[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]

                        Sunday – April 27th 1862
     Our Camp is in a great state of excitement this
morning from a report brought in last night by one
of the La Guards – to the effect that N.O. had
been taken by the Yankee Gunboats that had
passed the forts – a dispatch to this effect
say’d to have been in the Richmond papers of
the 26th – Many believe the rumor – I & others do
not credit it at all – we are all nevertheless very
gloomy today at the possibility of its truth – We
also heard that Stonewall Jackson had gotten
in Banks rear & defeated him near Gordonsville –
These are the exciting reports of the day – the
actual events of which are in [–]
-ting that hardly to be worth noting – Spent
the day finishing “What will he do with it” which
is indeed a fine novel – Chopped wood & had a
grand old camp fire before our fly all night – Weather
cloudy but no rain today – Nothing going on along our
lines today – further than  picket skirmishing –

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

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

Sunday–It is still cloudy & gloomy looking–Still we all hope
to get to church–as we live too near to stay at home unless
it rains very hard–At breakfast table Mrs Guthrie told
us the news last night was–that New Orleans had been taken
& Buell was not dead–I hope sincerely it may not be true,
for if so –we are in a dreadful strait.

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former editor and owner of the Staunton Spectator]

[from the diary of James Dismore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Sunday, April 27, 1862
Charlie & I went this
morning for milk
also went to the next
house for Honey could not
succeed.  Guard mounting
Bathed put on my new
shirt.  Went to Miss
Halls and accompanied
her to Camp to see the
Quartermaster
Parade & Drill   The
4 companies F[?] H E & G
came in did not do
much
Clear very fine day
something of
  the air of
a real Sabbath

MSS 10317

[from the diary of  Captain Jonathan B. Hager of the 14th U. S. Regulars, as recopied by him at a later date]

April  27  Sunday.  As day broke the morning this morning the immense
works of the Enemy right in front of us could
be distinctly seen.  Our stay during the morning
hours was made interesting by watching the
maneuvering of the pickets on both sides. As
son as it was light enough we discovered that
we were near one of our outposts.  Our work
had been done in an open Country, with no
obstruction between us & the rebel works. A
short distance to our left a thick woods and
underbrush covered the operation of our picket
guards. On the edge of this wood & brush their
post had been established, leaving all per-
fectly clean in front of them.  The only cover the
rebel sharpshooters had was a large tree,
and about two or three hundred yards to
the right of that the chimney of a house
which had been burned, with here and
there a small rifle pit.  Our men dodged
from tree to tree & from one clump of brush
to another to get a shot at these fellows,
while others lay under the brow of the hill, with
their guns on the ground ready to draw a bead
upon the luckless devil who dared show any
portion of his rebel body from under his cover.
Many a Minié ball whistled unmusically
over our heads but of course could not touch us.
This was my first introduction to scenes of
this kind & the novelty was of a pleasing
character.  About 7 o clock we were relieved
& marched back to our camp a little sleepy,
but gratified that we had done some service.
Our life in camp was undisturbed by
any startling event.  A shell would occasion-
ally fall near us, but it created no alarm.
The balloon made its hourly ascensions and
the signal corps seemed to be the only busy one of
the Army of the Potomac–Various speculations
were indulged in as to the intentions of the rebels,
and a thousand rumors were continually flying
around the camp.  Nothing however disturbed us.
The delightful atmosphere at this season, in this
latitude was suspect & invited to continual
repose–I flatter myself that I accepted the
invitation.  the invitation was standing, so
also was the acceptance.  We all slept and
dreamed away the hours until McClellan
should call upon us to storm the rebelworks
which frowned down upon us on every side.  We
yielded without murmur to fate & resolved to
be happy & comfortable while we could.

MSS 9044

[from the diary of William M. Blackford of Lynchburg, Va, former diplomat, bank officer and editor, with five sons in the Confederate Army]
Sunday 27  a Bright clear day but cool
The sick all better Went early to Mr
Kerns to get Maria to take Peggys
place–found she was afraid to go on the
street, but she might be impressed
to go into the hospitals–Brought her
home.  Dr.Green came to see Mr. Lee
In the coming the day he had a
good deal–perhaps too  much–com
pany–He is a very interesting man in
conversation.  Large congregation the
half it appeared to me, were stran-
gers–all the refugees here are Episco-
palians–Nothing further about
New Orleans–Passengers in the train
from Richd say the rumor  is not be
-lieved at the War office–the suspense
is dreadful.  I went to church
in a thinner coat than I usually
wear, & without cloak.  It brought
on a fiat of coughing which racked
me very much, and left a head ache
which distressed me greatly the rest of
the day.

