[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Thursday, November 20, 1862

I read as usual & was sitting at my
work when Daisy exclaimed yonder comes a carriage
I looked out not expecting to see one but was
agreeably disappointed.  It proved to  be cousin
Eliza Williams & Lena. They had heard of our
bereavement & cousin e. had come with her usual
kindness to sympathise with us–We spent an agreeable
day, though I can not say there was any real profit
in it.  Pa told us that Mr T[hompson] started for Richmond
in the morning & I wrote you a long letter after I cam
to my room i.e. added to the one I had already
commenced.  It was late when I finished writing & as
Jacque waked up just as I finished it took me
a long time to quiet him, so I did not get to
sleep till after twelve.

   After 25th of Dec. I will never keep another
journal like this-mean to start out on an
entirely different plan.  I see no profit nor
pleasure in this=The fact is  I am an
uninteresting writer & I might as well acknowledge
it-

  I acted wrongly towards Tom this evening
Grew impatient & even angry with him because
he would not say his letters–I know it was
only obstinacy–for he afterwards said he knew
what it was–Oh, how will I ever learn to be
patient.  I am cross & impatient so often

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

MSS 15460

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

Thursday 20  Called to ask the Doctor to
visit  Mary -He told me he thought
Miss Betsy Ann would not live
til the end of the month But he did
not see any great change in her
I returned to the Bank & in half
an hour  Caroline sent me word
she was dead–When I first  saw
her, she was about 18, very  handsome
of a [?] interesting cast of face
very sweet in her disposition and
amiable in her manners-and the
Belle of the valley.  In two or three
years after the cloud came over her
mind and she has been deranged
ever since–never violently and of
late years she has been quiet and
more imbecile than any thing else
She was 64 yer old. Her death is
a great [relief?] to the family
Charles came home this morg
-with orders to report to Gen. Lee
and about his decision as to the
fate of the company. The order
affecting him & which did him so
grievous a wrong was a mistake
of a clerk, was discovered and recti
-fied before his arrival–Still there
will be many who will never
hear of the circumstances.

MSS 4763

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

Wednesday
Nov 19

Rainy this forenoon so there was no
drill till afternoon.  It has been quite
warm and pleasant this afternoon.  I have been
copying for the Lieutenant to day.  Captain Atwood
was up here. Have felt pretty well today.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of frank C. Fitzhugh, Cutshaw’s Battery]

                                  Wednesday 19
Rained nearly all
day, still in same
      camp
  Goods for Shirts
               

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448

[from the diary of Wesley A. Hammond, Co. E., 42nd Virginia “Dixie Greys”

 Wednesday
to Saturday 22nd – Nothing of
interest transpired – several deaths
in hospital –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

   Camp near Williamsport
         Nov 19th 1862       Md
Dear Mother:
                 I improve the
present morning in writing
you a few lines.  I am well
and hope this may find
you the same.  I  hope all
of you are well and do-
ing the same. I have been
trying to get a man to take
my place in the service
so that I can come home
but as yet have found
none. Do you receive all my
letters?  I write every day
or two.  I have no news
to write you-  the Captain
says that he is willing for
me to go home and he will

[page 2]
use his influence to
get me detailed as a
recruiting Seargeant for
the Regiment.  I am going
to see the Colonel today
and see what he will do.
I sent you a letter a
few days ago to send to
E. B. Washburne. Did you
send it?  The same letter with
some changes will do to
send to Governor Richard
Yates.  In addressing in the letter to him,
it should be “Most Respected
Gov Richard Yates: Dear Sir: it
is, etc.  I think that between
the two you will get a hear
ing.  His address is “Spring-
field, Ills.”  I am not home-
sick, not do I want out
of the service but I know
the necessity of my being

[page 3]
at home.  Have you
tried to get a substitute?
Mother, there is one thing
I want you to do, without
fail, and that is, to get
our deeds recorded.
The deed to the five acres
of timber has never
been recorded and you
must have both of them
recorded immediately
before anything else is
done.  Just tell Durren
to move his house and
you will pay him his
money back and don’t
you give him any deed
for you will need that
30 acres to live upon
I dont ask any of the
property now but
want you to keep

