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

Played as usual, did nothing
important this forenoon practiced a very
little, made arrangement that we
would not faz any one for cooking but
would divide the work I am to chop wood
& make fires. I had B J went down into the
woods & killed a Pig Cloudy & cool.

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Eugene M. Cox of the Albemarle Border Guards]

9 P.M. Still remain in camp here “Meadow Bluff”–but the indications at present are that we will soon resume our march eastward–have spent this day very agreeably–This is a very beautiful place but like the rest of the country along our line of march, has been dreadfully defaced–and it will doubtless take several years of industry to restore it to the status in which we found it.

MSS 38-221

Dear Sister [Jennie Magruder Warren, wife of E. T. H. Warren of the 10th Virginia]

Not having heard from you since
your return untill to day when Father & George
met with Rev Bryon who said you had been
unwell but he believed you to be better now
I concluded to write you to Know how you
wer & to let you Know how I am getting
along–I am about the same I dont think
the wound heals a bit but still continues to
run very freely, which makes me feel afraid
there must be some of my clothing in there
Sis Florence is the Dr now since Hillery
left I was rather afraid of her at first
but now I believe she can dress it as
well as he could by the way where is
he now we have not heard of him
since he left

George & Cupid expect to go back friday to
their Company we heard that our Col
had been promoted to General, to take Jackson
place & the his Regiment was to go with hm
which I would have been very glad of but
for having to be separated from Mr Warren
who has allways been of great help to us

[page 2]
Father & George also brought the news of a
grand victory at Leesburg in which it is
said 2500 of our men whiped 10 or 12 000 of
the enemy of Course we always whip, but how
grand a victory it was I guess could not be Known by us
this time at least the particulers could not
Miss Betty Pannill & John Called in the other evening
& stayed some twenty minutes or more
My only way of passing off time is reading novels
which are borrowed from Oliver Terrell who by the way
is at home laid up with inlamitory reu roomtism
and his wife is in Louisa wher she is Kept by one
of her Children being sick
excuse writing as I lay on my back
Het sends love & says Kiss the Children
I have nothing to more to write
Write soon
to your Affectionate Brother

David [Magruder]

For more on the wounding of David Magruder see the letters of E. T. H. Warren to Jennie Magruder Warren 1861 September 16 and 20

MSS 7786-o

[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the Dixie Greys, Co. E of the 42nd VIrignia Infantry[

March from Arbuckle’s to
Frankford, by way of Lewisburg.
Distance 14 miles. Stood
the day’s march pretty well,
got plenty of apples to eat –

MSS 5526

My Dear Mother, I received your letter last week & I assure you I was glad to hear from you I dont know as I can write you any news but will let you know how I get along my health is good & has been so ever since I left New York the work on our fort is a about done the walls are all up & the rest of the work that is the grading the interior will be done by outsiders I am not sorry we have got through for it was the toughest job that I ever had any thing to do with, the Fort will mount A great number of guns & if ever we should have occasion to use them the City of Baltimore would not be worth much for the Fort commands the whole City there is not A House we cannot see, we have A splendid View of the whole City & Bay I can see A great change in Baltimore since I have been here, when we first came here it nothing but Jeff, but now it is Union, wherever we go we have tremendous crowds to witness our Parade, Sunday the Fort is full of People the seventh Maine are encamped on Patterson park about two miles from us I was over to thier encampment yesterday to [?] A large number of my acquaintance the men in our Regiment have made A large number of acquaintances in Baltimore the Union People show us A great deal of attention & we are always welcome to thier Houses whenever we are enclined to go. I took dinner at the Henry Jacksons A few days ago & I enjoyed myselfe very much, our food is verry good we have fresh meat every day & splendid bread fresh from the oven in fact we have nothing to complain of except rainy weather we have had rain for the last week past & we are all mud inside of the Fort we have to go as far as from our House to South St for our dinner as all the cooking arraingments are outside of the Fort and just now it is fun to see the crowd at dinner time it is so sloppy it is as much as one can do to keep his footing one fellow will get his oaf of bread his soup & meat & with both hands full will start for his tent he may get to his tent with his dinner & he may not ten chances to one his dinner goes in the mud but they all take it in as A good Joke & if one succeeds in getting to his tent with his dinner all safe all right I lost my breakfast the other morning I had three slices of toasted bread that I had toasted nicely & with my coffee in one hand & the toast in the other I sarted for the tent when halfe way down the plank which leads from the cook tent to the Fort away went the bread in the mud so I had to make my breakfast on A pot of coffee I shall be glad when we have some pleasant weather it is nothing but mud around here & it makes it verry unpleasant I will write as often as I can I shall have more time now we have got through work I receive letters from Joseph quite often hopeing that this will find you enjoying good health I remain your Son George W Leavitt Company F Fifth Regiment New York Volunteers Col Warren

Letters from George Leavitt and his brother Joseph were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865 “because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid.” Both boys were mortally wounded int he war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania,
May 18, 1864