MSS 4763

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

Sunday
April 27

After coming off guard, John
Simonds, Geo Lowe, Uncle Sam and
I went out to church, and after going to
two or three places, went into the Methodist
after it was part through.  Did not like the
preaching very well.  It was a southern
preacher.  Read some the rest of the day.

MSS 11293

Camp Near Yorktown, Va.
April 26th 11862

My Dear Creek
I have just received your
letter of the 18th inst; and am truly
happy to hear from you again. this is the
first I have heard from you since we were
at Richmond, and I was beginning to
think it long between times, you did
exactly right in addressing to Richmond.
I think you had better send them all
Via Richmond, as we are very uncertain about
staying any length of time in one place
and the Postmaster there always knows
were our Regiment is and forwards the
letters to us.  I suppose you are all anx-
ious to hear from us at present, thinking
no doubt, to hear of a battle evry day,
but the battle has not yet been fought

[page 2]
and no more signs of it now than the
first day we came here, We have been
resting since ever we came here, but we
are ordered to the trenches for Picket
duty tonight where we will have to stay
forty eight hours this is very disagreeable
duty to perform, but it is right we should
Bear our part of it, we will have a
chance to see some of our Yankee friends
and probably get into a fuss  with some
of them before we get back, but we
are not much afraid to meet them I
think we will be able to hold our own
with them, at lest we are willing to try
it.
I wrote a long letter to Jink yesterday
and gave him all the news so I need
not recapitulate them to you.
William is in Our Regt and getting
along finely, we are still living in the
woods yet without any tents, Jim can

[page 3]
tell you the fix we are in as he had
a pretty good tast[e] of it, during his
short stay with us but we all stand
it finely and have generally very fine
health.  what does your neighbours
think of their old men being sent
to Virginia in Orrs Regt. I guess the
Boys wont have their fine rooms to
boast of any longer it will go very hard
to lie out in the woods this wet season
after having been so comfortable, but
they will have to get used to it as we have.
Our men dont care whether they ever even
see another tent again, they have got so
will up to making themselves comfortable
without them.
You need not send any summer clothing
they will only be in the way, as I will have
to wear my uniform all the time
I have written you several letters since
we came here which I hope you have

[page 4]
Recieved. I am getting very anxious
to get home to see you again but it is
out of the question until things assume
a quieter aspect, which I think will
be soon.
I will write you again as soon as we get
back from the trenches.
Kiss our little darling for me and tell
her not to forget her Father.
My love to all , my Heaven bless you
Your affectionate William

William Anderson of the Palmetto Sharpshooters was elected Major of the 4th S. C. April 16, 1862

MSS 10366

[from the diary of Captain Jonathan B. Hager of the 14th U. S. Regulars, as copied at a later date from the original]

April 26   Saturday–to night I had the honor of ope-
ning a trench in front of the main works at
Yorktown.  Up to this moment this was to me
certainly the most interesting portion of my
military career, and a description of it may
not be uninteresting to others.
The 14th with detachments left Camp from other
regular regiments left camp at dark. By
some mistake we took the wrong direction &
marched through Egyptian darkness in mud
up to the knees & water up to the middle in

