1862 November 29 Fauquier County, Va.

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Saturday, November 29, 1862

Was anxious to get a piece of
work done & sewed busily all day came to
my room quite early & after haveing put
all my little ones to sleep sad down to
prepare for the Sabbath–
What does a review of the past week
show. sin, sin, sin.  I go on in my
own strength endeavouring to do my duty-
I am not asking right or I know that God
would give me more of his grace to strengthen
me, help me, & teach me to stand–O that
I would cast aside all righteousness of mine own=Come
to Jesus–O’ Lord, I believe, help thou mine
unbelief- – – . .

Just as I was ready to retire heard footsteps
& voices coming, went to the window & heard
some one ask to stay all night.  It proved to
to[sic] be Mr Lackland & Mr Hoff-were running
from the Yankees.  They had appeared in
Berryville & all of our pickets have been
drawn from there to, or near, Winchester-
=I was so shocked that I could not
sleep & woke up very early the
next morning

[Portions transcribed in 1972 by her granddaughter Anne Madison Wright Baylor]

MSS 15406

1862 November 29 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Saturday 29  Weather threatening–though
it cleared up at night & moderated
discounted all we could–our portfolio
for the last 6 mos are more than 7 1/2
percent, exclusive of Int on our bonds
which will amt to 3 1/2 more
This is doing well Our discount
line is more larger than any bank
in Richd or in the state I believe–
much surprized by a note from
Sam Miller, the clerk & factotum
of [Beall Stronberger?] in his palmy
days & whose sudden disappearance
gave rise to so many conjectures
at one time.  There was suspicion attach
-ed to him, but I think without grounds.
He settled in Kanawha afterwards studied
law-was highly esteemed and was
making a fortune, when the war
broke out–He was driven from his home
entered our army as Quarter Master
& was a few weeks since elected to
the House of Representatives to fill a
vacancy.  He is a good deal changed
but I should have recognized him
though it is 23 years since I saw  him
last–Many & various calls upon
my time and attention during the
day–At night none of the boys
were at home until late, and I em
-ployed the time in putting the air
pump in order–The glass plate for
the receiver was broke.  Some days
ago I succeeded in drilling a hole
in a piece of plate glass 3/8 ” thick
and in cutting it by a diamond
roughly into a circle–I had no dif
ficulty with a coarse file wet with
spirits of wine in [dressing?] the edges
in a third of the time it would have
taken had the disk been metal.  I
set it with cement in the brass
rim and found the pump worked
normally–The effect of spirits of
turpentine thus applied, I have long
known, but have never been able
to explain the modus operandi.
I intend to try whether glass may
not be turned on the lathe—It is
as most important discovery.  I can
cut & work glass by the aid of the
spirits of Turpentine as easily as
metal.

MSS 4763


1862 November 28 Camp near Fredericksburg, Va.

                                      Camp near
      Fredericksburg, Novr 28th /1862
Dear Bill
              I wrote you from Gordonsville
& from beyond the Rapidan but the last
letter I recd from you was dated Octr 31st
I suppose you have written others but I
have not yet got them.  I send by Dr Farley
four hundred dollars to be deposited in the
Farmers Bank at Richmond to your credit
I do not know that you need it–if not
keep it-or let Lizzie use as much of it
as she may require, if she does require
any—-.  We are now before Fredericksburg
waiting- like Micawber- for something
to turn up in the fighting way-but for
my part I hope the Yankes will let us
rest this winter–it is getting downright
cold-what about my clothing?  i have
written you long letters on the subject
did you get them.  Direct your letters
to Toombs Brigade–Hoods Division–it used
to  be Whitings–Love to all–in haste
                        Your affectionate
                            Brother
                               W B Gregory
P.S. I send $380–not
four hundred as above
             WBG

William B. Gregory, Surgeon in the 2nd Alabama Volunteers

MSS 4777

1862 November 28 Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans

         Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans
My own darling   Thursday or Friday 28” Nov [1862]
We arrived here to day & have orders to march
tomorrow morning in the direction of Fredericksburg.  I
was at Frescatti & took supper & saw your father George
David Florence Lam & Het  all well & in fine spirits
I had a good supper and being very hungry en-
joyed it vastly.  I am standing the marching first
rate & am to day apparently perfectly well.  I
hope the change of weather & of water has done
what medicine failed to do.  Capt Byrd and
Mr Effinger arrived this evening.  I met them on
the road and learned that you were all well
and that you were talking of sending Billy
to me.  This I will never consent to in the
world  you must keep Billy for yourself and
I will do very well.  I this morning sent a note

[page 2]
to Col Walker requesting him to let George
report to me tomorrow to act as my orderly
if he grants my request George will bring
Cupid & I shall do very well and so will
George.  Col Taliaferro will probably not re-
turn to the field this winter as I am told
he has been ordered to report for duty in
Richmond – this will leave me in command
of the brigade as long as I remain in the
field.  Lam & Florence told me a good many
little things about you & the children which I
had not heard before & which interests me
of course.  I am kept so very busy my
darling that I have no opportunity to write
long letters.  you must take the will for the deed.
The report here is that the enimy [sic] are crossing
below Fredericksburg  I dont know.
Most affectionately  E.T.H Warren


“Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans”, heading – This bivouac was a few miles east of Orange Court House.

“Thursday or Friday 28” Nov”, heading – The day was in fact Friday, 28 November 1862.

“My own darling”, salutation – Warren’s wife, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Waston Magruder Warren.

“Frescatti”, line 3 – Frascati; the ancestral home of Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder.  It is located a few miles north of Gordonsville.

