[from the diary of John Ward of the 102nd Pennsylvania]

Nov 25th this a verey
Nice morngin

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12913

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

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1862
This morning
put Dulse in the bugy
& took Hunt Eliza over
to Montfords  Had some
difficulty with the
horse.  found [Thorn?]
much worse than I
expected in fact very
near deaths door
Went from there over
to [Avereles?] Dinsmores
Helped him some with
his trees came home
late had some trouble
starting
     Cloudy this afternoon
rained a little this
evening
went over to Maths &
stayed all night

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former newspaper publisher and civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

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

Tuesday  still raining–We are all very busy sewing

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willlis Ambler]

I dont know why but lately I have felt
the greatest indisposition to walking–feel that
I could sit still all the time. But I was
determined to resist this feeling & Em. F[annie] & I
walked up to the end of the lane feel
much benefited by my walk but was
not profited by my reading as Jacke
had taken his nap & was obliged to stay
in my room & I had no other paced to go-
put my book down in despair & went
to my work, didn’t accomplish
much–Oh! I feel that I am an
unprofitable servant  All my days
are passed in comparative idleness=
what an account of sin their will be
against me.  But O Lord-I believe,
help thou mine unbelief & cleanse
me from all wickedness for the sake
of thine only son Christ Jesus.—
I have tried in vain for several weeks to
learn Tom his letters.  At first he learned
very fast, but soon got tired & wouldnt
say them even if he know so this evening
I determined to give the birchen rod a
fair trial & after every persuasion it induce
him to say b failed I resorted to the switch=At
first I used it gently as I hoped to bring
him over, but he seemed determined not to yield
promised he would say it, but when I got the book
refused-so I whipped him again & again without
effect.   He begged me to stop, “just slap me Ma what
made you whip me so,” – It was hard to go on
but I had begun & I determined to conquer him
if possible.  He said he knew it, but would not
say it-wanted to go to bed, No Tommie I wont
let you go to bed to night till you say it, You may
whip me all night, & I wont say it=I was completely
nonplused.  I had whipped him more than I had ever
done before & I could not make another mark=sat
him down & went to consult Pa, He came up & gave him
a talk & he promised to say it to me, but when I
came he wouldn’t do it-so I led him to Pa who
sternly ordered him, but he would not, then Pa carried
him to the door & called one of the servants to take
him away It was dark & he said & promised to say it, but when
he came in refused again, so Pa called Robert &
told him to saddle a horse & take Tom to the field
where the dead mule was & tie its skull to him.  Poor
tom yielded & after some one present prompting
him, said it.  He was over joyed at his escape;
got in the finest glee before he retired, asked me
to kiss him several times.  Poor child–It will
take most judicious management to train
him in the way he should go.

[portions translated in 1972 by her granddaughter Anne Madison Wright Baylor]

MSS 11616

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

Tuesday 25.  Much distressed at
the news from Fredg.  Women &
children flung from the place &
the enemy threatening to shell it
if not surrendered.  It will be be not
surrendered-and I do not think
after it all the Yankees will
execute their threat–Jacksons
army is in motion to join Lee
going up the Valley to New Mark
et and crossing into page–a circui
tuous, but better route, than the
Piedmont –Weather cool but
fine-William & Major Ball
left us for Richd in the eveng
train –Williams account of
the raids at Catletts Station and
into Pennsylvania, and the various
battles & skirmishes he has partici
-pated in since the second campaign
of the season opened was very interes
-ting.  I regretted we could not have
more of it–but various things
interfered wit the narrative.  He
has seen as much service as any one
and done more than many who
have risen to the rank of Brig Gen
-unfortunately in his present [duty?]
whilst his [?] and services are
highly appreciated, they do not lead
to increased rank-because there is
no promotion in the corps of Engineers
unless vacancies occur by death or
resignation.

MSS 4763

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer a

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

Monday
Nov 24
Had a company drill this forenoon
and then we went out nearly to the
river target shooting.  I fired three times and
hit the board every time below the mark
This afternoon Phineas made some doughnuts and
John and I bought some for supper.  George and
I played a couple of games of chess this eve-
ning.  It has been a nice day.

