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

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1862

We left our Camp
early this morning
passed through Sharpsburg
& over the battle field
Saw the effects of the
balls on the grove
where is the church
the building is terribly
cut up. Saw the graves
of many of our [brave?]
comrades
marched on the pike
to Hagerstown 17 miles
all very much fatigued
Clea & very Hot
The country appears quite
fertile very stony however
I judge considerable limestone
fine buildings some are of
loges but plastered over in imitation
of stone. McAdamized roads.

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Wednesday October 8, 1862

Pa said that we might have the carriage
& F[annie], E[mma], & I determined to go to Waverly
to dinner. Found them all at home &
as kind as ever.  begged us to stay
but we were obliged to return –
There were three Mr Mac Keggs there from
Md. have no claim on them whatever
except one of them is engaged to Miss [Hunt?]
& there two of them have been for a year &
the third has just come but he said
that he was going into the army directly
The Dr gave them some hard hints, asked
me if Pa wanted a horse, said he
had several belonging to other people &
two to the Mr Mac Keggs, which he could
keep & use for the boarding them

Daisy came in just now & after looking
at me in the most earnest manner said
What are you writing to your sweetheart,
Ma? & when I told  her that you were
my sweetheart she looked at me with the most
astonished face.

[as transcribed in 1972 by her granddaughter Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

MSS 15406

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

Wednesday 8th  Cloudy this morning–No papers–But a letter from Tom
dated 28th of September–He was then then 4 miles from Winchester–They
moved up there the day before he wrote from Martinsburg.  He did not know
how long they would remain. He says the country about there is like a
wild waste–tis in that part of the Country the Yankees have camped-
& committed their depredations so long–Houses are burnt down, fences
destroyed & property of all kinds wasted & ruined  Our Army the
low & depraved kind destroy a great deal where they Camp.

MSS 6960

[From the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]

8th  Brodie
comes on a visit bringing pony
much to girls delight.

MSS 2563-b

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

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

Monday 8  Weather hot & dry beyond
precedent–at 1/2 at five the
party, having gotten their breakfast
went to the packet to take them to
the natural bridge. It consisted of
Lancelot & Eugene-Mary Isabella
Lucy Landon Minor & Mary Green
-they were joined at the boat by
Nanny Dane & Anna Col-
ston–I have no doubt it will
be quite as disagreeable as pleasure
parties generally are–It seemed
quite strange to set down to dinner
with no one but Mrs B. & Willy
Ro. Saunders came last night from
Richd and left us after break-
-fast-forgetting his coat [?] [?]
Another day without a rumor
-I dont like the inaction in Kentucky
It bodes no good to the cause.—

MSS 4763

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

Tuesday
Oct 7
Just one year ago to day I was sworn
into the U.S. Service, Went up to the
surgeons this morning.  He gave me a pill to take
this afternoon.  Have felt quite comfortable and
wrote a long letter  home in answer to one which
I received from them.  Lt. Col. Sprague and Adj. Hark-
ness took leave of us to go home for promotion
We are very sorry to lose them especially the
adjutant.

MSS 11293

             Williamsport Maryland
                   Oct 8th 1862
Dear Brothers
                 I wrote to Father
yesterday but for fear that he
will not get the letter, I write you
now.  I am quite well to-day
almost able for duty I think
that I shall be all right in a
few days We do not have much
duty just now and all goes
well, with us.  My horse is getting
as fat as he can be and
I shall be ready for the rebels if
we ever get a chance at them
again.  It was an extra horse
tat I had shot.  My horses
back was very badly galded
then and hence I had to ride
another He was galed coming from
Harpers Ferry.  Well boys I sent Father
some money to Leanark 60 dollars
and he can get it by going there
and paying the expressage
This will make you all feel a
little better I hope so Boys
I want you to have good
warm clothes & boots this winter
and you must do your duty
to Father & Mother like men
You can do all the chores
yourselves and [not] trouble Father

[page 2]
Well boys I have not much
to write you I would like to see
you very well and have allong
talk but I am willing to wait
until the war is over You must
act well your part and do
up your work briskly and
be ready for winter-school
Tell all the folks that Hank
is all right and alive would
ent still be anything but a sol-
dier and any young-man
who is not in the army now
is a coward–unless his parents
have hindered him.  Tell Em
that she must get a school to
teach this winter if she can
  I want you to write to me soon
and tell me all the news tell
all about the young folks you
may tell Louisa Hick & Emma Crum
that I look too bad to have my likeness
taken now for them I would
be asshamed to send them to them
Good Bye Boys I remain as ever
your affectionate brother
                     W. H. Redman
Nelson L. Redman
Eli M Redman
                       Write Soon
Direct via Williamsport Maryland
12th Ills. Cavalry, Co. C.

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
Tell Sara & Em that I just recd their letters
dated Sept 25th and will answer soon
I did not loose my testament as I
had it in my pocket

MSS 7415

[on patriotic stationary depicting a farmer leaving behind his plow to carry a rifle and flag]

                                   CAMP Near Harper’s Ferry 
                                        20th   Regt, Co., H   U.S.A.
                               Tuesday Oct 7 1862

Dear Brother & sister Len & Sarah,
                Nearly five weeks have
passed away since I was at your
house. the time has passed of very quick
with me & yet when I look back it seems
as though it had been five months instead
of weeks since I left home.
We left New Haven on Sunday the
next after I was at your house & arrived
in New York & took a steamboat for Fort
Monmout New Jersey where we again took
the cars & arrived in Philadelphia about
daylight the next morning.  It rained
very hard when we got there but we could
not stop for that. We go out of the cars
& formed into line & marched through

