[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]

                        Monday – May 12th 1862
Did not wake up till nine o’c this
morning – Mr H had gone down town
& the family breakfasted.  Mrs H would
not allow Lewis to wake me – but gave
me a hot breakfast at ten o’c – went
down town & instituted a search for my 
horse – Met Aaron Davis & Will F Morris  
today – Wrote to Jim Didlake by the former    
who is now Major & on Genl Taylors staff      
Took a glass of claret with him & Dinner        
this afternoon at the Session Club –
Lieut Theo Zacharie died at 7 o’c            
this morning after a short illness, of
apoplexy (?)  Wrote a long letter tonight
to send to Sallie 13th by Aby, but he went
without it – Was with Capt Harrison part
of today – Returned at 2 o’c tonight –
News of Beauregard & Jackson’s victories
Confirmed today – Met mr [-] today

Major Aaron Davis. on Gen. Richard Taylor’s staff, & VADC William Morris, on Brig. Gen. J.R. Anderson’s staff

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

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

I have been working hard all day on Elizas dress–& when I
tried it on it did not fit at all–Quite disheart’ning to one who does
her best–Mrs Campbell & Mrs Johnson called–No company at night–all
the visiting students have left.  The girls feel lonely–

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former owner and editor of the Staunton Spectator, and a civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

West Point Va May 11
Dear Mother I wrote you a few
lines at Yorktown and we arrived
here that night we are within
30 miles of Richmond our object
was to cut them off from the
railroad here which was done
as they had a skirmish here
the day before we arrived
our advance is 15 miles ahead
of us, McClellan’s army that
fought at Wiliamsburgh
went by here yesterday on to
Richmond we are the third
reserve so there is 2 reserves
to call out before they
call us out.  Our gunboats
have cut off the railroad
communication with

[page 2]
Richmond. Gen McClellan
says his whole army shall be
in Richmond by the 20th
he has marched them up smart
from Yorktown considering what
fighting they have had to do
but when we get to Richmond
we shall get to Rich probably get
some rest and lay there
through the summer those
that are not discharged when
you write to Asa tell him I
wish he would write to me
and I will answer his as quick
as I get time  There is any
quantity of stories flying round
here but I dont believe any of
them till I see them in the
papers Tell Ann I forgot to
say that Cass regt was in
our division and she had

[page 3]
take my advice and
answer his letter as if she
was in his place she would
know how to value a letter
from anybody in the North
Tell Ern Hunting that he
must not think it strange
that I do not have time to
write to you as often as
I want to without writing to
any one else  The card
that I enclose belongs to
Emily Moulton Give my
respects to Mary Jennie &
Ada Stedman and all other
friends and tell them to
write and I will answer
as quick as possible tell
them not to wait for
answers.  Send me some

[page 4]
stamps as our officers say
our letters will not go now
without being prepaid and
we have to pay 5 cts for
stamps we were paid off
before we began this
march but I did not
send any money home as
our food was light and I
have wanted to buy bread &
meat when I could and have
had to pay at the rate of
25 cts a loaf, and other things
in proportion. Give my respects
to Aunt Abby & all other inquiring
friends and take my love
yourself
From your aff son
Wm Wallace

William Wallace Smith, 22nd Regt., Massachusetts Infantry


MSS 15360

[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, former owner and editor of the Staunton Spectator and a civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

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

Sunday 11th another lovely day still my heart is heavy & sad
I have just had a long letter from Joe & hear he is to be sent
with his company to St Johns Island–I have a horror of
Islands as all we have ever attempted to hold has turned
out badly for our Cause–They are obliged to surrender or be all
killed-or taken prisoners–But a Kind providence watches over
all–& a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will
I trust my all to him & will not fear–But hope & hope on
forever–praying that my children may be preserved from
their enemies & the snares of the world, the flesh, & the devil &
have strength of mind & body given the to successfully perform
all their duties–Eliza received a letter from Ellen
this morning also–all well in Georgia

MSS 6960

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

                             May 11th

This morning we received marching orders
and by 10. A. M were in motion.
Halted at one P. M. after a short march,
and encamped on the Richmond and
West Point turnpike. some thirty six miles
from the city.  Pleasant and very warm.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

My dear beloved Wife

With pleasure I avail
myself to inform you that everything seems
to be more quiet here than it did when
you left.  The best news that I have is that Gen Jackson
has the enemy in full retreat over in the
Valley.  I heard this morning that he sent nine
hundred  Prisoners last night.  I am afraid that
it is too good to be so.  My dear, I received
a letter from home yesterday and it stated
that it was certainly so about Uncle Roberts
being dead. It states that he died  very sud[?]
den[?] he sent for Papa Just before day and
he died before he got there. Ben said
that there were about fifty Ladies present
at his Burial and all of them shed tears like
it was their Father.  Oh My dear Mollie it
is a sad thing to hear of my acquaintances
dying but to hear of my dear relatives
dying it is more solemn especially unprepared
to receive God.  My dear Wife, I feel sometimes afraid
but thanks be to God at other times I feel
like that if I was to die I would be received
in Heaven where sickness sorrow pain and
death are felt and feared no more.  Oh my Dear
while I am now writing the tears are trickling
down my cheeks and I begin to sometimes
think that it may be that I have seen you
for the last time. But God has said the
prayers of the righteous availeth much.
Oh My dear Wife let us not forget to pray daily
for each other and our prayers will be heard–
My dear Mollie I know you have an idea
how I have felt since you left me

[page 2]
I have felt very dull and stupid ever
since you left.  I have no appetite scarcely
at all and feel as lonesome as if I never
saw a [?].  It is very painful to part
with such dear sweet loving and affectionate

Wife.  I want to hear from you so bad whether
you got home safe or not.  My dear our Regt. is
detailed for the present to guard the City
and arrest every man that has not got a
pass. They took up a hundred or more the
day that you left not so many yesterday.
I hope you enjoyed your trip and will
come down again as soon as you can.
What do you think about it (as I do)
You think Papa havent sold  Sallie & colt
for $200.  I would not have taken that for the
mare, I never was so motivated about one
thing in my life. Ben said that Papa was
oblige [sic] to sell her or she would be pressed
It is very hard but I cannot help it.
Give my love to all of my friends and
tell them I hope to see them again
on earth if not I hope to meet them in
Heaven where there will be no more
parting.  Your dear and affectionate Husband.

Jno. P. Jones

May 12, 1862
P.S. I see from the morning paper that Jackson has gained
a glorious victory over in the Valley repulsed them
completely–& Beauregard’s forces have run the
enemy to their Gunboats.  Their retreat was so
fast that he cold not capture many Prisoners.

Yours until death.

Jno. P. Jones

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

John Peter Jones, 1838-1910, Co. D, 56th Virginia

MSS 11095

[letter of Launcelot Minor Blackford begun on the 10th continues]

[page 9]




Bivouack in Pendleton Co.–50 miles from Staunton –on the road to Mooreville
Sunday Morning May 11th, 1862

I was unable to finish this letter yesterday and so take
occasion to make it a little longer now.  I had opportunity
to write what I did yesterday by being on the “baggage guard,”
(as I am again to day) and so not having to leave the ground
where we stand until some hours after the battery did.
This guard is composed of men who from any case are disa-
bled from keeping up with the battery on the march, and whose
condition renders it necessary they should ride in the wagons
the whole or part of the way.  I am just now of this class
owing to the ulceration above my ancle before alluded too.
I hope to morrow to march as usual with the others
Upon reading over what I wrote of the Battle of Bull Pasture
Mountain yesterday I was really ashamed to have undertaken
an account of what my information was so vague.  I give you
in it only what I myself believe true and not the rumours.
In my next letter I shall probably be able to give you fuller
particulars, as I shall certainly endeavour to gain the

A few miles back of this point we passed a fork of the road
of which the left branch heads to Monterey.  We did not
take this as I supposed we should but the right branch.
There are no Yankees at Monterey, we hear, nor anything
left by them of much value.  This road leads to Franklin
the county seat of Pendleton, and also to Moorefield which
is Hardy C. H. The enemy are said to be at the former
place, 14 miles from here.  Most of the road we traversed
yesterday was very bad, and if it continues so we shall
hardly reach Franklin to day.  What I can gather seems to
indicate that the enemy are still retreating, whether or
to what end I do not know.  The impression among some is
that Gen. Jackson designs to go round through hardy into the
Valley again to flank the enemy there.  Of course this is all
guess work.  Later advices since I wrote yesterday indicate
it as probable that the enemy’s loss in the late fight cd.
not have been less than ours and was probably greater.
They seem to  have taken good pains to conceal it, whatever it was.

