From the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat, bank officer, and editor, of Lynchburg, Va., with five sons in the Confederate Army.

Friday 14 rain in moderation frequently
during the day. As disagreeable weather
as could be desired. Learn from good
authority that five brigades had arrived
at Gordonsville & that the retreat has been
so hasty as to occasion destruction of baggage
-further that Jackson had retired up the
Valley. This is sad news. I have not yet
been able to see the wisdom of a retrogressive
movement–I suppose McClellands army
is overpowering in numbers-and ours wea
-ker than we suppose. Gordonsville has no
natural advantages as a place to make a stand.
The finest portion of Virginia is thus abandon-
ed to the enemy. I think there is nothing
to prevent the enemy from coming here.
No further intelligence from Price’s army
which is I think ominous. Had we gained
a victory we should have had news of it ere
this. Wrote to Kean to inform him that
I hand rented out his house to Dr. Jenkins at
40$ per month–No letter from any one.
The mails from the army seem to have been
suppressed. I am very unhappy about
the boys and especially Lanty. I see no
chance of his joining his company. His sit
uation at Gordonsville, where I presume he ar
rived today, must be very disagreeable, & i
fear he cannot get on to Charlottesville. Dr.
Tuttle, appointed Government agent to hunt
for Salt Petre earths, with a college ac-
quaintance of Lewis’, named Strange, came
to spend the evening. About 8 oclock the
telegraph boy came with two dispatches
-one from Jno Herndon asking whether
I can rent a house for him–the other from
Jno B. Minor announcing the distressing news
of the death of little Lucy Landon at 4
this evening. It was a great shock to us.
What a blow it will be to poor Charles
to hear of the death of two children. The
dispatch says nothing had been heard
from, or of, him, since the death of Willy.
May God sanctify them[?] dispensations to
the parents and to all of us–I have not
had a line from the University since Wil-
lys death. It was only through Dr. Tuttle
I heard of the illness of the baby–I do
not know now whether Nannie may
not [?] etc We may expect a battle at
any moment–with five sons in it, can
I hope all shall escape! I feel a proud
consciousness all will do their duty gallantly
My eyes very sore- & very intolerant of gas
light–Fear I shall not soon have use of
them at night.

MSS 4763

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

Thursday
March 13
Came to anchor last night, as near
as I could estimate, about twelve
miles from Newbern. This morning
the troops commenced landing and
the gunboats moved up and commenced
shelling a battery on the shore. We got
on our things and waited to be landed
all the forenoon. My things weighed 35
pounds gun included. We landed and
marched ahead awhile, when I with
fifteen others was detailed to help draw
cannon. It was very muddy and hard work
When we were relieved George Lowe and
I went along to catch up with our regiment
I carried an umbrella which I picked up,
part of the way. It rained almost all the
way. We caught up just at dark, as the
regiment was encamping in the woods.
We are almost tired out. We passed through
an intrenchment which the rebels had
evacuated.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, private and musician in the 23rd Ohio]
Friday, Mar. 14, 1862

Played for Guard mounting
and for parade this eve–
Practiced out in the
woods. Talked with
[?] Burgys
8 of the Cavaly[sic] out this
morning surrounded
2 killed 2 wounded and
one taken prisoner
Scouts sent out have
returned nothing accom-
plished
Showery but pleasant

MSS 10317

Camp Johnson March 14th 1862

My Dear Hamie
I have just time to say to
you that I will start with my comp-
any, in the morning, for Richmond. It is
ordered to report immediately to Genl.
Winder. It has been converted into
an artillery a company company[sic] of heavy
artillery. I do not know where we are
to be stationed, I presume somewhere
near Richmond. So you will not
write again until I can give you my
new post office. Your last dear, imp
ortant and interesting letter came to hand
yesterday. I hope I may now have an
opportunity of seeing you.

