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

No dress parade
practiced on new piece
Scots Q[Quickstep?] Billy & Jo have
not arrived yet.
cold stormy snows a little

MSS 10317

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

Sent a letter home this morning
Was detailed this morning for
the Commisary Dept. Went down and re-
ported to the Commisary General and
staid at headquarters till about 4
oclock and then we were taken over to
the Steamer Admiral, and given a
supper of fried oysters, bread, butter and
coffee. We then went ashore and were
sent right back to stop on the boat over
night. I am now on the cabin stairs

MSS 11293

My darling wifey

I wrote you a hurried
letter on yesterday which I hope you have
received but for fear you have not
I will make myself liable to the charge
of repetition–I am now with the company
here in quite a thickly settled neighbor-
hood about a mile from the fort is
a very fine house, inhabited by very
respectable folks, an old lady and
her sons and daughters–and I have
fixed on that place to board you for
some time, if I am not elected
professor–But this latter, I can’t help
hoping for and expecting–and if
I am not, I shall be greatly disap=
pointed–I have written quite a long
letter to Mr D’arcy Paul of Petersburg
in order to enlist him more firmly
in my behalf–I hope you have
written all those letters, I requested
you to do and besides, done every
thing that was necessary to advance
my claims–You must leave nothing
undone–I have done all I can.
I have sent you Lieut. Brown’s letter

[page 2]
and one from Capt Southall and Lieut
Peyton–I sent you a very complimen-
tary one from Major Goode by
Slaughter Ficklin–Slaughter was at
lur camp on Saturday evening and
expected to leave for home next day
so I asked him to carry it–it was
directed to Dr Smith and he wouldn’t
carry it unless sealed, but I expected
you to open it and put on the
back in pencil “for Mrs H P Cochran”
Let me know if you have gotten
all these letters because I cant
afford to lose any–and be very
careful to see that they go safely
to Dr Smith–Ross, one of the young
men, to whom I requested you to
write is Major in Col Baldwin’s
regiment–It is now only three weeks
before the election and immediately
upon your learning the news, if good
telegraph: if not, you can write it.
It will be necessary to get my discharge
if elected: and I dont want any
delay about that, because every day
of delay, keeps me that much longer
from you. I suggested in my letter
to you yesterday, that the petition for

[page 3]
my discharge should be signed by
all the Board–see to it.
Gen Magruder has been trying to
get us excited on the war question
but we have gone into winter
quarters and are preparing for the
cold weather which must certainly
succeed this mild and beautiful
weather–

There is no news of any interest
down here–the mail facilities are
very bad, which accounts for my
not writing more regularly.
I recd mother’s letter and shall
answer it soon. I hope Maggie
is better–

With much love to Va & your
mother I am yours devotedly

Tell Va that I have recd her cap and
it is beauty and a comfort–two men
offered to buy it the first day I put
it on. I believe she said something
about making more for the soldiers
if so, tell her to make them of
coarser yarn.

Mrs. H.P. Cochran
Charlottesville
Va

Howe Peyton Cochran Sergeant, Co. H, 1st Virginia Artillery In this and previous letters, Cochran writes about his efforts to attain a teaching position at Randolph Macon College. See particularly letter of November 20
MSS 9380

Dear Miss Fanny

I wrote you a day or two
ago and begged you to write me
a Xmas letter to cheer me
At that time I supposed I would
spend that cheerful season at
Camp. Now I am on my way
to Columbia S.C. to attend
the meeting of the convention
of the People of So. Ca. the Same
that passed the Ordinance of
Secession, of which I think
you did not much approve.
Now, however, I hope you
do no consider us so rash
as when we first met. My
purpose in writing this
hasty note is to assure you
of my continual thought
of you and to beg that you
will address me at Camden
S.C. from which place I will
receive my letters. More anon
Most Truly Yrs.

J.B.K.

Miss Fanny Dickens

General Joseph Brevard Kershaw, 1822-1894

MSS 5533-d

[from the diary of Wesley A. Hammond of the Dixie Greys, Co. E of the 42nd Virginia]

Departed to be examined by
Dr. this morning

[added later though still dated the 22nd.]

Remained at Hospital
till the first of Jan. during
which time nothing in
West transpired worth
mentioning.

MSS 5526

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding of the 25th Massachusetts]

Rather cold and raw. Had
services at eleven o’clock. Mrs.
Col. Upton and others were there.

