[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private of the 23rd Ohio]
Sunday, Mar. 23, 1862
Played for Guard mounting
no Parade
Have done nothing
this day
Cold snow on the ground
received fresh beef
to day
MSS 10317
[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts Infantry]
Sunday
March 23
On guard again on the third
relief which goes on at six.
Staid round looking at the artillery
regiment and reading &c. I went on at
six and staid till ten. a negro came
out and gave me some tea and warm
biscuit. Enjoyed a very pleasant time on
my beat. Had soft bread for dinner
MSS 11293
[from the diary of William M. Blackford, of Lynchburg, Va., former diplomat, newspaper editor and bank officer, with 5 sons in the Confederate Army]
Sunday23 Cloudy, cool & damp–threatening
snow–Much indisposed–attended church
which was not warm and my cold was aggra-
vated–No news from any quarter–Read a
good deal in the afternoon–but my eyes
are becoming so irritable that I fear I shall
soon have to quit using them, at least in
reading–and what a deprivation it would
be. Mr Kincle’s sermon appropriate to the times
though not one of his able discourses.
MSS 4763
[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan, and a Sgt., Co. B, 1st Special Battlion (Rightor’s), Louisiana Infantry]
Sunday – March 23nd 1862
Had nothing to do this morning till
12 o’clock – waiting for Lieut Lindsey to
come up from Ship point – Lieut Poissant
is also waiting to see him – he arrived
at 12 o’clock today – after dining with
me we rowed over in the Generals boat
to our fleet & made the sailors take
us down to Tues Point in one of the gigs
where we boarded the Guard boat –
Capt White brought us up above the
Sand box – again taking our gig we
came in at dark – We went to within
a few miles of the Blockading Str [steamer]
which was laying round the point.
Wrote a letter to Bro George tonight abt getting a
letter from Genl [Adley Hogan] Gladden, also to Willie
asking to write Meek about the same – Wrote
to Bro Sam today also acknowledging
receipt of Lizzies letter on 18th Inst. Bed
at 11 ½ o’c – in Mr Heers room
[Written perpendicularly across the above page:]
Janin, Knowlton & Lindsays bro
[-] below went with us [-] former here
to see abt going with us on the
Expedition
[York River enters the Ches. Bay at Tue’s Pt.]
[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards, comment by Robert K. Krick]
MSS 6154
1862 March 23rd Orange Co. 2 1/2 miles from CH
My Dear Little Brother
I received your letter some time ago
and intended answering it long before this — but have
been on a march so much it has been difficult to
get paper & time that I could not write. You know
my little brother it has not been because I did not
love you, for be sure always that I love you a great,
a very great deal. I often think of you & wish to see
you. I dreamed last night of a battle which I thought
you saw and were describing to me. But I hope
you may never be so unfortunate as to witness
a battle. We have marched only two
days since I saw wrote to father. And those short
marches, but very disagreeable. It rained all
day one day. I got a letter from father two fiveor three or six days ago at Culpeper C.H. that is the last
I recieved. Tell hm to direct to me to Orange C.H.
Richmond Howitzers, Seventh Brigade. I would
not be surprised if we stayed here since some
[page 2]
time, though of course don’t know. Father’s letter
was dated the 10th. I received one the same day
from cousin Lee. There are no little boys in
camp to play with you, but I wish sometimes
you could be in camp a short time — to see our big
guns & you could ride as much as you wanted
to for we have our big about a hundred
horses in our company. But when we are
marching they don’t let us ride but we
have to walk; Except when we get to a
river & then we ride across & get down as soon
as we have crossed. I don’t know why I
don’t get a letter from home, for the mails
come to camp every day, I mean the letters. No
papers come in the mails, but a news carrier
brings papers to camp nearly every day. We thus get
the news though we have to pay 10 cents for
every paper. I told Papa or Mama, one I forget
which, to ask you how “Puggs” was. But you
did not answer. I hope you are not inconstant.
