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

   Army.  Washington Camp Casey   Oct  1862
Mon 20.   (have made no notes for this till Sat. 25.)
     Several days high wind & frightful dust – two days unwell –
wrote letters – held prayer meetgs.   visited sick – very busy –
made best shot in company   hit bulls eye 80 paces off – only one that did –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

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

Monday Oct. 20, 1862

Did nothing all
day. Slept &c
Ca,pt Mc in tent-
Request to Gen Crook
to be apppted mustering
officer  boys all
impatient-
Had to play for
reveille this morning
Clear pleasant
notice Capt Sims of
the battery has returned.

check 23rd roster for Captains

MSS 10317

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

  Oct 20th, ’62.
Clear this morn-
ing. All manner
of rumors in re-
gard to the move-
ments of our ar-
my near “Wild Cat”,          
but none of them
reliable. A sol-
dier died in camp
to-day of typhoid fe-
ver – he was of the
100th Ill. reg’t. He
was buried on
the west side of
the hill in the woods,

 a beach tree, upon
which was carved
his name, alone
marks his last rest-
ingplace. No moth-
er’s or sister’s tears
moistened the clods
that cover his mort-
al remains; he di-
ed far from home
& friends. The sol-
dier’s fate. Remain-
ed all night.

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

Monday 20  Very fine weather–busy
all day.  [Robert?] A called upon
me at Bank.  Nothing of any note
Letter from Delia Wallis who [wishes?]
me to rent a farm for her mother
who is determined to leave Culpeper
At night Dr & Mrs & Mary Green
called and staid till 10–a very
pleasant sociable party.

MSS 4763

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

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

Monday 20th  Mr Mason arrived very unexpectedly last night &
after eating breakfast Lize & Liz persuaded him to turn back
and go to Enfield with them–they were all packed & ready to start
before they heard of his arrival–He has been ordered to Columbus Georgia
& is on his way there–So they had two escorts instead of one–Mr Mason
& Mr Julius Guthrie–I have been suffering night & day with tooth
ache which has given me fevers–& makes me feel chilly & badly–

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]
 I am writing at night as usual &
can but compare myself with how
I felt last night, & how contrary I acted
to what I believe of myself that night I
will give a sketch of myself  I woke very early
but was too lazy to get up, conscience pricked me & I
made an effort, & was up, then I felt impatient that
it should be so cold & Margaret hadn’t come up to make the
fire, remembering my intent into be patient & was dressing when she
came in, chid her for being late, dressed the children & prayed
God to help me to day especially to give me a patient spirit
read my bible, then took Jacq til breakfast was
ready, was impatient at the table–& impatient that
Ma & Pa did not hurry off as they were anxious to
to[sic] go early, only lingering.  They went to the [River?]
impatient hunting for my work a while we
wee sewing amicably very unneccessarily referred
to a disagreeable occurrence about an old chat
between Fannie & me last winter–Was
impatient with Daisy several time.  Now see
how I have spent the day, sinning, & had every
intention to be better–O God. If I fall
when I try to stand–Therefore I must fall
when I call not upon Thee, at all=
Truly it is by grace we are saved & that
not of  ourselves it is the gift of God,
=Oh God, give me more grace to hear to [?]
[?]  I heard of James Briscoe’s death.  He took the
oath when the Yankees were in here & was taken up on
conscript law & was so much distressed about it that

[in left hand margin of page]
he died the day he had to go into the army. Was taken up & given a
                                                                  week to prepare

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

MSS 15406

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

Sunday
Oct 19
Went on guard this morning, Roach, Savaria
and I were on together up above the first house
It has been a beautiful day. Warm and sunny. I have
been reading some and meditating on home
I long to be at home.  I feel a good deal better in health
than I have.\\

probably Michael Roach  and Louis Savaria of Co. F

MSS 11293

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

                                  Sunday 19
Started 7.A.M.  traveled
3 miles East    went down to
B.& O.R. Road where we took
up camp.  Infantry commenced
tareing up the R. Road

[a post script to the letter from “Robert” to his wife written on the 14th]

                           Sunday Morn Oct 19th

My Dear Wife
                       Excuse me for not sending
this letter to you last week, I waited for
a letter from you, but did not get any untill
last night, I then received one dated Oct 12th
I dont know why it was so long in reaching
me, unless there was detention of the mail
You may be sure that I was very glad to
hear from you I thought you might be
sick, or that something was the matter,
I began to feel anxious about you,
I am on guard to-day and consequently I
shant have time to write much,  We have
got fixed up in good shape for winter
quarters, Col Mulligan the hero of Lex
ington was here last week, he is a fine look
ing soldier  Col Wright is nearly well
he moves from here to Fort Albany this
week,

Robert an unidentified soldier from Lynn, Massachusetts, in Co. M, 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery

MSS 1242