[from the diary of Captain Zacariah Heed, 91st Ohio]
FEBRUARY 7.
Fayetteville Va Saturday will Start this morning for Charleston Va, go in an ambulance, Afternoon, Roads very bad; over Cotton Mountain. cross the Ferry and find Roads worse. Stop, for the night at Widow Larkins
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 13406
[from the diary of George W. Dabney, Clerk of Campbell County]
Sat’ 7″
Cold am. thaw mid-day
filled Ice house from pond – and
sent & nearly filld Mr Campbells for
him – his force sick with measles
wrote Den. Otey – Lucy Ann in
bed with pains in head & limbs but
no fever – Ro. & Jesse convalescing-
Spencer as nurse – put in window in cabin
MSS 3315
[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison as transcribed at a later date]
Saturday, February 7th – Bright and cold. Cousin Mary Randolph and children spent
the day here. Dr. H had scarcely left this morning on his daily ride when he re-
turned in great haste to tell me a fight had taken place last night on the turnpike
between our corner and Mr. Jones’. Seven of our men and fifty Yankees engaged.
The former captured the Martinsburg stage yesterday morning, took six prisoners,
put them on the stage horses and bore them off. They stopped at the Old Chapel
and took the vote of their route. Four were for the Millwood road via White Post
so on they came to destruction. When thy reached the Little Chapel they stopped
and sent one of their number down to Millwood to see if the road was clear. He
rode past Mr. Spillman’s store, seeing no one. At Mr. Clarke’s corner he came
full upon the band. They commanded him to halt. He fled back to his comrades
and then began the race for life or death. All of their prisoners of course es-
caped. They fought all along the pike. At the corner where the Clay Hill road
crosses the pike, a Mr. Hewit of Maryland received his death wound. The pursuit
was continued nearly to the Chapel. One of our men was taken prisoner. The Yankee[s]
carried Mr. Hewit’s body to Mr. Jones’ requesting he would receive it for the night
and have it decently buried.
[possibly Joseph Hewitt of the 1st Maryland Cavalry which was operating around Winchester and Berryville in the winter of 1862-1863]
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.]
Saturday 7th Mr M[ountjoy] spoke of going this morn
=ing, but I begged him not to go till Monday
& go to church on Sunday with us – After a
little persuasion, he consented – But I found I had
done what I ought not in inviting him – I did
not pray as I ought this morning – & consequent
=ly did not feel right – was proud & puffed up
when father spoke to me about the annoyance
it would cause Ma for Mr M to stay – I cried
& behaved not as a daughter should, but was
afterwards very sorry for it, & prayed to God to
make me more humble – A lovely day – More
“music lessons” today – I never felt so much likea brother to a sister to any stranger before – & I
have no other feeling towards him – The more I see
of him the better I like him. He is good and
amiable – treats the children with as much pa=
=tience & good nature as Hanson would do – & is so
thoroughly a gentleman. He is engaged in the secret
service, that is, as a spy on the Yankees – a very
dangerous service. But er is brave & cautious
He told us of the capture of Dr Powell – by the
Enemy – I hope he may not be hardly used by
them.
[From the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former newspaper publisher and civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]
[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]
MSS 38-258
[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]
Saturday 7th A bright cool day – Mrs Campbell & I walked down
to Mr Mickle’s store to pack a trunk to send by Express – But
finding it would not hold my things I concluded to let the Chest
go – I received a long affectionate letter from dear Liz expressing her
disappointment at my not going to Enfield – I got my letter to Mr [Kahnweiler?]
off this morning to be sent by Express by Armand De Rossett Junior
Liz sent me the remainder of the money Christian Campbell & I went
to Mr Mickle’s store to pack a trunk to send off by Express – But
finding it would not hold half the contents of the trunk we
left the chest to go – We found it very wet getting there & Christian
now has head ache from wet feet –
MSS 6960
[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F., 25th Massachusetts]
Friday
Feb 6
Played chess some this forenoon as it
was rainy. Made out descriptive lists for
Scollay and Bailey as they went to the general
hospital. Read “The Jewish Persecutor” a book
which I got from the Library. We got a report
that Foster has taken one of the forts at Wilmington
but we hardly believe it, though we hope it may be true.
MSS 11293
Va
Camp Winder Caroline Co
February 6th 1863
Dear Friend
Nine oclock P.M.
