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

Monday 7.  Another exceedingly hot day
Had to turn out & hunt an assistant
in the bank–found him in young
[?] Jennings of the Home Guard–on
sick furlough.  got through with his
help very well–In the eveng went
to see Mr Jellin who is quite sick
Letter from Lanty in Richd McClel
land has saved himself by getting
to the point on the Jas River under co
-ver of his gun-boats, where he is
fighting and where he has recd
reinforcements–It is said our failure
to capture a greater part of the army
was owing to the drunkenness of Magruder
and the imbecility of Huger–La was
much incensed against both.  rumors
of notification by two European powers
that the war must cease had been
recd by the U. S. Govt.–upon which Lin-
-coln issued a proclamation calling for
300,000 men–I hope our people
will not be lulled into any security by
this story of foreign intervention.  it
has been our bane.   We must look
to ourselves and no one else.

MSS 4763

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

Monday 7th  No letters, no papers–I am sadly disappointed as I expected to
hear from Tom–the weather is beautiful & Dr. Mallett is going on to
Richmond to bring on 80 of the wounded to be nursed here–Families
have agreed to take them.

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]

7th  My Birth day–52.  God be
merciful to me a Sinner!

MSS 2563-b

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

[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]

           
very warm               Monday – July 7th 1862
After breakfast I went down town &
spent the Evening morning writing
letters for Capt H & Maj Bloomfield
Dined at Mr Harveys – Took a bath
after dinner – & went down town – s
     Wrote to Mrs Roy this Evening afternoon &
I spent Evening at Mrs Dunlops – a
very agreeable Evening between the
family & Mullies room – They have
an Elegant residence, one of the best in
Richmond, an airy large house – Mullie
has Every attention it is possible to bestow
upon a sick man, from library & indeed
Every comfort . Mrs D is very Kind – Heard
nothing from Poissant ‘yet.’ I begin to feel                
tired of being out of Camp – & have pretty
much made up my mind to go & visit my
family in SoCa & then my ____ [left blank] Somewhere Else
I’ll never have such another chance as now
     This day is very hot

The following lines are cross-written over the above page.]
Rumors of a fight below today –  
   Many stragglers in town this
week – Took off red flannel & put on linen
today – Mullie heard from Father &     
Lillie today – Rec’d a letter from Mrs Roy this  
day –     


Poissant:  Henry Puissan
Mullie:  brother Thomas M. Logan
father: George William Logan
Lillie: sister Josephine Maria

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards; family comments by Sally Rice Forsyth Donnelly]

MSS 6154

Berkley Landing Va
July 7  1862

Dear Mary thiss is the
first time found that I have
had a chance to wright
for some time wee have
had a fights and a long
hard retreet sence I wrote
the rebs was to mutch
for us at 7 pines so wee Left and
come down here wee ar camped in
a swamp and wee ar all sick
and the water is verry bad the worst
that wee have ever had, I went about
a mile and a half to a house to day
and offered 25 cts for one qt of
well water, but could not get it
we ar trying to get a well dug
but it toes along slow think with
a few days rest wee shall call
get smart again but as for
taking Ritchmond thiss summer I
think it is out of the question

[page 2]
for the Rebels have got 3 men
to our one and there is no doubt
of it at all
your letter no 2 came safe to
hand was thankfull to find you
was all well I have ben sickly
for some time can not keep
my vituals down nothing serious
I am in hopes
tell little Bener I thank her for
her letter
Elizies letter was a good one
she has improved verry mutch
since her last tell hr if I can
ever get time I will wright to her
But I am so Buisey now she
must excuse me for the presant
should be glad to see you all but
must be content with wrighting
for the presant
had a letter from farther shall
send it home in this.  shall have
to be short for we are verry

[page 3]
buisey building Rifle pits and
forts I saw Ab the other
day he looks ruged and harty
tell John I shall answer his
letter as soon as I can get a chance
Samuel sends his love
so does your husband B F Hutchinson
so now may the good
Lord Bless and preserve your
lives and finely permitt us to
see each other here on erth
Wright as soon as
you can and wright
all of the news for it is
a dull place way out here
in the Swamp
         
                  Frank

Frank Erskine to his sister Mary Erskine Hutchinson

Frank Erskine and his brother in law Benjamin F. Hutchinson were both in the 7th Massachusetts Infantry