We have no days in camp–but the soldiers
[page 3]
catch a good many hares. They all begin
to hollow at soon as a hare is started & scare
it so much that it can’t run. My Dear brother
good bye. You must study your books as
much as you can — a time will come when you will
be very glad if you shall have done so, very sorry
if you have not. The country here is very pretty.
Snow is now on the tops of the mountains & has been
there several days — it looks pretty when the sun
shines on it. Again goodbye my dear brother,
Affectionately
Yr. brother
W.H. Perry Jr.
William H. Perry, Jr., 1836-1915, of the Richmond Howitzers
MSS 7786-d
Camp Taylor near
Orange C.H. Virginia, March 23d
My Dear Creek
After a long and fatiguing
march,we have arrived at our destination
for the present, of course we cannot tell
how long we are to continue here, but
from every indication they seem to
intend keeping us here for a considerable
time, it is two weeks today since we
started from Centreville and have been
marching all the time except four days
which we rested on the road at intervals,
the weather has been very favourable for
the march most of the time, but we
had some pretty rough days and nights
of rain, which made the roads very bad
in places, but we have all stood it finely
and the health of our Regiment has improved
[page 2]
very much on the march there is not a
single case of sickness in our camp this
morning and there is about six hundred
of us, I am five pounds heavier than I
was when I left Centreville, and nearly the
balance have improved in proportion.
We are lying at present in a woods &
are expecting our tents and baggage
in a day or two, they were all sent back
on the cars to Gordonsville which is
about eleven miles from hers: when
they arrive we will soon make ourselves
comfortable again. I have not had
my clothes of in two weeks, so you may
know I begin to want clean under
clothes pretty bad. I think I will
get them today or tomorrow when my
trunk gets here, we have fared very well
on the road for men on a march, we
have always had plenty of bread and
meat, and sometimes coffee, but our
sugar ran out, and you know the
coffee was not much to me without
[page 3]
it, we came through one of most beautiful
contries[sic] I have ever seen, the land is all
fine, and ladies pretty and clever
now dont get jealous, we are now in a place
where I dont think we will ever see any
one but ourselves, right in the centre of
a large body of woods, about two miles
from Orange C.H. and close to the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad,
I think now that we have got back
this far we will all get our furloughs
in a few days, this however is only
supposition, but should it be so I will lay
in my claim among the first–I will try
and get to stay at home one month
but I am afraid it will only spoil me
again, for there is a great difference between
home and camp life. Bill and Jim
are both here and quite well. I expect to get
several letters from you by the mail this evening.
Kiss Dear little Maggie for me, and except for
yourself the constant love of your devoted
William
[page 4]
address
Capt. Wm Anderson
4th Regt. S.C.V.
Camp Taylor Orange C.H.
Virginia
William Anderson, Captain Co. J, 4th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers [Palmetto Sharpshooters]
MSS 10366
Near Winchester March 23 – 62
My Darling Wife
We have had a severe
fight today ___ and are pretty badly
whipped – I am uninjured –
Geo Chapin & Will Lewis are safe
Ever Yours
E F Paxton
[The above note is not included in Civil War Letters of General Frank “Bull” Paxton.
The note refers to the first battle of Kernstown, Va. “Stonewall Jackson’s Confederates drove in on the Federal forces of James Shields. Confederate cavalry under Turner Ashby, having fought a skirmish the day before, had reported only a rear guard left in Winchester. Jackson struck hard with his 3500, but found Shields strongly placed with 9000. Despite the disparity, Jackson’s men fought well and won deserved honors before gathering in their wounded and retreating southward up the Shenandoah.”-Long. Civil War Day by Day.]
