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

Monday 23  this day like many that preceded & followed
has been exceedingly hot.  The mercury ranging
between high up in the nineties and a hundred
in the coolest spot we could find on our bowers.
An occasional shot was heard during the day
the heat driving even the artillerists to seek the
shade.  The intense heat brought on a rain in the
afternoon; an immense rain accompanied by
terrific claps of thunder, which brought to the blush
the puny efforts of man to counterfeit with the
huge throats of his mortal engines.  Many of the
officers were washed out.  The water poured in the
low ground upon which we were encamped, from
the high ground upon our right, in torrents, and
the bedsteads were the only places of safety.  I
escaped the deluge & congratulated myself upon
being so much better off than the rest, and I
am inclined to believe I was a few hours too
soon as appears from my diary of next day.

MSS 9044

[from the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]

                                      23d  Charles
rents out Henrys Store–retaining
George Chewning & shelves for the Books

MSS 2563-b

Camp Near New Bridge Va, Monday June 23  1862
My Dear Brother haveing received no letter from you for sometime I thought
it best to drop you A few lines & inform you that you must write oftener
now what excuse have you for not writing I bet you cant find A good excuse
you will say there is nothing worth writing no news  & you thought I would
not care to have A letter untill there was some news, now Just write any
thing no matter as long as you write A letter I am sure you can make out as
well as I can, if you have nothing else to write about Just write about box
shooks molasses, sugar, hoops Fish herring and anything else connected
with your business, or Just give me you experience in Housekeeping
now there are A great many things you can write about which will make
A pretty good letter now just try it you have got A good desk & A chair to sit
on every thing comfortable & can write about which will make
A pretty good letter now Just try it you have got A good desk & A chair to sit
on & every thing comfortable & can write with ease, you of course have
heard A great deal about Chickahominy Richmond & Genls McClellan
Porter & Heintzelman well I have seen all these & have been acrost the
Chickahominy on Picket have seen white oak swamp when the water was
up to my waist you dont know how pleasant it is to stand on Picet in a swamp
on A rainy day with the water up to your waist & the musquitoes as thick as flies
in July and August, talking about flies how they do bite me while I am writing
this we are now taking A little rest after our hard work we have nothing
to do except about once A week when my turn comes to go on Picket we have
done some marching & no little work since we have been on the Peninsular
I suppose we shall have some more work to do soon on the siege guns have got
to be used again you at Home can have no Ida of the immense amount of
labour required in getting these siege guns in Position at the siege at Yorktown
the roads were so bad it was impossible at times for the Horses to move the guns
& the only way that the guns could begot in place was by three or four hundred
men to drag them you have been over to Fort Preble & thought you had seen large guns
well the guns at Fort Preble are toys compared with the one & two hundred pound
Parrott gun that we used at Battery No 1 you have course heard of this battery at
the moth of Womsleys Creek well that was the work of the New York 5th
although we have had no notice of it in the papers when speaking of the
Battery by the Baltimore American it always has said something good about
the New York fifth, we are still the Pet of Baltimore & even the famous New York
seventh cannot take our place we have A name in Baltimore in which we may
well be proud you cannot look for A movement on the part McClellan for
weeks he will not move untill everything is ready if we should have A battle
before July it will be the Rebels that commences it my Health is verry good as
good as ever it was give my respects to Mrs Leavitt remember me to all enquir
ing Friends your Brother George

[from a journal containing the letters of brothers George Leavitt of the 5th New York and Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine, as copied by the their father John in the autumn of 1865.  Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run August 30, 1862 and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864]


MSS 66

[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan, formerly a Sgt, Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor’s), now with the Hampton Legion]

                        Monday – June 23rd 1862
     Nothing more than the routine of the
last week to note, of today – Spent the
day nursing Captain Harrison who continues
sick, & paying such stray officers as
have dropped in to get a few C.S. bills –
Rode to town on Billy, for medicines for
the Capt – Saw Mullie & Bro for a short      
while – left payrolls for the former – Saw      
Col Conner, Col. Hodge, & Ben Fishburne        
the latter met me in the streets & we recognized    
Each other immediately – Constant firing along    
the lines today of Artilery, but can hear                
nothing in regard to it – Every one looks for the  
great battle tomorrow or next day.  Jackson          
is said to be at Hanover Court House only      
16 miles, in McClellands rear – God grant it    
may be So – Sligh left for Monroe today but I had  
not time to write Sallie – Cleaned up my Enfield      
today for the battle – Brother Geo is to come out    
                                                                                                                   
[The following lines are cross-written over the above page.]
for me and we will join Mullies Company
& fight together – perchance fall by
the side of one another!  Retire tonight
with the blues, Home & Heart sick –

 [“This may be Edward Foster Hoge, though he is not yet a Colonel.”]
 [“This is  Dr. Benjamin Clay Fishburne, a surgeon who served in the Richmond hospitals.  
      A “Richmond “Dispatch” article of 8/26/62  notes he is in charge of Keen Hospital.”]
 [“J.E. Sligh was a member of the disbanded Rightor’s Bn. He  joined the 28th La. subsequently.”]


