[from the diary of Sgt. Z. Lee Gilmer, 19th Virginia, Co. B (Albemarle Rifles)

26th  I left camp this morning
about light for the great battle
field with canteens & haversacks filled
and some of us with Oil cloths We
were haulted about two miles from
Richmond on the Macanicksville
pike about 8 O’Clock in the morning
here we remained through the
day & a very warm day it was
we amused ourselves looking at
the Balloons both ours & the
Enemy’s While waiting here I
received a letter from my [hole in paper]
which did me good, about dark I
made me a little fire & made me
a cup of coffee At this time the
battle of Macanacksville was
warmly contested on the north
Chickahomany & continued
until near  10 ocloc at night
while we were waiting here we
tryed to get a little sleep, but
not a one slept, for the cannon
& shell were aluminating the
Heavens & the bustle of carts &c
had ceased made the roar of
battle distinct, about 10 at night
we received orders to march we
had been waiting here for Hills
Division to cross the Chick[hole in paper]
any while we were waiting [hole in paper]
about sun set an officer [hole in paper]
came riding down the line
& announced to the troops that
we had formed a junction
with old Stonewall  This
was received with shouts and
waving of hats. We joged
along slowly, for slow we had
to go our way lighted up by
the explosion of shells & and
about one we crossed on the
Macanacsville bridge & slept
that night on the battlefield on
the north bank–just after reach-
ing the other side one large
cannon sent a ball over us &
all was in silence until light
in the morn when the artillery
& muskets renewed the slaughter
yet a made a little coffee ere I
started & before I left the fire I
consined the letter I received from
my duck the day before to
the little blaze, for I made it a
rule never to carry a letter in
battle  Yet I read it over again
naturally in meditation & sadness.

MSS 4459

       Treasury Dept.
      June 26 1862

Edmd Ruffin Esqr
   Mattoax P.O.
      Amelia Co., Va
Dear Sir
    In reply to your Let
ter of the 2 June I
would respectfully state
that you generous dona
tion of $400 made to the
Government in your
Letter of 22 Jany
was immediately on
its receipt deposited in
the Treasury, and the
Deposit acknowledged
as you requested in the
Sentinel.  Herewith I
send you copies of the
Treasurers certificate

[page 2]
acknowledging that
Donation.

Respectfully
your obt Servt

C G Memminger
Secty Treas.

Christopher Memminger, 1803-1888, German born Confederate Secretary of the Treasury, February 21, 1861- July 18, 1864.


Edmund Ruffin, 1794-1865, Virginia farmer and ardent secessionist.


MSS 

White House Hospital  June 26th/62
Dear Parents

                    It is just one year ago to
day our Regt. left Portland for the
seat of war I never shall forget how the
place looked at the time I saw father
standing by the side of the cars with
some others I new but I did not see
you after you left the camp it has
seemed but a short time to me but
I do not doubt it has seemed long
to you we did not think then the
war would continue so long but we
cannot any of us tell what the future
will bring forth but I feel confident
the was must close soon.  It is a
splendid place here the farm containing
about 7000 acres of very nice land with
a great deal of good timber a great many acres
sowed to grain and a large lot of corn

[page 2]
planted but it has all been destroyed
by the army the landing here is about
one mile long there is vessels here unload-
-ing provision nearly all the time day
and night then the cars and army teams
take it to the army and I tell you
it makes business lively here the
hospital is about 1/2 half a mile from the
landing in the open field and about
200 rds. from the White House there is
now 200 wards each can accomadate 25
men.  It is a very hea[l]thy place here there
is a cool breeze here the most of the time
the weather here has been quite
warm for some time and it is getting
dry and dusty.  A few night ago we
had a terrible thunder storm it was the
heavist thunder and sharpest lightning
I ever heard or saw I have been to see
a large  chard pine tree the lightning
struck it is about half a mile from
here it tore the bark and splintered
the tree and tore the ground up all
around the tree it is worth going
to see.

Hiram M. Cash,  5th Maine


MSS 12916

[from the diary of Jonathan B. Hager of the 14th U.S. Regulars as copied and annotated by him at a later date]

June 26  Next morning early we left our
             bivouac to retrace our steps to our Camp
             which we reached about 9 a.m. after a very
             pleasant march, it not being so hot early in
             the morning. This is the day memorable for the
             battle of Mechanicsville, the first of the “Seven
             days fights”.  On our arrival in Camp we got
             orders to cross the Chickahominy at 3. P.M. This
             order was countermanded during the day in
             consequence of the threatning aspect of affairs
             on our right flalnk.
             Towards the hour of 5 P.M. the trouble began.
             Heavy firing was heard in the direction of “New
             Bridge on our right.  Cannon & Musketry–At 6 P.M.
             we were ordered to move to the field of battle.
             We arrived there about sunset, while the battle
             was raging & took our position in line as a
             reserve. We laid here on our Arms the entire
             night, the battle closed about 9 P.M.  Our
             bivouac was on the hard ground, with the
             heavens for a covering, limitless but not dewless.

