[postscript to the letter of Howe Peyton Cochran of the 1st Virginia Artillery written on the 22nd]

Dear Cousin,  Uncle Cochran has telegraphed
to Henry to night (Wednesday night April 23)
& if he is in Richmond do urge him to
attend to his fathers request immediately;
&  forthwith to inform his father if he has
recieved his telegram–This message has
been brought up by aunt Sarah from aunt
Lynns room just as I seated myself
to write & tell you that I have faithfully
fulled you request & enclose in
this the change in stamps after putting
one on this letter & keeping two (10 cts) to
get the 1/2 doz buttons with which cost 8 cts
& I can’t make the change any nearer
I will pay Mittie for the worsted stockings
what she gave for hers–
So if I do not see you again you
can get it from her–You treat us badly
why dont you write?  Cousin John is at Dam
No. 2.  all well & quiet with him–Aunt
Lynn is about the same–All well. I miss
you dreadfully–Affce. your cousin
E.L.

MSS 9380

Camp Butler Ills
Monday April 22nd/62

Dear Brother Nelson
I hasten
to drop you a few lines.
I am well and enjoying
good times.  I would like
very much to see you all
at home and enjoy the
pleasures of home for
a short–time: but this
can not be now. Nelson
I wish to impress upon
your young and tender mind
that you are now forming
a character for life and that
which you now practice
the habits ^ whether good or bad
will most likely be your closest
through life
companions ^ . You are

[page 2]
now in the bloom of
youth–your mind is
as the young growing tree-
As it matures with age
the more fixed it becomes
in its course; and remem
ber well, that as it now
inclines; so it will grow.
If you seek for virtue,
happiness, and honor
endever always to do the
right, and avoid the wrong.
Never take me as a pat-
tern, for I must say with
deep regret that I have
not always done as I should
Always keep an eye
to the future and employ
the present as though
it never will return.
In short, do not pass time
moment
idly by, but improve every^

[page 3]]
You should not only be kind
and obedient to father and
mother but avoid quarling
and jangling with brothers
and sisters—————–
Spring time has now
come.  Now remember
that this is the Season of
the year, in which you
must sow and plant your
grain and fix up you fences.
Do your work well and
in its season, is the best
advice I can give you.
the weather has not been
so good here this month
as it was in March.  It
has rained a great deal
these last two weeks——
the sun is Shining warm
to-day; and all goes
well in camp.———

[page 4]
Inclosed you will find a letter
which I recd from A. J. Brock
today.  I send you papers
as often as I can; do you get
them? One of our boys
was shot yesterday by accident
The ball passed through his
head It entered at the left
side of his nose and came
out at the back of his head
I was within 10 or 15 steps of
him when the gun wet off
He fell without speaking—
merely made  on shriek
and was no more His Capt.
died in about 10 minutes
afterwards with the typhoid
fever.  Tell Em that Capt  Fisk
had his heart torn from
his body by a cannon ball
Bailey had a brother wounded
in the battle at Pitsburg landing
Nelson I want you and
all the family to write to me
often  Give my regard to all
the folks and tell them that
Hank is coming home when
the war is ended  Make the best
of life your can So good Bye
In haste
I am very truly Hank
Nelson Redman
Markle Redman and all.

William Henry Redman, Capt., Co. C, 12th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois Volunteers.

MSS 7415

[from the diary of future University of Virginia professor Milton W. Humphreys, of King’s Artillery as copied and annotated by him in 1893]

I entered the  hospital in Lewisburg, as a
convalescent, and was put to nursing several very sick men,–the hardest and
most disagreeable work that can well be found. [I had one man to  nurse
who was not half so sick as I was].  I remained in the hospital until Ap
28

This hospital was an old hotel on the right as you go west along Main
Street, about the lowest part of the street.

One of the men I nursed was Price Glover, who had pneumonia.  He
belonged to Bryan’s Battery.  He recovered and survived the war.  All
this time I could speak only in a whisper.  When informed that I
was to be retained as a nurse, I communicated with Bryan at once
and urged him to have me discharged from the hospital; so that
the hospital authorities were not responsible for my premature release,
though they were certainly were for the fact that I was required to perform
labor that rendered my convalescence slow if not impossible.


MSS 1578

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

          April 23rd

To day the rebs have kept up a brisk cannon
-ade on our lines, doing however no materi-
-al injury.  The day has been pleasant and
cool.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493

[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]

                        April – Wednesday 23rd 1862
Breakfasted with Mullie this morn’g –
After which I went to Yorktown to get
my overcoat & clothes – while there I visited
all the fortifications bearing upon the river – There
are five vessels of war anchored just out
of range of our guns & opposite the
Temple farm – from our parapets we could
see several Yankee flags – Got a letter out of the
office from Julie ( 17th Inst) also one for Mullie
which I left on my way back to camp – Reached
Camp at dusk, found orders for us to march
at 3 o’c in the morning for Dam No 1 – Find
Elliott sick with chills, I saw Aby at Yorktown
also sick – Saw Maj Conner & Col Hampton
this morning – also Dr. Darby & Taylor of  
the Legion – the Col is acting Brigadier Genl
having two Ga. & one Ala Regiment under
him – They are under Gustavus Smith in  
the reserve – Retired Early tonight being tired
by todays tramp – So

