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

Thursday
May 22
Was troubled a good deal by
mosquitoes so that I did not sleep
much of any.  I came of picket Went in Swimming
into the creek and had a good wash
Occupied the day in reading books which
I got of the chaplain.

MSS 11293

[letter of Lancelot Minor Blackford to his mother begun on May 18 continues]

[page 3]

Thursday Evening May 22/62  Bivouack 3 miles below Luray, Page co., Va. — (By fire light)
The first sheet was written Sunday and I could not finish the letter
I proposed writing, so I kept it day after to day in the hope of doint
so.  We have been marching constantly since, and are likely to go on so
for a month to come for aught I see to the contrary, so I have de-
termined to close up the letter and give over writing a detailed
account of our marches since Sunday 11th, as I hoped to do.  we have
now been marching 23 days successively, with but 3 days rest
out of that number and are about as nearly broken down as
men well can be to get along at all.  An order has just
come to cook 3 days rations and rise at 2 1/2 a.m. to morrow
to continue the march. This caps the climax, and we are
really disconsolate.  We have all of Ewell’s force with us
now – ahead – and in all a force perhaps of 25000 men, in
this army, all of which seems pressing on toward Front Royal
The forces are along the road within 10 or 15 miles of each other,
marching and camping by Brigade.  Elzey’s Brigade, including the
1st. Md., left t his vicinity this morning. Ran McKim I heard of as being
well and hearty.  We went up as far as Franklin the county seat

[page 4]
of Pendleton, about 60 miles N.W. of Staunton, and then back through Jen
nings Gap via Augusta Springs, Bridgewater, Harrisonburg, New Market, &
Luray to this point  We have met the most gratifying indica
tions of welcome ever since re-entering the valley–indeed our
march has been a sort of triumphal procession; flags have been
exhibited, handkerchiefs waved, flowers bestowed and refreshments
furnished in the most kindly manner. This was particularly
noteworthy in Harrisonburg indeed everywhere the loyalty
and devotion of the people to the cause seems much enhanced
by the late presence of the enemy, who though abstaining
from their grossest outrages perhaps were sufficiently obnox-
ious to be heartily hated, of course.  Berkeley is very well
and sends his love.  His brother Charles has spent the last 24  hours with us
and is well too.   His regt. is not distant from this brigade, and is now
probably about Front Royal.  No body knows of course what is going to
be done though we are looking confidently for a battle very shortly.
Remember me accordingly in your prayers.  I could write you 20 pages if
I had the time, but I have not.  My love to all.  I passed in sight of Isabella
Furnace to day but much to my regret could not stop to visit the place
 Your affectionate son–
L. M. Blackford

Lancelot Minor Blackford of the Rockbridge Artillery


MSS 4763

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept., Staunton, Va.]

May 22d/62
Camp Flat Top Mountain

Dear Father
I wrote to you from
camp at East River a week
ago yesterday in that
letter I told you of our
fight at Giles CH and
our retreat.  I told you
that the Enemy had
followed us up to that
point and that we were
daily skirmishing with
them.  we were there
reinforced by the 30 &
12 Regiments (they with our
Regiment forming the 1st Brigade)
The 2d Brigade, also came up
together with a batallion
of Cavalry and 2 batteries
consisting in all of 11 pieces
We were now prepared to
meet the Enemy that was

[page 2]
following us up
but other disasters awaited
us.   When the reinforcements
came up to us they had
left only 3 or 4 companies
at Princeton to guard it
their nearest aid was
11 miles distant
On Friday evening last
Humphrey Marshall with a
force said to be 4 or 5000
strong and after a short
fight drove our men
back and took possession
of Princeton We were now
thrown into a bad
position with a large
force following us and
another large force
cutting off  our retreat
On Saturday morning 9[?]
companies of our men had
atacked Marshal and drove

[page 3]
them back from
Princeton a short
distance, the same morning
we left our camp at
East River leaveing all
our Tents on the ground
(Most of our wagons
being back to Raleigh
for provisions) and marched
back to Princeton where
we arrived the same
evening where we
bivouacked in an open
field for the night
expecting that we
would certainly have
a fight in the morning
Morning came but the
Enemy had flown
and we retreated on
back to Camp Creek a dista
nce of 9 miles remained there over night then

[page 4]
came on 14 miles further
to this place
We are now on the Summit
of Flat Top Mountain
We arrived here Monday
Monday evening will
probably remain here some
days.  We have not heard
from the Enemy and I
think they will hardly
follow us.
Our loss at Princeton was
5 men killed & 20 wounded
taken prisoner & missing
they took 1 Capt and 2 Lieuts
prisoner
All seem to think that
we have made a most
timely retreat  there is
no doubt that the Enemy
have accumulated a large
force in this region
Three Companies of our Regiment

[page 5]
(with Carpenters &
Sailors have been
sent down to the River
to build ferry boats
with which to cross
into Monroe County
I have no idea however what
our future movement will
be.  Within the past few
days we have experienced
all the realities of a soldiers
life; from plenty at Giles CH
we were forced to leave
everything all our cooking
utensils &c and from the
time we left Giles until
we arrived at Princeton
last week we had only
2 Hard Crackers 6 others
were spoiled
For three days we marched
without Breakfast & only