[page 4]
it all for your own
use.  Get Billy to be
your assistant Admin
istrator and be sure to
be appointed in con-
junction with him yourself.
Do not let Uncle Scot have
any thing to do with
the estate or any other
man but Wm Wick
And if he will not accept
of the appointment, be ap-
pointed yourself alone.
I do not think it would
do to have me appointed
as I am in the Service and then
I do not want the appointment.
I will assist you though all I can if ap-
pointed.  Do keep all the stock
you can on the place.  I
want to know how much
stock and grain you have
on hand.  Tell me all about
your business.  Let Em teach.
I will send you some money to pay
taxes about the 10th of Jan.  I do not ex-
pect pay before.  Mother, I will send
you all my money and you can
allow me for it if you have a mind to
do so.  I don’t care, just so you are comfortable.
I can live anyway.  With much love  W.H. Redman

Write soon and often  W.H.R.

[upside down in top margin of page r]

P. S.  I cannot get to see the Colonel
today.  Where is M. Wooley and J.S. Crow?
                                                   & no less
You may sell Old Nig for $90.00 cash money^.
What is the price of grain?

[page 5]
Dear Brothers:
           I thought
I would write you
a few lines too.
I am well but have
been in trouble ever
since I received Em’s
letter yesterday.  I
know your sit-
uation, and know
too that a great deal
of responsibility rests
upon  you. Our
poor old  Father now
sleeps his last sleep
and you and I are
separated.  I am
far from home and
you are at home.  On
you now depends Mother’s com-
fort.  Will you now

[page 6]
commence to act the
part of men. Your
must do so.  Let har
mony ever prevail
between you and
do up the work as us-
ual.  Now, Boys, do
take good care of things.
O do!  I will come home
if I can.  Be good
Boys and save
your grain.  Now,
Boys, if  you don’t,
I shall not forget
it in future life.
Be good to Mother and
the rest of the family.
Write soon.  I am,
very truly, Your Brother, W. H. Redman
Good bye,
take good care of the stock.

William H. Redman, Co. C., 12th Illinois Cavalry

MSS 7415

Stafford C. H. Nov 19/62
Dear Father
I have Recd
yours of the 9th inst. with
the $3.00 I am very much
oblige send on the $10.
I sent you a letter a short
time before I recd yours
but as you say “Write often”
I will do so.  did E have
to be examined before he
could get exempt.  We started
last Sunday for this place
the first day was pleasant
he next we were rear
guard & did not march
far until after dark & at
twelve Oclock I ate two
crackers & drank a cup of
“tea” & lay down on the wet
ground to sleep & early

[page 2]
yesterday morning (before
day light) we were wake-
up & about day light we
were off we marched
between 12 & 18 miles it
rained a little most all
day.  We are laying still
to-day.  It is raining quite
fast but I am in my little
tent all right side up
Parker lays along side
he is not very tough &
ought not to be here
he is not tough enough
still he keeps up.  I have
no doubt but what your
letter was acceptable but
I think that I would have
got the promotion just
as soon.  Lieut Farrand
asked me the other day
if I thought of enlisting

[page 3]
again after my time was
out. I told him I thought
not I asked him if he
thought they would keep up
the Reg after our time was
out-he said yes.  I says
there will be a good
chance for some of the
old Srgts yes said he &
you no doubt could get a
commission if I would
stay, but swore then that
there is not much [chance?]
as we have had three
promoted in our Co to
Lieut.   I think that I
shall have to give my
treasurer a little talking
to but then she never
had that $16 in her charge
so she is right after all
I have in my bank $11

[page 4]
due you that you have
sent me in good money
which I expect you to
take of of that $16 I
expect calculate to keep
money enough to use from
one pay day to another but
we have not been paid al
most five months so I have
run behind a little bit
I expect to pay you back all
you sent me.  I have
some $60 due me now
& I had rather you would
[?] & put it all out all
only I want you to keep
[line smeared by crease in paper] of all the
money you send me
My boots are so stiff &
heavy they hurt my feet very
much & I do not know but
what I shall sell them if
I can get $6. which I have been
offered.  Your are quite [?]
yours  Resp Chs E Bradley

[in right hand margin of page 4]
four Blankets came very acceptable
& [remainder of line smeared by center fold in paper]

[upside down in top margin of page 1]
Nov 20  every thing quiet.  I got some
potatoes at the Commissaries last night-12
a Pn.  The boys cannot get tobacco & so they
smoke ground coffee hard up.

