[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept]
Thursday morning, July 17, 1862.
The town as quiet all this week as if no war were rag-
ing in the land. No Railroad train yet, and no news
from any quarter. I have been very busy with the Quar-
terly Returns. Fear that my character as an honest man will
suffer from my connection with the business. —
Feel persuaded that p[illeg.]lation is carried on to a large amount.
The proceedings of the Northern Old School Gen-
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, lately in ses-
sion at Columbus, Ohio, fill me with astonishment.
Dr R. J. Breckenridge was the head devil in the coun-
cil, although his son and nephew have been indicted
in Kentucky for “treason.” The “deliverance” of the
Assembly on the state of the country, takes the most
ultra ground against the South, throws the whole
blame upon us, urges the prosecution of the war,
and with the most arrogant, if not blasphemous, as-
surance assumes to speak in the name of Jesus
Christ. The utter madness and folly of the men is as-
tounding. The vote upon the resolutions was 199 yeas
and 20 nays. Brown sugar is selling in Staun-
ton at seventy-five (75) cents per pound. No coffee
here, but selling elsewhere at two dollars ($2) a
pound. Many articles heretofore deemed essential
cannot be obtained at any price. Most of our people have been
doing without sugar and coffee for a long time. There
is, however, no murmuring. Every body seems prepared to
have any privation necessary to get rid of Yankee dom-
ination
[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]
MSS 38-258
