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

Played as usual
Saw some Tents with
Stoves in them this
monorning. Joe Crotty came in
attended a funeral of
an member of the 11 reg
who died from wounds got
at Cotton Hill partly Clear

Joseph Crotty, another of the musicians in the 23rd, apparently had been home on furlough

MSS 10317

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

on guard to day I am
one of the supernumery
we go a round town
and stop all riets
and any one we
catch drunk we put
them in the guard
house and any one
we find with whiskey
we have to take the
whiskey away from
them and put them
put them [sic]in the guard
house or report to
the colonel there was
two fellows taken up as
spies to day I do not
know what they did
with them I was sent
out on picket at dark

MSS 13405

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts]

Got up this morning feeling
much better than yesterday
Have had nothing to do yet. Sergeant
Sprague came and put aboard eighteen
barrels of potatoes,which are under my
charge. This evening we all played “round
the horn” for a few minutes and enjoyed
it much.

MSS 11293

Dear Sister

I will endeavor to write
you a few lines this morning to let you
know that I am well and hope you may
be enjoying the same blessing when these
few lines reach you. I hope you all
enjoyed your Christmas as it was certainly
a beautiful day here at any rate. We got
back to camp last Sunday evening after
an absence of two weeks the greater part
of the time being made up in marching
night and day. I wrote to you from
Martinsburg telling you of our first trip
to dam No. four in which we did not
do much execution besides taking a few
prisoners; on the next day after I wrote
the brigade came on and we took up
the line of march for dam Number
five we staid there until Saturday
morning when we left for camp during
our stay there we tore up the dam and
stopped operations on the canal for the
winter there was one man killed on our
side a Mr Parks belonging to the Rockbridge
rifles and one of the artilery was wounded
I do no know how many of the enemy

[page 2]
were killed as the skirmishing was done
altogether across the river but there was
several of the enemy seem to fall and
carried off by their friends its is strange
there was no more of us killed than
was as the bombs were bursting around
us the whole time some of our company
picked u pieces of shell that fell
close to them. Our company or a part
of it were at work on the dam
one night the enemy seen did not
see us going in the dam but after we
had been in the dam an hour I went
to the top to look around and in
the moonlight they could see me when
they opened fire upon us the first
balls whistled over my head and
after that I got out of the way
when they opened a perfect shower of
balls upon us but we were prety
well protected and fortunately no one
was hurt. Mr Andrew Lucas arrived
here last sunday evening just about
dark I received the things you sent
me and it just came in time as
we were about out of provisions we
do not fare very well on a march
as there is not time to cook our
provisions, but in camp we fare very well

[page 3]
the roundabout you sent fits me very
well and the socks I will keep although
I do not need them just yet, but I
suppose I will need them after while I will
send the box home by Mr Lucas and
have got knapsacks and I will send
my sachel with what things I have
I send the undershirt home again as I
do not like to wear them here I have
put my uniform coat in and some lead[?]
and other things sam Lucas has a pair of
pants and a flannel shirt in and David
Hanger put in a pair of old socks John
Beard sent his old knapsack it is a
black one and the other sachel is B. F.
Hupps. I had some other things but
when we moved every thing that could
not be taken along was thrown away and
destroyed. the lead is in a little poke it
was picked up from off the field at
Manassas. John Clemmer told me to write
that he wanted enough of cloth like
my roundabout to make him a coat and
pair of pants he said he would give two
dollars a yard or whatever you sold it at
and pay the money as soon as he got the
goods when you write let me know
whether you have any of the cloth to spare
or not.

[page 4]
But I must stop writing as I have
taken up the most of my paper already
Give my love to all enquiring friends and
relations and receive a large share yourself

T. M. Smiley

[written sideways on page 4]
I send you a
button taken off
the coat of a
dead United States
soldier who fell
on the battlefield
of Bull run July
21st 1861

T. M Smiley

Thomas M. Smiley, Private, Co. D, 5th Virginia Infantry

MSS 1807

Dear Father and Mother

I wd take the present
Opertunity of dropping you
A Few lines to let you
know that I am well
at present and a hope
when theas Few lines come
to hand, they may find
you injoying the Same
Blessing I received your kind
letter yesterday I was glad
to here from you all tell
uncle S C Abbott I will
write to him soon I have
my health better then I
ever did when I left home
I weighed 131 lbs and now I weighed
150 pounds I have nothing of
importance to write you it
is knot worth while to say any thing
thing[sic] about the war [word smeared out] news for
we dont know when we
hear the truth we air Fairing
very well we get so much
beef to eat we hafto build
a fire on top of our
heads to melt the tallow
out of the ruff of our moths
I am still at Orange C H
the ladys of Orange give the
Soldiers a Big dinner to day
I done some eating I would
like to see you all verry well
but i it may be verry possible
that I never See you any more

[page 2]
i get my washing done for
nothing and vast quantity
pretty girl look at I
tell Brother G. W. to write
to me Soon I expect to
send Father $50 00 dolladrs
Before long & now I
must bring theas few
lines to a Close Give my
love to all the children
and to all inqireing friends
so nothing more
but I hope to remain your
affectionate son untill death
so Fare well

James. B. Painter

Dear Brother it is
with pleasure to drop you
Few lines to let you know
that I am well
and hope when theas few
lines come to hand they
may find you enjoying
the same blessing I was
amused to here of your
double quicking from
Harvest nothinge more
dear Brother
G. W. P J. B. P.

