[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
[from the diary of Captain Zachariah Heed, 91st Ohio Volunteers]
6.
Fayetteville Va Friday morning, received an order to Report, at Charleston Va. before the examing Board, wether moderating Still.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 13406
[from the diary of Sgt. Robert Larimer, Co C., 62nd Regiment Ohio Volunteers]
Friday, February 6, 1863
Morning cold & windy eve-
ning pleasant
MSS 38-129
Camp near Falmouth Feb’ 6th 1863
Dear brother
Yours of the 28th inst
came to hand this morning
and it was recd with glad
ness this is the 3d letter
that I write and I saw
that you did not recd[sic]
any of the others the last
one I think you could
not have got that one
the time you wrote this
I wrote one the time I
got my boots and one
abou[t] two weeks after that
I got my boots safe and
the knife and am well
pleased with boath the
boots was a little tite at
first but they do
[page 2]
good now I would not
do without boots not
if they would cost $20
I tell you that we have
uggly weather here for some
time Snow and rain mos
tly every day on the 28th
inst we had a snow r in
ches deep but in a few
dayes it was all away
again yester day it did
snow and rain all day
and it is raining to
day yet we did move
our camp on the 2 inst
about two miles from
where we have camped the
wood was to scarse in our
old camp then we moved
in the woods again and
put up good winter quar
ters here if we only can
[page 3]
stay here now till spring
but we are under
marching orders now but
I do not know when we will
go now for the roads are to
muddy if the ground cept
froze we would hav went
to day but now we canot
go and I am glad that we
canot for we have fixed
up right now and I wou
ld like to stay here. I
tell you that we did not
get our box it got stole
at Acquia creek their they lay
over night and 16 got
stole thers and ours was
one of it. I must bring
my letter to a close for this
time for the mail will
soon go away Answer
soon
Respectfully yours P H Knepp
[page 4]
Dear Sisterinlaw
it is with pleasure
that I sid[sic] down to you write
a few lines to you for this
is the second time that
I write but you said that
that[sic] you did not get it
I did direct it to Lewistown
I saw that you and Elick are
going to west If I dont get
home before you go I surely will
come out to [meby?] as soon as
I am free I wish that I could
come home to take a good sleigh
ride but I hope that I may get
safe out of this School then
I can have som fun I have
only 3 month yet then I
go we have good times now
as long as it last but
I dont know how soon we
have to fase the rebs again
no more at present remain
your brother inlaw
P H Knepp
Answer soon
I am well at present
[patriotic envelope with a vignette in red and blue of an eagle carrying a banner “E PLURIBUS UNUM] in the left corner and the word VICTORY in large block letters across the top. The top half of the letters are filled in with stars on blue. The bottom half of the letters are red and white stripes ]
Mrs Edith McIntire
yard vill Mercer Co
N.J
Paul H Knepp
MSS 15246
[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]
Fri 6. Warm, rain – getting ready to march.
(In Eveg. talking..Had sharp consl. with
Dr. [James] R.[iley] about mess affairs.
Cleaned up at night, beautiful night –
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS12935
[from the diary of George W. Dabney, Clerk of Campbell County]
Friday 6
Cold & freezing
Lucy Ann complaining – Ro & Jess
impr. – Spencer to nurse
much time lost by hands all this
bad weather which might be empld
stripping, from Tob’ not being struck
down some time ago, when in order –
hands all say twas in order –
hominy ground at mill
MSS 3315
[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison, as transcribed at a later date]
Friday, February 6th – It rained all last night and late in the day and then became
cold and blue. cousin John came in for a short time. I don’t know what I should
do without his visits. They make a lonely day up here much shorter. I read Sidney
Smith and an extract on life pleased me so much that I copy it, “We talk of human
life a journey, but how variously is that journey performed! There are some who
come fort girt and shoed and mantled to walk on velvet lawns and smooth terraces
where every gale is arrested and every beam is tempered. There are others who walk
on the Alpine paths of life, against driving misery and through stormy sorrows, over
sharp afflictions, walk with bare feet and naked breast, mangled and chilled. Oh
last goal of human things, beyond which labour and mourning and cares are at rest,
beyond which riches and glories are weighed as nothing and this vain, turbid life
returns to naught! Oh that men would thus regard Thee! What wars throughout the
world, what passions of the soul, how many dangers besetting us, might so obtain
an easy termination without slaughter or blood! Mayst Thou be present before my
eyes, not as a mournful image but an admonisher, that I should regulate myself,
since this house is to me the vestibule of the tomb and the next to closing seat
of my old age.” It is said war is as natural to women as men but the present state
or our community refutes it. the ladies have not even materials for housekeeping
to occupy them while most of the men are gone. Benjie is a great amusement these
days. He has such curious ideas. He asked if God had any boys and why they didn’t
come down and play with him? Did God’s boys have any mammies? Did God have a
mammy? This morning I heard a scream from the baby. He had tied a string around
her neck and was drawing it tightly singing Tom, Tom de piper’s son, stole dis
pig an way he run.
MSS 9759
