[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, former editor and owner of the Staunton Spectator and a civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]
Wednesday night, May 7, 1862.
Jackson’s army started to-day, all of the 1st Brigade, ex
cept the 5th Regiment, (which encamped west near the
Cemetery last night) and the artillery passing through
town and marching towards Buffalo Gap. I got a
horse and rode out to get a view of the army, but there
was no point at which the whole column could be seen. —
We are at a loss to know the destination of the
army, but presume that it will soon turn and move
down the Valley. The force which has passed through
since Sunday numbers at least 10,000. – – exclusive of Johnson’s
Brigade which is from 4000 + 5000 strong. The next excite-
ment, was the arrival of a Yankee officer, captured
in a skirmish yesterday, below Harrisonburg. While
we were at dinner, Lucy came in and told us that a
company of cavalry was coming down the street. We
went out to the porch, and found that a large body of
mounted men was passing. They were a portion of
Ashby’s command, about 800. Twelve hundred more
are still in Rockingham. The 800 encamped on the
Buffalo Gap road, near town, but expected to move on.
Soldiers engaged in actual war present a very dif-
ferent appearance from those on holiday parades. There
is no such thing as “uniform” — all sorts of coats, pants
hats and caps, — but they are generally alike in dustiness,
dirtiness and general shabbiness. Several dispatches
from Richmond this evening state that a fight had oc-
curred near Williamsburg, in which we captured 900 men
and 12 cannon. Reported that Johnson was at Shaw’s
Fork, Highland, last night — hardly probable. The dis-
tance is 23 miles from Johnson’s camp at West View —
too far to march in part of a day. And I am not
satisfied yet that Jackson is going to cross the Shenan
doah mountain. The Judge thinks he is striking for
the Baltimore + Ohio Railroad, at Grafton perhaps. It
is generally supposed that we are sending a large force
towards Winchester from East of the Blue Ridge. Ewell
has 20,000 men now, it is said. Our authorities seem
at last to have commenced an aggressive policy. Having
withdrawn our forces from points where they have
awaited an assault for many months, they may have[?] con-
centrated and pushed forward into Pennsylvania, to
let the Northern people feel some of the effects of
invasion. Report says that Jackson has under this in his
command 5000 cavalry. Young Lacy returned
to- night, bringing his friend, a Mr. Brown. They are
going to join Jackson’s army.
[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]
MSS 38-258