[page 6]
a few small pieces of
crackers in our Haversacks
We have plenty now
however
All our cooking utensils
we have our tin cups but
no plates knives or forks
We have not tents nor do I
think we will get any
soon.  We are now encamped
in a wood by the side of
a pretty spring–live in
booths covered with bark
limbs leaves rails &c
From what I can hear
our brigade will cross
the New River probably in
a very few days
 I have not heard from you
since Alix came back & this is the
5th letter I have written you since that time
What are you all doing?  Yours truly
J.D. Templeton

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
P.S.  How does Tom do is he there
yet  Order him & Eli to write to me

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


MSS 10317

[from the diary of 2nd Lt. William Cox Holmes, a University of Virginia alumnus in Co. B, 1st Mississippi Battalion of Sharpshooters; unfortunately the diary was written in pencil and has smeared to illegibility on many pages]

Siege of Corinth Miss
 This day May 22 1862
9 O Clock A.M. Out at the
breast works near Corinth on
a supposed advance[?] upon the
enemy now waiting [remainder of line smeared]
[lined smeared]
great battle is expected the
enemy to be driven back &
their works to be charged . Think
that the whole[?]  will not come
off today  Hear no skirmishing
but guns firing at some
distance off in some direction
of the enemys lines, but I
dont suppose it is . Much
disappointed & dissatisfied at
what has taken place. Anxious
to be in the fight & have it over
with. Cant imagine what
we are to do, or what the
remainder of the army

MSS 38-462

May 22, 1862

To Chas Minor Jr Esq
Care of Capt. Page, Rockbridge Artillery
Jackson’s Division, near Harrisonburg, Va.
My dear Charley,
I have been waiting for a week or two, for a
safe convey[anc]e to  you as yr locomotion makes the mail a
very uncertain vehicle.

Enclosed is a power of Att. wh Mr Watson recom-
mends that you shall execute in order to avoid de-
lays & embarrassments in referring to you personally.
Read it carefully & if you approve sign it, & go before
some Justice of the peace or Notry Public, & acknow-
ledge it, get  him to sign the accompanying
certificate, & return it without delay to your Uncle
Frank…..
We were anxious that the Judge shd direct
us to invest the small remnant of the estate in
some of the negroes whom yr mother desired
to keep, especially Molly & her children & In-
dridge, but he declined to give such direction.
In order,therefore, to accomplish the object
the debts due you children & the debt due to yr
Uncle F, wh he has give yr mother, might be
so applied if you all have no objection.  ….
The negroes were vald. as follows  (see enclosed
paper)  [not present] & I see at present,  no reason why you may
not take [?] as you desire to take at the valu=
ation–altho’ that must be a matter of consultation
with yr uncle F.
When you return the power of atto. to him, ex-
press to him distinctly yr opinions & wishes, as to taking at
the balance of yr debts as above, in negroes, & which
of them you wd prefer  Molly  & Indridge would
probably have to be put a little higher than the
appraisement.

Best[?] to all the boys.
In greatest haste &c
J B M

[from the retained letterbook of John Barbee Minor, 1813-1895, professor of law at the University of Virginia, on the settlement of his brother’s estate]


MSS 3114

[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler of the Letcher Artillery]

May 23rd  [sic] It is very warm
this morning.  Sent letter off to Jennie.
Orders came this morning to have Battery
                                   
target Practice in 3rd Brigade, between 11 & 12
o’c A. M.. as we started off at 11 o’c  & took a
position in the Massaponax hills a mile in
rear of our Camp.  There we waited until
about 1 ½ o’c, as a S. C. Battery were sta-
-tioned in the direction we were to fire so
we waited until they had finished before
commencing.  Col Hamilton & Capt. Mc
Intosh of the S. C. Battery came over to see
our firing, which they pronounced excel-
-lent.  The S. C. Battery made very poor [word lined through]
shots.  Our two rifled guns fired finely.
In the midst of our firing a thunder
storm came up and wet us to the
skin.  We reached Camp at about 3 ½
o’c.  Had a good dinner awaiting us.
I sat my horse during the whole
of the firing and very close to the
guns, he was very much frightened.
Found a letter from Jennie await-
-ing me at Camp, & also found the

letter I had left in the morning to send
to Jennie had not been taken by the
Mail Carrier nor any of the mail, as
no one was left here to take charge
of them.  It is quite cool this evening.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

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

May 22nd

To day Gen Bartletts brigade. a squadron
of the 1st N. Y. Cavalry, a section of battery
D, 2nd U.S. and one of our batteries were sent
out to the Chickahominy on a reconnoisance
The cavalry lost two men.  During the
afternoon a very heavy thunder shower
came up, and for one hour the rain
fell in a perfect torrent.  Warm and
pleasant

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

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

                                  Thursday 22
Election day – 1856  Simms Majority 4-
Crossed the Mountains today
 at Fishers Gap & Camped at
 the foot of Mountain

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448

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

Thursday, May 22, 1862

Have passed another
lazy day
feel right well to day
The 12th Regiment came
out in line of battle
to day alarmed at
the pickets firing off
their guns in the
other brigade
We got some molasses
from the Commissary
of the 12 Regiment I
believe
Cloudy, clear this after-
noon
Played this evening

 MSS  10317