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

Saturday
Aug 23
Read and occupied myself as usual
to-day–Went down in swimming this
afternoon.

MSS 11293

[from the diary of Lancelot Minor Blackford of the Rockbridge Artillery]

Saturday, Aug 23/62–To night we lie again within a mile
of the main branch of the Rappahannock, in Culpeper county,
but within 1 1/2 miles of the Fauquier W. S. Springs.  We have had
a toilsome journey of about a dozen miles.  After a good nights
rest, undisturbed by rain, we moved off for this point.
We travelled unusually fast as fr as the village of
Jeffersonton 2 miles above this point.  There we halted a
couple of hours.  A few miles after starting we forded
the Hazel river, a branch of the Rappahannock, a consid-
erable stream.   At Jeffersonton I was fortunate enough to
meet with one of the residents, Mr. Davisson, whom I knew
with his family very well in Powhatan in ’54-’55.  He kindly
invited me to dinner–an excellent one-which I enjoyed hugely.
and urged me to call again.  Our rations gave out last night
so the dinner was really a windfall.  Heavy rain this afternoon

MSS 5088

                                                         Aug 23rd 1862
Dear Sister
                                It has been a long time since I have
written to you, Mr Bernard has so monopolized the
correspondence, that I have hardly been able to
edge in a line.  Just the time the girls came up
and ever since then, we have been in a state
of excitement and danger. At one time it was
generally believed that the great battle would
be fought between this and Orange Ct House.
Once our forces advanced, and then fell back,
they have again made an onward move
the enemy retreating and as far as we can
learn our army (the advanced portion of it) have
gone beyond Culpeper C.H. We have heard
heavy and distinct canondading this morning
before breakfast and Mr Bernard has gone
to learn all he can about it, what forces are
engaged, and, if any of our boys are hurt to
go on to the field.  he thinks it is not even
probable that the 12th is engaged the army is
all in the advance of them or that brigade.
Two or three nights ago, after we had gone to bed
there was a great knocking at the door, and
Mr B got up, and went in the dark to see
who it was, and who should it be but George
and Sidney, they had marched from Louisa
ct House to within about four miles of Orange
C.H.-where they stoped for the night,they
stole off walked to the C H –borrowed two

[page 2]
horses from Dr Talliaferro[sic] and came here. I had
a big super for them (poor things they were
most starved) they had marched thirty miles
that day, had nothing hardly to eat.  I
never saw things eat as they did, filled their
haversacks and they started off about mid-
night, Sidney ate three slices of cold lamb
two of ham (I had had one of my big hams
for dinner that day and it was first
rate) 2 cups of coffee, a glass of milk, and
bread and butter in proportion.  The next
morning before breakfast I had a quarter
of lamb roasted, and a quantity of the nicest
biscuit baked, almost a whole ham, and two
gallons of buttermilk and Mr Bernard &
marion set out with it, dyrectly after bre-
akfast to carry it to them. they overtook
them about fifteen miles from her just as they
had halted to rest, Mr Bernard sent George
and Sidney off for their friends to come and
eat with them Marion said Sidney cut off
a great slice of lamb and took some biscuit
said he could not lose any time that said he
must eat while he looked them up. They
day before Garland most unexpectedly
made his appearance spent the day, I
gave him a quarter of lamb, a ham, corn and
irish potatoes. he is Gen Pryor’s curior. he has
altered mightly. We have had the army around
us for nearly a month, and there was not
a day that we did not have some ten
or twelve to breakfast and dinner.  We have
had three sick soldiers staying here ever since
sunday.  they were not well enough to go on

[page 3]
with the army on saturday. tell Mary they
were very nice young gentlemen, a Mr Neal
Leath, and Gallhier from Loudon.
I forgot to tell you that we ran of one, We
had a little fight at the Ct H. and were
whipped we packed up in the greatest hurry
and started off, but when we got on
the turnpike leading to Gordonsville, we
met the army coming on, and then we
turned back, since then a fight was ex-
pected near the Ct H and the Willis all
came here and a pr of the Cols fine horses
and staid two or three days–they have
a good deal of their [?] and a large
box of things here now, and I have never
unpacked, and wont until after this
battle, I dread this one more than any we
have had yet, All the army from Richmond
have come up here. I you please sister write
to me at once and tell me where you are
and all about the dear folks up there,
Whee is Sally Matthews, The folks up there
have seen nothing of the war. Oh! how I
envy them. Tell Joe his hen laid and
hatched in the ice house again, set on
thirteen eggs, and she hatched every one. I send
Joe a dollar and half for his other brood, she
raised eight, he gave Tommy & Willie each
one. I pay him for six. Give oceans of love
to dear Aunt Sukey, cousin Maria and every
body you see.  Love to Mary.  All send love.
I’ll not close this ’till Mr B. returns so I may
tell you about the cannon we heard this morning.
                         Food bye your fond sister
                                                       Ann

letter of Ann Bernard continues on Aug. 25

MSS  7745

                       Brampton
                      Aug 23, 62

My dear wife
                       I believe that
there are no Yankees left in
Madison & I will thank you to send
over my ox team & cart & horse team &
wagon. (The carriage horses & mules[?])
Send over three middlings &
order Carter to call at Halls with
the wagon (which I shall have the cover on)
& take on one hundred pounds of bacon
I bought there. (give him an order
for it)  You cannot send enough feed
with to last through.  Tell Carter
not to wait for the ox team & to come
on he can come through in a d day & a
half.

