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

Friday
April 11
Wrote a short letter enclosing twenty
dollars more home and sent also by
the chaplain. Got off guard and then wrote
a long letter to Jennie in the afternoon, also
played and read some.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Friday, April 11, 1862

Played for Guard
Mounting & Parade
Practiced
Have important but
not very reliable
news from Corinth
and island No 10
Pleasant day
Mostly Clear
Had a letter from Pap
and inclosed one from
E V Gates[?]

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]

Friday 11th–Liz & I walked out all the morning–Eliza returned visits
When we got back we found Mrs. James McKee here–Just arrived
from Wilmington–She has gone to stay with Mrs. Phillips her cousin
at night Mr. Scales, Mr. Rensher and Mr. lee called on Eliza–

MSS 6960

April 11th 1862

My darling wife

I received two letters from you on
yesterday, one written the 5th and the other the 7th
I wrote to you on last friday the day before the
fight commenced and again on the 8th or 9th. I
know how anxious you are about me and would
write oftener, but it is impossible–As I wrote to
you a few days ago, we h ave been fighting
a little every day since Saturday morning. the
enemy’s sharp shooters trouble us more than any
thing else–none of our company have been
hurt.

You spoke in your last of my hopes in the future.
You know, my dear wife, that the truths of the
Christian religion have always had much weight
with me and since I have been in service, the
uncertainty of life and the necessity of preparing
for a future life have been duly and I pray
profitably felt. I can but hope however feebly
that when I do die, I may be with my wife
in heaven–You I believe hope the same.
give my best love to all at home. Ma, Pa
Willie, Maggie and whoever may be there
also to your mother & Va.
I shall write to you again shortly –in the mean-
time I hope that the prayers of my darling pious
wife will avail much before the throne of grace.
It is useless to say again how much I want to
see you–My heart aches to see you and I think
of you always–My own precious wife!

unsigned letter from Howe Peyton Cochran, Sgt., 1st Virginia Artillery

MSS 9380-a

on board steamer West point
April 11 1862

Dear Father
Our regiment is aboard and bound
for the neighborhood of Yorktown–Our whole di-
vision (Gen. Hill) is sent there will be there–
Exciting times are expected–I hope we
may meet with a glorious victory–The
best of the Manassas Troops are going
down–Genl. Johnston will be there
in person–I saw Bruce & the
genl as I passed thro’ Richmond
also uncle Wm. & Jno Baldwin–
I will get to my destination to-night.
We get off the Boat at King’s Mills
about 80 miles from R___d
& below Jamestown & then march
some 10 miles–I have the
command of company C now
Wood being in Albemarle sick
& Giles on Special service–I hope
to be permitted to lead
them when the fight comes off, to a

[page 2]
victory. our men are in fine
spirits–& will fight well–
I don’t know where Longstreets
Brigade is & therefore cant
tell about Stuart–David
gets on very well & seems
much happier since he
entered service–I shall
write if I can soon &
let you know what we are
doing–What beautiful Country
I am passing thro’ now! As the
Boat goes along, fine Estates
are seen on both sides, the
River–Brandon, Harrison’s
Estate is splendid–
I am glad to have been
able to pass thro’ this section
of Va never having done so
before–Love to all–
Yr affectionate
Lieut Jos C Cabell, Jr.49th Va.

[page 3]
P.S. In falling back from Manassas
I lost all my baggage and
had a hard time for clean clothes–
When I got to Richd-put on clean
Linen for first time for two
weeks & felt glorious spoild
Not having any baggage with
me now expect it will be a
month before next change–
Truly a soldier’s life is a
hard one–I have learned
to carry all I have in a
Handkerchief–I don’t know
what will be our P.O. &
cant tell you where too write yet

J.C.C.Jr.

MSS 276

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

Raleigh, Apr. 10th, 1862.
Dispatches, vaguely hinting at a
terrible battle having been fought on
the 6th & 7th inst. at Pittsburg, Tenn.
have been received, & the public mind
is naturally on the qui vive for
particulars. Most of us have relatives
near or at that point about whom
we feel solicitous. I have two
brothers somewhere near there, whom
I know to have been in the
engagement; what their fate might be,
time must disclose to me.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925

