[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, former newspaper publisher, and civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

Baltimore Feby 1, 1863

My  dear Commodore
     I am much obliged to you for
the pamphlet on the Practical & Scientific
Value of the Specimens, which I am
reading with pleasure as well as instruction.
I hope you will find no difficulty in
securing a proper appreciation of you
work by Congress.  As you have so large
a testimony to its worth now ab extra
and as Congress has got into the habit
of supporting it – a very important matter
which to a body which goes more by

[page 2]
custom and precedent then by common
sense, – I do not apprehend a baulk
to your progress in future, from want
of money.  Besides, millions now have
got to be such common place
matters that a few thousands only
run the risk of being thought too
moderate.   Till I hope that even
the smallness of the grant will not
be thought by our legislators to be
below the dignity of their notice and
that you will be allowed a share
of the crumbs that fall from the
rich man’s table.
                  Give my love to the Admiral

[page 3]
and his wife and especially to his
daughter.   I hope his shadow will
never be less.
       I send you a letter of introduction
to my brother, who I am sure will
be happy to serve you.
                            Very truly
                                   Yours
                             John P. Kennedy
Commodore Davis

John Pendleton Kennedy,  former Whig Congressman and Secretary of the  Navy under Fillmore; noted author of a memoir of William Wirt and the romantic novels Swallow Barn and Horse-Shoe Robinson.  His brother was U.S. Senator Anthony Kennedy.

Commodore Davis: possibly Charles Henry Davis, founder of the Nautical Almanac and author of hydrographic studies; later in the year was promoted to Rear Admiral

MSS 6954-g

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

Sunday
Feb 1
Had no inspection this morning.  Read
awhile and then went to church, and
heard Mr James preach in the Presbyterian Church
this forenoon, and Mr Stone Chaplain of the 45th
Mass this afternoon.  Mr James preached about
bearing much fruit, and Mr Stone about the
prodigal son, and a fellow played the organ
I liked them both very much. I like Mr Stone full as
well as Mr James, There were three ladies sang.
This evening we had a prayer-meeting in the or-
derly’s tent.  Mr James was in part of the time
Dr Whitney and George and I prayed.  We had a
very good meeting for a beginning.  May God bless
its influence in the company.  It was a
hard task for me to pray before the company
but God enabled me to do it though with weak-
ness, but He know the desires of my heart, and
is able to bless the influence.  Wrote a short
letter home to send by Southie who is going home
to-morrow, and also sent a package of old letters by
him, Have had a little headache to-day, but God
has seemed near to-day and may He enable me
to honor Him more and serve Him better.

MSS 11293

[the Valley of the Shadow Project has determined that this undated letter was written in February of 1863, based on the fact the Levi Maish was promoted to Colonel of the 130th Pennsylvania on Feb. 3, 1863]

MSS 11935

                         Camp 2 miles of Frbg.[Fredericksburg]
                                  Feb. 1st 1863
 My Dear Mother
                        We moved up here nearly a
week ago. I suppose we will re-
main here until the enemy
by some active step causes us
to move. So you had better di-
rect your letters hereafter to
Hamilton’s Crossing., Spotsylvania Co.
Care Camp. E. S. McCarthy. 1st How-    
 itzer Company. The last letter
I received was father’s dated the
20th of last month. The same
day Ys. of the 19th came. I suppose
one is now at Chesterfield Depot
for me, sh: will be up probably
in a few days.
     A friend brought up the box you
sent me – I drove a wagon down
to Hamilton’s crossing five miles, last
evening & got it. Every thing
is in a fine condition. The pants

[page 2]
fit me very well – They are now
a little long in the legs but will
draw up I reckon in taking
shape. I am quite sorry I gave
you so much trouble but am
very much obliged to you for the
clothes & for the eatables you sent
me & to father for his trouble in
getting the horse [?]. The shirts too are
very nice, rather too much fancy-
red about one of them.
     We have put up a chimney at
the open end of a square; the other
three sides of the square consist
of pine logs five ^ ‘six’ on a side &
over this we have thrown
a fly. It is very comfortable
but when the wind is south-
east – the side of the chimney – it
smokes too much; so tomorrow
on the first opportunity we
will stop one side of the chimney
by weaving cedar boughs between

