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

                                  Thursday 27
Recd. Orders to night
to be ready to march
tomorrow morning at
day light

                                        Camp near Madison C.H.
                                                     Nov 27th—62
Friend William
                          According to promise I now proceed
to pen you a few lines.  On account of the many
inconveniences I have to encounter I will have to ad-
dress you in as few words as possible.  We reached
camp safely and found the boys well and in fine
spirits.  The following morning after our arrival we
received orders as usual to cook up one days rations
and be ready to leave camp at an early hour in
the morning.  We reached camp on the 20th and
have been marching every day since till to day.
We are expecting orders every hour to cook up another
days rations. Our company is about 30 in number
The Regts of the Brigade are reduced very much.
The 21st is but a good company. No tents have
as yet been received.   We have quite a time of
it in our little, oil cloth dog houses.  The Co.
received their pay a few days before our arrival.
I am well and stood the march quite well, but
I find a vast difference in my situation here
and that of a few weeks ago.  There is but
little sickness in our com. now, but there are
some with quite sore feet.  There are some of the
soldiers int his army entirely destitute of shoes.
It is very painful to witness these barefooted men
traveling in rear of their Regiments.  There are
not a great many of them, but I think it very
important that they should be attended to and
shod while as long as shoes can be had.  I have no doubt

[page 2]
they will be. Lieut Persinger has not yet ar-
rived, consequently I have not attended to that
yr power of attorney. As soon as he comes
I will present it to him.   I expected to find
him at the Co. but was disappointed.
Capt. Withers now is in command of the 42nd
Lieut. Arrington Adjutant.
Mr. Ingle has left camp. We met him on his
way to Staunton.  He said he had been
detailed to attend the hospitals as his
health was too delicate for camp life duty.
For the want of time I am compelled to close
I wold be glad to hear from you soon.

Unsigned letter to William McCauley from another soldier in the 42nd Va.

MSS 14953

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

27th Thurs.  Thanksgiving at home – Regt. went out
on picket – lovely but cold day.  busy writing for
Col. D. [The rest of this line is lined out.]
rode along whole pickets line – & to Supports.  Got in after dark,
passed Com. Forrest place – startled a large bird fr. a tree –
lost road – wandered in by paths & no paths   Struck R.R.  & reached
camp – visited sick – In eveg.  Stacy Wilson called again –
has been seekg. religion long time – very relieved – Sd. he had
spent large part of the day in prayer & while praying in the
valley near spring – this Eveg. he felt that God had heard him –
He gave very satisfactory answers to my questions.  I trust he
is a true child of God.  He prayed with me –

Private Stacy M. Wilson, Co. F.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

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

        Nov. 27th, ’62.
Still in camp.
Thanksgiving day.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

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

Nov 27th tusrday
the Present  oft
the Unigite States
was at the Landing
to day and left
for Washington City
this moning on the
mial  Boat Baltimore
Genl Burnside
and Lincon  held
a consulton  on the
mail Boat at the
landing at aquice
crick on the 26th
Mrs Burnside Was
Left for Washigton
City to Day

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

Thursday, Nov. 27, 1862

Left Smiley Caldwe
lls this morning
went over to Steves
did not find
him at home
Remained there
until after dinner
he came back at
noon. went from
there to the Church
heard [sermon?]
after which went
to Uncle Cooks
but Maxwells there
they had just returned
from Pitsburg
Cloudy cool indicating
of snow

MSS 10317

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

[from the diary of Mary S. Boydon of “Hopedale,” Abemarle County, Va.]

 Thursday 27th  Mr.
Hunt Powell & two other soldiers called here
today.  Mr P. was very polite, but the other
two certainly were not gentlemen. One was
Nat McGhee, brother of Frank, whom I had
known while at Mr Colston’s.  But I never
should have recognized him.  I am afraid
he thought I wished to cut him–the other
young man was a Mr Harrison-a very dis=
=gusting person-I fancied Mr. Powell msh
was ashamed of his friends-

Precept-” Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil hear of unbelief, in departing from
the living God”–Heb 3:12

Prayer– “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?”- Acts 9:6

Promise-“The Lord shall preserve thee from all Evil .” 

MSS 4208

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

Thursday 27th  bitter cold–I have just received a long letter from
May she has been suffering very much again–Joes house
he was living in is burnt down–Thought to have caught
from his room chimney which was built with clay-
His new house not yet finished-I feel truly sorry about it
particularly as he could not save all of his things–Richd
has made 7 barrels of syrup & 2 of sugar-& is making salt
Mary says he has had an offer for Fairfields & she thinks
he will sell it–Mrs Campbell–Mrs & Miss Mallett have
just called to see us—The sun is out brilliantly this morning.

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Tom has been like a different child=has
not refused to say his letters since & runs
up whenever I ask him–Has said them  all
over three times to day.  I don’t think I will
try whipping him again thought if I can
possibly help it–It is terrible to excite
such a spirit in so small a child. I
would rather hold it in check;
F[annie] E[mma] & I walked again & when we returned
B[ertie] & I went a mile to see a very poor girl
Ellen O Leary–whom we heard was sick=
Truly it was the abode of “filth & wretchedness”-
I never saw a more miserable family-There
are only two girls, daughters of an Irishman who
seems to be a decent working man, but his home
& children exceed everything in dirt that
I ever looked at…Met Pa as he was
returning & he told me that the day before the
Yankees had come up to  his factory & destroyed
all the machinery, & broken the factory all to
pieces inside.  His loss is about 8000-though
some of the machinery belonged to the
man who rents it Watson.

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

MSS 15406