[page 10]

For the last 4 or 5 days we have been living harder in respect
of rations than we have ever done since I have been in the
service.  Coffee has for some weeks been denied us, and sugar
until the time of reaching Staunton.  In place of coffee we get
wheat which does tolerable well, though we cant drink it
well without sugar as we can coffee.  I think I can manage
without coffee or sugar however better than I once thought I could.
Our rations now consist of nothing but bacon, sugar, salt &
hard crackers–this is of course due to our marching so constantly
The C. S. crackers are very poor, something like ship biscuit, but
the last issue of rations was of Yankee crackers which were
far better.  The amount of both bread and meat given us
is rather scant,which is hard considering the marching we do.
We have not done any cooking except frying meat & occasionally making wheat coffee since leaving
Staunton, and our whole supply of victuals is carried in haver-
sacks, being generally issued in 2 days rations at a time.
I believe however I bear the hard living better than you wd.
think.  There is nothing so good to teach philosophy in these
things as having a good appetite for anything,and with it the
conviction that what we bear cannot be helped.

I received a week ago the coy of the Lynchburg Republican of April 7 con-
taining the copy of my letter about the Battle of Kernstown.  It was forwarded
from New Market or rather arrested short of it.  Also father’s letter of the 16th
also containing stamps, for which I thank him.  I believe now everything
you have sent from home has come to hand.  Please write to me as often
as you can and tell Mary Isabella to write.  I have not time to answer
her late kind letter individually but mine written home must be consid-
ered as cyclical.  Address me care of Major A. W. Harman, A.M. Dept., Staunton,
with the request he will  forward the letter, and I think it will reach me.
I have been rather troublesome with my requests for additions
to my comfort lately, but I trust you will pardon it if it has
seemed so, for the life we lead here is hard enough to make such things
pardonable  I am particularly sollicitous about the oil cloth haver
sack and the tarpaulin, for which I presume the “specifications” have been recd.
The weather with us continues beautiful.  I will write again before long.
My love to father, Mary Isabelle: also to sisters Mary & Sue and their little ones.
Kind regards to the servants particularly Peggy.  My love to all at Uncle Thomas’s
Your affectionate son–L.M. Blackford.

[cross hatched on the bottom half of the page]

Whenever you get the haversack, tarpaulin, etc ready
to send me, please make them ready for transportation
and let me know of it so I can tell you where
they will be most likely to reach me. Probably
sending them to Rev. J. A. Latane in Staunton will
be best but of this I can speak better when I see
our future movements.   I am getting exceedingly
tired of moving about so much. We have been
marching almost without cessation for 15 days.

MSS 4763

Hd. Qrs. Army of the Tenn.  May 11, 1862
Since the publication of Special Field Orders No
relieving me from the immediate command of
my portion of the Army in the Field I have
felt my position as anomylous [sic] and determined
to have it corrected, in some way, so soon
as the present impending crisis should be
brought to a close.  I felt that censure
was implied but did not wish to call up the
matter in the face of the enemy.  Now however
as I believe it is generally understood through this army that
my position differs but little from that of
one in arrest, and as this opinion may be
much strengthened from the fact that orders
to the Right Wing, and Reserve, both nominally
under my command, are transmitted direct
from Head Quarters, without going through me
I deem it due to myself to ask either full
restoration to duty, according to my rank, or to
be relieved entirely from further duty with
this Department. I cannot, do not, believe that
there is a disposition on the part of yourself
to do me any injustice but my suspicions
have been aroused that you may be acting
under instructions, from higher authority, that

[page 2]
I know nothing of.  That there has been a studied
persistant [sic] opposition to me by persons outside
of the Army, and it may be by some in it,
I am fully aware. This I care nothing for further
than it is calculated to weaken confidence in me
by with those whom it is necessary for me to command
In conclusion then general I respectfully ask either to be relieved
from duty entirely or to have my position defined
so that there can be no mistaking it.
I address you direct instead of through the
Adjt. Gen. because this is more a private
matter, and one in which I may possibly be wrong,
than public.

Signed  U.S. Grant

MSS 10645