1862 July 30 Staunton, Va.

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[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]
Wednesday, July 30, 1862.
Putting up the Harrisonburg telegraph (poles + wire) to-day. The Rev. Dr.
Plumer has published a card defining his position. Having been 
identified with the South nearly all his life, and be-
ing regarded a bold and honest man, his many admirers + 
friends in this region have expected him to take ground 
on our Side. His card shows him to be a  trimmer 
and is very discreditable to him. He curries favor with 
the North, or provides for his own safety, by protesting 
his devotion to the Constitution, Union +c +c. Yet does not 
say that he is in favor of the war.] It is more and 
more apparent that the Northern people are prosecuting 
the war for revenge — they can not bear the idea, more-
over, that 20,000,000 of people should be forced to yield 
anything to 6,000,000 (whites). Gov. Curtin, of Penn., in 
a speech at Pittsburg, rejoices that Lincoln has at last 
come to take a right view of the matter, + that, in a word, the 
“rebels” are to be treated like wild beasts. Well, the “rebels” 
sometimes have a few of the enemy in their hands. Retal-
iation — vindictive, terrible will be the result if the Yankees 
prosecute the war as they threaten. May God help us all. 
[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]
MSS 38-258

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