[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]

                        Wednesday – June 18th 1862
Spent the day in the office – Brother
came out in the Evening & spent the
night with me – Capt Harrison is quite sick
today – he is so uneasy when I leave him that it
confines one to the house – in consequence I have been
unable to go to the outposts – Wrote a letter to Jude
today – care Mr Hagaman Clinton La. –
Maj Conner of the Legion has been Elected Col of the
22nd NoCa Regt – & Capt Gary Lieut Col of the Legion
& adjutant Dingle Major! Col Griffin gone home –
Mullie sends word today that he wants to see me
immediately – Nothing from the lines today   our
forces & the Enemies are within two hundred yds of
Each other on the Mechanicsville & nine mile road –
McClelland has thoroughly Entrenched & seems to
be waiting reinforcements – My bowels are impro-
-ving today –


James Hervey Dingle, Jr.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6154

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

Tuesday June 17, 1862
This entry is
for June 18th
Guard mounting
after which we
practiced.
Wrote letter to
Father this morning
Did not play for
this afternoon
Parade and drill
this evening
Have done very
little to day
A cloudy day with
showers Cool

MSS  10317

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

                        June 18th

Were turned out early as usual, packed
and harnessed up, and at noon we were
releived by D. Battery 5th U S. Arty’
of Porters 15th Corps.  Left our position at
Mechanicsville, and were soon on the
tramp again.  At seven P. M halted and
encamped at Fair Oaks, crossing the
Chickahominy river, at Woodbury bridge,
This bridge a mile long (that is corduroying
and trussle work) was built by the U. S.
Engineer brigade in nine days.  We are
now but four miles from Richmond.
Pleasant during the day, cloudy and at
times rained hard during the night.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493

               Poe’s farm  2 miles below
               Richmond June 17th 1862

Dear Nannie
                       I have given up
all hopes of ever getting another
letter from any of you & had
determined not to write again
myself until some of you wrote,
but I thought this morning that
I would write once more to let
you know where I am & if you
didn’t write pretty soon then, just
to let the correspondence drop.  I
know you are perfectly horrified
at my talking this way, but you
need not be surprised at it, when
I tell you that the only letter I
have received from anybody, with

[page 2]
the exception of one from Pa, since
the middle of May was on written
by Aunt Mary on the 5th April.
Pa has been to see me twice & its
afforded me the greatest pleasure
to see him & be with him, even for
a little while, but the last time
he was down I didn’t have time
to talk to him about hardly
anything, he staid such a little
while. I think you might have
at lest time enough to write me
word where you all are & how you
are.  We are stationed at the same
place we were when Pa & Uncle
John were down.  There is consid-
erable skirmishing on the lines
nearly every day, but there has
been no fight of importance

[page 3]
since the battle of “Seven Pines” I
suppose you have already seen
numerous accounts of that battle
and I will not bore you with a
long account of my own.  Our company
arrived upon the field late Saturday
evening & was subjected to a heavy
infantry fire for 20 or 25 minutes,
but finally succeeded in driving
off the rascals with a few rounds
of Canister & shrapnel.  We
had one man shot through the
hand right badly with a minnie
ball, & several horses wounded.
I had the honour of holding two firey
steeds myself, both of which were
wounded one seriously, the other
very slightly: my only regret was
that both the old brutes were not

[page 4]
killed instead of wounded. We
remained that night in the enemy’s
old camp which was one solid
mass almost of dead horses &
men. It was the only time I have
ever seen anything that came
near the accounts I have read
in History of battlefields covered
with blood.  All around & admidst
the the artillery which the cowards
left, there were in some places
pools of blood & the horses were
actually piled up on each other.
As soon as dark came so we could
leave our guns the boys com=
menced plundering the yankee
camp & there was nothing in the
world necessary for a soldier’s
comfort that we didn’t find.
They left splendid India
rubber cloths & knapsacks
& overcoats & blankets by the
thousands.  There were barrels
of sugar & coffee & of the
latter my detachment got
enough to last nearly twelve
months.  We have genuine
coffee now twice a day.

[page 5]
Some of the fellows filled their
knapsacks with nice clean
yankee clothes, but I had no
desire myself to wear their
clothes & in fact I didn’t plunder
much anyway; I got me two
good rubber clothes, one Haver-
sack & knapsack & a pair of
yankee spurs.  It was very
dark & in walking around
nearly every other step I took,
my foot would either fall
upon a dead man or in a
hole several inches deep in
blood.  The wounded & dying
were all around us, uttering
the most hideous & painful
groans all night.  The next
day (Thursday) we remained there
all day, & were again subjected
to a hot fire from the enemy’s

[page 6]
artillery, but hadn’t an opportunity
of returning it.  We helped also
to bury a good many of our dead
that day.  The Sun was shining
very hot and it certainly was
the most sickening offensive
place I ever saw.  That night
we left the field about nine
o’clock & returned to this place
where we have been ever since.
I don’t think there can be many
more days before the big fight will
take place, when, I sincerely believe
the Yankee army will just
be annihilated.  I suppose you
have re4ad all about old Jacksons
victories & more recently of
Stuart’s brilliant exploit
I believe that the whole Yankee