as the most of the boys have
retired to thare bed of poles
I have concluded to drop you
a fiew lines, My health is very
good & hope theese fiew lines
may find you enjoying the same
blessing, Thare is no news of
importance to write, we hafto
go on picket tomorrow morning
I suppose we will get a peep
at our enimies I hope we may
have a plesent time while we are
on picket, Thare has been a grate
deal of snow & rain in the last
two week I hope we may have
some more clear weather now
The road are almost a bed of mud
[page 2]
It is almost imposible to get provi
tions from the debot to our camp
I suppose thare is plenty of snow
in augusta now for sleighing
if so I hope you may have some
plesent sleighrides we take our
fun in snowballing. We have
formed a Bible class & meet on
sundy & Wednsday nights to recite
our lessings I hope it may be
carried on and that some good
may come ofve it we have a
grand theatre in the Regt,
carried on by Capt Brown of
the Marion Rifles he is a very
good performer he is a noble
singer. Capt Newton started
this morning hon furlough
he is very lucky in getting home
though I do not envy him his
good fortune I would have written
by the Capt if I haved had notice
[page 3]
in time. as [it?] is I will hafto risk
another by mail hoping it may
soon reach your hand Well Kate
did your cous, Lizzie make you
acquainted with all her secreets
if so do you know who she is
engaged to I will tell you my reasons
for asking you this question in
my by Text-Enhance”> next letter if you answer it
I am a thousand times obliged
to you for the cheese you sent to
me I assure you it was something
I never look for I would like to
be in a mess with your brother but
the boys would think hard of me
for leaving my old mess I may
say we are almost one mess for when
ever one mess gets a box the other
is envited to share its contents
but if Lieut Dempster joines the
officers mess I exspect to change
well Kate I wasent aware that I had
[page 4]
shown so many sines of my weak
ness on leaving Greenville it goes
to show the feebleness of mans nature
I was very sorry to hear of the bereveme
nts of the Harris famlies I hope the al
wise God may do unto them as he did
unto jobe of old bless thare future years
you said you wished you could take our
places down hear do you think you could
stand out on gard one of theese cold nights
and if you could do’nt you thin we wou
ld be as unhappy if all the Ladies ware hear
and we ware at home you wrote as if you
had been trying to get me to change my
love for you but alass how could I you are
constantly in my thoughts by day and my
dreams by night & God forbid that I should
ever love another woman I have often thought
dear Kate that you never loved me as I
did you but found the keys of my heart
and took pity on me. It seemes to me that
man is one of Gods weakest instruments
well Kate I have not entirely quit chew
ing tobacco yet I have used one plug since
I came back to the company I used to chew
two a week I hope I may entirely quit before
long; uncle John was wounded at the sharps
burg fight in the arm, I exspect he is in
buckingham. Bro John had a letter for me
from Sister when I came down She was
well and going to school I would like
very much to see her Jake is well and looks
harty cous, Jimmie is enjoying the same bles
sing I must bring my letter to a close as it
is afto twelve oclock Abe stayed up and
bothered me untill eleven trying to find
out who I was going to write to my respects
to all; the family write soon as I am always
glad to hear from you let no one see this
I remain your much attached friend
W. F.
William Francis Brand, Co. E., 5th Virginia Infantry (Augusta Grays) to his future wife Amanda Catherine Armentrout
[transcript by University of Virignia Library e-text center]
MSS 11332
Camp near White Oak Church Va Feb. 6th/63
Dear parents
I received your last letter a
few days ago and was very glad to get
the news and also to get the thread and
needles I want you to tell aunt Peggy
I am much obliged to her for the needle
she sent and I will try to make a good
use of it. My health is as good as usual
My appetite is quite good, but somet-
imes my back is very lame but I get
along first rate under the circumstances.
I have now got plenty of Post stamps, thread,
needles, paper and envelopes and you need
not send anything to me unless I write
for it If you could manage to send me a
little flag root in a letter I should be
glad to get for I have but very little
[page 2]
left & I find it very useful in many
cases In one of your letters you asked me
to write about Frank Adams I saw him
a few days ago he is well and is still
with the battery that he volunteered to
go with and is camped about 1/2 a mile
from us I suppose why he does not write
is because he has not been paid yet and
cannot write Al of the Raymond and Casco
boys in this Regt are well bu the most of
them are home sick and discouraged Samuel
Duran was over to see the boys in the 17th
Me. Regt. a few days ago he says many of
our boys are sick Elias Strout Freeland
Strout and cousin H. Jordan are sick
C. Symond has not been heard from since
we attempted to cross the Rappahannock
the last time under the command of
Genl. Burnside. now we have got a
new commander Genl. Joe. Hooker
and by his appointment we lost a one o
the best Genls there was in the army of
the Potomac it is Gen’l Franklin.
[page 3]
Genl. Sumner has also resigned he
was considered one of our best Genls and
after Hooker gets whiped fairly some other
inexperienced man will take his place
and what is there to encourage men to
fight under these circumstances I will tell
you what will warrent success to the
army of Potomac and to this whole
nation and that is to place Genl. G.
B. McClellan at the head of the whole
army with power to conduct the war
just as he thinks best then we should see
this war drawing to a close if this was
the case every man would grasp his
musket with renewed vigor and the whole
army would sweep down upon the rebels
and wipe them out of existence in a
very short time but as the war is
being conducting there is no telling
how long it may continue We have been
having cold and stormy weather for some
time past bot of snow and rain it is
a hard rain storm here to day
[page 4]
Our duteis are not very hard but it
keeps us busy the most of the time for
we have just as much to do as though
the company was full we have to be
present to the call of the roll three times
every day we have a dress parade every
night when it does not storm and we have
to go on guard once in six days and we
are detailed on an average of about once in
four or five days for extray duty we cook
our own victulas[sic] and get all of our wood
which we have to go 1/2 a mile after and
lug it on our backs this I call hard
work and, I tell you we do not have
much time to spare to write if there is
any thing you wish to know write to me
and I will tell you as near as I can I have
not heard from Washington since I wrote to
him I want to hear how your hay holds out
when you write again from you son Hiram M.
Cash
MSS 12916
[from the “War Journal” of George Hazen Dana, as he compiled it at a later date from war time diaries and letters]
Camp near Falmouth
Feb. 6th 1863.
. . . . Why! sleeping in the mud, and
waking up in the morning with one eye plastered
with that composition from rolling off one’s
blanket, is a ludicrous affair, after all, when it’s
over, and it gives one a hearty relish for the
comforts of a leaky tent, and a blaring fire,
both of which I have tonight. My paper is
[ In some parts of this letter, the writing is almost illeg-
ible, because of the rain drops which had blotted it.]
in the driest corner I can find, but the drops
come so thick, that I reckon I’ll give it up
till tomorrow, and retire beneath the folds of
my rubber blanket, under which my bed is
made, and as dry as toast too; and I’ve a blazing
fire; but it drips in too fast, so I must to bed,
and will finish tomorrow. I am going to
send this, though, as an answer to “why don’t
you write oftener?” I will write more to-
morrow, if it does not rain. Oh! dear, right
on my pen!
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 5130
