[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Have not spent the Sabbath profitably
=staid in my room & tried to read
but the children were noisy & then
wandering thoughts troubled me
– to tell the truth I fear that my heart
was where they were all sitting talking, but
I can not conscientiously enter into
such conversation on the Sabbath as
if it were a common day.–I never did, but
I would always remember it i.e. Gods
Holy day & consecrate it entirely to him–
–the children have to be attended to
however & I hope that by endeavoring to
do my duty towards them I am
moving forward.
A Co. of 75 men asked to stay all
night & get super.  Pa consented to let
them sleep at the barn, & made fires in
the cellar & quarters for them to day, as it
has been raining all, & gave each man
a drink.  F[annie] & B[ertie] assisted in the
kitchen & were most expeditious=the
men arrived almost half past five &
by half past eight they had all
gotten their supers–poor fellows

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

MSS 15406

[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison as transcribed at a later date]

Sunday, October 26th
A close, rainy day.  Oh, my God, help me to recollect and with Thy help to keep the solemn resolves I have this day made.  Without thee I feel I am nothing.  Oh help me to be thankful for the many mercies I have had bestowed on me and to feel my own unworthiness  Oh let me live for Thee and not for this world, its pleasures and profits.

Tuesday, October 28th
Another cold, bright, day.  Dick Meade dined with us.  Finished gathering apples.

MSS 9759

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

Saturday
Oct 25

Got through the night very well.  ate four
eggs this morning.  Mail came to-day but
I got nothing. Read newspapers most of the afternoon

 MSS 11293

                         Camp of 2  Co Howitzers about
                    10 miles from Winchester Oct 25th 1862

Dear George  
                      I recd your favour of 26 Sept.
some days which was forwarded to me by Father
some days ago and would have answered it
before now but we have been moving about so
much that I have not had time.
               I am glad that you had such a nice time
on your trip, and almost envy you your visit
to Presbytery.  Oh that I could attend another meeting
at old Lebanon with the same persons who were
there last year.              I left home to join my Co
on the 8th Sept. and after hunting for it for more
than 2 weeks found it near Martinsburg   I had
a very hard time on the road but spent some
very pleasant evenings with strangers you see
I was entirely dependant on private houses for
anything to eat there being no Public houses open
one night I stopped at a Mr Masons who[sic] farm
adjourns Major Tunston’s[?] Miss Mary’s father  I had
a very pleasant time being introduced to his Daughter
and some Ladies from Winchester who were both
interesting and pretty.   I advise you to set
your cap for Miss Mary for I tell you what
she has got a very fine house large rich farm

[page 2]
and plenty of Negroes with fruit Trees and
Grape vines  in abundance.
   Our Co was in the fight at Charlestown the
other day you have doubtless seen accounts of it
(the fight) in the News Papers we were driven back having
no support we had only one man wounded and
he not mortally.
  I am very sorry that your Brother Wm’s arm is
rising again  I hope that it may be stopped before
it gets as bad as it was before.
  I am very much obliged to you for giving
me an account of the Waynesboro Ladies for I like
very to hear from the very much  I would
like to pay them a visit and am not without
hope of doing so sometime this Winter you must
give my best respects to them.
   I have some hope of getting the position of
“Midshipman”  in the Navy and if I succeed I
think I may safely say I have a “soft” place
for this war.
   give my love to Your Mother and all enquiring
friends and hoping that you will soon be well.
                                 I Remain
                                        Your Afft Friend
                                            John Waldrop
                                               Private
                                               2 Co Howitzers
                                               1 Regt Va Art

P S Paper is scarce
excuse the mistakes
and bad spelling
Write soon. direct as before
and your letter will be forwarded to
me by Father

