[from the diary of Frank Fitzhugh of Cutshaw’s Battery]

                                  Sunday 25
Passed through F Royal
Camped 4 miles [-]
Battle at Winchester

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448

[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan, formerly a Sgt, Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor’s), now with the Hampton Legion]

                        Sunday – May 25th 62
Rose at Seven o’c this morning – Breakfast
at 8 ¼ after which Capt Harrison &
I walked over to see the staff &
others – Selected a light Ambulance
& pr roane poneys from Capt Whites
for use of Pay department – Saw
Boyce, Maj Wray & Eustis – who told
us of the 3d La’s brush with the En’  
yes’day, in which they were surprised            
& lost 20 Killed & 16 wounded – Felt
very much fatigued after our walk (of 3 m)
& took a nap – this last attack of
chills has used me hard – Rode to G [General]
Johns[t]ons Headqurs this Evening to try &
find the 11th Va Regt to get my saddle –
but they had marched.  Spent the Evening with
Mullie who is sick in Camp – he looks badly – Got

home after being lost at 8 o’c – Retired at 10 ½
Heard of Bro’s Escape from the surrender at Ft Jackson


[The 3rd La became the core of the 15th Louisiana Infantry Regt. – RKK]


[Mullie:  his brother Thomas Muldrop Logan]

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards; annotation by Robert K. Krick; family note by Sally Rice Forsyth Donnelly]]

MSS 6154

      
                                 Sunday 25 May 1862   5 miles of Rd. [Richmond]
My Dear Father
                        We are still hanging
around Richmond & to a superficial
observer both armies are in a
state of inactivity tho’ behind
the curtain I believe they are far
from being so. It’s true occasi-
onal skirmishes come off, but none
of any importance lately. Yesterday
some Yankees crossed the Chick-
ahominy, where we had no pickets,
surprised & flanked a regiment of Louisianians
killing 20, wounding more. These
little disasters happen only from
the neglect of our officers. I
think every single disaster
which has happened to us
during the war could have
been avoided if our different
authorities had done their duty.

[page 2]
I have never thought Jefferson
Davis a great man-  he has
proved a mean executive. I
have no doubt that New Orleans
Norfolk, Nashville all might
have been saved. Thro’ unpardon-
able neglect Richmond came
near being given up. But
for the city authorities I have
no doubt she would now be
in Yankee hands.
     Our company ought to be very
grateful for the protection which
Providence has given it.
It has not lost a man by death
since the war began. At Willi-
amsburg a gun from another
battery fighting by our side
had 4 killed, 7 wounded. Our whole
company had 2 wounded. At
Dam No. 7 other batteries with us

[page 3]
suffered proportionately as much,
& we nothing. Those killed by
us at Wmsburg. were killed by
the enemys sharpshooters from
our own rifle pits, whi: a regiment
of cowardly south Carolinians
gave up at an early hour
in the day & thus left the ar-
tiller exposed to this heavy
fire all day. The S.C.’s have
shown their chivalry since
the war began by run-
ning whenever they had an
occasion to fight – save
Hampton’s Legion. That has
fought. They are looked
upon with great contempt
by some of our troops.
I do not think a fight will
be put off long – both sides I
suppose will soon be ready

[page 4]
for it & our soldiers think they
are sure of victory. Since
I wrote to you ^ ‘mother’ I have been
in camp one mile this (North
East side of Richmond, until
last evening when we
moved down here. I received
mother’s letter wh. she gave
to Frank Wms. several days
ago. Direct yr. letters as I told
her in my last to Rd. [Richmond] care of
Mr. Herring or not as you like, but
instead of 7th Brigade put
General Griffith’s Brigade. I    
have been expecting every day    
your promised letter, but it has    
not yet come. It is possible I may have
to draw upon yr. generosity again soon & get
some money from McKinney & Duprey. Our company has
determined to change its uniform & a new one costs
43 dollars, but I intend to replace it as soon

[written upside down on the top of page 4]
as I draw from the confederacy what
she owes me – it will be amply suffi-
cient. Write me in your next letter how

[written upside down on the top of page 3]
John K. Jones is. Is Henry M. Neblett
still at home? Give my love to Mrs. Dunkum

[written upside down on the top of page 2]
& family. My Dear Father how much
I love you all at home you know.

[written upside down on the top of page 1]
     With the deepest affection I am
                       Yr Son W. H. Perry Jr.

