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

                                  Saturday 15
Started at 7.A.M. arrived
at top of Manassas Gap
at 3 ½.P.M. where we spent
the night.  the Infantry of
the Divisions commenced des-
troying the R.R.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448

[letter of Andrew J. Gillespie, begun on the 13th and continued on the 14th concludes]

         Saturday Night Nover the 15
         Susan I would have sent this By mail But
Mr Melton has bin here for a day or too and I will send
it by him as he has promised to carry Edgars Axe that I have
bin writeing about the handle I mad at camp Ninaveh
west of the Blue Ridge Mountain he must keep it in
Remberance of his Pa
          While I am here in my Tent Writeing I fear you
have to watch over some one of our childre[n] that may bee
sick Oh how hard it is that the Emerginces are sutch that
we have to bee Seperated as we are But I hope you are all well
or better than when you wrote
   the capt told me today that he would take Nathan
in my place if the Magor and the Genral would
agree and I will try and find out in a few days and
write you word  But if the children are vary sick
when this come to hand try and get another man
to come out here and i will certainly try my best
to get off and if they are not dangerous write to me
immediately for I Shal bee uneasy until I hear from
you again,  Tell Nathan if he is still in the notion
of comeing to hold himself in readyness with his
mair and Bugy for he can drive from Mr Tylers to this
place in one day and that will bee Better than
comeing on the cars and he could bring any little
thing that cosin James or Davys folks might want to send
Harvy begins to think about his Father comeing over here

[page 2]
you all have no Idea how bad the soldiers wa[n]t to visit
home it is all lthe talk you can hear it around every fire
but Talk is about all no chanse for Ferloughs now
I am truly sorry to hear of so mutch Sickness and
the deaths you write But was not surprised to hear
of the death of Mrs Jones (Ann Bogs) for I herd from
her a fiew days before you letter by a man from
that neighbourhood I herd also of the death of Marshal
Hope,
    I will bring this to a close as the Boys are cralling
under their blankets and I feel like it my self
Remember me to Mrs. Hambleton Mr & Mrs Leaxie
for their Kindness to you
                            Nothing More But Remain your
                            Affectionate Husband
                                   a J Gillespie
your letter of the 3rd november has not come to hand
yet we are at the same camp we ware when I wrote to you
before

Andrew J. Gillespie, Ancell’s Co., Va Light Artillery

MSS 9564

                                  “Office”–Nov. 15th 1862

           I received your charming letter of the 2d just
as I was le taking my letter of the 9th to the office and
I thought I would wait and answer it.  But, Addie
mine, I had no idea of waiting six days ere attending
to that important and not unpleasant duty–but my
health was in such a state that I was unable to
attend to “office duties.”  But lest I frighten you, I will
tell you all=just as it really was=  I had a slight
attack of Liver complaint which troubled me some, but
I am recovering from it now-not in my fancy-but really
getting well= I am somewhat thinner and weaker than
I was, but might have been expected-During the
entire time, I have remained int he office=so you see I have
not been “dangerous” by any means.                I should
not have been so explicit, but you are so fearful I half conceal
the real truth, but my darling rest assured, I can conceal
nothing from you=which I know you so wish to know.
   I will not answer your letter now=for I cannot=
but I will write an early reply.   How kind and truthful
you are!  I can only love you more and more=Oh! how
I wish this War would end.

[page 2]
  So Laurie is no longer “Laurie” but Mrs. Thompson.
Please present my compliments and all the other “nice
things,” to the happy pair.  Success and happiness
attend thee my darling this Winger  Do you like Farmington
               Please write very soon to
                                Your own devoted and loving
                                             Charley

Charles N. Tenney, 7th Ohio

MSS 11616

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

     Nov. 15th, ’62.
In line of battle from
5 A.M. until daylight.
In the service four
mos. to-day. Ordered
to march imme-
diately; went to
Lebanon, – ran Mor-
gan’s cavalry out
of the town, & return-
ed by 9 ½ P.M.

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

Sat 15. Lovely day–Sergt. Co. G. called said he had lost his little girl of 5

yrs – Angelic disposition – He is an Elder in Pres. Ch. & excellent man
teacher – intelligent & sensible – counseled & prayed
with him.  Busy on Ch. & choir organization – Hymn Bks &c.
Visited hospitals as usual – one man   Wescott – very sick – delirious
Typhoid fever – Baker brot.  in mail to distribute & said we
were ordered to march to Manassas tonight.  No confirma-
tion of it – but perhaps Col. Blunt’s Brigade is to go &
we may follow.  I trust we may stay here till Mon=
day & not waste another Sunday in moving.

