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

Friday 7 Cold bright day. News reached us that
Columbus had been evacuated– every thing of
value saved–Where the stand is to be made
i do not know–We have another report, not alto
gether authentic I fear, that Price has repuls
-sed the enemy at Boston Mountain, with
a loss to them of 8000 killed and many prison
ers according to the St. Louis Republican. If this
be so, it will be shat the battle of Trenton was
in the Revolution –Heard that the Bill establish
-ing the office of Commanding General has passed
Congress & that Ro. E. Lee is to be the man.
He is undoubtedly the best man that could be
selected. Articles in the Whig exceedingly severe
on Davis and hint very significantly at despotism.
He has disappointed every body–His health is
bad-his Temper ditto–One of the most mortify
-ing things in a retrospect of the campaign is
that the fact cannot be denied we have been
out generaled every where–in spite of our West
Point commanders. I read at night, or rather
heard read, a most trenchant article from Balt
-more Blackwood’s Magazine ostensibly against
the Yankees but really attacking all democra-
tic institutions. it is admirably written and
the Yankees–government & people– have recei-
ved so tremendous a castigation. It is true in
all its main positions. Wonder whether the
Am. republishers will reprint this number
of Blackwoods. I doubt it–among Mr. Jno
Minor’s papers, i found some two or three
dozen letters written by Edmund Pendleton
to Gen Woodford[?] bearing date from 1775 to
1779–We have been reading them and find
them very interesting. It is curious to find him
indulging in tirades against speculators and
extortioners, and against the supineness of the
people in volunteering. With the date and names
altered you might suppose them to have
arrived by the last mail.

MSS 4763

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

Friday, Mar. 7, 1862
Did not play for Guard
Mounting
practiced as usual
Helped haul some wood
Fred to help
Had letters from Uncle
Wilks. May go to
Raleigh to morrow
Cloudy cold. [Mike?]
French and members
of Co D here to night

MSS 10317

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

Friday
March 7
Slept out behind some boxes in
the gangway with Gird.Slept
very well. Today have been reading and
talking with the boys. They have great
times fooling with each other. Henshaw
lay on his back on the floor and carried
on like a little boy. This evening one of the
Milford came in and we sung all
the tunes in the Soldiers Hymn Book.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of Sgt. Z. Lee Gilmer, Co. B, 19th Virginia (Albemarle Rifles, currently home on furlough]

Feb 7th [Although dated Feb. 7, from its placement in the diary and content, this entry was written on the 7th of March]

Visited my Devoted
friend & cousin Ann
of Buckingham, remained
with her five days
God Bless her, the
purest of the pure
May that day soon
come that I look for
with so much anxiety
when it shall make
me happy & contented
Devoted woman

MSS 4459

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

Thursday night, March 6, 1862

Before I was up this morning Va informed
me that Alick had arrived in the cars during the
night. When I went in to breakfast, I was sur-
prised to find Kate sitting in the room. Alick
started from Richmond Tuesday morning, but
at Gordonsville the engine was detached from the
train to go to Manassas, and the passengers were
left to get on as they could. They came to Char-
lottesville in the Lynchburg train, and had to re-
main there till yesterday. Kate started yester-
day morning, but the engine being very indifferent
the train did not get in till 2 o’clock this morn-
ing. Instead of coming home upon her arrival
she went to Dr Edmondson’s. Dr E. and Lucy
were returning from a trip to Richmond, he having taken
down a model of a floating battery, which he had
invented! Kate has had a great deal to tell about
her visit. She and others who came up report that
there are vast quantities of army stores at Gordons-
ville — brought from Manassas. Our army, it
is said, it to fall back to the Rappahannock
River.

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

[from the diary of Daniel Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan and a Sgt., Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor’s) Louisiana Infantry]

Thursday March 6th 1862
Rose at seven o’clock this morning – I Drilled the
Infantry & took them out on battalion drill &
parade, both Smith & Faries being sick, &
Minon[?] not from Williamsburg – Wrote a
letter from to Father and one to John Didlake
today – Expressing my regrets at not being able to
join him at present (the latter). Asa Russ
called & spent today with me. Harris &
Fairchild returned from Williamsburg today –
The 2d La 2d Fa, 14th La 15 & 53 Va & the
Cobb Legion are moving to Kings Mill today –
with the 3rd (Moseleys,) Richmond Howitzers – They
will probably reinforce Suffolk. Sat up till
12 o’c tonight – Rain again this Evening –
Have come to the conclusion to give up
all personal desires & remain in the field
for the present – with out going home on a
furlough – The Country needs every man
now

[transcripiton by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

Fort Grafton
March 6, 1862

My darling wife
We came back
from Lion church Tuesday
evening and today we
start for Wmsburg—at least
the order to do so has been
seen though it has not
reached us officially–Capt
Southall left yesterday for
Richmond or home–This
will be carried up by Mr
Burnly a very fine man
and besides the pet of the
Captain–this is the third
time he has been home
while many in the company
have’nt been at all–but
the Capt always manages
to get him off–such
partiality is disgusting

[page 2]
on this occasion the Capt
has sent him up to recomit[sic]
for the company–he sees
that none of his men
will reenlist under him
and he is anxious to have
a nucleus of three year
men upon which to reorg-
anize the company. I have
no idea how long we will
be in Wmsburg–we may
be sent to Norfolk–six
of our regiments have
been ordered to the South
side of James River. I
am inclined to think that
we are a part of the
reserve which is to decide
the fate of any battle on
the peninsula–of course
if we are in Wmsburg
any length of time I

