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

Tuesday 26th  A bright beautiful day—& so cool that Sarah & I
availed ourselves of it to walk up to the shoe makers & have our
measures taken for a pr. of shoes. He is to mak[e] them for the
small sum of $6 a piece–& for little William $2.50cts  a pr
From there we returned home after a pleasant walk–Sarah
to rest–& I to make a few visits with Liz–But we missed
each other as she went off first to make a visit while I got
ready–& not finding the lady Mrs Ransom at home she paid
another–So I went to Mrs Hargrave’s by myself–was politely
received by Miss Mallie & spent a pleasant half hour with her-
Mr Hargraves having left some days ago for the Mountains
after paying that visit I went to see Mrs Elliot & Harvey-& there
Liz found me–When we returned home we found a gentleman
& three ladies had arrived–Mr McPhetus from Raleigh. His
daughter–Miss Badham & Miss Haywood–all apparently very
wild girls–After tea Mrs Fetter & her half grown daughters
came down & sat with us until after 10 Oclock–No War
news to day–except some skirmishing on the Rappahannock–
& that rather confused–Two Canadians have deserted McClennan’s
army–They represent his force as small & in a very demoralized
state.  Moving fro m “Harrison’s landing”- Our troops have been
sent from Richmond to reinforce Stone Wall Jackson-
Received a letter from Mr Jewett–& a long one from Ellen–All well

MSS 6960

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

Tuesday, August 26th

Twenty-seven years old today.  Oh would that I were more fit for that hour to which I am a year nerarer than this hour last year.  Cousin Mary Page has been with me since last Thursday.  We went to the Briars where we dined.  Jane returned with us.  Near Stewarts’ gate we met thirty Yankees.  They passed without notice. When we reached Mr. Clarke’s we stopped and inquired the news.  Glorious.  Stuart’s cavalry made a charge last Friday night on the Federal camp.  Took six hundred prisoners, four or five hundred horses destroyed and a good many waggons.  Took Burnside’s boots and Banks’ pantaloons and shirt buttons.  Burnside and Siegle are reported killed. the firin we heard on Sunday was at Jackson who, having crossed the Rapid Ann, pursued Pope across the Rappahannock.  The latter burnt the bridge after he passed.  Jackson rebuilt it, and while he was so occupied the enemy shelled his men.  I stopped at Mr. Shearer’s to speak to  him about Dr. H’s coat.  He was full of news brought by three Confeds, hiding them near. Longstreet had cut Burnside’s forces all to pieces. Those he didn’t kill he drove into the river.  Anderson had cut up Banks’ forces very much.  A night or two ago a boy dressed in Yankee clothes went to the postoffice in Winchester and demanded General White’s mail.  The postmaster said he did not recollect him as the same boy accustomed to take the valuable documents but gave them to him.  He immediately decamped to the Confed. camp.  Our men are very brave.  The Cause must make them so.  Last week a part of them went to Wade’s depot near Winchester. Stopped the train of cars, took the passengers prisoners, released thirty of ours, captured valuable mail, burnt the cars and sent the engine into Winchester.  No news from my precious brothers.

MSS 9759

[from the diary of John Tyler of Letcher’s Artillery as recorded at a somewhat later date]
 
(Aug. 26th)  Up quite early and went with Tan-
_ner to Salem to have my horse shod two
shoes being off.  Left him at Blacksmiths
and went with T & Henry to Judge Norris
where we took breakfast.  Found there quite
a number of ladies, Misses Carter, Scott,

Mc Kenzie & two or three others.  Found Miss
Mc Kenzie was going through to Richmond
in a day or two, who offered to take my
letter on, so sent it by her.  Very pleasant
ladies indeed.  Inhabitants of Salem
knew nothing of the proximity of our
troops until they saw the head of our
column approaching, and such
rejoicing I never saw.  We continued
down the Manassas Gap R R, passed White
Plains, Thoroughfare Gap, Haymarket
& Gainesville, from there struck across
to Bristoe on the Orange & Alex Road,
while Stewarts Cavalry pushed on towards
Manassas junction, but did not go in there
that evening.  At Bristoe we stopped three
long trains of empty cars going towards
Washington & the next morning –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