MSS 11293

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

Were paid late last night
received 40 dol. no dress parade
to night. rained this afternoon
received package of papers from
home. Have been entertained by
a contraband now working for
Hood & Stevens. Windy cool

MSS 10317

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

it commenced
to rain to day and
rained most all day
the pay master has
come and we are to
be payed of to day
or to morrow we
had regimental in
spection to day I
felt to tiard to go
out so I stayed
in quarters I expe
ct I will have
to go on guard
for it tomorrow
the boys seeme very
well pleased to see
the pay master and
think they will
have good times now.

MSS 13405

My dear Father your letter of the 14th inst is receivd your
letters are always welcome your letters are always welcomed[sic], you
need not be afraid to long letters I am always glad when the
mail brings A letter from you, you wish to know if they had
paid all that is due, no but we shall get it by and buy it will
be allowed us when we settle for our clothing which is I believe
once A year then each man in the regiment is allowed so
much. A year for clothing & rations & at the end of the year there
is A settlement when everything that is due is paid over or credited
to the next years account in regard to the complaint you mention
from the Boston correspondents as far as our Regt is concerned we
have plenty of clothing and we are allowed as much wood to burn
as we wish to be sure our tents are not so warm as in the Summer
but we manage to get along verry well we will not have to stop in
tents more than one week longer as our Winter Quarters are nearly
finished the boards in our tents of course are not so soft as in the
Summer but in fact as the cold wether comes on the boards grow
hard & turn them as often as we will they will not grow soft there
are A great many that will grumble no mater how well of they are
Company F did not try to get clear of going on the Expedition but
they on the contrary were affraid they would be left out you will
please excuse the shortness of this letter as this is the sixth letter
that I have written to day since dinner & the light will have to be
put out in A few moments the next time I will try to make up for
the shortness of this one remember me to all from you Son Geo W. Leavitt

[note from John Leavitt made as he was copying the above letter]

the following was enclosed in the above but dont seem to belong to
it but I will record it as I find it, this day August 22d 1865 John Leavitt

One is played out we have been contenting ourselves that the rebels had
no arms, no clothing, no food but such things I have never beleivd
for A moment I believe they have A plenty of everything & as for starving
them out it is foolish to think of, as I said before it has A bad influence
in the Army their letting known traitors to at large remember me
to all I intended to have written to Edward this evening but as my
candle has nearly burnt out I shall not have time but will write
soon hopeing that I soon shall have the pleasure of meeting you
all again I am your Son

George

Letters from George Leavitt and his brother Joseph Leavitt 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 in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864.

MSS 66

Brother William As I have not written to you since the great
Expedition to Accomac, I will now try & write you A few lines I
suppose you have heard the particulars of this great expedition about
the Batteries that were taken the marching of six thousand Soldiers
through the Counties of Worcester, Accomac, & North Hampton
yes from New Town Maryland to Eastville Va & back to Pongotague
after Rebels but Nary rebel was to be found, it was what we called
A wild goose chase one Regt could have done as well as six if Accomac
& North Hampton counties are A fair sample of Virginia all I have to say is
they are fifty ears behind the times the meanest looking Village in the North
cannot compare with the Villages we passed through on our March from
Newtown to Eastville as I wrote in my letter to Father the People look as though
we had noked them out of A fifty years sleep the Houses were mostly
built in the year One I should judge. at Easterville we were encamped
one week & while here we lived on Chickens, Turkeys sweet potatoes and
corn bread for A pair of chickens they would charge twelve cents all
the money they had in Eastville were shin plasters & twelve cents were
worth haveing we had the genuine Nigger every evening in Camp we
would make A ring & get two or more inside & they would sing and
dance & such singing & dancing you never saw at any Nigger Concert
every where we went the Darkies would Crowd into the Camp and
to Join the Regiment, we got A great deal of information from the darkies
I asked on fellow why the Rebels stand he said that Col Smith
(that is the name of the person that had command of the Rebels)
said he was going to cut the Yankees up into mince meat, but
when he heard them fellows with the red Breeches were coming
he said it was getting to hot could not stay any longer, we had
some Tough marches but got through with it without any being
sick my health is verry good in fact I have not been on the sick
list since Joining the regiment, I wish you would send me A
few Postage stamps some letters I write I do not like to frank A
few stamps would come handy I have not received but one paper
from you since the twelveth of Nov please send me the back numbers
of the transcript hopeing to meet you again in A few months I&
I remain your Brother
Geroge W. Leavitt