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

Feb 2 Mon.  Fine.  pleasant letters from home.
3 Tues.  cold.  high wind our groceries arrived fr. Washington.
visited hospt.  talked with almost every one personally,

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

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

     Feb. 2d,’63.
Clear & bright this
morning.

[The following is written perpendicularly across the bottom of the page]
From this day until the 8th,
I have been unable to note
occurrences. I’ve been inform-
ed that there has been nothing
unusual, except some skirmish-
ing, with occasional firing
of cannon, on the right.
Have been much worse.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

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

Monday, February 2nd – Intensely cold.  No falling[sic] weather.  No church yesterday.
Mr. Jones was called to Shepherdstown to perform the  sad office of the burial of
Mrs. Andrews.  Upper Longwood, Linden family and ourselves had service at Linden,
Cousin John, Deacon.  I received a letter from my precious brother Archie today
which relieves me of much anxiety about him.  He is near Mt. Crawford. There are
various reports of our troops coming to our relief, being stopped at Woodstock by
the snow, but I fear much it only exists in the minds of the newsmongers.  Cousin
John was here today and thought it might be true.  Our tyrants in Winchester are
drawing the reins tighter. They have carried off forcibly the servants in several
places.  Sue and Flora McDonald got a pass from Gen. Kruserez to go to Richmond.
Five miles from Winchester they were stopped and accused of having letters of import-
ance.  They were carried into a house by the wayside and searched by a black woman.
She was very much confused and said, “Indeed young ladies I don not know what I am to
do.”  They replied they didn’t know either so they got off very well from that part
of the importune. When they reentered their carriage an officer got in with them.
He said he had been ordered to do so to prevent the destruction of any important
papers they might have.  On their arrival in town they were carried to the Provost;
also, their baggage, to be searched.  On entering town they apprised their sister,
Mrs. Green, of their situation and she came immediately and insisted on the trunks
being searched in her presence, in consequence of which their examinations were not
very minute.  They were finally released and returned home, but not to Richmond.
Mrs. Tuley wrote to Lee Blair and requested him, on the score of old friendship, to
get a pass for Miss Mary Jackson to go to Washington.  He replied with many fine
speeches about recollection of past acquaintance etc., but refused the pass as her
visit might cause the death of many thousands of their brave men by valuable infor-
mation imparted. I suppose little Miss Mary has become formidable.  Verily these
are horrible times in Yankee annals when a damsel of four feet some inches is
reckoned equal to Samson.  And when these outrages are being committed in our midst,
the volcano which has thrown all this mud and dirt over us is as calm and smiling as
if its bosom was the dwelling of all things pure.  We hear of grand entertainment in
town of the chief murderers, grand balls attended by those even who have kindred
breasting the death struggle for freedom, with heads glittering with gold powder
while many are dying of want.  cousin Nannie Pleasant went to Miss Gro[?] wedding
with her head so adorned. Wrote to brother Archie tonight.

Gen. Kruserez:  perhaps a mangled guess at the name of Union General Wlodzimierz B. Kryzanowski, a Polish nobleman who fled Poland for the United States after the rebellion of 1848.

MSS 9759

[from the diary of Mary S. Boyden, daughter of the Rev. Ebenezer Boyden, Rector of Walker’s Church (later Christ Episcopal), Cismont, Va.)

Monday, Feb 2nd  Maria was seized this morning
with an alarming spasm while getting break
=fast.  It lasted some time, & left her as weak
as a child – Poor Sarah, screamed & cried, & was
very much frightened- We sent over for the dr
but he was not at home & did not come
all day – Ellen Lewis called today.-

MSS 4288

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

Monday 2d bright, pleasantly cool & clear.  Eliza Mallett has gone
to Raleigh with her cousin Ricky to spend one day at the Camp-
Christian is up & feels better – No mail to day – Mrs Walters &
Sarah moving to Mrs [Thappon’s?] – Little William has been round to
see me but would not stay one minute – Anica leaves in the morning.
Mrs Campbell & I went down to old Mr Charles Mallets & spent the
afternoon – I like his wife & daughters very much

MSS 6960

[from the diary of George W. Dabney, Clerk of Campbell County]

pleasant nay warm Th 60 Snow
disappeared entirely — got our mail this
morning – news of blockade at Charles–
ton raised & naval fight – cheering pros-
pects of peace at hand – Dick Clement
here to buy beef – referred him to Pa
offered $200 for both – Hung up meat
hams & shoulders with hickory ashes &
black pepper rubbed on – now 8 weeks
& 4 days since the meat was packed in salt
‘Lias off to town – with 4 midling
fruit trees (to [?] am) hominy 1 bush
to Pa. – road bad 2 horses to cart

MSS 3315

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

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

Baltimore Feby 1, 1863

My  dear Commodore
     I am much obliged to you for
the pamphlet on the Practical & Scientific
Value of the Specimens, which I am
reading with pleasure as well as instruction.
I hope you will find no difficulty in
securing a proper appreciation of you
work by Congress.  As you have so large
a testimony to its worth now ab extra
and as Congress has got into the habit
of supporting it – a very important matter
which to a body which goes more by

[page 2]
custom and precedent then by common
sense, – I do not apprehend a baulk
to your progress in future, from want
of money.  Besides, millions now have
got to be such common place
matters that a few thousands only
run the risk of being thought too
moderate.   Till I hope that even
the smallness of the grant will not
be thought by our legislators to be
below the dignity of their notice and
that you will be allowed a share
of the crumbs that fall from the
rich man’s table.
                  Give my love to the Admiral

[page 3]
and his wife and especially to his
daughter.   I hope his shadow will
never be less.
       I send you a letter of introduction
to my brother, who I am sure will
be happy to serve you.
                            Very truly
                                   Yours
                             John P. Kennedy
Commodore Davis

John Pendleton Kennedy,  former Whig Congressman and Secretary of the  Navy under Fillmore; noted author of a memoir of William Wirt and the romantic novels Swallow Barn and Horse-Shoe Robinson.  His brother was U.S. Senator Anthony Kennedy.

Commodore Davis: possibly Charles Henry Davis, founder of the Nautical Almanac and author of hydrographic studies; later in the year was promoted to Rear Admiral

MSS 6954-g

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

Sunday
Feb 1
Had no inspection this morning.  Read
awhile and then went to church, and
heard Mr James preach in the Presbyterian Church
this forenoon, and Mr Stone Chaplain of the 45th
Mass this afternoon.  Mr James preached about
bearing much fruit, and Mr Stone about the
prodigal son, and a fellow played the organ
I liked them both very much. I like Mr Stone full as
well as Mr James, There were three ladies sang.
This evening we had a prayer-meeting in the or-
derly’s tent.  Mr James was in part of the time
Dr Whitney and George and I prayed.  We had a
very good meeting for a beginning.  May God bless
its influence in the company.  It was a
hard task for me to pray before the company
but God enabled me to do it though with weak-
ness, but He know the desires of my heart, and
is able to bless the influence.  Wrote a short
letter home to send by Southie who is going home
to-morrow, and also sent a package of old letters by
him, Have had a little headache to-day, but God
has seemed near to-day and may He enable me
to honor Him more and serve Him better.

MSS 11293

[the Valley of the Shadow Project has determined that this undated letter was written in February of 1863, based on the fact the Levi Maish was promoted to Colonel of the 130th Pennsylvania on Feb. 3, 1863]

MSS 11935