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

Monday
April 28

On guard at the paymasters
third relief. Read some and
played euchre, but think I shall stop it.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of James Dismore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Monday, Apr. 28, 1862
Went this morning for
milk also this evening
Guard mounting &
parade with drill
practiced some [?] &
Foot were out and
got part of a pig
fresh
Had letters this morning
from Eliza &  Philadll
wrote this evening
to Father & Aunty Hays
pleasant partly c[l]oudy

MSS 10317

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

Monday  28 Bright day–scarcely genial as
temperature, but it is delightful to
see the sun for the whole time–very
hard at work most of the day. Mr Lee
not so well–I find in the morning
Virginian an announcement by Button
that Mr. L. is at my house–This is an
-noying and puts one in an awkward
position towards Dr. Berkley–What
possible use was there in mentioning
the fact–My incredulity as to the
capture of N. Orleans was not without
foundation.  There seems no doubt the
two gun-Boats at least passed the
forts & had come up to the city, threat
-ening to shell it.  There had been no
surrender at latest dates–but I
take it for granted it must fall
–It is a most serious blow to the cause
-I will not say a fatal one.  There must
have been great mismanagement. These
southern papers are great braggards
but when the comes they cannot
be relied on.  I was surprized[sic] at the
number of strange forces on the streets.
Letter from Lanty–also one from
Eugene–same date 24th Inst–both
will and both enduring hardships
like true soldiers.  Eugene in a dan-
gerous & honorable post commanding
a batallion in an advanced redoubt.
He has a shell 22 in long & 7 in dia
meter which was thrown from a
gun boat 4 miles off–Attended a
meeting of vestry. Went to Sues in
the evening–on return found Mrs
Richd Davis had arrived.  She
says the enemy ‘s cavalry were with
in 5 miles Orange C.H. and that
Ewells division had certainly gone
to Jacksons and would join him to
night–Letter from Charles announcing
his election by a unanimous vote–War
wick also re-elected–Horner & Alexander
made 2 & 3 L.

MSS 4763

[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]

                        Monday – April 28th 1862
Rose early this morning at 9 o’c – we formed under arms
& marched over to Camp Misery where we waited for
two hours – before finding anyone to report to – abt
noon rec’d orders to return to camp for dinner
& report in the Evening to dig rifle pits –
on the scene of our Christmas camp –
(Misery)  Col Rightor rec’d orders in the
afternoon that he need not report as
above – We are in a terrible state of
Anxiety today having heard this
afternoon that New Orleans had been
Captured, the forts Evacuated – the
Str Mississippi sunk to keep her
out of the hands of the Enemy – The
Richmond Examiner announces this
saying that it is official intelligence rec’d
at the War Department – I cannot believe
the news – It is terrible if true – a greater
loss than all else during the war

[The following lines are cross-written over the above page.]
   The men have concluded to break up
on the 1st & go to N.O. –  I am
not inclined to believe the News from N.O. –
if it is true I will probably go there –
Went to the Battery today & took 3
shots at the Yankee pickets – the officers of
the battery who [–] Say that I killed
but one – distance about 700 yards –

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

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

                       April 28th

Yesterday and to day the 1st N. J. F. Co.  1st
N. Y. and our battery were busy disembar-
-king their pieces and cassions.  There
has been an incessant cannonading between
our gun boats and the batteries at                
Gloucester Point.  D. Co. 2nd N. Y. re-embarked
their battery to day.  Cool and pleasant.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493

Camp in Lees Field,  Monday
April 28th 1862  3 o’clock P.M.
I have another opportunity, my darling wife, to send (by
Lieut. Small of the Mecklenburg Troops) a letter to be mailed
in Richmond, and although I have nothing to communicate
except to tell you again of my love. I cannot let the chance
slip without enjoying the luxurious delights of writing
to you, dear partner of my heart and life.  It is im-
-possible for me to give by words any idea of the joy
it affords it my soul to receive and read letters
written by you: next to those joyous emotions I
rank those feelings that agitate and swell my heart
when I write to you.  Often do I leave them unexpressed,
never do ti seek to express them in all their rapture.
If God spares our lives to meet again, I will try sometime,
when your arms are around me and your lips near
to mine, to find language that will convey to you all
the bliss I have felt when reading words traced by you
dear hand or when writing words that are to be seen
by your gentle eyes.  You, darling, will aid me in the

