[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F., 25th Massachusetts]
Wednesday
Oct 8
Had a very bad forenoon. Felt the worst
I have since I left home but got to sweating
about noon and felt better. Have no appetite and
bought a tumble of jelly of the sutler paying fifty cents
for it. This afternoon went down to the brook
and bathed my head and face. It has been
pretty warm to day but is very pleasant up here
MSS 11293
[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler, of Letcher’s Artillery]
(Oct. 8th) Head & side both pain me this morning but
still keep up my medicine & hope for better times. Again
warm this morning. James went to Waterford, paid
for making pants. Finished 1st Vol. “Macaulays Eng-
-land”. commenced 2nd. Sat up a little while this
afternoon. Miss Lizzie spent the time with me and
was kind enough to show me, an interesting let-
-ter of her former correspondence & its answer, the
latter most appropriate really. My head has
been quite easy this afternoon but has commen-
-ced aching again. The family of Genl Wright were
here this afternoon, & stayed to tea, driving home by moon-
-light. The family (Mr B’s) spent the evening in my room and
I enjoyed the conversation very much, though my
head ached so, could not participate. Mr Braden
heard this evening that Jackson had fought some
command of the enemy, near Cumberland (B.O.R.R.)
& taken that place.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 6150
Dismil Swamp
Oct 8th 1862
Dear Cousin
Once more i take my
pen to sit down to answer
your kind letter that I received
last night. i was very glad
to here from you to see that
you was wel and harty my
helth is very good now for
me this summer Dear Cousin you
spoke of me seeming so near to
you it is the same to me for
i have been with you and you
sister more then i have with
Hannah i dont know eny
difreance at all i want to
here from you as much as
i do Hannah i had a letter
from her last month she
was sell i have not
[page 2]
had a letter from Charley
for a long tim i fear he
is dead, but God know i
hope not for i want him
to live to go home if i dont
I have just got don writing
to Cousin Martha i got hers
last night with yours she felt
bad about Robert i pitty her
Oh Cousin i would give most
eny thing to see you to day or
to be at home out of this war
[?] but if i was at home
perhaps i should do just the
same thing again so i gess i
am just as well of where
i am as i should be in eny
other Regiment or Company
for my work is not hard at
all it is the hardness of the
thing but to be away from
all of my folks so long its
hard is it not Cousin
[page 3]
but then if i had not come
out here perhaps i shold not
seen you for i wanted to stay
three monts for the folks used
to say to me when i was at
home that if i got a way i went
be back in three monts i wonder
what they think now is the three
monts up yet i guess it will
be befor i get into Jefferson
again dont you gess so
[?] i gess i shall get a
chance to point my Gunn to
one more Rebbles befor i go
back to main i have news
to write this time
Pleas to give
my love to all of the folks
in south Jefferson to [?]
to PF Metts[?] and all of the
rest to Horace W i
must close so good by
for this time [?]
[page 4]
this is for you Cousin
A.C. Hopkins
[possibly Amariah C. Hopkins of the 24th Maine]
MSS 38-156
Bakersville Maryland Oct 8th 1862
Dear Father–I received six letters last night from you
& Mother William & Henry yours Mothers & Williams of the 27th & 28th
& 29th Henrys of 28th with three Papers although I did not know as
I had not seen him since I was at Harrisons Landing but had been
past his Regiment A number of times since then but expected it was
so & that is the Reason that I wrote Home to you & I am that I can
write Home & relieve Mothers & Lizzes mind A little by letting them know
that he was Buried because I went this morning to the regiment which
is six miles from his town & they told me that he was buried decently
& that they missed him A great deal, I ment to have asked them more
but I felt so I could not but it is A Great consolation to me as I know as it
is with you all at Home that he was Buried decently, & as Edward sent
word that he should see me again at Home (or as Jos wrote it) & as
Edward said something about seeing me at Home, although I should
like to see him well enough, but Just remind him that I expect that
there will be more Fighting, but if there is & this Corps is engaged I
shall do my duty, let what will come tell him I am glad to hear that
he is getting better & hope that he will get so that he can attend to
his Business again & that I Hope that I shall see this war at A close
so we can live in peace & harmony again you do not understand you
say about paying for the State clothing as some of the men had sent
home some of their last payment now when I wrote that to you I ment the Payment
that comes off this month I think within A week & as for the other Payment
that you mean I kept the whole of that & I did not use it Foolishly as I think you
think I did will you not believe me, I hope you have better confidence in me
I will never give you cause to say that I do not care anything about you I
realize how you are situated & shall send you money & what I sent was given
willingly & shall continue helping you all I can & if I ever come out of the
service I shall try & help you the same now Father have confidence & if
I do come Home safe you will find A Change & instead of Army making
me worse you will find a Truer, Tell Mother I know that she has A
great deal on her mind but I hope she can stand it, when you write
again put A sheet of Paper inside
From you Son
Joseph Leavitt
[Letter from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine, about the death of his Brother George of the 5th New York in the Battle of 2nd Bull Run. Letters of both George & Joseph were copied into a ledger in the fall of 1865 by their father John as a remembrance of them. Joseph also died in the war in the 1864 battle of Spotsylvaina]
MSS 66
[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]
Oct. 8th, ’62.