“Mullie”: the diarist’s brother Thomas M. Logan
Connor & Hampton: Maj.James Conner,Col.Wade Hampton
Darby & Taylor:   Dr. John Thompson Darby,1836-1879,   Dr. Benjamin Waller Taylor,1839-1905
Gustavus Smith: Major Gen. Gustavus Woodson Smith, 1821-1896


[Transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

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

Wednesday 23d I have been busy all day making a blue
muslin dress for Eliza–Liz & Lize went up to Mr Dawsons
store but found it too full to be waited upon–at night
Mr Rensher & Powell called–

MSS 6960

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Wednesday, Apr. 23, 1862
Guard mounting
Phil & I went down
to the Creek I bought
some Ham of the Lady
where I had my dinner
some days since
Was broken away some
this forenoon but
has clouded & rained
again this afternoon
Wrote letter to Ella Dinsmore

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding of Co. F, 25th Massachusetts]
Wednesday
April 23
Came off guard  and then
read and played backgammon
and mended my clothes &c.  Received a
letter from home and answered it this
evening.  It has been a nice day.

MSS 11293

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

Wednesday 23  Fine genial day. nothing
of special interest.  Mrs. B. recd letter from
Mrs. Berkeley of Staunton, saying
her son Averett was here in the Hos-
pital. I inferred, of course that he was
a patient–and visited several of the
hospitals to look for him. I accidentally
heard he was at the Washington and
called to see him.  He is Asst surgeon &
had been on the field until lately
when he was assigned  to the Hospital
at Staunton–& came here with the sick.
He is much indisposed and I asked him
to take up his quarters with us–but
he declined–Various and contradictory[?]
rumors, one really does not know
what to believe.  Recd from Charles
Grantham a piece of India rubber
cloth, which I requested him to
purchase for Lanty.  He mistook the
name & sends it as a present to Charles.

MSS 4763

My darling wife  

I received a box
from home yesterday containing
tea sugar and writing paper.
the latter was very much needed
indeed–of the former we had
a very good supply–I dont
know who sent the box–as
Mittie directed it but am
much obliged to whoever did.
I have seen John Lewis several
times lately.  he is not very far
from where we are–we are
stationed permanently but he has
to go wherever there is occasion
he told me, the last time I saw
him to write home as he had
no paper–I shall divide mine
with him. I have received no
letter from you for ten days–I
know you have written, but the
mails are so irregular that I
have’nt received them–this
accounts for your not receiving
mine–Capt Preston however sent
me word yesterday that he would
forward my letters–I will send
this to him today.  there is no
local news–we are still facing
the enemy–There is some firing
almost every day, but not many
casualties.

As the whole army of the
Potomac is down here, I am
afraid Albemarle will be
in the possession of the enemy
I dont see sufficient
reason for the old people
and other noncombatants
removing, as they will be
subject to no greater
inconvenience that not
hearing from their
friends & relatives in
the Southern army,
but I will want to see
you, if I can have a
chance and would
advise you, if the
event I speak of is
likely to occur, to make
some arrangement to
place yourself on the
south side of James
river.
As the conscription bill
will include me, I
think I shall join
Jimmy’s company
Congress & the Legislature
have treated us
shamefully–I hope also
by joining Jimmy’s
company to see you
before long

No one seems to understand the
conscription bill and I doubt whether
the Governor himself does but I am
afraid it will keep all the twelve
months volunteers in for the war
for at the end of two years
they can play the same trick–
the promises of 60 days furlough
is all fudge, we have had that
ever since we have been in the
service and not one has received
it–I would not mind all this
so much if I could see you
occasionally.

I am very sorry to hear
of Campbell’s misfortune
and hope it is not so
bad as reported.  Gilmer
Breckenridge told me of
it–a letter from
Mittie to John Lewis
bestowed the same
information.  I am
very anxious to hear
from you–why didn’t
you write by Major
Magruder?

And now my precious wife
you dont know how much
I want to see you.  I believe
my not seeing you is the
greatest affliction I have
yet undergone.  let me know
in your next what letters
you have received from me
I have written every chance

How is Ma?  Give my
best love to her and all
at home
With a heart full of
love for my darling
wife I am her
devoted Husband

[letter no. 2 of the same date]

My darling wife
I have just received your two letters dated
from Richmond and must say that while I am truly
glad at another indication of your unselfish devotion
to your husband, I cannot consent to you coming
to Yorktown–There is no place for you to stay
and it is impossible for me to leave the redoubt
in which I am located–You know that I would
give anything in the world to see you; you know
that I love you with all my heart and hence
must know that I have come to this decision
from the sternest necessity–You asked me in your

[page 2]
letter if a heart ful of love was to be prized
you know that I prize your heart ful of love
and it will be a great consolation and pleasure
to me in whatever circumstances I may be
placed to recollect that there was one true
woman devoted to me–
Be of good courage and trust in
a kind and heretofore merciful Provi-
dence that we may be permitted to see
each other again soon–
Your devoted & loving Husband.

[two unsigned letters of Howe Peyton Cochran, 1st Virginia Artillery]

MSS 9380
/