[page 2]
undertaking and love will so inspire our minds and hearts
that we will make each understand the other.  If, dear
wife, you were with me  now on this bright sunshiny
afternoon we would catch a joy, a delight from each
others presence that would teach our tongues to speak
charmed words to each other.  could there be a feeling
so rapturous or so delicate that the one could fail to
make the other understand?  I may labor now with
my pencil on this scrap of paper and will fail
to make myself intelligible: but if you were at my
side, if you lay in my arms, if I could look down
into the tender depths of you dear eyes, if I could take
kisses from your sweet lips, I know. darling, my
tongue would be loosened and I could speak a language
that would make plain all I wish to say.  How
happy I have been in writing the foregoing lines!  They
may read like silly talk, but they have given a thrill
to my frame and ecstasy to my heart as I wrote
them.  Forgive the, darling, all that sounds foolish
in them because they have made your husband
happy to write them.  I sent you yesterday a

[page 3]
letter by Lieut Redd.  In the
afternoon of yesterday the
Rev. Mr. Wharey preached his
farewell sermon to us and
left for Prince Edward this
morning.  His engagement
for six months ended at that
time and he goes to visit his
congregation & most probably
to remain with them.  this
Regiment is fond of him &
would be very much
pleased to have him as
their chaplain.  I mentioned
the subject to him last night
just before I parted with
him.  He said he could not
decide before going home,
and I did not think he
was inclined to return
to the army.  As you know

[page 4]
Mr. Ray is now our chaplain
but he is not liked by his
Regiment.  Mr Wharey’s last
sermon was, in my judgment,
the best I have heard him
preach.  The text was “Be
careful for nothing.”______
There is nothing of interest to
write.  The cannonading still
continues, sometimes pretty
brisk but usually slow.
When the fight will come
on I cant say.

The last letter I recd from
you was dated the 20th that
is the last recd was dated
the 16th, but the day before
I had one of the 20th_____
I am looking anxiously for
another.  Kiss the dear children
for me.  Love to Mrs. Riddle. Re-
member me to the servants.
I pray God to bless & protect
& guard you, my darling wife,
and our dear children.  Fare-
well, dearest.
Yr devoted husband

John T. Thornton

John Thruston Thornton, 3d Virginia Cavalry

MSS 4021

unswerKINF ns locw

Sunday April 27th  1862

My darling wife
The last letter I received
from you was dated from Richmond
on the day before you contemplated
return to Charlottesville–I suppose
you have returned before this–and
yet, if my means could afford it, I
would like for you to have staid in
Richmond longer–You would have
been nearer me and I might possibly
have gotten an opportunity of going
to Richmond for a day–dont let this
be a disappointment to you for it was
the merest possibility–I was on the point
of writing to your Uncle Tom, who is
on Genl Johnston’s staff, to see if he
could’nt have me sent to Richmond
when I received your letter stating that
you were about to leave.
I hope Mr Ballard Preston may be able

[page 2]
to do something for me but I am getting
awfully afraid that nobody will appre-
ciate me but yourself–I would be
satisfied with you appreciation if I
could only enjoy it in your company
The conscription bill is very severe on
us, keeping us in the same company
whether or no, though we have the
privilege of electing our own officers.
I dont think any of the old officers in this company
will be elected and I cant imagine
who will be except on young man
 probably be elected captain.
I cant serve under him and therefore
want Jimmy and you will tell him so
to have me transferred to his company
it may not be proper to have it done
at the present time, but I must have
it done sooner or later.
I went into the box Mittie sent me just
now to divide the sugar tea & paper

[page 3]
with John Lewis when I came across
the candles and Mittie’s sweet letter
for the first time–Kiss Mittie for me
and thank her for the letter which I
prize more than anything else in the box.
I hear various reports with regard
to the Yankees overrunning Albemarle
do write about it and let me know
what you propose doing–as I told you
in a former letter I want you to be
under the same flag with myself, so
that I may see you again, if I ever
can get a chance before the end of the
war–I have fifty dollars which I
will send you by the first safe chance
and twenty five in the Farmers’ Bank
which you can draw, if necessary, with
my consent here given.
The two armies have now been within
a mile of each other for more than
three weeks–whether we will fight or
not I cannot say–
Love to Ma, Pa, Maggie Mittie &
all at home
I do want to see you so
much
that it makes me very sad to think
how little is the chance
With a heartful of love for my
darling precious wife I close.