MSS 66

My Dear Creek

I have just returned from another tour
of Picket duty and am very happy to find your kind
letter of the 15th inst awaiting me, but am sorry that I
cannot encourage you in the hope of our spending the winter
in South Carolina, such a rumor has been going the rounds
of the camp, but it is only a supositon grounded on the
speach of Governor Pickens at Sandy Springs, and I think
that our being sent home before our time is out, highly
improbable, no one would be more happy to have it so
than myself, but I know the safety of our cause will not
admit of it as present, and I am willing to suffer any
disapointment or Privation for the good of our country.
As to my revolunteering when our time is out–circumstances
must alone decide, should our country still require my
services, I feel assured, you would be the last one to throw
any obstacle in the way of my serving her. Much as we
both wish to be together, but my Dear Creek this is not
a time for us to consult Personal feelings we must take
a wider view of the subject, and the confidence which
my fellow Citizens have reposed in me, in placing
me in the high position which I now occupy, calls upon
me not to retract until until our liberty is accomplished
and the honour of our Family also demands it–will it not

[page 2]
to a greater source of happiness for our posterity to say my
Father did his duty in the great struggle for our independence,
then to have it said your Father only half accomplished the
duties required of him, Think on the subject in this light
and trusting in the great God of Battles who has hitherto been
our protector a happy future will still be ours.

I have not yet recieved the Box but understand it is at
Manassas Junction I will send after it tomorrow.
I have also recieved good news about Jimie today from a
Richmond paper, I see he has been released from imprisonment
and is on his way home, Our authorities some time recently
released all of the wounded Prisoners who were taken on
the field of Manassas, and the Yankees have released the
same number of ours in return, and among that numger
is the name of Jas. N. McFall which I think must be
Jim the N only being a mistake so I think if he is not
already home you may look for him shortly. Roger Pinkny
is also among the number but Robt Lewis’ name is not among
them, I know this will be joyful news to you all, as well
to us, and I think it may be relied on as the Richmond
Paper had copied it from a Northener one.

Another Battle has also fought (which has resulted in
our favour) at Leesburg Va on the 21 the enemy about
twelve thousand strong crossed the Potomac at two
points and attacked our forces (who were ready for them)
under the command of our old General N.G. Evans who
had only twenty five Hundred men six cannon and two
troops of Cavalry but the gallant little drove them
back taking 520 prisoners three cannon and it is supposed

[page 3]
about 300 of them were drowned in the river in the rout
Evans having drove a whole regiment of them into the river
at once, this is when he took all the Prisoners, General Baker
who commanded the northern troops was killed in the
Action, and 400 more reported to have been killed
and a report just come to camp states that 300 more prisoners
have been taken, and that the loss on our side is about
350 killed and wounded. General Evans sent here to
Beauregard, for Reinforcements–and wished our Regiment
to be sent, but we being out on Picket duty at the time
the fifth Regt S. C. Col Jenkins were sent in our place
this report of the fight may be relied on (as I have it
from authentic sources) excepting the last 300 prisoners
reported to be taken which needs confirmation.

The weather has been wet and unsettled for several days
but has clearled off this evening and is now cold and
windy with the prospect of remaining cold for some
time at least the weather Prophets in the neighbourhood
say so. The Health of our Regt still continues to improve
and begins to look like a Regt once more.

William is well and sends his love to you all he says
he will write tomorrow, he is in very high spirits about
James. Rember me to all of our friends.

Kiss our little darling Maggie for me and tell her papa
will come home to her with Prettys as soon as I can find an
opportunity–Good By Dear Creek May Heaven guide
and protect you, and shed its richest blessings upon
you

Your affectionate Husband William

[crosswise on page 4]
The Southern Confederacy has given
me five quires of Paper so I am in
town again for writing.

William Anderson, Captain Co J 4th South Carolina Volunteers (Palmetto Sharpshooters)

MSS 10366

[from the diary of Francis G. Hale of the 34th Ohio Zouaves]

It is awfull cold this morn
ing. we felt very cold but we
soone got a fire started
and got warmed got our
breakfast feelt pretty good
we have a good place
for to keepe out the cold
got two stoves that
we keep fire in so
we have nice times for
soldiers to what some
of them do for they
have to lay on the
ground in their tents
they get up very Chilly
of a morning stand shiver
ing in the cold a bout the
fire they look and feele
blue these cold morning

MSS 13405

[from the diary of Harrison B. Jones of the 33 Virginia Infantry]

Suppose to be
about 800 drownded
about 200 killed &c;
wounded on our side
the prisoner taken
was very well clad

NSS 14169

[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the Dixie Greys (co. E of the 42nd Virginia)

Morning cold and cloudy. March
from Meadow Bluff to Arbuckle’s
& encamp with the malitia
Had plenty to eat.

MSS 5526.

[from the diary of Eugene M. Cox of the Albemarle Border Guard]

10 A.M. as indicated above, we started last night at about 7 1/2–Was raining when we marched and continued so nearly all night–had the worst time by far that we have had since in service–dark, rainy, and exceedingly muddy–as it was, made it a dreadful tramp–The head of our Column got to “Meadow Bluff” 8 miles distant at midnight–but the whole road was strewn with men and wagons–nearly all the men have gotten up–but many wagons etc. are still on the road–our company’s wagon was capsized last night so we are without baggage, tents or cooking utensils–9 P.M. Our wagon got here this evening and all of our things with it–doing very well now–

MSS 38-221