[page 3]
shall try and have you
down–I thought of you
a great deal yesterday
and would have given any
thing to have been with
you–I would have got
a letter from you yesterday
but the cars did’nt connect
with the boat–I shall get
one to day—God bless my
precious darling is the
earnest prayer of her
devoted Husband
Love to all at

Mrs Howe P Cochran
Charlottesville
Va

Howe Peyton Cochran, Sgt., 1st Virginia Artillery

Captain William H. Southall will fail re-election as Captain in April

MSS 9380

Manassas March 6th
My Dear Mother,
Your letter of the 27th was only
received this evening, I have been so busy till one or two
oclock every night that I have had no time whatever to
write to any one. During the day, it is one constant run
of Government & RR business till we are all completely
broken down, Some important movement is going on,
Nothing less I think a falling back to Culpeper or Gordons
ville, late events have rendered this step imperative–
They have stopped all the passenger trains & they run 8 or
10 trains daily from here to Gordonsville altogether by
telegraph. So we are kept-all the time going-No time
scarcely to eat. I dont know how you’ll get this but I
am going to try it via Richmond–I have telegraphed once
to Ned and once to you, & telegraph again in the morning–
I wrote to Ned concerning his enlisting, did he get the letter
and my trunk? tell him to answer by telegraph and telegh
yourself whenever you dont hear from me or get uneasy-
I think I can help Father materially, but am waiting
on Ned. I have about $75 00 which I think I can spare–
So at all events, I wanted to send Ned $100 00 to
speculate on if he had not enlisted & I’m certain we
would have had enough to set Father up if Ned had stayed
at home, and used it–in six months–as soon however
as communication is open to Lynchburg, I will send it
to you—It is now two oclock fifteen minutes A.M.
so I must close, am well, wrote to Miss Jeanie & you
both last week, Love to all, Kiss Eva–
Your affecte Son
Charlie

Charles F. Barnes, Private, Co. G, 11th Virginia
MSS 4444

9 at night
March 6th 1862 Mulby Pt

Dear Mary

Yours of the 4th with the boy’s reports
I have just recd–I have recd no letter since Nephs
of February 18th –I think it strange the chks should
not have reached you–it was give by James
Maurice on the bank of Va No. 1314–write to the
Cashier about it– I send you a chk for $100–
one hundred on the Farmers Bank of Va I can
not say when I shall be able to send any more-
but as fast as I can get it, I will send it to the fam
-ily– I am very tired, have been going all day-
and at 2 a.m.–4 hours from this time will start
to meet Genl McLaws to visit a point, where we can
see the Virginia (Merrimac) & other ships attack the ships
off Newport News–Many Kisses for my dear children
Love to all–
Your husband C.St.G. Noland

Callender St. George Noland, 1816-1879, Commandant of the battery at Mulberry Island Point defending the James River

MSS 6463

Greenwood Depot, Alb. Co. Va.
March 6th 1862

My Dear Bettie
I was very glad to find
a letter from you awaiting my arrival
this evening. I was very much disturbed, even dis-
gusted, by the late action of the Va legislature,
providing that no new companies shall be rec-
eived, until all the old ones are filled up
to the minimum–one hundred. You can read-
ily imagine how this continued upsetting of
one’s plans + prospects harrows one’s thoughts +
disturbs the mind; but when I received your
letter + found it so pleasant, although written un-
der such painful circumstances, I cast aside
all troubles + annoyances as those of the
outer man, and turned to those inward + surpassg
joys of the heart, which cannot fail to spring from
sincere affection. If you knew how much pleas-
ure a letter from you affords me, you would
not fail to write often–for my sake alone.
I sympathize sincerely in your sufferings from
the mumps, and had hoped that you would

[page 2]
escape any very severe pain. If I have the disease
and it serves me as it has done you, when
your dinner comes, I hardly know which will
cause me the most pain, the deprivation of
food, or the writhing + contortion of my face.
The former will be apt to be the source of
more regret. But I ought not to be making
merry over it beforehand, because I feel quite
a stiffness about my lefts jaw, though it may
be caused by cold alone + not by the mumps.
I hope you may soon be well again. You cer-
tainly need have no fears about Richmond
being taken before you leave. If you leave
any time within a month, I am confident
that the enemy will be very little nearer to you
than they are now, but if you wish to leave
at any time, it will afford me the greatest
pleasure to go with you; and I will not fail to
do so, if you will let me know when you wd
like to go.

I am very sorry that Cousin Mollie is both widow-
ed and neglected, but she must not become
seedy nor weedy, for doubtless he has already written
, or has some very good reason for not doing so.
I know that not having heard from her will

[page 3]
give him more trouble than his neglect will give
her.
You need not have apologized for opening my letter
because I have no secrets from you, and I hope
you will always feel so hereafter. I intended to
leave Mr. Tucker’s money with you and, altho’
I though of it several times, I at last forgot
it altogether. You can send word to his father
about it and I will send it to some friend of
his in Richmond, so that he can get it.
I am sorry to say that I have no very bright
hopes in regard to the future. My prospects
are by no means so good as I would wish,
abut I shall not cease to do my best and do
my duty as far as I understand it. After that,
I am perfectly willing to submit to whatever
comes, because these things happen not by chance
but by design. It is very late + I am very
tired else I should write a longer + more interesting
letter perhaps; but I shall have a long ride tomorrow
and must needs come to a close + retire to
rest. I will write again before you leave the
city. Desiring to be kindly remembered to all,
I am,
Fondly Yours
Jas D Dinwiddie

James L. Dinwiddie, 1837-1907, 1st Lieut., Capt. Carrington’s Company Virginia Light Artillery (Charlottesville Artillery)

MSS 10102