will
try to see Capt Cummings four or five miles from here
& ascertain what you can do for him – If you should
send the package for Capt Goodwin I will contrive
it too him at his camp on Bull Run –
Clark says he had a gay time at Richmond
& is delighted with his new appointment & prospects
in Arkansas – He will leave here tomorrow for Richd
to go to Church with somebody on Sunday & says that

[page 2]
he will be at home on Monday evening next to
leave for the West by the Tuesday evening’s train – He
asks that his trunk be packed & in readiness – He
says that my letter with instructions to him at Rich?
secured his appointment with McCullough – While I
do not think so I am not unwilling that he
should give me the credit &c – he is in doubt as
to what he shall do with Callahill – first he says
that I must keep him – then he says that he will
take him along & then says he will leave him at
home – I decline to keep him because I can do very
well without him for my remaining twelve weeks of
time & in addition to that he would be of more service
to your Father –
It is now pretty certain that Genl Beau-
-regard will go to Columbus Ky & Goodwin says that
the Washington Artillery have applied to go with
him but don’t expect permission to do so –
Grey Latham is not in camp to night
nor has he been for two days – How the public
interests suffer by this Company is almost in-
-credible – It’s a sin & a burning shame!!

[page 3]
I can think of nothing more just now – Remember
me very kindly to all at home especially “The
Cap’n” and I will continue to be
Very devotedly
Your Own
Choctaw

[Lincoln Clark Leftwich leaves to serve as Chief of Artillery for Van Dorn. –Robert H. Moore’s Richmond Fayette, Hampdon, Thomas, and Blount’s Lynchburg Artillery. page160.]

[transcription and annotation by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6682

1862 January 30

[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan and Sgt., Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor’s) Louisiana Infantry]

Thursday – January 30th 1862
Spent all day in the Den – on a/c
of the rain – No drills or parade –
Mr Ross is still with us I beat
Harry today 3 out of the’ 5 games chess &
we played one game in a new tour-
-nament of 5 games –
Read a long letter from Sister Anna
today & some papers from Mr. John
[-] – Willie Huger left for
New Orleans today – I have little
hopes of obtaining my furlough
now, though Huger is going to try
& get it for me. Gave Phelps $50
today for his Dftn[?] Faries.
Returned tonight at hl [half] past
ten o’clock

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154