Charles J. Field, 1st Sergt. Co. G: to Sergt. Maj. Sept. 30, ’62; promoted 2d Lieut. Co. D, Dec. 28, ’62.
Private Daniel R. Westcott, Co. I
Private Oran Baker, Co. I?

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

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

Saturday, Nov. 15, 1862

Helped husk corn
& tie up fodder this
forenoon
The boys went to
Ashland to mill this
afternoon.  I went
over & saw Barns
people
  The Olin Girls called
a few minutes this
evening
  Went to Town &
John got up the team
& came back with
me.
   –mostly clear, cool

MSS 10317

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

Saturday 15th  Again Cloudy–Katy has brought me two letters from
the office one from Mary-all well in Georgia–& one from
Lucy Jewett–Sarah read last night until after ten O Clock but
we did not finish the book–Another nights pleasant reading
yet–Judge Osborne was at breakfast this morning & chatted away
very pleasant–Just as we were going to tea Mr Tom Mears drove up, on
his way to a plantation he has bought near Salisbury–He has 9 children
of all sizes & it was really a pretty sight–They will remain over Sunday
& then leave.

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

Saturday, Nov. 15, 1862.

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

 Saturday November 15, 1862

Felt better, but -rather weak as I had
starved all day & taken some medicine-
had a sore finger & couldnt sew intended
to write but the children ran in &
out my room so constantly had to give
it up-My time for writing is at
night after they are all asleep.  P[atty] & I are
very uneasy about the diptheria–but I
try to feel no care & remember that it
is the Lord & we must patiently wait &
bow submissive to the Lord=Oh for a
submissive spirit-under all trials.  My
heart is so rebellious that I often feel
that it will take great troubles to
humble me=I want an humble
spirit. “a broken & a contrite heart, O, God
thou will not despise.”-
No one knows how sad my heart is
about my dear dear husband–I rarely
speak of it, but there is not an hour
I do not think of him-so many, many
fears-No one knows how long we may
be separated: perhaps forever=i.e. on
earth-I may never feel his warm kiss
or his dear arms around me–Could
I live–Oh God, thou alone knowest
how much we can bear & live–I am
almost tempted to pray-Not this, Not
this=. Had Jack vacinated.

MSS 15406

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

Saturday 15.  Mrs G. barely got off in
time to secure a seat on the train
-the carriage just coming out the house
appointed a Discountion some 50.000
appointed Ferguson  [?] to repre-
sent in the 40 shares we hold in
the Merchants bank–The annual
meeting will be an exciting one
-Flood-the [?]-is a candidate
for the Presidency.  He is Jack Slaugh
ters security in his administration
& [?] Bonds and Jack sup
ports him and as he has control
a large quantity of stock, his sup
port can count  –There is a chance
of his success–We have no reason
to regret it as we should then be
no longer [?] by him–we shall
make over 7 percent for the half
year, exclusive of interest on our
investments
     Some five and twenty years ago
whilst engaged in trying to drill
a hole in the glass which now
constitutes the plate back of the little
air pump I made, I had spent ma
ny hours in the vain attempt, using
a hand or [soft iron?] blunt drill
& [?]  my dear daughter Lu
cy Landon then a little girl asked
me why I did not try spirits of
turpentine.  She said she had seen
in the “album,”of which paper
she was a diligent reader, the state
ment that a common drill kept
wet with spirits of turpentine we
go through glass as easily as thro’
metal–I tried it & with complete
success–and have occasionally practiced
it with advantage.  I had a couple
of drills tempered very hard to
day an one 1/2 & the other 1/4 In
diameter & with them bored through
in two or three minutes a piece of
plate glass 3/8 ” thick without in
jury o the drill–I shall now attempt
to cut a plate for the air pump
which belonged to Jno Minor
which is now out of order–I have
mentioned the fact to several
scientific men and none of them
could give any idea of the ration
ale for this success.
       Mr. Frank Cabell called at
qr past 5 and staid until 8.  He
is certainly one of the most inter
esting gentlemen I know  His rea
ding seems to be universal.  He is
a Swedenborgian in religion, which
does not  [tell?] [well?] for his practical
sense but he is very clever and
a most delightful companion.

MSS 4763