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

Sunday
July 20

About twenty of our company went down
to church in the city.  I went with them
and heard Mr Clark preach.  Signed the
pay-roll to-day.  Wrote a letter home this afternoon.

MSS 11293

                 Petersburg Va July 20 1862

My Dear Father
      In haste I drop you a few lines to
inform you that on to morrow (Monday)
should nothing prevent I will start for
Orange.  As I have heard nothing from
you I suppose there well will be no
difficulty in my going directly on to
the station, I am still quite weak but
have improved very much since
you left. Kidder is a little better this
morning  [Sister?] was here to see me
yesterday.  With love to Mother and
the girls & boys
                   I remain
                         yr aff son
                              G S Bernard

George S. Bernard, 12th Virginia Infantry, after the war a lawyer in Petersburg, Va., and member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

MSS 7745

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

 [Sunday, July 20, 1862]

Guard mounting
lay around until near
noon when with
Lieuts Smith, Hill, Beeton
& Hick we went
out about two miles
to the house of Mrs Lilly
whose husband is in Col[?]
a prisoner i had a very
good dinner green peas
new Potatoes &c played
several pieces came home
in the evening
Had no Parade as it
rained a [?] Shower
Played on the porch of
the house.  This evening
went up to the Cavalry
heard the boys sing some
mostly clear fine day

MSS 10317

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

    July 20^th

[from the diary of Ephraim Wood, Co. C., 1st Massachusetts]

     Sunday  July 20th/62
     Pleasant all day
          Went to the Depot and
worked hard all day.  Did
not get through till nine
O clock in evening.  Loaded
nearly two hundred teams.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12021

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

Sunday 20th  The Sun is out brightly this morning–I felt soon after break
-fast too unwell I thought to attend Church–but by Eleven OClock
the hour Church takes in up here–I felt better–& am glad now
I did to–As Mr Hilliard gave us an excellent sermon & Mr
Hubbard read the Service very solemnly–The Congregation was as
large as I have ever seen it up here-& the people attentive.  Mrs
London was there–& we walked home together–she leaves here for
Raleigh to morrow–Mrs Duncan Moore & her daughters are here on
their way to Charlotte.  I received a long letter from Mary to day- &
Eliza one from Mary Wilson.  All were well & enjoying themselves
Mary says Mrs Myers has heard from Mrs Springs & she intended writing Joe–

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Sunday, July 20, 1862

Brother Charles preached today & they all
went but Mother & I.  Mother’s foot is
still stiff & she cannot wear her shoe.
I staid with Jacque–who looks
very badly–The calomel makes him
sick-
– Tried to read but Jacque and Daisy
took up more than half my
attention.  Tom went to church
with Fannie

[as transcribed in 1972  by her granddaugther Anne Madison Wright Baylor]

MSS 15406

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

Sunday 20   Fine day–Excellent
sermon–wrote to Eugene–called
in the afternoon at Sam Tyries
upon a Lt Shellman, of the 1 Mary
-land Regt., sick there–found he was
as I suspected, from Frederick & a
nephew of James M. Shellman
whom I used to know very well there
Had much information from him
of other friends there–most of whom
& their children, I was pleased to hear
were with us of the south in the
present contest.  Called afterwards
at Charles–Service at night.

George K. Shellman, 1st Maryland Infantry

MS 4763

 [vignette of McClellan]   
              Martinsburg, Va.
              July 20th, 1862

Friends at Home
                      Your
kind letters are safely
here and I hasten a
reply to them all in
general.  I was glad
to hear that you were
all well and enjoying
yourselves so well.  I am
well and never was any
healthier in my short life.
I shall send you my pic-
ture when I get my pay
so that I can get it taken.

 [page 2]
It is about all that
we soldiers can do
to mail our letters, let
alone getting pictures
taken now.  The Col.
says that we will get
our pay next week.  I hope
so for I never wanted
money so bad in my
life.  I shall send the
most of it to you by
Express to Lanark.
I will write and let you
know when I send it.
I hope that you will
have no trouble in get-
ting your harvesting
done.  You may depend
on me for money to
pay cutting.  Try to get
someone to cut it that
will cut it just as you

 [page 3]
can bind it up, and
I do not think it best for
you to change work with
anyone.  If the boys can
work out any after you
are done, it would be
well for them to do so
but see that your own
grain is harvested and
then it will be time to work
for someone else.
You must not forget that
Hank is all right and prom
ises to come to see his friends
after this war is over–
We are [sic] Give my regards to
all inquiring friends and
tell them that Hank says
 he will fight hard should
a chance present itself.
We boys begin to think
that we are approaching the

 [page 4]
enemy as we heard the
roar of canon days
before yesterday.  The battle
is said to have taken place
at Strawsburg about 40
 miles from here.   We
could hear very distinctly
the report of the canon.  Gen’s. Banks and Sigel it
is said commanded our
troops and drove the Rebel
Jackson until they got
him in such quarters
as to take prisoners the most
of his Army, which I
hope is true.  I have one
thing for you to do with
out fail and do it soon.  I
want you to send Nelson with
a dollar to Mt. Carroll and
pay the editors of the paper
for me. Now don’t forget to
do so soon as you may send
it by mail and another
thing I don’t want you to let
Hathaway sue you on that note
if you possibly can help it.
And do not go in debt any
more but try to pay all your
debts this fall.  Remember that we
are going to have hard times

[cross hatched on page 1]
and then use the rest of the money
to you own purposes.  If you can
get a chance to sell Old Nig, let him [?]
at a good price for all [?] and
use the money to pay debts.  Now, don’t
go in debt but pay all you owe now.  Hard
times are coming.  You must try
and do the best you can without
Hank for I do not expect to be at home
for some time yet.  I shall write
to you often and I want you
to do the same.  With many regards,
I am, very truly yours,                                                                                                                                                          
                                         Hank
                                         Martinsburg, Va.
                                          12th Ills, Cav. Co. C.
You may send me some postage stamps.

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
All write soon and often.

[cross hatched on page 4]

When Em hears from Crum I want her
to give me his address that I can write
to him and tell me what the boys write
back home so that I will know some
thing about them.  Tell me all about
the crops and don’t forget to give
me the particulars.When you get
the Mt. Carroll papers, I want you to
send them on to me and direct them
the same as letters.  I owe Crum 7
or 8 dollars and I owe Sheriff Landon
7 dollars which I want you to pay
as soon as I send you the money
and don’t forget to pay them for
it is due them long enough.  I want
you to try to pay all that I owe so that
there will be no grumbling at me.

William Henry “Hank” Redman
12th Illinois Cavalry


MSS 7415

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding of the 25th Massachusetts]

Saturday
July 19
After coming off guard Phineas
and I went down town on a pass
We went to see Ed Brown and I borrowed
two dollars of him, and then Phineas and I got
some pies and cakes &c and went round over
the city.

MSS 11293