William H. Perry, 1836-1915, of the Richmond Howitzers; afterward a lawyer in Virginia


[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]


MSS 7786-d

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

May 25  This morning Sunday broke bright, beautiful
and cool.  Capt Brown, Lt. Horne [?] & myself
went out on a small scout in the vicinity
of the Camp to see what we could see of
the sacred soil.  We visited several farm
Houses, all of humble character. The
usual characteristics of Virginia were visible
everywhere & stamped on everything.  No
improvements seem to have been made
since the first settlement.  Houses, fences,
stables, all in a dilapidated condition.  At
one house we saw a shy looking country
girl, the daughter of the occupants, fair and
good looking.  All the people however inclined
to secession.  We took a look inside of
Beulah Meeting House, located in a very
pretty pine Grove, all dirty as if it had been
used as a guard room by soldiers as
doubtless it had been.  It was one of those
plain Country Churches to which people miles
around came to worship once every fortnight.

MSS 9044 

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

Sunday 25th  It has ceased to rain & promises from appearances
to be a pleasant day tho’ rather cool in the house–Katy still
in bed which worries me very much–I received in the morn
ings mail a long letter from Tom–He had arrived in Richmond. had
seen Mr Mason Found him sick & was going to his Regiment
which he learned was only one &a 1/2 miles from Richmond–He
would wait their return at Camp–as they were then on picket
duty–He sent me a $20 Confederate Note–Saying he did not
need it–so I will put it away till he does–Noah went with him.
We have all been to Church & heard Mr Wingfield preach–A very good sermon.
Eliza & Mrs Wingfield have gone to see Mrs Thompson–Eliza received
a letter from Annie Miller–no news in it. She begs her to come
and see her in Pittsboro Dr. Walker still
here but leaves tonight.  Mr Buntin is to attend Eliza to church
to night–We have full congregation & a very good Choir–

MSS 6960

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

Sunday 25.  Rose in apparent health,
but was soon attacked by an affliction
of the bowels and violent indigestion
I have rarely suffered more than I
did all day.  I was quite uneasy
at one time–After night I had some
thing of cholera morbus–Charles
& Sue called in the afternoon.  He
does not regain his strength rapidly.

MSS 4763

[from the diary of Charles Hay of the 23rd Ohio]

                                       Flat Top Mountain, May 25th, 1862.
     In my comments upon our retreat from
East River and Princeton, I incidentally
mentioned that in our precipitancy, and
the short=sightedness of our commanders, we
left behind at Princeton to the tender mercies
of our enemies, a number of sick and
wounded.  Not entirely to the care of the
rebels, as some volunteered to remain in
the capacities of nurses, &c., to take care
of their disabled companions, not choosing to
forsake them in adversity.  These invalids were
principally from the 34th Reg’t, which bore
the brunt of the first day’s fight at Princeton.
There were some from the 28th and 37th Reg’ts,
and Gen. Cox’s body=guard, (Cavalry.)
     As our authorities here, received intimations a
couple of days ago from the enemy, that our
wounded would be delivered up whenever
sent after,, Lt. Col. Hines of 12th Reg’t was deputized to go on
this mission, and yesterday collected all the
ambulances in camp, and with the “white flag”
for his banner, proceeded on his journey.

                                                                           
The expedition returned to day, having with
them some 60 or 70 sick and wounded.  They
say they were well-treated during their captivity.
     They will be forwarded to Raleigh tomorrow.
The scarcity of quinine in the Confederacy may
have something to do with the delivery of these
soldiers, as we cannot reasonably look for a
very extensive exercise of generosity amongst
such as are our enemies; for, although they may
be chivalry and chivalrous, we have too many
precedents before our “mind’s eye” not to know
what is meant by chivalry as used by
the “Southern Confederacy”, without reference
to Webster, whose authority we will have to ignore, in
the present instance.
     The 1st Brigade is encamped upon the
premises of a Col. Chambers, who is a Union
man, and has been all the time, although
surrounded by Southern Armies for more than
a year.  I find that here in Virginia, it is
much more common to find persons with
military titles than in Ohio, owning to the fact
that here militia laws have always been kept in force,

while in Ohio they have been practically dead for
years.  These titled individuals, as a matter
of course, are some of the prominent men of
the country, although, as is the case with
all public men, there are some whose talents
are not of the highest order, and who would
not shine in society.  But Col. Chambers
is not of this class. – He is a man of some
education, good common sense, a determined
spirit, has traveled some and mixed with
society, is probably sixty, and having naturally
a somewhat commanding appearance, will
gain the respect of community without
great effort.  Situated as he has been for
more than a year past with an armed
enemy all around, he has maintained his
honor, and has all along, and still clings
to the old Union.
     Col. Little of this county is another, who,
despite the almost universal Secession sentiment
which pervaded his neighborhood & county,
never for once forgot his obligations, nor
violated his pledges to his country, but through
                             
