[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasanton]

Hd. qrs. Cavalry Division
Mechanicstown, Oct 11. 10.30 P.M.
To General R. B. Marcy-
Chief of Staff
Have sent to Middleburg &
Taneytown to see if rebels have
passed these points–My battery
is in position should they
attempt to come thro’ here to
night I shall be ready–There
is no point unguarded by
scouts & if they do their duty
I shall be apprised in time
of their movements–
   Have heard nothing
yet from either Emmettsburg
or Gettysburg & all the roads
as far east as Westminster
are watched–
Very respectfully
A. Pleasanton
Brig General

MSS 495

[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]

Hd. Qrs. Cavalry Division
October 11 4 a.m. 1862
To General R. B. Marcy
Chief of Staff–
General–
     Your dispatch of 10 P.M.
of last evening is rec’d–I cannot find
out where Mc Coys Ferry is, but presume
it is near Hancock–I shall there=
fore move towards Hagarstown &
make inquiries as I proceed–
My command is very
small from the fact of many  horses
being unshod & shoes could not be
had–The 8th Pennsylvania has
not yet been able to obtain horses
to replace the old ones of the Pen=
insula now used up–shall
however do the best I can with
under the circumstances–
Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig: General
Com’dg Cav: Division

MSS 495

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]

Sat 11. for Washg.   slow, arrived about 3 P.M.
men slept in Barracks – Col. Adjt. & I reported to Gen
Casey – rec. us cordially    a member of Pres. Ch –
asked me to explain a verse in Jno. for his edification
very affable – Col & I spent night at Brown’s
Hotel.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]

     Oct. 11th, ’62.
Cloudy, windy &
cold. Overcoats
prove valuable this
morning. Battery mov-
ed up about 200 yds.,

& our Reg’t. placed in
position on the left,
& in a line with, to
suport it.
Our battery is said to be
one of the best in
the service. Did
good execution in
recent battle.
Feel quite unwell
this morning.
Country around &
before us most beau-
tiful; gently undu-
lating & well wooded.
Better water than in the
country over which

we have been passing
in the last 4 or 5 days.
Constant firing of
pickets; a fight prob-
ably imminent.
Remained in the same
position until about
twilight, when we
moved back to the
woods, – the place we
left in the morning.
All quiet during
the early part of
the night.

 [transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

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

Saturday, October 11, 1862

Slept well in our
tent with straw
for a bed last night
raining this morning lay
in until near noon
when we marched over
to the rail road went
into bad Cattle Cars
about noon.  it is now
near evening and we
all got here
remained until night
changed cars & went
on to the roof & spent
the night there quite
cool during the night
Have a rather better cattle
car now
Rained all night and
part of the forenoon
The leaves are beginning
to fall the forests begin
to assume the changing
hues of autumn

MSS 10317

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

Saturday 11th  I have been busy all day mending clothes–Eliza
spent the whole forenoon in the parlour entertaining young
Mr Guthrie–Quite  a fine young [man]–she likes the two brothers very
much, thinks they are agreeable well behaved young men–
one belongs to the 9th Virginia Regiment                     the
other to the Navy–One has just been released from prison  &
lately exchanged–The other has been ill in Virginia–They are
both at home on a sick furlough–& came up here to see their
Mother & sisters–But find Chapel Hill too dull to remain
here long–William is well & lively again–but his mother
says quite troublesome at night–Since dinner there has
been quite a change in the weather–A cold wind has sprung
up & every one is putting on thicker clothes.

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Saturday, October 11, 1862

Raining at last.  A long dry spell we have
had & now I hope that with this refreshing
rain may come peace.  Tho I long for peace
I try to say “Thy will be done,” for this war
is an affliction sent from God, but I
have no peace.–nothing prospers while the
land is bleeding–Oh-It is enough, enough,
Oh God stay thy vengeance In this time
& purify thy people:=”Our land is
left unto us desolate,”
It is quite cold this evening.  Poor soldiers
they were shivering to day. What will they
do when winger comes. Hite was sent by
his surgeon to buy whiskey from Pa–at
10$ a gallon.  doesnt it seem like a
shame for the Yankees to have had yours.
I hope you were benefited on your journey
by your refreshing drink–
The wagons were here again to day, but
Pa is tired out with selling & refused
them any thing but hay.  has sold
hundreds of $s worth of that–they
beg for it at any price.
  Had a disagreeable talk with Margaret
this morning.  Told her to do some work, & she
said she hadn’t time that she wanted to fix
her hoops.  Of course I had the work done, but am
sue that she considered herself great aggrieved.

[as transcribed by her granddaughter 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]

Saturday 11  It rained a good deal last
night and during the greater part
of the day. Never was rain more wan-
ted.  The ground was too hard to seed wheat
I hope it is not yet too late.  The Board
discounted some 85,000 half or [?] new
They did an act of justice to the offi-
cers in a handsome manner–[voting?]
unanimously to increase the salaries
25 percent to commence with 1 Jan
exception–my case.  My advance pay
is to begin 1 July–owing to the board
having paid for substitutes for Miller
and Christian & lately given 300$ to
Mr Jellie  This does not place me
on an equality but I am very [much?] [content?]

the percentage of advance is larger
than I expected.  I did not look for
more than 20 per cent. this measure
makes my salary $2812.50–or $562.50
more than it was.  It will be a
very seasonable help though still
the salary is not more than half
as valuable as it was two years
ago.–for I cannot name an article
of living that has not doubled in price,
while most of them range from
three to ten times the price they for-
merly brought.  Our profits in Bank
this half year will be very large
We have an interest bearing fund
of near $1.100.00–one half of it at
8 percent.–nothing of any interest
during this day–In the At night
Drs. Williams & Johnson called and
sat an hour or two.

MSS 4763

[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison as transcribed at a later date]

Saturday October 11

Rainy season commenced today, a little rain off and on all day.  Two soldiers spent the night with us.

MSS 9759

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

Friday
Oct 10
the news of yesterday is in the paper tonight
It was at Corinth between Rosecrantz and
Price, in which our forces were victorious.  I
was also blessed with an unexpected letter from
Mary, as I did not expect a mail till the last of
the week and then I hardly thought I should get one from
her.  My health is a little better I think, though my
head feels bad

MSS 11293