MSS 11338

Richmond July 7th

Dear Cousin Meade  [David Meade Bernard]
We have fought &
won in the great battle before the
Capital we have pursued the enemy
to the James where he has made a
stand under cover of the gunboats,
their next position I don’t know, but
think McClellan will await reinforce=
ments if  he can hold his present
position.  The Ebenzer Greys behaved
well under fire, our brigade (Pickets)
was brought into action about 5 P.M.
was ordered to drive the Yanks from
their breastworks after two other brig=
ades had failed in the attempt, their
position was so strong, they were con=
cealed behind their breastworks in
a thickly wooded branch about
30 yds wide; whilst we had a field

[page 2]
to traverse about a mile wide, exposed
to a raking fire from two batteries beside
that from the infantry, nevertheless we
charged & drove them in confusion from
their stronghold,and on the opposite
side took a batter and about 600 prisoners
slept on the battle field and renewed
the pursuit the next morning.
I will now mention the casualties in
our company first Capt. B. C. Jones was
severely wounded in the knee, that limb
was amputated just above, he is doing
well, I was detailed to take him up to
Richmond and to nurse him, we had the
good fortune to get to a private house
through the influence of Dr. Smith of
Brunswick who brought also his friend
Lt. Sam: Hardy of Notoway who lost
his arm in the same fight. We had
several more wounded of Com E. but not
seriously, am surprised that any of us
escaped with out lives, I believe we were
held by the hand of Providence.

[page 3]
Yesterday evening we left the sick room and
walked down the street to the American
hotel to find probably an old friend
and who should it be but George B.
with several other old acquaintances
from Petersburg all wourn[sic] out and
going back to recruit; George is looking
badly but I think a short stay in
Petersburg will cure  him completely,
he sends his love and says he would
go to Orange but cannot get transporta-
tion conveniently, and the trip was too
long for him just now, he has been
through three battles without a scratch,
is not anxious to be in another unless
his duty calls him there: I agree exactly
with him; for fighting is the hardest work
I ever did, and you know I am opposed
to work, therefore object to fighting.
The names of those friends I will give
as you know most of them, Wilcox Brown
William Lee, Willie Hinton, Tom Branch,
and Austin Maclin, formerly from Greensville

[page 4]
They all go over to Petersburg to day.
Meade has just returned to his regiment
having been sick in Petersburg, George
says he is looking well.
We are in great doubt as to what
will next turn up but trust that Mc:
clellan will be forced to evacuate Va
soil soon.  Jackson has returned to the
valley, I hope for a good purpose.
We are staying at Mr. O. F. Weisiger’s
have every want supplied and are treated
as kindly as we could wish, he has 3
very nice daughters. I shall have to be
very cautious or my heart will slip away.
Give my best love to cousin Nannie.
Dick Tommy and Willie, write very soon
to me, direct to care of O. F. Weisiger
I shall be here a week yet I reckon.
I saw cousin  Andrew and George Field
several days since, Ma & all are well.
     Your affect cousin
                    Richard Feild
P.S. I use a Yankee envelope.  I have a Yankee gun
cartridge box and several other trophies


                                        R. F.

Richard Feild,  Co.E, 56th Virginia Infantry (Ebenezer Grays)

MSS 7745

[on patriotic stationary featuring the seal of Kentucky]

1862
Jackson Tenn July 7th
Dearest Delia
I was agin
made glad by the resept of an
nother of your dear good letters
yesterday afternoon dated the [?]th of
July you spoke of my long delay
in writing and seemed to allm
-ost upbrade me for it, but if you
knew how fully my time has been
occupide and with what incon
-veniance I wright attall you
would not complain, you have
no idear what kind of life I
have to live, in the first place
I have more to do than any one man
in the regt. and am less in one pla

[page 2]
ce I have been goinge and comng
almost continuly not stoping
onely for a day in camp and that
day spent puting things in repare
for another trip, for the last
5 or 6 weeks I have not eaven
had the oppertunity of sleeping in
my tent onely for one or two nites
at a time, I have camped down by
the rode side or in the woods
with nothing to shelter me but
the head heavens over my head, or per-
haps a frendly tree with its thi
ck foliage (which is remarkabley
so in this contry) which formes
a good protection from the dew
which is quite heavy hear, we
have had but very little rane for
a long time which has been favor
iable for traveling exsept the dust
which some of the time has been ve
ry bad, but with me there can be
no delay rain or shine I must go