                                                                           
all, “held fast to his integrity, and did not
let it go.”
     I can truly say of Col. Little that he is a
patriot and a “lover of country,” who. although
his State, his county, and almost all his friends
are swept by fanaticism into the whirlpool
of Secession, he remains devoted to the cause
of the Union and the Constitution.
     Such instances are indeed rare, but as I
have heretofore given some opinions upon the
disloyalty of Virginia, it is proper to
record exceptional cases, as bright spots on
a dark record.

     But Col Burgess of Raleigh Co., is a
different individual from the two mentioned.
He is an ignorant bombast, conceited, deceptive,
and treacherous, but he so far succeeded in
ingratiating himself into the good opinions of our
officers, as to induce them to confide in him as a
Unionist, while at heart a traitor.  His true char=
=acter came to light a short time ago, when the
scamp was forthwith sent to a milder locality,
where fire-eating is less in vogue than here.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925

May 25th/62
Camp Flat Top Mountain

Dear Father
I wrote you a
few days ago but as
I have an oppertunity to
send a letter with
Wm West of Co C 23 Regt
who starts home tomorrow
morning, he takes a prisoner
to Columbus The prisoner
Regiment he has been
sentence to 6 months
hard labor with a Ball
& Chain attached to his
ancle his crime was
striking his Sargeant
West goes to West London
where he lives.  I am sending
a package of letters that
have accumulated I cant take

[page 2]
care of them here I
would like them preserved
however.  West will leave
them at Kilburns and he
will send them with
the Hack to you
Herb Kilburn is my chum
and bedfellow–he is a
good fellow kind and
liberal I consider him
one of the best fellows
in the band
he and I have a little bark
hut done[?] much after the
styl of Indians
I guess we are destined
to live in this way
alll Summer as I understand
that we are to have no
tents  We will receive
rubber cloths instead
The men are much dissatisfied
about it as it seems they do

[page 3]
like to transport
them
It is Sabbath evening
we have just been
out playing. among other
pieces we played
Old Hundred the
harmony is very fine
it is indeed a grand old
air and when we ply it
as we frequently do on
Sabbath evenings it
reminds us of the quiet
Sabbaths of Home
We will probably
leave hear within a few
days and instead of crossing
the River below this place
as was anticipated it now
seems probable that we
will go back to Princeton
it is uncertain however
what do you think about the

[page 4]
war by this time
Should the Enemy be
beaten at Corinth
and driven from
Richmond is it not
probable that they will
then take to the interior
and as far as they can
be forced fight with
the energy of despar
until every resource
fails them
Tell MaryAnn that Wm
Campbell received a letter
from John Boultz[?] John’s
brother James is the orderly
sargeant of Bushnell’s Company
42 Regt he says that John fisher
(Mary’s Brother) is his Chum
and is one of the best fellows
of the Company all like him
It grows dark no more
write very soon Yours Truly
J.D. Templeton

James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio

MSS 10317

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

Sunday, May 25, 1862

Another Sabbath
has passed and I
scarcely know how
or where nothing has
been done the policy
of all seems to be
let time fly as swift
ly as it will
William West starts home
in the morning in charge
of the prisoner Brown
who is sentenced to
6 months hard labor
with a ball and chain
attached to his ancle a
rough prospect tryly
Wrote Letter to Father to
send with West will
also send package of old
letters
Clear very fine day Co A came
along in other C[?]

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10317

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

     May 25th

Yesterday all was very quiet, received orders
to march, but they were soon countermanded,
To day we again received orders, and by
eleven A. M were in motion.  at one P. M
after a short march we halted and encam-
-ped on the Gaines Plantation. about five
miles from R. and but one from our piquet
line.  During the evening the rebs by way of
compliment, threw us over a few shells
but no damage was done by them.
Warm and pleasant.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493