“your father”, line 3 – James Magruder, Jennie’s 70 year old father.

“George”, line 3; page 2, lines 1, 3, & 5 – Jennie’s brother, George S. Magruder, Private, Company C, 13th VA Infantry.

“David”, line 4 – Jennie’s brother, David W. Magruder, Private, Company C, 13th VA Infantry.

“Capt Byrd”, line 9 – Abraham S. Byrd, Captain, Regimental Quartermaster, 10th VA Infantry.  This position with a regiment was officially designated Assistant Quartermaster.

“Mr Effinger”, line 10 – Gerald M. Effinger, Quartermaster-Sergeant, 10th VA Infantry.

“Billy”, lines 12 & 14 – Servant or slave of the Warren family.

“Col Walker”, page 2, line 1 – James A. Walker, Colonel, 13th VA Infantry.

“Cupid”, page 2, line 4 – Evidently a slave or servant of the Magruder or Warren family.

“Col Taliaferro”, page 2, line 5 – John James Alexander G. Taliaferro, Confederate colonel, commanded the brigade in which the 10th VA Infantry served.  He had been seriously wounded at the Battle of Brawner Farm, 28 August 1862, and was still absent from brigade command.

“the brigade”, page 2, line 9 – At this time, the brigade consisted of the 47th & 48th Alabama Infantry regiments, and the 10th, 23rd, & 37th VA Infantry regiments.

“E.T.H Warren”, page 2, signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.

[transcript by John P. Mann, IV]

MSS 7786-g

1862 November 28 Camp Casey, Fairfax Seminary

                             Head Quarters, 1st Brigade, Nov 28 [1862]
                                                      Gel’s Office
Dear Sister Helen,
                             I have been waiting
for a letter, but as I am all alone
this afternoon, I have nothing else
to do but write.  Genl [Wright] has gone over
to Washington to attend the wedding
of Genl Casey’s daughter I don’t
know who she is to marry.  It will
no doubt be a large thing, and there
will be pleanty there to see it.
         I am improving very fast here
like the place first rate   I eat at
the Genl’s table although the 2nd
edition of it and I find its rather

better than stale meat and bread
and little of it at that..     Genl said
that It would do me good to eat
here for 2 or 3 weeks, so I think
he may make some other arrangements
at the end of that time.. but I
have a good bed and shan’t have
to lie out at night as I used to
     The Genl has got a very nice room
for his office and the whole house
is furnished nicely, there is a good
carpet on the floor – a sofa – piano
center table – 2 writing desks – large
easy chairs – pictures on the walls &
a large marble mantle piece with
a grate so that every is cosey down
here   In his bedroom there is a large
rose wood bedsted  2 large wardrobes
of the same material – a nice dressing
table – a marble top wash stand and
a grate here also so that we have
it warm all around..  It is a very
pretty house and nice grounds

around it..     About a week ago
I was thinking and made up
my mind that I should have
to go without my Thanksgiving
dinner this year certainly but
as luck or something as good
or better would have it I fared
about as well yesterday as I
generally do on that day but
I missed my friends I assure you
     This is the first Thanksgiving that
I ever spent away from home
but there has to be a commencement
to these things I suppose..  but I
might have fared worse to say
the least..   Genl had another
serenade last night did I tell
you about the other one.  Well
the band of the 13th N.H.V. came
over and struck up about 9 oclock
the Genl went out and invited them
in gave them crackers & cheese &
cider, then they gave him some –

more music and called on him
for a speech which he gave
them and he can make a speech
about any time off hand – he did
very well any way..  Then some of
the Ladies for we have ladies here
also came into the office and opened
the piano and we had some music
and singing but, oh, how I did
wish that you or Elbs were
here to just show them how to
play once..  I haden’t heard any
body except Elb play for so long
that I had got the impression
that every body could play as well
but I know better now,
          I got a letter from George
last night also a paper a day or
two ago the paper was rather
stale dated Nov 21/61 but he sent
it I conclude on account of
the pictures of Fort Runyan &
Albany well they looked quite natural.

[The following part of this letter is written in the top margin on page one.]
I see all the newspapers
here, but a magazine
or picture paper would
be acceptable any
time “tell your
folks”
          I haven’t seen
my box yet but I
shall before you
get this  I presume
The boys in our tent
had 5 boxes come
so that they had
quite dinner
     There is nothing very
strange going on here
or news at all
please write soon & send
stamps – most out – tell me
all about your

[This letter is continued in the top margin on page two.]
Thanksgiving and all the news generally
Good by   Yours   Jim.

James Howard,  Co. A., 15th Connecticut

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12668

1862 November 28 camp near Fairfax Seminary

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

28. Fri – Rode to picket with letters, bot. two chickens at “3 levies”
ea. of a colored woman   bot. them in alive tied to Saddle.
Visited hospitals – found one man very sick – talked with
him & prayed – urged him to immediate acceptance of offers
of Christs offers.  About ten – I went in again   he was
just gasping in death – Another young man called, to talk
about his soul.  He hopes he has today found peace, in believing –
an intelligent young Englishman – seems very fearful
but it should prove illusory – & transient – prayed with him –
Oh – that God would revive his work abundantly here.

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

1862 November 28 near Nashville, Tenn.

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

     Nov. 28th, ’62.
Still in Camp.
Maj. Moore & I went
to the city to-day;
were in the State
House; it is a mag-
nificent structure,
but, I think, does
not equal our own
state House.
Gen’l. Negley certain-        
ly deserves credit
for the manner
in which he has
fortified the city.

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm