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

Wednesday 13  News through Yankee chan-
-nels of a battle in Kentucky–they claim
no victory–admit the loss of four
generals killed and as gold now
in N Y. to 1.2.6. & exchanges ?/40
we may reasonably infer Victory
marched on our standards

No news from any other quarter
There seems no doubt that Lincoln
-dom is in a state of great commo-
tion; and excitement in consequence
of the Proclamation–General McClellan
has issued a mild General Order
cautioning the troops against poli-
tical discussion.  It is a very signi
ficant production and goes to corrobo-
rate the report that great  strife
trouble expected in camp on account
of the war being turned into  an
abolition war.–I do not think
six months can elapse without
a violent subversion of the Yankee
Government.- – Rain – Rain

MSS 4763

Monday, October 13, 1862

Awakened as usual, with the best determination
but was kept in bed by Margaret being late
about makeing the fire.  (I would have gotten up
but it was too cold for Jacque.) Margaret seems
to be very much troubled about makeing my fire–After
she was told to do it, ask if Charity could not–said
she couldn’t get up time enough, never had gotten
up before six o clock=injured her eyes to make
fires &c.  I talked to her about her duty–but she
evidently is determined not to be made a servant
out of: But she made the fire this morning & I
hope it will be the last I will hear on the
subject–I have a horror of white servants if
we have got to be explaining their places to
them all the time.  I cant bear to
be exacting, but surely it must be right
not to give up to them about such things.
-What will we do when they are all white-
I should prefer even Nancy & her [?]
to such an event=
Read an hour, dined & nursed
as usual=wrote a long letter to
you. So am tired & sleepy–Good
night, love, good night.

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

MSS 15406

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

Monday 13th Very rainy & unpleasant–We all kept within doors &
at night while some knit others played whist–Being Monday
no letters or papers arrived so we had nothing to read–Mrs Phillips
came for Liz to spend the day–But the weather was too bad to venture out.

MSS 6960

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

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

Sunday
Oct 12

Did not rest very well last night but my
appetite is much better than it has been.  O how
I miss the Sabbath institutions.  dick Collins came
in here and he and Pollard went to playing cards
but I spoke to them and Graham stopped them
and we had quite a talk on such matters.
Pollard I am sorry to see shows more malice every
day, and may God be with him and lead his heart
aright.  I have been taking physic all day but to no
purpose as it has no effect.  Laid on my bunk most
all day it being a rainy day.

MSS 11293

HdQrs near Leesburg–
2 p.m.  Octbr 12th 1862

General [Robert E. Lee]:

I have the honor
to report that I reached the
Va shore with my entire com-
-mand to-day.  My passage
of the Potomac was opposed
by Stoneman’s Brigade, but we
were without loss.  We captured
Chambersburg & destroyed
many stores..took one or 2
thousand horses–many vil-
lages & prisoners cutting
McClellans communications
at Newmarket on Balt. & Ohio
R.R. Mc’s Hdqrs are or were
on 10th at or near Petersville.
No material portion of the army
Has left since battle of Sh____g

page 2]
It is estimated that Mc
has rcd about 25000
in accession to his numbers
since. Stoneman has a mixed
force of Cav & Infy on
the River Hd Qrs at Poolesville.
I crossed at White’s ford,
I send late papers.  Shall
report in person as soon
as possible.

Yrs Resp–
JEB Stuart
MajorGenl

MSS 448

                    Jackson Miss Oct the 12th

My dear Father
                        You are doubtless under
the impression that I am now in Ky with
my chief but my luck “very bad” would
not permit that I should accompany
the army on the most beautiful campaign
of the War, And let us hope the most
successful, for I have every confidence in
the troops as well as the Genl commanding
though you are aware I am not as
sanguine as I would like to be strange
as it may appear in view of the above
I have every confidence that we shall
have peace before Christmas And that too
through intervention.  I know you will laugh
at this. We have had a desperate battle
in our front.  And met a heavy reverse though
not as bad as at first reported.  Our loss will
not exceed 4000. and one or two pieces of Art’y
with little or no baggage or stores.  The army
is not safe at Holly Springs where we are
preparing to receive the Enemy, which event
I trust we shall retrieve of  losses And
send the enemy headlong across the Tenn.—-