Good bye
Ever yours
John

John Marshall Steptoe, 44th Virginia Infantry

MSS 6515

Fort Magruder near Wmsburg
14 March 1862

The day after I reached Yorktown (the
28th ulto.) I wrote you, Miss [Hettie] Cary, touching
what occurred when we last parted.
I deemed an apology as due alike
to you & myself. I have not heard
one word in reply–& for days have
been at a loss to know what to do-
Sometimes I wd think you were
unkind & ungenerous enough to
receive my explanation in silence–
& wd think well this ends all
intercourse between us–& that
painful as was the loss of your
friendship, still I could not consis-
-tently with my self-respect do
more than I had done to retain it–
You know enough of my feelings toward
you to be aware how painful was
this view of the question. For some
years past life has had but few
charms for me–I have almost

[page 2]
at times been weary of it–& but
for a dread of something worse hereaf-
-ter might have laid it down–
It was under these circumstances
that I saw you in Richmond–my
old feelings of admiration & partiality
for you at once revived–a new
zest was given to life–I felt
a positive enjoyment in it–It
was no longer purposeless–There
was your esteem to strive for-
I hoped to make you feel more
partial to me than to all other
men–If you can enter into these
feelings, you can form some idea
as to the pain it gave me to con-
-template a rupture of those re-
-lations which had from our
earliest acquaintance existed
between us. Still I felt unwilling
to stoop to avoid even your ids-
-pleasure–did I suppose my

[page 3]
letter was recd & had you declined
to answer it, because in a long
series of ears I had been guilty
of one breach of propriety prompted
by affection & not disrespect, I shd
never write this letter–No, I
write because it may be that
either my letter to you or your
answer may have miscarried–
& I am unwilling that any accident
of this sort shall estrange us–
I wish you to write so that
I may know whether my letter
was recd. & if so, whether you an-
-swered it, & how?

The character of your reply will determine our
future relations–the matter
rests entirely with you to decide–
In any event, let me hear from
you–so that I may not longer
be kept in suspense. This,
at least, you can not refuse.

[page 4]
That it is your duty to accept
my apology is to my mind
unquestionable. Shd your reply
assure me of a continuance of
your kind feelings for me–I shd
be pleased to learn the probable
length of your stay in Richmond.
Forgive the soiled character
of my paper–It is the best
that the camp affords–so
long as I am not certain that
your friendship is withdrawn,
I shall take pleasure & pride
in subscribing myself–
Very truly Your friend
S. V. Southall
Albemarle Artilley–
Williamsburg.

MSS 1415

[from the diary of Charles Hay, Co. H, 23rd Ohio]

Raleigh, Va. March 14th.
Our little village was thrown into quite
a blaze of excitement this afternoon, in
consequence of the commission of a new
bold & daring assault by a party of
‘bushwackers’ on a squad of Gilmore’s
Cavalry, 7 miles from town. I must
modify my language a little. Instead of
“bold & daring,” “mean & cowardly” would
be more in place. What I mean by
the first words are, their audacity in
coming so near our forces in hostile array.
But to narrate the circumstance; It was
the custom of the com’d’g officer to each
day send a patrol of Cavalry on the
road to the South, (that being the direction
towards the enemy) in order to keep
accurately posted on affairs in that section.
They had never been molested before this
time, when a party of concealed “bushwhackers”
from a hill commanding the road,
fired a volley upon the little party,
(8 men) instantly killing two, & wounding
one. One was captured. The others narrowly
escaped with their lives. I have dilated
some on ‘bushwhackers’ & ‘bushwhacking’
in another place, so that my opinions
are pretty well known. The incident
related, is but an instance of the
hellish atrocities committed by “bushwhackers”.
May they be exterminated without mercy
or without form [?], is the humble prayer
of a humble servant of our venerable
Uncle, Samuel, & to this end, he is
willing to pledge his abilities for “three
years, or during the war.”
Weather fine, & pleasant for March.

see also the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton for an account of this incident.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925

[from the recollections of Capt. Jonathan B. Hager,  14th U. S. Regulars, as copied from his diary]

Mar 14 Friday To day was held the first general review
of the Brigade. Brig Gen. Sykes Commanding the
Brigade reviewing officer. We thought at the time,
how large an army it was, that small brigade
of regulars! What a magnificent spectacle that
handful of men! How insignificant it seemed
afterward when compared with an army of
30 or 50 or 100,000 men–The review passed off
handsomely & the 14th was highly complimented
for its appearance & actions. This pleasure
was not to last. Orders came to march next morning
at 5 oclock–This day my men got together &
made me a comfortable hut, by digging
a hole in the ground almost a foot deep, log-
ging a couple of feet more above the surface,
and my two rubber blankets stretched over a
ridge pole made a splendid roof.