[transcriptions by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards; annotations by Robert K. Krick]

MSS 6154

My precious little Willie,
Before this
letter reaches you, they will
have told you of the great
sorrow that has come upon
us.  I write to you from
this little town where we
are stopping to let you know
how peacefully and happily
your dear Father died. He
suffered no pain, my darling,
but lay calmly in Mother’s
arms, and the last look on his
dear face was of love and
happiness.  This is very sad
for you my poor little Willie,
but you must not grieve too
much.  Remember that dear

[page 2]
Father is happy now, that
he has gone to another world
where no pain or sorrow can
ever come to him again. Go
to see you little sister and
talk with her about your
dear Father.  Remember how
kind and noble he was, and
pry to your Heavenly Father
to teach you how to be like
him: to make you such a
comfort to your Mother, and
such a man as he would
wish his little son to be.
     We will be at home now
before long. We are taking
dear Father to Philadelphia,
where we shall lay him to
rest at Laurel Hill.  Mother
sends her best love to her little
Willie and wants him to
know, that her great hope in
life now is to see him grow

[page 3]
up to be something like his
good and noble Father.  for
his sake you must be good,
my darling, good and pure
as he was.
     Good-bye my dear little
Brother.  Be ready to meet
Mother before long and to be
a comfort to her.
            Your devoted Sister

    Mother is not sick–Your
Aunt Sarah is traveling with
us, and we  hope to meet
Uncle Edward to-day.

Mary Virginia Ellet Cabell, 1839-1930, to her brother William, on the death of their father Charles Ellet, Jr., 1810-1862, who was mortally wounded commanding the “Queen of the West”  in the battle for Memphis.


MSS 276

                   Hd Qrs 3d Brigade 3d Divn
                          June 23d 1862
R.G.H.Kean Esq
                Chief of Bureau of War
Dear Sir,
                     I learn that Capt. Withers
A.A. Genl denies that my application
for the appointment of my personal
staff has been handed in–Fortunately
I can prove by Capt Wood temporarily
acting as my A.A.Genl. that he handed
it to Capt. Withers in person–If
that officer has mislaid it, as seems
probable, then it matters not whether
it was ever filed or not–As it
will greatly embarrass me, if Capt
Payne is not here on 1st of July as
Qr. Master–I beg you to forward
the business for me, as rapidly as jus=
tice to others will permit & trust to
your friendship to prevent unneces-
sary delays–I asked for
Lt. D. P. Halsey, as A.A. Genl. –Lieut.
Maruice H. Garland as aid

[page 2]
Capt W. M. Payne Qr. Master–
   Alexander B. Garland Commissary–
                                 Very truly,
                                      S. Garland Jr
                                        Brig. Genl

[page 3]
R.G. Kean Esq
        Chief of Bureau &c
                  Richmond

MSS 8937

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

        June 23rd

   Yesterday and to day have been so
remarkably quiet, that the report that the
rebs had, or were evacuating Richmond,
was greatly beleived by the troops.
This morning a reconnoisance was made,
and a short but obstinate skirmish ensued,
but as neither party could gain any advan-
tage, both sides with drew, as if by mutual
consent.  In the evening, had a severe thunder
shower.  During the day it was excessively
warm.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493

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

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

Monday 23—the weather is warm again but not unpleasantly so–Cool
mornings & nights make the warm day bearable–I received two let-
ters to day–one from Liz–the other from Mary–All well–Miss
Christine has made up her mind–Being afraid–Being afraid
to risk the children there the summer months–Mary writes
it is sickly in Early particularly amongst the negroes–& I have lost
my maid Phillis–poor creature she was very affectionate & appeared
very fond of me–But being a great sufferer I am glad she is out of her
pain & sorrow–Mr Wm Rensher & Mr Vandyke spent th eevening with
the girls

MSS 6960

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

Monday, June 23, 1862

           After Guard
Mounting went down
to the woods and
wrote Letter to
Eliza
Did not practice
any to day as some
of the boys were
out in the country
Had parade this
evening as usual
Returned our Carbines
to the Quartermaster
Annother day has
thus passed and
little done
Have heard rumors
that we will moove
soon  I only hope
it is so  this inactive
camp life grows weary
Clear beautiful day

MSS 10317