Unsigned letter of Howe Peyton Cochran of the 1st Virginia Artillery


MSS 9380

Dear Aunt Mary,
I have wanted to write to you
for the longest time but have not been able to do
so before this, and I have very little to write about
now,  but I know you are anxious to hear
from me, and I will write anyway just to
let you know that I am perfectly well.
We have been here three weeks yesterday lying
down behind breastworks night & day most
of the time in mud six inches deep, & have had
no general engagement yet, The Yankees
have a battery of four guns planted in the
woods about 3/4 mile from us, from which
they bombard us, all the time day & night
and we are not allowed to return the fire,
and it is the most provoking thing in the
world. We are so strongly fortified that they cant
hurt us at all and as we havn’t ammunition enough
to be wasting any, we are reserving our fire until
they make a general attack and get in closer
range, when we intend to let loose on them with
a vim.  The Yankees are throwing up strong fortifications
all along in front of our lines, and have doubtless
other works between here & old Point to fall back
upon in case of a defeat.  I begin to believe myself

[page 2]
that there will be no fight here at all, at least for a
good while, I believe they are going to erect fortifications
here of such a nature that a force of twenty five or
thirty thousand men can hold them, and then take the rest
of the army and make a move on some other point.
they are certainly pressing on Richmond very closely
and I had rather they should attempt to get there
from this way than any other because I have no
doubt as to the issue of a battle here now. they
have been bombarding Fort Jackson for four or
five days and it is rumored in Camp this morning
that they have taken N. Orleans, but I don’t believe
a word of it.  We get the papers now very seldom
and when we do get them, ther [sic] is hardly anything
in them worth reading.  I wrote to Nannie about
two weeks ago, giving an account of the fight
on the 5th inst. and I suppose you saw it.  I
haven’t heard from any of you in Halifax but
once, and that was Nannie’s first letter.  I am
really anxious to hear from you all & am
looking for a letter from Nannie every day.
I suppose you are staying about at different
places with your old friends!  It made me
feel really sad Aunt Mary, to hear of you
all leaving home under such circumstances
but it was probably the best plan, and I hope
& trust that affairs will soon take such
a turn that you all can remain once more
in peace & quiet at Turkey Hill.  I would not

[page 3]
mind it half as much if it were not on account of
dear Mama.  I know she feels as sad & low spirited
I have written home several times in the last three
weeks & have heard from there twice once from Ma &
once from Pa, they were all well.  I try to let them
hear from me as often as possible.  the mail now is
so irregular that it is mere chance when a letter comes
or goes straight and I understand this morning
that it has been stopped altogether: if such is the
case I will have to send this to R____ by private convey-
ance & I would advise you when you write to send
the letter to Uncle George to be sent down to me.
I suppose Nannie & Bee & Dinkie are all at
Leighwood?  How I do wish I was there too–everything
in the country I reckon looks so beautiful now.
I say I reckon, because although in the country
myself, there is nothing beautiful here, no beds
of Hyacinths & other spring flowers, to walk out &
admire after a good wholesome breakfast, no not
even a field of green wheat, no there is nothing but
almost one dense wilderness of woods and even
when you do come to a little farm, everything looks
as wild & barren as a desert & shows the destructive effects of
grim visaged War.  How is Watt coming on Give
my love to him & tell him I will try to write to him
before long.  the 1st Co Howitzers is down here and
about three miles from us.  I went to see them
the other day, but didn’t see Cousin Tom; he
was off from the main body of the company