Charles Ellery Bradley, Co. I, 32nd New York

MSS 9728

               Post Hospital Nov. 19

Dear Mother
                     I am still here and
do not know ho long I shall
stay here but will probably let you
know before I leave I received
2 letters from you since I wrote
last I wish I only had some of
those potatoes that lay out in that
storm though Mass folks are very
good as most every week, we
get some apples, potatoes, or onions
from there and they go bully
I tell you.  Quite a joke stealing
the dried apples in N.H.
I should like to be at home
Thanksgiving but must
postpone it.  You say that I
cant realize Marias loss as you
do every day when I think of home
her little, merry face comes up

[page 2]
as one of the merriest to welcome
me home and it does not
hardly seem possible I shall
never see her again.  I think
that the renewal of McClellan
means more than you take it
it means the downfall of
Richmond and I think
though I know nothing about
it, that he will go up the
James River again with that
force of 125000 men there
is a Norfolk & Suffolk and on
the peninsula. It looks as if
some thing was going to be
done I have seen two regts
on the march today and
as I am writing a large
pontoon train is going by
Tell Mary Frank Stedman took
a French from the parolled
camp at Annapolis and
went home.  Last week I

[page 3]
saw Dr Lyon of Charlestown
cousin of John Lyons and he
said he should tell Rice
to tell father that he had
seen me.  John A. Andrew
is on to Washington to see
about the boys in the paroled
camp and has received
permission to get a Mas
doctor to examine them and
all that are not fit to go
into the field again to discharge
There is no news of importance
here and we get nothing as
we are a set of prisoners
not allowed to go out
without it is to wash us for
water. Night before last
the doctors put a man in
the dead house for dead
in the morning somebody
went in and he asked
for a drink of water

[page 4]
but died soon from the
effects of the cold and his
[disease?] together. This place
reminds me of a pasture
in the country where a
farmer turns out his old
wornout broken down horses
to run till they die
Write soon and often
With much love from
Your aff son
             Wm Wallace

Mrs. C. Smith
Newton Lower Falls
              Mass.

William Wallace Smith
Co.. B., 22nd Massachusetts

MSS 15460

 [from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]

                 Hd.Qrs. Cavalry Division
                   Deep Run, Nov 19. 3.30 P.M.
To Lieutenant Colonel Dickinson
            Assistant Adjutant General
           Center Grand Division
Colonel,
                Last evening when my
command at Sulphur Springs
was withdrawing, the enemy opened
several guns from the opposite side
of the river–The section with
our troops replied & covered the
withdrawal of the force–the
enemy crossed two squadrons
& followed up about two
miles–the regiment was the 6th
Cavalry & a section of Remming=
ton’s Battery–The enemy did
not disturb their march any further-
We had no loss–I have relieved
General Bayard’s command at
all the fords to this point & the General
as well as the infantry with him are
now in route to their several com=
mands–My dispositions are as
follows (over)

[page 2]
Three squadrons picketing the
fords from Kelley’s to Ellis’s&
one regiment & a section sup=
porting this force at Morrisville–
this point here is about five miles
from Morrissville–
            I have sufficient forage
for tonight-
            General Averill was
instructed to cover the 5th
Corps today & encamp in
its rear picketing all the
roads well out–
     
             I am, Colonel, very respectfully
                     Your Obt. Servt:
                            A. Pleasonton
                             Brig. General
                                   Comdg Cav: Division


MSS 495

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

Wed 19.  Another man died last night.  I had
been talking & praying with him day before.
Visited all the sick, gave little books   talked & prayed
Went to Every tent of men – Also rode to picket out-
posts – after dinner wrote letter about poor Simpkins
found same on picket, sick, ordered Ambulance –
Attended funeral of S.   buried in grave yard close by
Camp – Our regt. went on picket at 9 A.M. & at 11
the 15th Conn were ordered to relieve them & we to be
ready to march at moments notice.  Some think
it is to Texas.  Some to Manassas.  Some to
Harpers Ferry, & some only to review.   tomorrow
drizzling day.   feel better but strange no letters
from home in long time –
Regt. came struggling in thro. the mud & darkness –
till near one oclk –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935