[page 2]
John can take Jim with him
he cannot make much over
fifteen miles per day—Send over
my brown coat & a shirt & umbrella
I wish to try & get out my
wheat at once if I can, I find
that I am not well enough to follow
the army as I intended.  Jim
Bankhead & myself have been scouting
about in my neighborhood about
the time the Yankees were leaving & tho
they were reported to be about we could not
find any–Old Billy has run off from

Mr Bankhead & if the enemy get back
will no doubt try & carry off his family
which I shall move if they are in much
more danger. Charles can stay &
haul in the shingles & learn to make

[page 3]
shoes if you can get leather
from the tanyard.  If Charles
wants a hand to aid in sawing
[?]  I presume you can find
him one–I wrote you a
day or two since to the same
office as this letter & send this
by Richmond to make th sure–
We have taken several hundred
prisoners & to day we are
fighting beyond     [hole in paper where ]
may  God grant us [stamp was on verso]
my Love to all
Most truly yrs
A.G. Grinnan

Mrs A G Grinnan
Dixie
Fluvanna

via Richmond

Dr. Andrew Glassell Grinnan, 1827-1902

MSS 49

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

 (Aug 23rd)  Still
working at bridge.  Finished it this evening
and prepared to cross; but enemy advan-
-cing in such force, were compelled to with-
-draw Ewells command to this side.  Henry
& Tanner joined us this evening from Rich-
-mond; but were forced to leave their wagon
and contents at Stevensburg, (so I am
without my clean clothes which Henry
left in the wagon).

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

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

Saturday 23rd,  Cannonading commenced very sud-
denly and heavy ___________ about 6 O’Clock.
10 O’Clock  I am now standing on an eminence
in some 3 or 4 miles of battle field in full view of
it.  Difficult to tell from the columns of smoke
the position of other force – seems to be in
½ mile of each other.  Yankees seem to be
giving back – line of battle is becoming
more extended – Something burning in their
rear- thought to be commissary stores-  Their
guns seems to be ceasing – [rest of line is lined through]
[Entire line is lined through.]
[One word lined through.]  Wagons seems to be moving back though
to the Yankees – Cannonading at this point
ceased about 2 O’Clock P. M.  Appearances of   more
burning.  Cannonading commences about this [-] far up
the River with another colum – move 5 or 6 miles

[from the diary of Samuel Johnson of the 1st Massachusetts Independent Light Battery]

[from the diary of Ephraim Wood, Co. C, 13th Massachusetts]

Saturday,  Aug 23
     We had a heavy
shower yesterday which made
the river rise five feet.
There is danger of the Bridge
being washed away and we had
to cross on to the other side we
haulted in a field near the river.
We had a very severe Battle here
to day with Artilery .  A great
many of the shells came near
us but only one man was
wounded he belongs in Company K
Lieut Godbelt [?] of the Battery

[This page has a printed heading which reads as follows:]
     Company C, 4th Battalion Rifles, Boston.
                 HEAD-QUARTERS
Camp           13th REGIMENT
                 ALWAYS  READY
   MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS     1862

had a leg shot off,  A number were
killed and wounded.  Our Artilery
silenced the rebels.  In Afternoon
our forces burnt the bridge and
we all marched towards Warrenton
Bivouacked within three miles of
Warrenton.  On our way we passed Gen Pope
and Mc Dowell


[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards\]

MSS 12021

[from the diary of Charles Hay of the 23rd Ohio]
 
                             Clarksburg, Va. Aug. 23, Morning
     -Last night after dark, the 23rd Reg’t
was marched to the Parkersburg depot, 
and ‘shipped’ on board a freight train.
I say ‘shipped,’ for we were assigned to
certain cars with so many occupants to a car,
similar to carring stock.  Rough seats
were made for us, but sleeping accomo=
=dations were poor.  As it was, we were
obliged to lay down on the floor, on and
under the seats, and run the risk of being 
tramped upon, or falling off the seat.  By
this means, we partially obtained rest.
     The cars moved off soon after our
embarkation, and proceeded slowly all night.
This morning at daybreak we were within
14 miles of this place, and about 65 from
Parkersburgh.  On the 27th of July, 1861,
our Regiment first entered Clarksburg,
coming direct from the camp of instruction,
near Columbus, and then just entering active
service.  From that time to the 1st of
January, 1862, we got a foretaste, and got an
insight into active service.  Although we saw
no fighting, we marched and scouted over
@ considerable scope of country, from this
place to Fayetteville, taking passing such
places as Rich Mountain, the Cheat Mountain
country, Sutton, Carnifex Ferry, Sewell Mtn.,
and Gauley Bridge.  Events subsequent to
the 1st of January will be found referred to in
this book. — Clarksburg looks quite natural,
no improvements except the Government
buildings erected within the year, this being
a depot for Government supplies.  Clarksburg,
although small and insignificant, and formerly
obscure, has, like many other unimportant towns,
obtained @ notoriety since the war commenced,
on account of its position, and consequent
selection as a base for supplies.

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

Saturday, Aug. 23, 1862
Went to the cars
at dark  went on board
found them cattle cars
with benches in them
got under way. Slept
some during the night
Passed through Clarkesburg
early this morning
Passed about noon Cranbery
Summit–Saw some fine
bridges on the way
are now passing Piedmont
-a small place–where is
a magnificent machine
shop  Have been unwell
all day
Rained a little last night
cloudy & clear

MSS 10317