[page 3]
I have been trying for some time
past to get my discharge from the
regt and going with Cap Fort he
offers me $75 a month, but if I sh
ould take my discharge from the
regt I should loose my bount
money which is $100 and land wa-
-rrant, but as yet I have not been
able to get my discharge from the Regt
yet and I do not think I can get it
attall, the Col is not willing to let
me go but still he said he will
sign the papers but he thinks it will
do no good for Gen Hallock will
not sign them without a sergn
certificate of disability, had I
remained in the company and
escaped harm I should now
without doubt been com of the
company, but I suppose it is all
for the best, I received yours of
June 6th containing one from  Genia
but I did not have time to answer

[page 4]
it, in it you spoke of Willie
Christoper having the membranous
croup and your visit to Mendtor
I was glad that you went down
to see them and that you
found Willie out of danger
I am sorry that Genias head
troubles him so much I think
that you have done right in
taking him out of chool[sic]
I would not send him as
long as the pain continues
in his head, you I suppose
that Mr Bissell thinks Gen Grant
a great man; some people
are grate admiers of sholder
straps yo[u] know, you has that he
thinks that if I would apply
to Geo[sic] Grant I would get my
pay increase, nonsence I shoul
d as soon think of applying to
a fifth corprell as to Gen Grant
for any such purpus but I must
close I am a going to make an
effort to get a furlow or leave
of absence pretty soon, I do not
know how well I shall succede
but I think I can get one
for a short time my health
is very good at present, I
If I do not have an oppertunity


[sideways in top margin of page 1]
I will send you
some mney pretty
soon I dare not send
by mule I hope
I shall be able to
come home and
see you this
fall.  give my
love to all my
friends, thank
Mr Robenson
for me for his
kindness to you
tell him I shall
remember him
for it I would
love to hear from
him, my love to
his famely, how
is Mr Tomlen
how dies he like the ma[?]
W O Shaw

[from the diary of Ephraim Wood of the 13th Massachusetts]

          Monday, July 7th  1862

I was supernumery of the Guard
this morning.  After Guard
mounting I went to the brook
and had a bath.  I then went
and got all the Cherries that
I wanted to eat.  I took a walk
around the Country.  On my travels
I came to a mill, the owner of
which was close by sitting, on a
stone wall talking with a couple of
Soldiers.  He seemed anxious to
have our forces whip the Rebels
at Richmond, and that the
War would end as soon as possible.
The opinion I formed of him was,
that he sympathized with the
South, but that he thought it
was useless for them to hold
out any longer and was in hope
our forces would conquor as soon

as possible.  He denounced the
Rebel Leaders.  The next house I came
to I stoped and took dinner, as
it was after two Oclock.  I had
been away from Camp ever since
eight Oclock.  I found the people
here very pleasant and kind.
There was two persons in the House,
one a Lady of about the age
of Fifty, and her daughter, who
was about twenty five or six years
of age.  Here I met two Soldiers,
one from this Regt, and one from
the New York Ninth.  The Youngest
Lady entertained us for nearly three
hours.  She said that she had
three brothers in the Rebel Army,
whose time of enlistment had
expired some time ago, but the
Conscript Law that was passed,
held them in Service over their
time.  She thought that Law
very unjust, and denounced the

the Rebel Leaders more severly,
then the Miller did.  She tried
to prevent her Brothers from
joining the Army in the first
place.  When the Rebel forces were
at Manassas, she said that Gen
Johnsons Wife boarded in Warrenton
The Slavery question was brought
up.  She thought that they were
better off with their Masters, then
they would be if free.  She said she
did not approve of selling them.
She had cried many a time at
seeing an infant separated from
its Mother and sold to the
hightest bidder.  I got back to
Camp a little before six Oclock, just
in time to escape a heavy shower
It was said that the thermometer yesterday
in the shade stood at a hundred
and ten degrees.  To day one hundred
and three.  Very Warm Weather.

MSS 12021

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

                        July 7th

The N. J. battery took up a position on our
left to day.  both left sections being short range
guns, they were sent to the right to cross fire
our guns, if we were attacked.  Were turned
out at 4. A. M and remained in harness
until 7. A. M.  Very warm and pleasant.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493