[transcription and annotation by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 2165, -a
Camp Franklin Near St. Johns Seminary Alaxandria, Va. march 23/62
Dear Father I received your letter & Mothers which was enclosed in your[s] of
19th the Regiment returned back from Fairfax to the old campground
last Tuesday & are awaiting orders to go aboard the Fleet at Alaxandria
whixh is to take ours & the three other Brigades to reinforce some Point further
down South the third fourth & sixth & seventh are going the third &
fourth have all ready gone aboard, General McDowel has four Divisions
under his command making one Grand Division General Franklins is
one of th eDivisions under him, we have got A new Captain in the Com
pany his name is Patch he comes from Portland Whilst the Regiment was
at Fairfax but hasnot taken command yet you know George Fernald that
kept the Hack stand right acrost the street from Edwards he came out from
Portland at the same time & has been appointed second Lieutenant of I
the Bethel Company this is the Company this is the company [sic] that has the
only Captain that came out with the Regiment his name is Edwards
I received A letter from George day before yesterday he said he was well
paid there was mighty good signs of his staying in the Fort till the
war is over I am glad that he has got such a good place & hope it is so good
as I have had this winter all that I can say is that the Army of the Poto
mac could not have any better care taken of them & as far as I am concerned
I am satisfied & am glad that I have been able to take care of myself for the
ten months past & if I ever get out of this, I shall go in the Regulars or Navy the
Regiment has got new caps we have had the regular cap all along which the
men did not like they was A great Plague on drill I am well & in good health
& hope you will answer this, in the Clipper I saw that they was not going to
allow the Army of the Potomac send home anymore letters for A While so I
you do not get any letters from me you will know the reason why, but if we em
bark this week I will try & send you word But you can send letters to the Regiment
the reason that I suppose letters wont go is the y write every little t hing that is
going about From you Son Joseph Leavitt
P.S. you will see by the date of of[sic] this letter 23d which I do not send
out till the 25th because I thought we would sail but by the looks of
things I do not think that this Division will go any further down South
but if we do go I will write as soon as we start, what I meant by saying
that the Soldiers of the Potomac could not write to their Friends is that
them that has gone aboard of the Fleet could not write & if I can get that
Piece I will try & send it to you there is reports going round that the Reg
iment is going to Guard Washington the reason I have not written Henry is
that I have not had the stamps & cannot get them if it were not for some of the members of the Company did not lend them to me,they have them sent from Home
Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York 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
[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]
Saturday 22 I was awakened this morning by Anne[?]
saying Miss Liza Mas(sic) Tom is come–I could scarcely
believe my ears–As I had not heard of, or from him in
five weeks and had thought him ill or dead–but he is here
safe & I am truly thankful God has permitted me to see
him again–He looks badly–He has a dreadful cough and
has been sick with typhoid fever and jaundice–He
don’t improve fast–But I hope will get [?]
soon–He has lost all of his baggage–He has not
even a change of clothes–Lieutenant Mason was
kind enough to find him for us–Sent him a shirt,
vest & other things and hurried him off
MSS 6960
[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former owner and editor of the Staunton
Spectator]
Saturday night, March 22, 1862.
Persons who arrived from Jackson’s army this afternoon,
report that the Federalists have gone back from Wood-
stock, and that Jackson, reinforced by 6000 men from
Johnson’s command East of the mountain, had started in
pursuit. There is some doubt as to the reported reinforce-
ment; but none as to the other. There has been a ru-
mor for several days that an outbreak had occurred in
Maryland, which had caused a backward movement of
Federal troops — not credited. It is asserted also that
a Maryland regiment in the Federal army had refused
to cross the Potomac, till they were forced over. No news
of interest in the Richmond papers. Our magnificent vic-
tory in Arkansas has been whittled down to a point. Frank
Preston returned last night with John Alexander, and they
spent the night with us. Va gave them an early break-
fast this morning. A petition was circulating to-day, ask-
ing for martial law in Staunton. I oppose it.
While at Legh’s yesterday, and on the road, I could but ob-
serve the quiet aspect of the country. The cattle in the
barn-yard and the sheep in the field and all nature
seemed perfectly composed. Oh if the rage of man could
be lulled to rest! Returning home I met a man and
asked him the latest news — “Nothing special,” he replied,
“not many getting off, but I did.” The ruling thought with
him was in reference to the Board of exemption from
military duty. The upper regiment from Rockbridge
passed through to-day, John Graham, John Barclay &c
with them. I had a talk with Moses to-day about the
state of affairs.
MSS 38-258