[page 4]
with one of the guns.  I saw Henry Williams
& Anderson who were both very well.
They think the Peninsula the hardest place
they ever came to before.  The Dispatch, the
other day came out with a very complimentary
notice of the gallant behaviour of the
“1st” Co Howitzers in the engagement on the
5th int. The 1st Company was at Orange C Hous[e]
on that day, and the gallant 2d should
have received all the honor & glory of
that days fight.  I must now close as
there is nothing else to write about & I reckon
you are already tired of this dull and
meanly written letter.  Give my love
to Nannie Bee & Dinkie & to all of my
friends & write immediately to
Your Aff Nephew
James P. Williams

P.S. April 28th I received a letter from
Pa last night informing me of the sale
of Turkey Hill which he had effected
within the last few days.  I have only time
& room to say that I am perfectly crazy
I am so glad. Just direct your letters
to Yorktown as usual.

J. P. Williams

James Peter Williams, 1844-1893, 1st Regiment Virginia Artillery and later a freight agent and superintendent of the Lynchburg Division of the James River and Kanawha Canal Company.


MSS 490

Day before yesterday an order was issued to hold elections
to reorganize this 3rd Regiment of Virginia Cavalry.   In
my company Lieuts Stokes & Redd were not reelected.  I was
not present when the election was held, but was told
neither of them desired to be chosen to fill the
offices they had previously held.  They go home to-
-morrow morning and I embrace the opportunity, my
darling wife, to send you this letter.  In the reorganization
of the Regiment I was chosen Lieutenant Colonel.  this
promotion was unexpected but I shall accept it and
endeavour with all my powers to discharge its duties.
I pray God to give me the requisite skill and courage
for the position, that I may so bear myself in it as
to do good service to my country.
I received you letter of the 10th ult the day after
the one you wrote me the 20th was placed in my
hands.  In yours of the 16th you tell me of your
wish to dispose of Laura.  I answered at once, willingly
telling you to make sale of her,and to receive and
use the money as you thought proper.  I mention
this again here because I do not know when
you will receive the letter I wrote you by mail,
and I have a safe opportunity to send you this.
Day before yesterday I met with an
officer in an Alabama Regiment who told me
our acquaintance, Mr.s Judge when we knew her
but Mrs. Fall now, is at the Exchange Hotel in
Richmond, with her son in law Mr. Brooks and her
daughter Mrs. Brooks.  I record this fact here that
you may, if you feel strong enough, ask Mrs. Fall
to visit you.  I know, my own dear wife, how hardly
the duties you have to discharge must press upon
you, and I do not wish you to understand that I desire

[page 2]
you to extend this invitation to Mrs. Fall, unless
it would be perfectly agreeable and convenient
to you to do so.

I wish I could find expression, my own, true
darling wife, for the love I bear you. Though I
cannot find words to paint the feeling, yet I have
in my heart all the delight and joy it gives.  Through
every labor and privation it sustains and comforts
me.  If I am gloomy and de[s]ponding it cheers me.
The picture of you, dearest earthly treasure, my gentle,
loving wife, shines on me through all the darkness
that surrounds us, and in the far distant future
I can see you, through faith in the mercy of our Heavenly
Father, my earthly stay and solace.  I sometimes think that
I could not bear all I have passed through and
could not face all that is before me if you had
not filled my heart with this love.  It is not a little
more than two months since I saw you last.  When
we shall meet again face to face I cannot tell.
But, darling, you visit me when I wake and
when I sleep.  you come to me amid the bustle
of the camp: you steal to my side as the loud
roar of the cannon and the quick rattle of the
musketry breaks on the ear: you lie down by my
side in the canvas tent int he silence of night
and bless me with your kisses.
I have no news to write.  The armies are still
fronting each other and on this raw Sabbath day are,
so far as I can see, no nearer fighting than they were
three weeks ago.  When the battle does com I pray
earnestly, fervently, to the God of Battles to give us the
victory.  My love to Mrs Riddle.  Kiss the children for me.
Remember me to the Servants.  May God bless and shield you my
precious, darling wife, is the constant prayer of your devoted husband
John T. Thornton

John T. Thornton, Lieutenant Colonel, 3rd Virginia Cavalry

MSS 4021

Richmond April 27/62