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

Monday 6th  We have been out all morning shopping & what little we could
find was exorbitantly high–We read until very late at night–

MSS 6960

 [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 6.  Warm weather. Charles
called at a little before 6 for Mary
Jane.  They got off on the Orange
train.   We part with the dear little
girl with great regret–one of the
sweetest children I ever saw.
Charles goes to rejoin his regiment
though far from feeling fit for duty.
He is not pleasantly situated–His
troop is small and he is not on
good terms with his colonel.  I wish
he could get a staff appointment
He is admirably qualified for that
line of duty.  I have hopes he may
yet get a place with Jackson, near
whose person he served for some weeks
He is in low spirits. We learn
through Mary R. that Gen. Stuart
has written to the Secretary of War
urging as an act of justice the
promoting of William saying his
services have been invaluable. The
Secretary says there is no promotion
in the Engineer Corps. I hope he
will yet be made a field officer
or some cavalry officer–He hav
ing proved himself greatly–Lewis
is ordered to make a survey of
Louisa County–Eugene went
up this morning to Liberty with
Ben to see a  horse which he bought
The late owner is to keep him un-
til E. is ready to go.  He returned
at 4 in the evening.

MSS 4763

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

Saturday
Oct 4
Had a company drill this morning.
Laid on my bunk most of the day
Cleaned my gun this afternoon fut felt pretty
miserable and sick.  Pollard and Smith both sick
 MSS 11293

   Camp Near Winchester Sunday Oct 5th. 62

                               Va
  Camp Near Winchester
                Oct the 5/62
Dear Brother
                      I take the
present Opper th tunity
of dropping you a few lines
to let you know that
I am well at present
hoping when theas few
lines Come to hand
they may find you
injoying the Same
Blessing I have no news
of importance to write
to you O this pleasent
Sab Sunday I would like
to be with you at old mount
Union Church But now
deprived o all sutch
pleasures I hope the it
wont be long untill I
Can Come home a gain
Butit looks like a poor

[page 2]
Chance for me to ever
get home I I dont
get to come home shortely
I am going to run the
Blockade Brother I will
advise you to stay out
of this war as long as
possible It is a awfull
thing to see men shot
donw down like a brute
and then dont get
a decnt Buriel Just
a li little hole dug an then
Rolled in like a hog–
It is little prophet for
a poor Soldier to run
him Self in danger for
sutch treatmen as this
they air trying to pass a
Bill in congress for the
Confederate Soldier to
Fight under a Black
Flag and in if they do

[page 3]
you will see me marching
to the Rear for I dont
like to fight under a
red Flag too well
when they Fight under
a Black flag they dont
take any prisoners they
kill evrry man they get
a chance then the
yankey would hung all
they ketch of us this kind
of fighting dont pleas me
Battles  I have been in
several of them I was
slitely wonded wance O
no one has any idea
what a war is untill
you try it dear Brother
if it is my part to fall
on the Battle Field I
have a hope in prepare
to meet me in heaven

[page 4]
George I expect
a gainst I Come home
you will be have you
a wif wife give my
Best Respects to all
the Pretty Girls tell Father
I have some more
powder for him I will
send it the first
Chance
Now I must Being
theas few lines to close
write Soon direct
your letter to W Winchestr
Winchester Va.
Father & Mother sisters
Brothers if I never return
home promise to meet
me in heaven where
we will nevr part nomore
So nothing more
But Remain your
affection a Brother untill
Death James B.Painter

James Barney Painter, Corporal, Co. K, 28th Virginia

MSS 10661

    Camp Near Winchester
          October the 5th/62
Dear Father and Mother
                    I take this
present Oppertunity of
dropping you a few lines
to let you know that
I am well at present
hoping when theas few
lines come to hand
they may Find you
enjoying the Same
Blessing   I have no news
of importance to write
to you I Recd your letter
a few days ago I was glad
to here from you all
we have had several hard
Battles lately the Battle of
Boonsboro (and) Sharpsburg
the Battle of Sharpsburg
was the most Bloody
Battle a[s] ever was faught

[page 2]
On the American
Continent  Stone wall
Jackson Captured harpers
ferry & with 8000 priseners
& about 1300 stand of
Small arms several pieces
artilery and a great
many other things a
qonitity of ammunition
this move in Maryland
was only to flank the
yankey at harpers ferry
But we lost a great
many of Lovering Boys
-& I must give you
the names of wounded
in our Company Phillip
E. Firebaugh Thomas Slack
Lieut James A Graybill
William J Manges [Manger?] I
was not in the Fight
and the reason was
I was bare footed at that time

[page 3]
the Fight at Sharpsburg
th the yankey attacted us
we we whiped Back on
the lift[sic] a bout 2 milles
in the Senter we held
our position all next
day the yankeys sent a
Flag of truce to Berry
there dead But General
Lee would not let them
we Berried Our dead and
then we at night then
Retreated a Cross the
River the yankeys so badly
Fatigued they never fired
a gun after us after we
Crossed the River  Gen Jackson
Concealed him self and
let a bout 5000 of the
enemy cross the Rifer
an then opened fire
on them killed and
captured the hole mass

