[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]
Hd.Qrs. Cav. Brigade
In front of Orleans Nov. 7 6.30 a.m.
To General Averelle
Comdg Cavalry Brigade
General–
Detail a squadronfor of your command for
detached service, to go to
Warrenton–Send the officer
in command to report
to me in person for orders
as soon as practicable–
I am, Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig. Genl.
Com’dg
MSS 495
[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]
Hd.Qrs. Cav. Brigade
In front of Orleans Nov. 7 8 a.m.
To Colonel Colburn
Ass’t Adj’t Genl
Colonel–
Eighty boxes of carbine
cartridges (80. 000) were recd
this morning & not one
percussion cap in the
whole of them–Please have
that number forwarded
immediately–by a man
on horseback–I cannot
move without them–I
have sent to borrow from
Gen.Burnside to save time
but have not heard that
he can spare them–the
officer who committed
that blunder should
be dismissed–
Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig. Genl.
MSS 495
[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]
Hd.Qrs. Cav. Brigade
Amissville, Nov. 7 1.15 P.M.
To General Burnside–
General–
I have captured two
signal men of Longstreet’s–who
left Culpepper yesterday evening–
Longstreet was then at Culpepper
& had sent them to Gen. Stuart
at Waterloo–they rode into my
pickets–I have driven 5 or
600 cavalry out of this town–
they took the road towards
Culpepper–I shall stay
here with my command today–
& send a force to scout to
Sperryville & Thornton’s Gap–
Shall also look after
Stuart–Please send
this or a copy to General
McClellan–& oblige
Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig. Genl.
MSS 495
[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]
Hd.Qrs. Cav. Brigade
Amissville Nov. 7 4.20 P.M.
To Colonel .Colburn
Ass’t Adj’t Genl
Colonel–
I sent a force towards
Little Washington & Sperryville
about a mile & a half from here
they met a cavalry force
of rebels & are now engaged
with them I have sent them
reinforcements to drive them
off & push thro’–I have
captured one officer of the
Virginia Cavalry & ten privates
of Stuarts command. I have
also sent a force towards
Jefferson & they have met
the rebel cavalry pickets on
that road & they are skirmishing
the rebel infantry pickets
towards Culpepper are about
10 miles from here–
[page 2]
I have sent a copy of
the Richmond enquirer of
the 4th to the General by
Major Hammerstein–
General Stoneman
today opened on my
pickets from Waterloo–
He might have saved their
ammunition to advantage
Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig. Genl.
One of the Prisoners was overheard
today to say “it will go very
hard with Hill.“–Cannon
have opened on my party towards
Little Washington & also on the
Jefferson road–The small
pox is in the town–
A. Pleasonton–
Brig. Gen
MSS 495
[from the dispatch book of General Alfred Pleasonton]
Hd.Qrs. Cav. Brigade
Amissville Nov. 7 7.30 P.M.
To Colonel A. V.Colburn
Ass’t Adj’t Genl
Colonel–
The force I sent to
Jefferson has possession of
the town, having driven out
about 200 rebels with one
piece of artillery–part of
them retreated towards Cul=
pepper & part towards
Falmouth–Two wounded
Union soldiers were found
in the town–Also a Pennsyl=
vania contraband, who has
escaped from Stuart–He says
Stuart said today, he was
going to Richmond, that there
was no use trying to stop us
any more-He has some
two thousand cavalry, but
[page 2]
very few are efficient-
horses broken down &c
Longstreet is at Culpepper-
& Jackson on the other
side of Blue ridge behind
Thornton & Chester Gaps–
He says Longstreet’s men were
all around here yesterday–
& he does not think they
are far off now–He says
Jackson, Longstreet & Stuart
made a plan to capture
my command yesterday
at Flint Hill–which
was frustrated by my coming
this way–They have an idea
I have a corps of infantry with
me–this shows the three
are acting together & are not
far apart–The river is
not fordable to night at Waterloo—
but is two miles above at the
mills–
Very respectfully
A. Pleasonton
Brig. Genl.
MSS 495
[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, Chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]
Fri. 7. heavy snow storm. How the boys cheered the fatigue party
in derision. she marching thro. snow – quite cold last night –
but slept warm. The elections in N. J. & N. Y. have gone demo-
cratic, that is bad. Hope McClellan will coop up Lee
& catch him now – as an offset to this –
The entire Reg. 27th N.J. are just marching past thro. the snow
storm on 2 days pickets amid the cheers & jeers of our boys.
Wrote letters, visited sick &c. Col is out now playing
football with men amid the driving snow, & the loud & many
laugh rings thro. the Camp it is good exercise & will
warm them up today this cold day.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 12935
[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, former musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Friday, Nov. 7, 1862
Had Crouse at work
on the barn & stable floors
Helped load a log & other
work generally
Wrote note & sent $200 to
Peter Chapman. Went to
town this afternoon from
there went to Hannas
Met there McKibbens
young folks also Chambers
& wife remained over
night Same to leave early
in the morning
Cloudy quite Cold
MSS 10317
[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]
Nov. 7th, ’62.
Started at 6; com-
menced snowing du-
ring the forenoon, &
snowed & rained alter-
nately all day. My
feet very painful to-
day. Immediately upon
our arrival in
camp, my compa-
ny was ordered out
on picket; not hav-
ing any fire & its be-
ing very cold, I
slept very little.
Morgan 12 or 14 ms.
To-day first set foot
on Tennessee soil.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 10547-bm
[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]
Friday 7th Awake this morning to find it bitter cold. Mrs Walters & Sarah
have gone to Church–I have been writing to Eliza–It worries me to know
how she will get from Enfield.
MSS 6960
[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]
Friday, November 7, 1862
Another unprofitable day—I suppose
J[acque] and C. thought they ought to be as merry
as possible, but they forgot we could
not join in the merry laugh–sometimes
I caught myself their spirit, but I
felt reproached when I thought of my
poor dear P[eachie] being far away dead=O
it is so hard to realize=I will never more
see her again=I can’t believe that she
is dead-It is hard to realize death
when you see one pass from earth, but
to be told of the death of a loved one
not see it, not be able to pay the last
sad offices to the body=Oh I can not
believe= poor Ma, she seems sadly
broken in spirit=looks pale & sad-
heaves heart broken sighs= Pas eyes look dry &
though he says but little I know his
thoughts follow his dead child. Oh, If
he had only a hope in Christ-what a
different thing it would seem to him
though I fear death I do not f [?] & know
that I am accepted. that death has
lost many turns-sometimes I almost
feel that to die might be to me
great gain–I know Christ can save
to the uttermost but do I come unto
him, because I am weary & heavy laden?
MSS 6960