MSS 11293

Spottsylvania Co Va Camp near Fredricksburg
Nov the 24  1862

My Dear cousin
                         I write you a few lines this
morning which ill inform you that my
self and John is yet in the land of
the living and injonying a reasonable portion
of health and much hopeing when this comes
to hand it may find you and all injouying
the same great blesing,  I have no news of intrust
to write, we have bin marching for the last
four days, we got here yesterday eavning, I understand
thare is plenty of yankees near hear, tho I havent
seen eny of them, we met the citerzens moveing
out yesterday as we came in, thay said the yankees
was going to shell the town yesterday, tho they
hav enot commenced shelling yet, I would not
be surprised to hear the canon at eny time,
I think our men is waiting for the yankees
to open the ball, I hope thay will leave
while our Generals is waiting for them to
commence fighting, I think thare is verry strong
force here on both sides, if we have a battle
here I expect it will be verry hard one,
I got a letter from sister Mary last friday
dated 17th inst if you see her be fore
Cliff Perrie starts tel her not to send
our coats I must as the mail is about
to start write to me soon

[page 2]
and direct your letters to
Picketts divition Near Fredricksburg
                      James Booker
                 to miss C[harity].U[nity]. Blair

James Booker and his twin brother John, were in Co. D. 38th Virginia, the Whitmell Guards

MSS 11237

Near Gordonsville Nov 24th
Dear Nettie
                    In my letter to Mother
some two weeks ago I stated that I
was on the point of setting ot to
Winchester to join my regiment
I did get as far as Gordonsville but
got there too late to get transportation
on the cars for that day which was
very lucky as otherwise I should
have had a long and useless march
for that night I heard that the
army was moving back from Win-
chester and a day or few after that
one corps of the army under Longstreet
was in the neighborhood of Culpepper
Court House.  I could not find out
for some time whether my regiment
was with Longstreet of Jackson
and just as I got ready to start
I heard that my division had moved
towards Fredricksburg.  this dis-
turbed my calculations again and
I had to wait a day or two before I
could hear something about them

[page 2]
I shall start out tomorrow to look
for them: They are somewhere on the
road between orange Court House
and Fredricksburg where I dont know
but most probably close to Fredricks
burg  we have been having some
pretty cold weather here lately, frost
and ice and one slight snow storm
The Yankees seem disposed to have
a winter campaign for which I am
truly sorry as marching and fighting
during the cold wet winter months
will be anything but pleasant
I thought that I had experienced a
pretty hard time last spring and
summer, but that was nothing in
comparison to what the troops have
endured this fall, and what is before
us this winter. I am in hopes that
this winter will see the end of the
war  There is it is true nothing very
definite upon which to found such
hopes but there some few symptoms
which by the sanguine may be favor-
ably interpreted. You all have heard

[page 3]
I suppose the rumours of recognition
and foreign intervention which have
lately excited the public mind
Although nothing definite has been
heard I can’t help thinking that
there may be something in them
That is the only way I think in which
the war can be stopped and it must
come sooner or later I saw Dr Holt
and Willie Sims in Gordonsville on
their way home I suppose they
have got there by this time
Doctor Holt told me that Beltz Pos-
tlethwaite had gone home. I suppose
the girls are delighted now that
they have both of their brothers with
them.  I wish very much that
I had gone home with Sam–If I
had entertained the slightest idea
of ow long it would be before
I was fit for service I would most
certainly have done so  Give much
love to Mother Nell and the
Also to the Postlethwaites when
you see them.  Give love also to

[page 4]
the servants and remember me to
all my friends and acquaintances
in the neighborhood
            Your affectionate brother
               Horatio N. Smith

Horatio N. Smith, Co. D., 21st Mississippi

MSS 3772

[from the diary of Frank Fitzhugh of Cutshaw’s Battery]

        Monday 24
Started at light, crossed the
Blue Ridge at Fisher’s
Gap and camped for
the night 2 miles east
of the foot.   21 miles
to day