[page 7]
army & Government, to use a
camp phrase, are about
“played out” & if they are not
now, will be in a few months.
I must now begin to close.  I suppose
Pa told you about my intention
to leave this company & join a
Maryland company, & my reasons
for so doing.  I have gotten the
transfer signed by Capt Watson
& the Capt of the other company &
Col Brown & it only remains now
to be approved by the Sec of
War, who will, I am certain,
approve of it.  I have sent it in
& expect to get it today or to=
morrow. If it is appd by Sec
War, I shall immediately join
the other company which is

[page 8]
now stationed on the river near
Drury’s bluff, under old Wise,
but which will probably join
old Stonewall pretty soon.
If you will just write to me
immediately & let me know
where you are I will write
you the particulars &c
in a few days.  How are
Mama, Aunt Mary & all
the children? Give my
love to every one of them
& write to
                    Yr aff brother
             James P. Williams

P.S. Tell Pa I got the shoes
from the Exchange hotel
and that they are the very
things.
           J.P.W.
Love to all at Leighwood
& Uncle Tom’s

James P. Williams, 1844-1893, 1st Regt. Va. Artillery and Maryland Volunteers, Chesapeake Artillery.


MSS 490

Camp near new Bridge Va June 17th 1862
My Dear Father your letter dated July 9th has been received now
what do you want to date your letters one month ahead for, you are
getting along to fast, you will be into Winter before you know it I suppose
you wrote the letter the 9th June, you sent the New York Ledger that is
dated only one week ahead we have Just had one of those awful long
marches we have been on A Rebel Hunt which has turned out like all of
our expeditions, we have had A March of forty miles for nothing when we
left Hannover Court House after the battle it looked strange to me that
such an important place as I considered Hannover Court House to be
should be left without any troops, but such is the fact not A Soldier was left
at this place well last Friday our Brigade consisting of 1st connecticut
5th & 10th New York were ordered to get ready to march at once we had
not move than get ready when we were started off & marched three miles
when we learned that our Pickets at old Church had been charged upon
by A band of Gurrillas that had come in by the Hannover Court House
road the number was stated to be five thousand we arrived at old
Church at midnight here we found A lot of the sixth regulars Cavelry
many were the questions we asked & many were the answers we got, but could
not make out wether there was 5000 cavelry, Infantry or artilery or wether
there was two or three hundred, here we bivouaced for the night at day
light we were started off in the direction of the White House where it was
said the Rebels were abound we arrived at Tunstalle station at noon and
encamped in the woods where we remained untill twelve Oclock at night
when we stated for Ca,mp at daylight we halted & had coffee the coffee was
the only thing that got us into Camp if it had not been for the coffee we would
not have arrived into Camp untill the next day as we were completely
used up coffee is A great institution, we can go without meat three or four days
& not mind it, but Just keep back our coffee & we growl, we dont know what
became of the garrillas, we have got to wait for the papers to find that out
this being on the reserve i A humbug we have done nothing but march
& counter March ever since we left Baltimore if A gun is fired we are to be
trotted out & travel about forty or fifty miles on some wild goose chase this
is little to much of A good thing & we are getting tired of it, some one is to blame
in this every road should be so guarded that anything of this kind could not
happen, you will get the particulars in the papers, all of the Maine Regiments
have proved themselves as good as the best the second at Hannover Court
House was int he thickest of the Fight, this Regiment has lost A large
number of men by sickness & on the battlefield the Regiment does not
number ove[r] three hundred & fifty men I was informed by one of the men
belonging to it Jo was over to see me I was glad to see him we cannot bet out we
are kept here as close as we can be I shall be glad when this war is over so that I
can have A little more liberty as you say, Forts Pillow & Randolph have been
& Memphis has surrendered, still I stick to what I said before, if Richmond
should be evacuated we shall have the work to do over again, that is, if no
battle should take place before Richmond & the rebels should succeed in
retreating to some other place we have got to follow them up & commence the
siege again if I am not verry much mistaken we shall awake some morning
& find Richmond evacuated & the rebels no where to be found preperations
for siege are going on & we are verry near the enemy I have been on Pickett
within speaking distance of the rebel pickets but did not say any ting to
them as my orders were verry strict,although it is A verry common thing for the
Pickets to converse together picket duty now is no comfortable business I can
assure you standing in A swamp with the water up to your waist is not
verry pleasant, as things look now you need not look for A movement om\n
Richmond for weeks, one rainy day puts us back three, in taking Richmond
will end our active service for the season, in the Fall we will have more of
it, I may be mistaken but I think not, you are confident that with the take
ing of Richmond the war will end, will I hope it may. I shall be glad enough
I can assure you to return Home once more, you say that you & Mother are all
that constitutes the family has Mary Wallace  gone Home, what A change, I
can not see before  me all those familiar aces at the table, I should like to
sit sown to A plate of hallibut, & I promise you I would not turn up my  nose
& say fish, Genl Porter is now in command of an Army Corps, we are in Por
ters corps Sykes divis8ion Warrens Brigade now our Regiment is under the
command of Lieut Col Duryea no relation Genl Duryee as you will see the
names are spelt different but pronounced the same, when you write again
let me know how Portland looks all about the new Buildings that have been
built since I left let me know how commercial street looks & whether the
appearance of the City has improved any since I left, hopeing you will
continue to enjoy good health & that this war will end soon & we meet
again at thirty seven Pleasant street I remain your Son
                                   George
I receivd the Advertisers of June 3d & 7th