[page 3]
stabs. This makes a very com-
fortable & picturesque protection against wind &
is a good deal used in the army.
     Planks and cloths are almost the only
protection against rain, occasi-
onally huts with dirt tops are used
but they are not in favour
with the soldiers & are rarely water
proof; either because soldiers are
too careless or don’t understand
how to fix them. We make cheap
backs to our fireplaces, by putting
plank or gluts of wood in the chim-
ney, as high as we wish to make
the back of the fireplace, about
three or four inches from the wood
work of the chimney, we the[n] ram
dry clay between the plank or
gluts o[f] the logs which form
the chimney others then make a
hot fire which burns the plank
& leaves the earth dry & a little
hardened which successive fires
[page 4]
soon convert into a fine hard
back. Some very pretty ones
are made. I made formed our present
one with barrel staves – quite fanc-
ifully. There is no army news
that would interest you which
I can give that the papers do
not furnish you – We are pleased
to day to hear of the success
of our steam rams I suppose in Charles-
     they are rams
ton ^: harbor – I hope we may be
able to keep it open sometime –
I suppose Ironclads of the Monitor
are unseaworthy so that the
enemy can’t get more than
one or two stray ones there. I
hope our rams can whip
any thing else. I must close
twice since I have been
writing the wind has blown
my candle out – one of those
candles which my good mother
was kind enough to send me.

[Written in side margin:]
Dear Mother farewell . Give my best love to father

[Written upside down in top margin on page 4:]
George & all; Most affectionately yr. son
                             W. H. Perry Jr.

[Written upside down in top margin on page 1:]
You need not send me any paper in
your letters. I have some – but send enve-
lopes – I have none.

William H. Perry, Richmond Howitzers

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d

                 No. 88
                                             Stone Hospital Feb 1st / 63
Dear Sister
                          I received yous of the 17th yesterday it
having been missent to the 14th Mass Regt and was
glad to hear from you at last write oftener in
future things is about the same here as usual
everything lovely. I shall have to come home and
see about that big Wm that dares to take you to
Sewing Circle up at Unionville was there as many
private citizens and young ladies as usual and was
Miss Mansfield as young and spry as usual kissing all
the young men and playing all manner of games
should think  11 o clock was bully hours for good
Methodists to keep.   I am sorry to hear such a
bad account of Mother but tell her to keep
up a faint heart as the old woman said and
get well as things dont look so dark as they
did.  Well now put in and learn how to back
round for when I come home I shall want
you to drive me out in a fancy style
with a fine boughten horse & tipcart
O horrors what an old lady you are almost
an old maid only think of it, only 8 years
more  Where is Seldie stopping at Mr Flaggs
or where.  Tell Homer to go in for a good
time in town only keep sober and dont
gamble as it will take all his money and he

[page 2]
wont have any to buy cigars with.  He wants to
know how I sleep tell him I sleep between the
sheets as big & grand as he does on a husk
mattress & iron bedstead.  Tell him I can have
a pass any day to go where I have a mind to
and some parts of the city I go round without
any fuss and can [see] any part of the city by keeping
my eye pealed for the provost guard and dodging
them What a doctor he will make if he dont
know how to spell diarrhea tell him that is
all right dont effect me at all Tell him as
regards sleeping I dont go to sleep any night
hardly till 11 or 13 o clock.  Mother wants to know
if I have had any letters from home tell her
I have had 3 or 4 and that she had better drop the
14th St of her direction as it is of no use
So Homer couldnot make the old
smooth bottoms work could he well
bully for him I shall have to give him
a lesson or two some of these old times
when I have not so much business on
hand as at present as I have not got these Rebs whipped
yet Give my respects to Mr & Mrs Potter Love to
all at home
       From your aff brother
                           Wm Wallace