many places.  It had been raining for more
than a day.  the darkness was so visible
& tangible, that the numerous ditches which
had been recently dug to drain the immense
camp, could not be seen until we were
immediately upon them.  these were usually
of a width making it impossible to clear
them at a leap.  Each soldier carrying a
shovel in addition to his gun & accoutrements
had rather too much wright & many a one
found himself floundering in a puddle
of dirty water nearly to his armpits–
thus we marched, struggled & scrambled for
nearly an hour.  Finding ourselves too near
the enemy a halt was called.  Profound
stillness was enjoined & a messenger started
back to Head Quarters to ascertain our destina-
tion & direction.  After half or three quarters of
an hour had elapsed he returned, when——
horrors of horrors! We had to retrace our steps
and leave the camp in another direction–
The same programme was enacted.  We reached
the camp & took a fresh start.
As we approached the outposts our march
was every now & then arrested by a picket
sentinel, who would emerge suddenly from
the most unexpected places. Challenge in a
low tone of voice, ascertain to his satisfaction
that we were friends & dodge fr back into his
hiding place & we would pass on. Finally
at 10 o’clock we reached our destination.  the
Camp fires of athe citadel of Yorktown not
more than Seven or eight hundred yards distant
shone brightly in the darkness–Our regiment
was divided into two reliefs.  I took charge
of the first & Capt. OConnell of the second relief
I marched my men following Capt. Duane the
Engineer in charge of the works, to the point where
the work was to begin.  The only guide we had
was a white tape line stretched along the
ground.  This in the darkness could be seen.  The
men were posted three feet apart,  this took but
little while longer, perhaps than under ordinary
circumstances, for profound silence was the
order of the night, and orders & instructions had
to be communicated to every man in a whisper.
When each man was posted he laid his
musket in front of him on the ground the
butt towards him & instructed as expeditiously
as was consistent with silence to dig a trench
three feet wide & three feet deep and in case
the enemy fired upon us to drop his shovel,
seize his musket & take cover in the ditch.
The dirt was thrown so that the ditch was on
the side towards Yorktown.  The ground was

soft & fallow so that it made no noise & was
easily worked. It was not long before each
man had a hole large enough for this own
protection, while I kept a keen eye in the
direction of the enemy, ready at the slightest
flash to dodge under cover of a trench.  The
stillness was almost oppression.  A stranger
might have come along, transverse the whole
line & not even for a moment suspected that
five hundred men nay a thousand were
working within twenty feet of him–During
the progress of the work I stepped across our
ditch directing the work, & while there something
rolled against my feet.  I thought nothing of it.
It was repeated again and again. It became
mysterious and would  bear investigation.  I
stepped back and stumbled against a pile of
earth which seemed nearly as high as my head
I climbed to the top and lo! there in the darkness
I could see shadows, as it were, at work.  It proved
to be a detachment that had arrived on the
ground early in the night & had been at work
two or three hours longer than ourselves.  They had
been working there within twenty feet of us and
we did not know it.  I could scarcely realize it.
This is one of the beauties of military discipline
though I think personal safety had something
to do with it–At 12 o’clock I was relieved
& Capt. OConnell marched his relief to the
trench. then I withdrew mine neither sorry nor
glad to be relieved.  the novelty of the scene &
the excitement attending it, qualified the
fear of danger & I occasionally thought a
shot now & then from the rebel works would
add piquancy to the affair.  I marched my
relief to the protection of a hill where we acted
as a reserve in case of a sortie of the enemy.
Of course we had no sleep–a little good
brandy served to while away the hours, until
just before day the whole party was taken  from
the ditches & posted around under  [?] at various
points to protect the work until the arrival of the
relieving party which could now work in daylight

MSS 9044

Elk Run Camp
Saturday 26” 1862 Apl
My dear Wife
Dr Morrson goes direct to Gordons-
ville & will return in a day or two
you will have an opportunity to
send me a letter by him & I have
asked him to do me the favor to call
& see you.  I am well except a
sore mouth from my extracted tooth
We are doing nothing here but are
fareing [sic] well.  our bread is baked
for us & we have every good thing
which this beautiful & rich country
affords.  Genl Jacksons Hd Quarters are
at our old stoping [sic] place Mr Argen-
brights and we are only a short
distance from him.  Genl Taliaferro
takes his chances with us in the
woods, and is very popular with
his command.  Hilary was with me
last night.  Capt Wingfield says he dis-

[page 2]
tinguished himself when the army retired from
Mt Jackson.  He dismounted & fired the
bridge in the face of 2000 Yankeys &
was so close to them that they succeeded
in puting [sic] out the fire.  I expect from
what Liggett told me to day that
he will be elected 1st Lieutenant in
his company.  The election was to
come off to day, but the Yankeys made
a demonstration against a wagon train
of ours, sent out for forage & we all had
to turn out & save them & the
company has not yet returned.  Dr Morrson
has appeared & is ready to start so
I must close.  Please try & send me
word whether or not I can get the
saddle at Gordonsville.  I will
send for it if I hear it is there
but David might find it a pleasant
trip over here & could ride my mine
over & his back.
   Affectionately & devotedly
     ETHWarren