MSS 9044

[on stationery with red and blue Confederate flag with 10 stars]

Packet Boat March 13th 1862

Dear Grandpa; [General John Hartwell Cocke]

Having remained in Richmond only
one day on account of the recent unheard of procla-
mation of our Governor, I was was[sic] not able to fill the
whole of your memorandum

1. The office of the Agric[ulturall Society has been broken up &
I was unable to find Mr. Williams-
w. I called at Farmers Bank of Va: & found the balance
to your credit $91.05. (Did I go to the right place?)
3. I called to see Mr Kenna about the bacon but he
was not in nor any one in his store.
4 I send the pound of Arsenic as requested–price
$2. Enclosed is the change
5. Uncle Charles [Cary Cocke] promised to attend to the other
items in which I failed–

I saw Mr. Skipwith just about to start

[page 2]
southward with the corpse of his wife–He told
me he had written you of her death–
The recent Proclamation has closed or will
close up all business for a time at least
in Richmond–It is the opinion of most
persons that the call for the whole military
force of the State cannot remain unmodified–
I am returning home a boat sooner than
I expected & Pink is with me she will
probably return to her Father’s in a few days.
She joins me in love to All–From
Your Affectionate Grandson
P[hilip] B[arraud] Cabell

There were rumors on the street yesterday
of a Manassas victory in Missouri
and that we had taken Newport’s News–
the latter is possible tho not probable
There was also believed to have been a
heavy skirmish at Fairfax C.H.

Philip Barraud Cabell, 1836-1904, nephew of General Philip St. George Cocke and grandson of General John Harwell Cocke, was one of the few antebellum students at the University of Virginia to obtain a master’s degree. After the war he was a professor at Urbana University in Ohio, and later a minister of a Swedenborgian church in Wilmington Delaware. His wife Julia Calvert Bolling Cabell known as “Pinkie”, had been a popular Virginia belle before her marriage the previous year.
MSS 640

[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, civilian of Staunton, Va.]

Thursday, March 13, 1862.

Intelligence came last night that the enemy forces
occupied Winchester, Gen. Jackson withdrawing
his army. The force of the enemy is not known —
Dr Joe McClung, who came up in the last stage,
says Jackson has not more than 4500 effective men.
He will probably continue to fall back in the di-
rection of Staunton. Our troops lately at Manassas
have retired to the Rappahannock, and the Federal-
ists now have the Manassas Gap Railroad. Two en-
gines from that Road are coming up the turnpike
to this place. It is reported from Richmond that the
Va. Central Railroad is to be our line of defence. —
Before our troops left Winchester, they arrested several
of the citizens suspected of sympathizing with the
enemy. Soon after going down street this morning, I
perceived that there was bad news, before I heard a word
on the subject. The various groups of persons on the
streets indicated by their appearance that some-
thing untoward had happened. There appeared, also, to
be an unusually large number of business were closed.
I am at a loss to know what has become of all the soldiers
we were supposed to have in the field.
Joe McClung says that regiments enrolling 800 men
can muster only 200. We have now to organize
our army in the face of the enemy, the term of
service of most of our troops having nearly ex-
pired. Legh proposed to volunteer to-day, but
was told that he would not be received, as he has
to wear glasses from near-sightedness.

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

[from the diary of Samuel Johnson, 1st Masschusetts Independent Light Battery]

March 13th

Were turned out at six A. M. Everything
inside our lines has been very quiet. altho-
-ugh we are in readiness to move at
any moment. Gen Mc Clellan passed
along our lines to day and was
most
most enthusiastically received. The day
has been mild and pleasant.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493