 26th August 62
Dear Mother
                      Upon opening your letter I found 25
dollars – I have kept it – but only for awhile if
as I anticipate I can do very well without it.
For I can not consent to take thus the proceeds
of your labor. But be assured I appreciate
your kind intention in giving it to me.
     I called Friday morning at Mc Kinney &
Duprey’s but they had not heard from you. I
requested a friend to inquire again on Monday
if there was a box for me. He reported it had been
sent to me. I called myself the next day & found the
two notes had been sent to McKinney & D’s which
I indorse: The fellow drove up in a wagon
& got it. I know no such man as [–]
so you see it was a deliberate theft. The

[page 2]
fellow was quick – he got it out the day
it arrived. Was your letter sent by mail? It was
handed me just as it is by Mr. D. having no
envelope. I am quite sorry to lose the contents.
But much more that you should have worked
to so little purpose, & for the benefit of so
consummate a rogue. How the fellow man-
aged to get the note of yours I don’t know.
     I am extremely sorry to hear of Richard’s
[this line is in the fold and not discernible]
improve. Write soon. Affectionately yr. son,
                                             W. H. Perry, Jr.
P. S. Tell father that Duprey told me to tell him that
he received three bls. of flourer  from him. It
was injured – sour & was condemned by the
inspector. I saw the [-]. He said he had
not succeeded in selling
it. If there was any molas-
ses he said he could sell
it to make molasses cakes
but there is none.


William H. Perry, Jr.  Richmond Howitzers

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d

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

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1862
This  forenoon took our
bagage from the cart
and stopped in front of
Dr Donelsons house.  I went
up to the attorneys to see about
our discharge was with
him up past the war dept
Jo & Fox were in the station
house last night
About 2 oclock fell in  (we
left our knapsacks) and crossed
the Long Bridge are now
on our way we know not
where.  Have Bivouacked
I suppose for the night by
the road side about
midway between Wash-
ington & Alexandria
Our brigade is all
back yet. There are great
many of  troops rushing
through here now on
their way to the seat of
war  Clear, pleasant

MSS 10317 

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

Monday
Aug 25
Came off guard this morning
Played euchre considerable to day
Battalion drill to night.

MSS 11293

[postscript to the letter of Ann E. Bernard begun on August 23]

Monday morning–
The firing heard saturday was between
an Alabama regiment of Longstreets division and
the enemy.  he lost about three hundred.  It is reported
that our forces have got as far as Warrenton Fau-
quier, the enemy still retreating, but litterally des-
troying everything as they go, setting fire to every
house in their path, burning fields of wheat in
the shock.  I see nothing but starvation before us,
Our own army has almost destroyed the corn crop
up here.  The took six horses from Col Willis, thirty
hogs-and every one of Mrs Willis’s turkeys about twenty.
All we lost was three turkeys and a few sacks
of corn, out of the field, I gave them so much
I reckon was the reason they took so little from
us–Mr Newman lost ten fine milch cows-  from
eating the old clothes the soldiers threw in the
fields.  They were encamped on his farm, the clothes
it was supposed had mercurial ointment on them
                             A.E. B.

[in left hand margin of page 1]
Kiss Mary for me.

Mrs Mary J Jones
      Care of Mr. John Stokes
             Lunenburg, Ct House
                                Va.

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

(Aug. 25th)  Up at dawn and on the march
farther up the river. (Jacksons Corps)
crossed the river at a very steep and
rocky ford passed, a little town called
Orlean where I saw Mr. Cocke, and pushed
on towards Salem.  Halted a mile this
side of Salem & bivouaced in the woods.
Maj. Ginter, Johnnie Colquitt & I got a very
nice supper at a gentlemans house on
the road.  Marched today 27 or 28 miles,
troops very tired and a good deal of straggling.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the 42nd Virginia, Co. E (Dixie Greys)]

Monday 25   Our forces start but this morning
with 6 days rations.  Wagons move 1 mile,
cross N fork Raps – some cannonading
today – Jackson marches all night

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5526