Continued to
march until after
4 A.M. great suf-
fering occasioned
by the scarcity of
water. Slept about
2 hours.
Reported that a
whole brigade of
Bragg’s army taken
yesterday! We pick
up stragglers from
his army every
few hours.
Started early & with
canteens full, as there
was no water between
us & the rebels. Marched
rapidly about 8 miles.
Came up to the rebels –
bullets whirling over
our heads; -were
placed in a position
to support one of
our batteries.
It While in that place
a shell bursted di-
rectly over the heads
of my company.
The rebels driven
back, we moved
forward, through
the fields & woods,
about a mile.
The firing ceasing,
we lay in a piece
of woods, on arms,
over night.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 10547-bm
[from the diary of the Rev. Francis Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]
Wed 8. Wm came at night – Went to Phila. on business dined
with Dr. B. have to parade – spent eveg. at py. meetg &
with Gen. Palmer, a classmate of McClellan – very hot.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 12935
[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1862
We left our Camp
early this morning
passed through Sharpsburg
& over the battle field
Saw the effects of the
balls on the grove
where is the church
the building is terribly
cut up. Saw the graves
of many of our [brave?]
comrades
marched on the pike
to Hagerstown 17 miles
all very much fatigued
Clea & very Hot
The country appears quite
fertile very stony however
I judge considerable limestone
fine buildings some are of
loges but plastered over in imitation
of stone. McAdamized roads.
MSS 10317
[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]
Wednesday October 8, 1862
Pa said that we might have the carriage
& F[annie], E[mma], & I determined to go to Waverly
to dinner. Found them all at home &
as kind as ever. begged us to stay
but we were obliged to return –
There were three Mr Mac Keggs there from
Md. have no claim on them whatever
except one of them is engaged to Miss [Hunt?]
& there two of them have been for a year &
the third has just come but he said
that he was going into the army directly
The Dr gave them some hard hints, asked
me if Pa wanted a horse, said he
had several belonging to other people &
two to the Mr Mac Keggs, which he could
keep & use for the boarding them
Daisy came in just now & after looking
at me in the most earnest manner said
What are you writing to your sweetheart,
Ma? & when I told her that you were
my sweetheart she looked at me with the most
astonished face.
[as transcribed in 1972 by her granddaughter Anne Madison Willis Ambler]
MSS 15406
[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]
Wednesday 8th Cloudy this morning–No papers–But a letter from Tom
dated 28th of September–He was then then 4 miles from Winchester–They
moved up there the day before he wrote from Martinsburg. He did not know
how long they would remain. He says the country about there is like a
wild waste–tis in that part of the Country the Yankees have camped-
& committed their depredations so long–Houses are burnt down, fences
destroyed & property of all kinds wasted & ruined Our Army the
low & depraved kind destroy a great deal where they Camp.
MSS 6960
[From the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]
8th Brodie
comes on a visit bringing pony
much to girls delight.
MSS 2563-b