James B. Painter, Corporal, Co. K, 28th Virginia Infantry

MSS 10661

Gen J. H. Cocke (Bremo Bluff, Va.
)
My dear christian Friend

Though it is long since we have heard
from each other, I trust that good health, &
other blessings of an ever faithful Providence
still attend you old age. Our family are
all well and at home. Brother Wm is in
the theological seminary, while father and I
still labor to circulate the leaves of
divine truth. the Fulton st. Prayer Meetings
are fully attended, and the Holy Spirit is poured
out in answer to fervent prayer, all over the
country. Rev. Dr. Marsh I see frequently, & your old
friend John Tappan, I believe, is well. So also is Mr. Dr.
Smith, whose son Ews. B. I saw yesterday. Ex-Chief-
Justice Williams, late president of the Tract Society died
last week at Hartford, aged 84 years. A season of unusual
health, & such abundance that more is exported than ever
before, give us reason for gratitude to the “Giver of every good and
perfect gift.” With Kind regards, hoping if we do not meet again
here, we shall in the world where sin & sorrow do not enter.
I am yours in hope of a Better Covenant

B. T. Eastman.

John Tappan, 1781-1871, older bother in the famous Massachusetts family of merchants, reformers, abolitionists and philanthropists.

Thomas Scott Williams, 1777-1861, active in Connecticut politics and president of the American Tract Society, to which Cocke also belonged, an organization founded in 1825 to spread Christian literature.

The Rev. Dr. John Marsh, 1788-1864, was a leading temperance reformer, another reform in which Cocke was deeply interested.
MSS 640

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

Played & practiced. no Dress parade
Billy fox came in this morning
Phil & I saw the major about
going home he gave us some
encouragement. Wore our Dress
coats this morning
mostly cloudy cool

MSS 10317

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

to day is chrismass
we have nothing to do
to day no drilling to do
to day a good many of
the boys have gon to
Guyandott to see the
cavelry that are there
they brought in the word
that there was a good lot
of cavelry a going to attack
us to night I went to
church to night we had
a class or speaking meeting
I took my gun a long
and other fixings so
that if we was attacted
I would be ready we
had a very good meeting
there was a boy
in Comp K got shot
to night by axident

MSS 13405

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding of Co. f, 25th Massachusetts]

I did not sleep much of any
last night. Some of the fellows
who were in the room played cards nearly
all night. I got up and ate sugar out
of a two quart measure which was there.
We kept a fire all night. this morning we were
taken on board the Admiral again to
breakfast, where we staid the main part
of the forenoon, and were then taken back
to the yard. I went to see Ed Brown awhile
and then went back. We were then
put in a row boat and placed one by one
on a steamer or vessel. I was put on
the New Brunswick of Maine in whose after
cabin I am now writing (about 3 o’clock)
Had a good dinner of roast beef and
turkey, potatoes and vegetables and pudding
I am rather homesick as I am here alone
with nothing to do but God I feel will
carry me through all things if I but
trust in him.

MSS 11293

My darling wifey

A happy christmas and
a merry new year–or a merry christ-
mas and a happy new year–the christ-
mas will hardly be a very happy one
to either of us, being as how we are
separated, but I do hope that it will
be a happy new year to us.

This is the most beautiful Christmas day
I ever saw, and we are not altogether
without some sources of amusement
and pleasure. Lieut Brown has a
large bowl of egg-nog (eggs 50 cts per doz)
which he is dispensing to his friends
and Major Brown has invited me
to dine with him.

I was very much disapointed that
I didn’t receive a letter from you
yesterday, but hope to get one tonight.
Your letters are always agreeable and
welcome, and you have nothing else
to occupy your time but write to
your husband. I was sorry to see in
pone of your late letters that you
stopped because some body called
you.

[page 2]
I have written to you several times
lately do let me know if you have
received my letters and let me
know what you have done with
regard to obtaining for us the
professorship–Three weeks from
to-day the election takes place; I
hope it will pass quickly–I would
like greatly to be with you about
that time and I dont know any
way except applying immediately to
the war department–You know that
Genl Magruder allows two privates and
one non-commissioned officer to go
home every twelve days without
any particular reason and the
way our officers determine who shall
go is by lot–but those who have
been home are not allowed a
chance until all the others have
been and I am in the former
class because I had the pleasure
of seeing you in Wmsburg, and
they think that is all a man wants.
This rule with regard to furloughs is unfair to our company
because we have two or three times
as many men in our company

[page 3]
as are in any other company. What
do you think of applying for me?
I would like very much to have
a furlough commencing about the
8th of Jan. so that if I am elected
there will be no occasion for my
coming back–and if I am not, you
will console me–besides if I am
elected, from the time I get the news
to the 6th of February when I have to
commence my duties is too short
to make my arrangements–do
talk this over with your mother
and see what you can do–
I want Charles kept at home
at least until I can see whether I
will need him–Tom, you had
better hire out–

I think about my darling a great
deal and last night I had a long
dream about her. Do write often
and believe me as ever your
devoted husband
Give Sister Virginia and your Mother
much love and extend to them the
felicitations of the day.

Mrs Howe P. Cochran
Charlottesville
Va.

Howe P. Cochran, Sergeant, 1st Virginia Artillery

MSS 9380