MSS 2689
     

[letter of the Rev. J.C. Granberry, begun on the 24th continues]
Saturday morning.  Have just arisen, and eat my
camp breakfast of beef-hash and butterless biscuit.
Would like for you to see our kitchen and parlor.  rush
heaped up against a rail fence screens us from the wind
a tree cut down is our sofa.  We have one chair, former
ly the property of Gen. Casey, but captured at the Seven Pines.
Sometimes around the blazing fire of that apartment
and sometimes in our chamber we receive our guests.
There is one terrible drawback to the comfort of our fire–the
smoke, blown in all directions by the changing breeze, brings
tears to eyes that were unused to weeping.
  Was disappointed in my hope of a letter from the dearest girl
on  earth to me.  but one will come this evening–the one
you wrote last Monday morning.  I was greatly pleased
last evening by getting a letter from Salem. I had written
about our expected marriage.  Vallie (Mrs. Foley) says she
had suspected something of the sort; was told by Miss Mag
Peyton that I was addressing you; Mrs. Speiden said, not
so, it was certainly Kate Carter.  Vallie and Mrs Massie
express great pleasure in the engagement, had often wished
that I would love and marry again because they know how
lonely and desolate I was believe from all they have seen and
heard that I could not have made a better selection, and that
you are exactly suited to make me happy  they request a visit
from us.  Vallie advises me now to quit the army, as I have a
wife to look after; thinks it will not suit Ella for me to be in the army.
She doesn’t know all Ella’s self-sacrifice–dies she?  I have scarcely room to

[in top margin of page 1]
say Good-by, my pet and jewel
With all my heart, yours,
J. C. Granberry.

Granberry, University of Virginia chaplain, chaplain of the 11th Virginia was later a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and on the Vanderbilt Board of Trustees.

MSS 4942

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

25th  Travel fromMiddletown to Mr. Neff’s  4 miles
above Mt. Jackson.  distance
34 miles – I and horse got very
tired  buggy broke once or twice

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526

Bakersville Maryland  Oct 25th 1862
Dear Father  — I received yours of the eighteenth with the sad
news of Edwards Death, which I was in hopes of hearing of his recovery as most
of the letter that I have received was that he was nicely you say that he was
sensible to the last & spoke about my doing my duty which I am glad that he
he[sic] knew that I had done it but I wish I could have been at Home to see  him
before  his Death but being situated as I am I could not be there but if I had only
had known that we had been going into Winter quarters I should have tried
for A Furlough but I shall as it is as soon as we get paid off there is an order out
for Volunteers to join the regular Army to go into any Branch of it they may choose
they can join for the rest of the term of their enlistment or for three years & there
has been over fifty out of this Regiment that has signed it already  I had some
Idea of Joining the Cavelry for the rest of my enlistment then I thought I would
write to you before doing it & by the time I got a answer I would have time to
think it all over but I think I shall Join the Navy if I could get A chance Yester
day the Division was reviewed by General Brooks who has been assigned to take
command in place of General Slocum who has been assigned to take command
of the 12th Army Corps laitely under the Command of General Burnside the
Division feels bad about loseing General Slocum Capt Sherwood of Co F this
Regiment who returned to the Regiment yesterday came to see me as you wrote
in your letter informing me of your good health which I was glad to hear you
was looking nicely I am well & enjoying good heath as for the little Adjutant
that you spoke about I do not know where he is as I have only seen him once since
he left the regiment & that was when we first began to build winter quarters
on[sic] Camp Franklin last winter & for the old drummer I do not reccolect who
he is, those needles & thread I received, I will now close this by saying that this is
from A Son of yours who is always thinking of you & Mother and all at Home
Tell William that I would like to have him send me all of the Daily &
Weekly papers that he can    Joseph Leavitt

Letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George Leavitt of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John in the fall of 1865 as a remembrance of his sons, both of whom were mortally wounded,  George at 2nd Bull Run in 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania in 1864.

MSS 66

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

Oct 25th
firing was hard
this morning at
Chiney Creek 5 miles
[-] the Regt Captured
21 of  Sturds cavilry
to Day and to the
Provest Marched
Receved 2 letters
Frome home
to Day

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12912

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

Saturday, Oct. 25, 1862
This morning
applied to the Pay Master
Major Mc[Fail?] who by
the way I think a scamp
He would not pay us
Said once he might
pay until Aug 7th
but finally said he
would not pay atall
we lay about untill
about 2 O clock then
crossed by the
suspension bridge
& over the Island then
over the wooden bridge
to the Depot where we
took the cars about
5 OClock We arrive
at Columbus 1 1/2 Oclock
We had transportation out
from Maj Hill Comd post
are now at the National
P.S. Cloudy drizzling
rain Snow to night.

MSS 10317