[page 2]
the city to an eating house where
thousands of hungry soldiers are fed free
of cost every day.  We halted in front of the
place & stood about an hour in the
rain waiting our turn.  We finally got
a chance in & you may be sure we
did ample justice to the abundant
provision made for us by the liberal
people of Philadelphia for we had eaten
next to nothing for nearly 24 hours. After
we finished our meal we marched
about a mile further through the
rain & water which was running in
rivers all over the streets, to the Depot of the
Baltimore R Road where we waited
until afternoon & then started for Baltimore.
All along the road through Philadelphia
& from there to Baltimore we were greeted
with cheers & the people  all seemed to
rejoice at the Sight of so many Regiments
of men going on to fight the Battles of
our Country.  We arrived in Baltimore
about Midnight & Marched two miles
to the the[sic] Depot of the Baltimore and

[page 3]
Washington R Road. There as in Philadelphia
we were furnished with a good meal
& we then lay down on the floor  of the
R Road Depot until morning. We were
then furnished with Breakfast &
started for Washington. Where we arrived
about 3 o clock in the afternoon.   We were
then taken to Uncle Sams quarters & fed
with a meal such as I shall never forget
They feed every Regt that comes in in
the same way. They have a large long
room fitted up with narrow tables
or Benches & on those are laid one
slice of bread in a place about a foot
apart & on the bread a piece of the fattest &
greasiest pork you could imagine (but
not the sweetest) this was the dinner or
meal given to each soldier.  We had some
Stuff they called Coffee set on in pails
which were not as clean as some swill pails
I have seen and we were at liberty to help our
selves to this. We were not long in finishing
our supper here & then we were marched
out to East Capitol hill & about two miles

[page 4]
from the Capitol where we slept on the
ground without Tents for the first time.
The next day we pitched tents & had a very
busy day of it although it was the Sabbath.
You will naturally conclude that our
first impression of Washington was
not the most favorable. My first was
as favorable as my last.  While we were
there we had very hard fare the most of
the time.  We staid there on Capitol Hill
only four days.   We then marched over
to Arlington Heights near Fort Richardson
& Scotts & encamped there.  While we were here
we had three or four Division Reviews where
there were some ten or twelve thousand
troops together and several Batteries of Artillery we
were Reviewed by Gen. Casey.  We left Arlington
Heights for Frederick City, Maryland on Monday
of last week we arrived & staid until
the latter part of the week when we were
ordered to this place.  We have been here four
days we are encamped at the foot of
Maryland Heights two miles from Harpers
Ferry.  We were on the very ground occupied
by Stonewall Jackson & from which he was
driven by Burnside some four weeks ago
when we were at Frederick City & we are
now on ground which has been occupied
by the Rebels.  On the Heights above us & in the
woods around have been found by our boys
Broken guns & Bayonets & there are Dead
bodies lying in the Woods unburied not
one mile from our camp.  Several were
found the other day & burned for they could
not be moved enough to bury them.  So you see
we are in the midst of Scenes which make one

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
feel that there is reality about war how
soon we shall be called to fight I dont know.
We may be very soon.  We are in Gen. Kane
Brigade and in the 12th Army Corps under
Gen. Williams. Yours Truly M.B. Woodruff

Merritt Burr Woodruff, 1828-1907, Co. H, 20th Connecticut.

MSS 11065

Tuesday morning
Winchester, Oct 7, 1862
Will I not persecute you, Ella darling, with my
much writing?  Or will you be spoiled, so as not
to be satisfied unless you are receiving letters almost
daily from me? I will run the risk of produ-
cing either effect, especially as you asked me to write
all the time.  I have not heard from you yet, but
that is not your fault, and I will soon enjoy the
reading and re-reading of a very sweet letter from
my beloved, will I not?  You must put away
all reserve, and let me know your whole heart
in all its feelings, especially those which have
any relation to me.         After writing to you
last Saturday, I went to the Synod, and
found them discussing with great interest the
subject of army chaplaincies.  Dr. Moses Hoge
made a beautiful and touching speech.   I was very
kindly and respectfully requested to participate in the
discussions, and made a few remarks. so that
morning passed pleasantly away.  About 2 P.M.
I started in a crowded stage for this place, spent
the night in Harrisonburg, and all Sabbath until
midnight was traveling. I did this as a matter
of necessity and duty, as I was compelled to travel
just when the army stage would take me. I have

[page 2]
had rather a tedious stay here, waiting a chance to get
out to my regiment who are six or seven miles beyond.
I hope to be able to send my baggage out to-day,
and will go out myself whether I can do that or not.
It would pain you to see the number of sick and
wounded who are going in a constant stream from this
place.  Our troops, I am told, are in good spirits,
though destitute to a sad extent of shoes and clothing.
I doubt whether we will have another battle this fall.
Over 150 prisoners were brought here last evening.
They were captured by Imboden in Hampshire or
Hardy.  I don not think our army will remain
here long.  They will probably fall back near Richmond.
This will be more convenient both for subsistence and
for defence.  How sad our people in Northern Va.
will be again to fall into the hands of the Yankees.
And how earnestly we should pray God in his mercy
to end speedily these horrors of war.  alas! we are
slow to believe in the power of prayer, though encouraged
to faith by so many promises and so many instances
of its success.  I have seen no one from my own regi-
ment, but a number of friends from other regiments
Sleeping on the ground without a tent and hard fare
must now be my lot, but these hardships have never
injured my health, and I trust will not now.  You
know, my precious girl, how constantly I will think of
you, and how earnestly I will try long for your letters.
It is a source of great comfort to me to believe that

[page 3]
your own heart will rejoice in my letters.  Be good
and sweet and loving, and God be with you, my be-
loved, my own dear Ella.
                           Very affectionately yours,
                                   J. C. Granberry.

John Cowper Granberry, chaplain of the 11th Virginia.

MSS 4942