MSS 9044

[from the diary of Frank C. Fitzhugh, private, Cutshaw’s Battery]

June                              Thursday 26  1862                      
     Fighting commenced this
evening, between Jackson
& the enemy, near Mechanicsville
enemy driven from his
position.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 4448

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

Thursday 26th  It is so cool this morning I have put on a shawl & let
down my windows–Katy has just brought me a letter from
Fred which I joyfully received–As I felt anxious to hear how
he was getting on in his new way of living–Or rather Camp
life–He has been in no engagement so far–But was to start
on picket shortly after writing–& said he heard the mosquitoes were
intolerable bad where they were to be sent–He had been on
drill for two hours that day –& found it very warm & tire
some–Made more so by his horse being an untrained one.
No papers from Richmond to day–But a passenger in the Hack last
night still asserts the battle is going on at Richmond–The Report
that Burnsides had sent 6000 troops from Norfolk & Suffolk to
take Welden also proved to be untrue.

One of three sons in the Confederate Army, Fred Hill was with Peter B. Starke’s Washington Cavalry

MSS 6960

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

[from the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]

                                 26th  May &
I ride to Mr Quisenburys (12 miles)
and spend the night  –  She recites
some beautiful lines from Burns
about a soldier lover returning
to his faithful Nancy.  Mother
turns a penny out of the garden
She does not know how much
longer she will have little Kitty
for salesman.  Bro John
debates about a trip to Illinois
where he has important interests
We continue hopeful–tho the
tremendous power and stubborn
determination of the North is awful
“The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice
read Luther’s Psalm (46″) and
took courage.

MSS 2563-b

                                                June 26th 1862  
My Dear Father                                                  
                  I am now with my battery encamped
in the field not 100 yards from the point where  
we parted. But how different are the circumstances!
Then all was quiet – nothing to say two large
hostile armies were by each other – two armies as much
embittered against one another as men have ever
been. Now the most incessant artillery, far around
to our left, I ever heard, tells that Jackson has
commenced that battle which is to decide so
much. No battle ever fought has decided more
than this will. The sun is setting – that artil-
lery began about two hours ago. Occasionally
when the roar of artillery ceases & its reverberation
(wh: latter is wonderful on the Chickahominy) the
rattle (it is generally called so, but is far from
being a rattling sound) of musketry indistinctly but
incessantly rolling (the true sound) tells the battle is
being hotly & hardly fought. (I have just heard
that this musketry has been going on for five
hours; ever since three P.M. & that it is between
Mechanicsville & Meadow Bridges. Tomorrow
I have no doubt will be the decisive day.
Oh! may Heaven grant us this victory & save
my country. This side of the swamp not a gun

[page 2]
can be heard. At the late battle of the Seven
Pines all the firing was this side. Tomorrow
I suppose it will be here & there too. The fight
of to day is much heavier than that of the 31st &
1st. Then we lost six thousand. That battle be-
gan about eleven then & was long in conse-
quence but the larger scale on which this bat-
tle is fought will give as many wounded, I
reckon. If the fighting is where I mentioned
above it cannot be Jackson’s army but must
be the commands of D. A. Hill. A. P. Hill & Long-
street, which have all gone to that locality.

[letter of William H. Perry, Jr., of the Richmond Howitzers will continue on the 27th

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d

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

Thursday 26  Accounts of a sharp engage
ment on the lines–which resulted
in the loss of more than 300 on our
side–we drove them back but no
[?] followed–All eyes turned to
Richd.  The great fight daily expected
I look to it with great confidence
and the more that Jackson will be
there.  Mary went to the Dentists &
had the tooth which has been the
disturbing cause of her suffering
extracted.   She went then to Charles
where I was sent for to dinner Met
there Lewis Marshall, Son of  [?]
of Oak Hill–now a widower with
10 children–a Lt. of ordnance . He is
boarding at Sues–a most excellent
man –met young Malone, now
on Braggs Staff–He says he bore dis
patches to the War Department & was on
his return–Bragg is commanding the
army at Tupelo & would advance to
attack.

MSS 4763