April 10th 1862
York Town Naval Battery
Dear Sister
your kind letter was received
& I take this opertunity to answer,
Times is very exciting here now
the enemy is within sight in
large force & we expected to have
a general fight before this time
but have not they have a fleeat
in the river in full view but
have not ventured close enough
for a fight yet, the land
forces had some very heavy
skirmishing on last saturday &
have been fighting some ever since
We have received dispatches to the
effect that the confederates have
won a great victory in Tenisee
near corinth took eight Battery’s
of artillery & five thousand prisoners
& also a victory in Texas taking
seven pieces of artillery &C
& i hope we may add another
victory to those alredy achieved.
I have given you some of the
particulars for the present I havent
times now to give you full particulars
of all thats going on, as I am
buisy all the time, give my best
respects to mother & all inquiring
friends, let me know when you
write again whether Ry[?] has gone
in the malitia. give my very best

[page 2]
love to all the girls I want to
see them very bad. I am going to
try & come home at the time I
stated if I possibly can, & then
I intend to get married I dont
intend to fool about it any
longer
from your affectionate Brother
J. W. Parrish
direct your letter
J. W. Parrish
York Town
Va.
care
Peyton artillery

MSS 10305-a

Culpepper County near Rappahan-
ock River April 10th 1862

My dear Ma;
As I have nothing to do this eve-
ning, & have been fortunate enough to borrow paper &c, I will
write you a few lines. All of my writing material is in
my knapsack at Culpepper CH… Our Co. is now on picket
about a mile & a half from the Regt – half a mile or three quarters
from the river. We came out last Monday. I thought I was
going to have a fine time fishing – brought my hooks along – but
we had not gotten reached our post before we met Major Don-
sett, of 1st Md. who gave us orders to stop – pile up our
blankets – load & get ready to fight – the enemy was advance-
ing – we deployed as skirmishers & advancin ed within
seven or eight hundred yards of a ford w’h we went to de=
fend, sh’d they attempt to cross – & took our position in the
woods – the enemy was then in sight – they soon commenced
throwing shell – some of them came right near us, but no one
was hurt. They shelled the woods for some time both
right, left & in front, & then all at once limbered up & left,
carrying off some cattle with them. There was not a sin=
gle shot fired from our side.. Some of their skirmishers
came tolerable near us, but we had orders to conceal our=
selves & not to fire unless they attempted to cross the
ford.. I don’t know what force they had – but they
certainly had artillery – Cavalry & as much as one Regt. of

[page 2]
Infantry if no more. Some think it was just a forag=
ing party, & others think it was done in order to keep us here.
We’ve not seen or heard from them since….. We are havin=
g a fine time here now; with the exception of one post at
the river, w’h eight men have to guard at night – I was there
last night, & had the hardest time ever yet standing guard-
had no shelter, & of course could not sleep any, as it was
raining, snowing, hailing or raining all night & was very cold.
I made up for loss sleep this morning – slept about four hrs..
We all have house to stay – I am up stairs in the
kitchen, in a very comfortable room… It is get[t]ing too
dark to write & as I’ve not candles I must quit until tomor=
row. Yr devoted & most aff
son P. Edloe Jones

P. Edloe Jones with his brothers John William Jones, and Francis Pendleton Jones served in the Louisa Blues, 13th Virginia Infantry.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13407

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

Thursday – April 10th 1862
The Enemy was very quiet today
their presence only being known
by the occasional firing between our
skirmishers & theirs – They have not
shot a cannon at us for several
days – Yesterdays paper in Camp
today confirms the report of our
great victory at Corinth Miss
I remained in bed today to
try & be well before any thing stirring
takes place – suffering this morning
from a severe headache & the
effects of quinine & morphine –
Lieut Scanlan (formerly 1st
Sgt of Co “A” Dreux Batt) was
very severely, probably mortal-
-ly wounded last night while
taking his rounds among
our pickets, he was shot by
one of the 10th La regt –
in one of which Co’s he
had only that day been
appointed Lieut – the men took him for an
Enemy – Dr. Gray thinks he
will die – this is the
second death by careless
or fearfulness – so far –
Capt Norris is in
the Camp today & reports
the Virginia ready, she
will probably be out tonight

[Lt. Alfred Scanlan, Co. F, 10 La. Bn., did die from the wound]
[Captain William Norris]

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards, comments by Robert K. Krick]

MSS 6154

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

By daylight the snow had fallen
to the depth of eight inches. about
9. A.M. the snow turned to hail.
late in the evening the hail turned
to rain. which fell in torrents all
night. The creek has been found ford-
-able and if pleasant we shall cross
tomorrow. Two of the 16th N.Y.V. were
murdered by the citizens of this place.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493