P.S.
       How does Gov Andrew get on with his nigger
regt most full

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

MSS 15360

[written in the top margin on page one]
 send some stamps   J. H. Howard

                             Head Quarters 15 Conn Vols
                             Camp opposite Fredericksburg
                                       (No 17) Sunday  Feby 1st /63
Dear Sister Helen,
                                    I received your No 11
Friday and No 12 from George yesterday
I had commenced a letter to George
No 16 and had put it into an envelope
and directed it thinking I would
finish it in the morning but when
we sent the mail Phil saw it and
put it in without my knowing it
but it wont do any harm it was
as long as most of his but I hadent [sic]
written all I wanted to..   I am
glad that you have got some drawers
under way as mine are coming through
in several places – my shirts are
good yet and all whole..   I have plenty
of stockings as I have drawn one or
two pair.   about a coat I don’t know

what I shall do   I need one very much
as this is wearing out and in very small
for me now – I would like a jacket
very well made similar to the cavalry
jackets but minus the yellow trimming
standing collar and button up to the chin
military buttons   what do you think about
having one made   I cant get a coat here
as they wont probably draw coats again
in a long time or if you don’t like
the idea of a jacket   a short saque
of blue with military buttons
don’t believe you will be able
to send the boots and other things
by next Thursday so will have to wait
until Heisdale goes again the 15th
     I almost need another vest as
this one is getting very small and
is ripping in a few places but I am
not in a hurry about the vest
        I don’t think of any thing
else that I want now unless it is
a furlough or discharge,  if you find

either please send them on.  Am very
glad that the organ is up in good
order – was just like Powers to rush
ahead and make a fool of himself
couldent [sic] wait to have a regular opening
but must pull out all the stops and
make a big noise.   I can imagine just
how he acted and appeared.
     We are having very pleasant weather
since the snow storm but the mud
is immence  [sic] beats every thing that
I ever saw in Meriden or Conn –
there is no use of the Army thinking
about doing any thing until spring
as we shant  probably see dry land
until then.        Tell George that I
like Biddy’ proposition first rate
of sending him down to take my
place and let me come home for
a while –    It will be 6 months
Feby 6th that I have been out as a
soldier and I have seen about all
I want to but meeting ain’t quite

out yet I guess.   It is most too bad
about Mary Strong’s benefit but is
about the style of Powers to hurry
up things when he gets short of
money and then over do    tell him
that he better enlist where he can
get his 13$ a month – board & clothes
would like to see him in the army
                   I haven’t seen any thing of
Charlie’s letters that you speak about
hope they are not lost.        I must
stop now for I want to wash myself
this morning and the mail goes at
2 P.M. but am most ashamed of
this short letter in answer to your
long one but there is nothing new
down here   it’s the same thing from
day to day – but will write again
before long –
                   Your loving brother
                                            Jim
The stamps came just in the right time.

James H. Howard, 15th Connecticut

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

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

     Feb. 1st,’63.
This morning, some ex-
citement created by heav-
y firing of musketry
on our right, & a report
that an engagement
was in progress; but
it proved that it was
nothing more than the
firing off of guns, pre-
paratory to inspection of
arms, – to-day being
Sunday, the day for
inspection.
Not so well to-day.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

[from the diary of Captain Zachariah Heed, 91st Ohio Volunteers]

FEBRUARY 1.
Sunday morning cold and snowing, was relieved by Capt Cropley as Officer of the day; afternoon Snow is melting, mud very deep.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13406

[from the diary of Sgt. Robert Larimer, Co. C., 67th Ohio Volunteers]

 Sunday, February 1

At sundown in mouth of Broad
River wrote a letter to Charles
M Morris 2 o’  ship load of transfers
in the harbor — cool & cloudy
rain at night

MSS 38-129