[page 2]
I received a letter from Chap Slaughter
the other day–he informed me that Unkle
Thomas has lost everything except Negroes and land.
this is much better than I expected, for I
thought the Scoundrels would’nt have left
a Negro.  I have heard nothing in regard
to yourself.  I supposed, however, that you lost
your crop, cattle, horses, &c.  I have been
imprudently expecting a letter from you in
but as I have neglected writing myself of
course I have chastized.  Now my dear Father
you must e in need of money, for even
with that it is hard to live and without
it I know not what you would do.  Write
me therefore and let me know our
condition as well as Aunt Eliza’s and Unkle
Jack’s direct your letter to Chattanooga Tenn
As soon as I can get through the business
here “reorganizing the returned prisoners”
I shall I think go to Richmond and see
if I can be ordered to the Rio Grande, I
don’t think my health will stand another
winter in this climate. Should I go to Richmond
I will try and pay you a visit Isaac Patton
is a QuarterMaster and stationed at

[page 3]
Vicksburg.  All the family are well
I have heard through him from Cousin Patton
and family.  It was rumored that Cousin
Jack Pendleton had be[en] murdered what of
it?  I suppose the Yankees made no distinction
between original Secessionist and others.
Give my love to your wife and kiss the children
poor little things theirs has been a hard
fate, thank God I am not married!
I had a presentiment some thing terrible would
happen to reduce me to poverty.  Poor Thom
Farish  you know committed suiside in
New Orleans last Summer blowing his
brains out with a pistol.  He had been
endeavouring to leave the city.  Alas!
a more generous, honorable, high toned
gentleman never lived.
        I am my dear Father in haste
                      Your Son
                                      Edwin
Daniel F. Slaughter
     Michels Station
            Culpeper County
                Virginia

Edwin Slaughter, 4th Regiment Tennessee Infantry (Neely’s)

MSS  14911

[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler, of Letcher’s Artillery]

(Oct 12th) Sunday. Feel quite unwell this
morning did not sleep well last night.  Cool &
cloudy, have a fire.  Optical delusion.  G.-O’Fancy
how wild thy vagaries, now here, now there, and ere
thou hast assumed shape.  O/visionary fabric/van-
-ishest, leaving not a trace: the consequence perhaps
a sigh-  Have heard firing a great part of the
morning.  Some say it is at Spinks ferry.  Miss L-
spent the morning with me.  Slept part of the time-
she very kindly fanning me.  She  brought me some of
her books with very fine engravings in, to look at,
which of course I enjoyed hugely.  I found in one
“Characteristics of Women,” a picture very much
like my own dear Jennie.- Mr Braden has at
last returned after tea, and without Mr. P-‘s horse, altho thinks
there is a probability of getting it tomorrow.  The fam-
-ily all went to Church this afternoon except Miss

Jeannette who passed the afternoon with me.  She
entertains very nicely.  It has been cloudy & raining slight-
-ly nearly all day.  Sat up this afternoon, feel a little better.
Miss L-& Jeannette pass the evening in my room, Do not
feel as well this evening.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

                  Post Hospital Oct 12th
Dear Mother
                            I am the same
as when I last wrote the doctors
here are doing noting for
me and they say they cant
here, so I shall stay here
till the regt. goes into winter
quarters and then join them
Gov Andrew was here yesterday
looking after the sick and
found considerable fault
with the camp here and
the treatment of the men
so that the col. in charge
has given orders for all
the Mass. troops to be
removed to better & cleaner
quarters close by we are to
move tomorrow. Nothing
of importance for news

[page 2]
has occurred here that I
know of Every day carloads
of troops go by here on their
way to reinforce Sigel
who expects to fight soon
at Thoroughfare Gap where
he is going to keepe the
rebels from coming through
to Manasses then look
out for stirring times all
round 60,000 men up the
Peninsula in front of them
Sigel at Thoroughfare Gap
& McClellan in their rear
will give them hot work
to get back to Richmond
I think.  Homer wants to
know if we are in
tents now of course we are
where else does he suppose we
are in the tent I am in
there are 6 of the 22nd.
Tell Homer to look out

[page 3]
and not get caught at
any college pranks but
play as many as possible
with safety.  I am glad
to hear that Maria is
better hope by the time
this reaches you she will
be well and there will
be no more cases in the
family.  Tell Homer it
will be a good thing
for him to drill if
they have a drill club
as it will strengthen
the muscles of is arm
more than anything
else though he will find
it hard work at first
I was over to the 11th
the other day to see John
Jewitt his company did
not know he had been
discharged they said he

[page 4]
had gone to the hospital.
I think if our sergeant
read Carrie Bunces letter
he must have enjoyed
it amazingly.  What was
the mans idea of cutting
down all the trees on
Mrs Tenneys place
I should have thought
he would have left the
large oak I suppose the
Doctors old seat has
gone with the rest
You speak about it being
a year since I left the state
it has been a short year but
the hardest ear I ever put in
Love to Aunt Abby & all the
rest
From your aff. son
Wm Wallace

William Wallace Smith, Co. B., 22nd Massachusetts

MSS 15360