Letters from George Leavitt of the 5th New York  and his brother Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865: “because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid.” 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

June 17 1862    10 Regt mass Vol
                   Monroe thayer Co. C
My kind Friend Guardden
I hope you ar Well and
all your family.  there
is no Postage stamp Down here
and I Wish you Would Send Some
to me and you Will See
A bout 20 Dolars Gowing
up to you one of these
Dayes   I Supose you ar
Discureged But you must
not Be   you must Writ
Mee alletter   I am home
Sick and you must Writ
mee a letter and you must
Let mee know A Bout farm
tell meee How Dick and
Charley is and you must
tell William how had
ought to thank his

[page 2]
Father for not leting
him go to War and [word lined out] now
I Wish my Self that I
had not Inlisted  my
Self but now I [word lined out] ame
here and must Stay
till it is over.  I now
Will tell you how to
Diricet A letter to mee
and you must Send
nice one now   I Will
tell you.  Gen Keyes Corps.
D. Armey.. Gen.. Cough [word lined out]
Division.. Gen.. Devens
Brigade..
                      Monroe Thayer Co C
                            10 Regt.   mass Vol.
                            Good By
                     
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 828

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

Front Royal Va

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

Tuesday 17th  Still very cold–But bright & clear–We have just
heard of Stuarts great victory on the Chickahominy
I received two letters this morning one from Liz, the other from Tom
The former was well and getting on pleasantly–The latter has just
been relieved from picket duty–& seemed grateful for one
nights good rest–He speaks of the destruction of property by the
Yankees–He staid in a handsome house a few days before he wrote
that had been occupied by the yankees & from which the Confederates
had driven them.  The inhabitants or owners had left everything
in their flight from the Yankees–He says their parlour was
handsomely furnished costly chairs & sofas–fine piano (new)
with the young lady’s music–The floor had white matting on it–But
was wet with yankee blood–From so shocking a sight he went into
the Library & dining room. There the books were scattered about
in the former–But the tables, waiters, & even mats in the dining
room were in their places–& nothing seemed disturbed in the
pantry Except where the yankees had been ransacking–
A fine Wardrobe bedstead & Bureau was in the bedroom the
The[sic] growing wheat which in a month or two would be ready
for the sickle was all trodden down by the two Armies—
Such ruin & destruction to innocent people thro out the coun
-try–He thinks should serve to fire the coldest heart that beats
in Southern men- & any man who would counsel submis
sion to such a people deserves worse than a cowards death-
He says the bullets of the enemy is pleasant to such a thought
& he for one will say “give me liberty or give me death.”

Tom: her son in the Confederate army
Liz: her daughter in law Elizabeth Branch Hill, a daughter of Governor John Branch of North Carolina


MSS 6960

My dear beloved Wife
I pen you a few
lines to inform you that I am well
at present.  I hope this may find
you enjoying the same blessing.
I have no news of interest. I [?]
hear a great many rumors but none
official.  I have not heard a word from
you since the 6th inst.  If it is possible
my dear I would like very much
to hear from you oftener than that.
You must have some idea my dear
how I appreciate your sweet
loving and affectionate letters.
I get low spirited at times and a
letter from my sweet Wife soothes
the sorrows of my poor heart-
It makes me think while I am
absent in body yet I am present
in mind.  Oh my sweet Wife
I can never no never forget the[e]

[written in bottom margin of page one]
We will start in a few minutes to our destination.
[page 2]
My dear.  If it is not Gods will
that I should ever see thy loving
countenance again I shall remem
ber you in my prayers for your
past kindness.  I know my dear you
are one of the sweetest and most affectio
nate wives on earth and I do love
you so dearly.  I can but look forward
to that day and I hope it is not
far distant when we will be
happy people once more and can
worship God under our own vine
and fig tree where no one dare
to molest or make afraid—-June
17th  My dear Wife We [tear in paper]
in one hour 1/2 to Garlands Brigade [tear in paper]
from Richmond.  I will write again
as soon as I can get there.  Give my love
to all.  I do want to see my sweet
Wife so gad and kiss your sweet lips.
Direct your letters to Richmond.  Fare well
my sweet Wife I  hope to see you again.
Your dear loving & affectionate Husband
J.P. Jones C.S.A.
Write soon my sweet Wife

[in top margin of page two]
We have just got to Camp Fulton on our
way to Garlands Brigade.  Tell George I have
just received his letter. Its very strange I have
not recd one from My dear Wife Oh why

John Peter Jones, Co. F, 56th Virginia

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 11095