[page 4]
the River was full of
dead and wounded  O this
war is a awful thing
there was was a bout 8
9 dead yankey to one of
our men  times is qiet
now I dont think we
will have any more hard
Fighting this year we dont
Get very much to eat now
only befef and Bread with
but verry little salt
I have Got me a good
Suit of close for winter
and a a new a pair of
Shoes I Father and Mother
it is heard telling what
this war is a going to turn
to times will get hearder
Now I must Bring theas
few lines to a close I Give
my love to the Children–
So nothing more Gut still
Resprean Remain your son
Fare well James B. Painter

James B. Painter  Co. K, 28th Virginia

MSS 10661

Fort Tillinghast  Oct 5/62

My Dear Wife
                        This is a beautiful Sabbath
morn I never saw a more pleasant at this
time of year, last night we had a heavy rain
the first we have had for many weeks, I have
nothing of importance to write, everything is
going along the same as usual, My health is
very good, much better now than it has been
at any time since our advance.  We still have
quite a number of sick men in the company,
but they are improveing as the cool weather
comes on, I suppose you are those cold east-
erly storms this month, I should lie to
be there to enjoy them with you.  We have just
been out on inspection, we begin to look some as
we did at Fort Albany.  You wrote some time ago
about selling the Shop to Wm. Did you ever say
anything to him about it, if so, What answer
did he make you,  Has anything ever been done
with those Kid Skins that I left in the

[page 2]
in the Shop, if there has not, why dont your
Father use them up, he may have them and
be welcome to them, they will spoil if they
are not used, By the way, I want you to ask Hen
Batcheller what he can get me twenty five or
thirty pounds of Navy tobacco for, the lowest
price I can make a large profit on it out here
if I can get if of Hen at a reasonable price.
Did I ever tell you that when the new recruits
came for the 14th regmt that the notorious Albert
J. Terrell was among them, he is in Co K,
at Fort Albany, he gambles with any one who
is green enough to play with him, and is sure
to get their money, he makes a good deal out
of the new regmts that encamp around here.
he is detested by all decent men, My mess
are pareing apples to day. they went off somewhere
this week and “skied,” some, and now we are going
to have some apple sauce, it will be quite a
rarity for us,  Ben Alley is here staying with his
brother Richard for a few days, he is one of the

[page 3]
paroled prisoners, from Richmond, who were
taken last May, you will remember that about
six thousand were paroled a short time ago, he
among the number, he “blows” as much as ever,
All the “boys” are wishing for pay day to come, I
dont think that we shall be paid off  now, until
there is four months wages due us, there is
a great want of money among us I dont think
there is three dollars in the whole company.
The Paymasters are probably among the fighting
regmts paying them off.  How do you get along
with you school.  Have you any more scholars
or have’nt you any, Ernie says he is learning
to paint.  How does he succeed, is he an
apt scholar, or is he to unsteady and nervous
like his father, How is Ada geting along.
Is she well, and does she plague you as much
as ever, I should think that Ernie was large
enough to take care of her the most of the
the time. Dont they have some good times
playing together, I should think they might

[page 4]
How I should like to be there and see
them and all the rest of of[sic] you.  I
guess I must try and get a furlough to
come home when the regmt comes, I
dont know what McClellan is up to
but I think that he will strike a blow
soon that will be felt to the very vitals
of the Southern Confederacy.  We will wait
paitiently and see,—I did not think this
morning that I would attempt to write
to you untill I had heard from you again
I know that I have not written anything
that will interest you, but it seemed
to me this morning that I wanted to
say something to you, and as this is one
way that loved ones have of saying some
thing to to loved ones far away, I have tried
to say a few words to you, Dear wife this morn
ing, hopeing that you excuse whatever of the
letter is uninteresting to you, and promising to
try and do better next time I remain yours in love Robert

Robert, of Lynn, Massachusetts, an unidentified soldier in Co. M of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery

MSS 1242

               Entrenched Camp
Saturday[sic] morning Oct 5
Cousin Meade
                     As Hubbard is
absent from Camp on a short
furlough and Meade is per-
forming Guard duty I write
again this morning to let you
know how George is   The sore
places on the hip and back
seem to be more troublesome to
day but with exception he is
still improving You may
rest assured that his friends
here will leave nothing undone
that will add to his comfort
or hasten his progress towards
recovery      Yours in haste
                    H Everard Meade

letter re George Smith Bernard of the 12th Virginia

MSS 7745
                     

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

                                Oct 5th

On the 29th of Sept  Capt Porter resigned his
commission and left for home.  On the 1st of this
month  G. W. Clarke  another of our men was
very suddenly taken from us by death, having
been sick but a few days.  C. C. Currier also
died in the Hospital at Fort Monroe.
New regts are constantly joining the army.
Pleasant and mild.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493