[from the journal of the Chairman of the Faculty]
1862
Decr 11 Reprimanded Geo A. Staley fr firing a pistol
on the lawn
” Gave Walter E. Bondurant leave of absence
for two days
16 Th. W. Humes leave of absence to 1st of January
19 Th S Beckwith-the same-Also M.J. Alexander
20 Henry A. Atkinson Jr, E. B. Robinson and
Th R. Joynes, the same
RG-19/1/2.041
Vol. XIII
[from the diary of Mary S. Boydon of “Hopedale,” Albemarle County, Va.]
Thursday 11th Raleigh behaved quite improperly
in school today used bad language, for which I
of course, reproved him severely- I have noticed
that since his return he has seemed rather
sullen & ill humored-He was sorry to come back
& wants to hurry over the next two weeks as quickly
as possible, not caring for anything else–But
I shall see that he behaves himself properly as
long as he stays in the house- A drunken sol=
=dier called here to get his horse fed-the first
of that description we have had-He gave his
name as Jas. D. Howlett, of Chesterfield, & said
he was a first cousin of Kate Cox, & wished me
to write to her about him-He stayed two hours
& was quite impertinent- In the middle he of
his begging me to play in an insisting & rather
rude manner, Mrs Morris & Nanny Page came
they were astonished at his conduct-I might
have given him a tract or tryed to do him some
good, but was so embarrassed that I did not
know what to say-May God have mercy on
his soul- How must God’s heart daily be torn
at the sight of his own creatures so degraded & defiled creatures
MSS 4208
[from the diary of Mary S. Boydon of “Hopedale,” Albemarle County, Va.]
[from the diary of George W. Dabney, clerk of Campbell County]
11″ Thursd.
Clear frosty, & pleast.–home
–by Paynes mill about Plank
saw wild Turkeys–Capt Payne
got ice
MSS 3315
[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]
Thursday 11th — We have just heard that the box arrived safely
at Durhams-& was given to the Hack driver to bring up here, &
he as either sold or stolen it. He pretends to say he lost it-But
had he done so he would have made it known & had it searched for
as it is he never said one word about it-tho’ it happened 15 days
ago–Money wont compensate for the loss–as the things in
it cant be bought again-& we are in wedding haste-poor
Lize she took a good cry-& I really feel sorry for her–We have
written for another bonnet & dress–But the handkerchief
cant be bought any where–Sarah & I paid 4 visits since din
-ner-& they were all pleasant ones. I received a letter from Liz
MSS 6960
[from the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat of Lynchburg, Va., with five sons in the Confederate Army]
Thursday 11 Most beautiful day. Rou
-tine duties–Sue & Mrs Colston cal-
-led. at [lunch?] Launcelot Minors
wagon drew up with pork–He sends
me a present of one hog and I bought
4 more at 30$ a hundred–Sue
takes the rest–Went over to Sue’s
and staid an hour
MSS 4763
[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F, 25th Massachusetts]
Wednesday
Dec 10
We have been getting ready and pack-
ing up all day. In God do I trust for
safety and His will be done. It is said that there
is a large force going. It is not fully certain that
we shall go yet. This evening a company of the
eighth came up to relieve us from picket, so I
suppose we shall go. George and I prayed to night
and placed ourselves in the protecting hand of God
and in His name do we ask victory and safety if
consistent with His will
MSS 11293
Hd As 1st Corps 1st Div
Army Dept of Miss East La
near Grenada Dec 10″ 1862
My dear brother
Last Sunday was a week, we
commenced a retreat from our position near
Abbeville and had a most horrible march
of eight days. The army stood the march &
the privations, which were sever from the
horrible weather and the want of provisions.
The enemy pushed us hard with Cavalry
all the way until we got to Coffeeville, 16
miles above this point. When we made
a stand, and had a pretty brisk en-
gagement of two or three hours, in which
our division and a single other regiment
were alone engaged–We punished
them pretty severely–Killing some
40-taking 52 prisoners-and
wounding a great many–we only
lost 7 killed & 43 wounded. I was
not in the engagement, having broken
down my horse in the morning, & not
anticipating anything of the kind Genl
Tilghman left me to attend to matters
[page 2]
at HeadQrs. The force which was
brought down upon us was so great
that we could not hold the positions
above this point Here however we have
a very strong position and have heavy re-
inforcements on the way to us- Genl Kirby
Smith-Genl Loring & the President
himself are on their way here–Genl
Smith will be in command of the dept
and the change of the command will
be a popular one with the army–Lt
Genl Pemberton has not made himself
popular-Indeed we have been unfor=
tunate in our commanding officers
are are glad to get some of the will
known men of the Army–to day
it is ascertained that the enemy
are falling back–the force that
moved down from Helena have
certainly gone back to that place
probably from fear of being caught
in the swamps by the rains. I
suppose the campaign is over for the
winter in Virginia-as it will be in
three weeks here, except probably
an attack upon Vicksburg and
Mobile–It will be impossible to
[page 3]
operate by land after the roads once
become bad. I have not had a letter
from home for some time and can only
tell you to direct to care of Brig Genl
Lloyd Tilghman. Comdg 1st Div 1st
Corps. Army Dept of Mss & East La
I am glad to hear of Tom Munford’s
promotion–Let me know his staff
Newman Eubank has never made
his appearance and his not
doing so, has caused General
Tilghman great inconvenience
and myself a great deal of ann-
oyance. I hope Fan has gotten
well enough to allow Ma to return
home ere this. I wish very much
I could be with you at Christmas
dining upon corn meal and Fresh
Beef and sweet potatoes altogether
as even we do at Head Qrs is pretty
hard, and I should enjoy the
good things you will have, not=
withstanding the War very much
Give much love to one & all
at home and at the Colonels
-I am enjoying a sleep upon the
floor of a house instead of my tent
and find it agreeable–as the nights
[page 4]
are cold and damp–my
health was never better however
and I have no colds in the
head now. Clean clothes
are very scarce, as it is almost
impossible to get any washing
done.
Affly yr brother
P. Ellis, jr
Charles Ellis Esqr
Richmond, Va.
University of Virginia alumnus Powhatan Ellis, Jr., 1829-1906, served fist in the 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry and then as Asst Adjutant General to a series of Confederate Generals including Lloyd Tilghman, Leonidas Polk and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
MSS 2516
Camp Guineas Depot
December 9” 1862
My own dear Jennie
Up to this time I have recd no letter from
you though now & then I hear indirectly from
you that is I see some one from H. B who will
say “I suppose your family are well as I hear
nothing to the contrary” a most unsatisfactory
statement to a husband & father accustomed to
receive almost daily communications from
his wife – the best & dearest wife on earth. At
least I think so & I doubt not if any impartial
judge could be found such wh would be his
or her verdict. I know you have writen [sic] to me
but the disarrangement of our army mails
prevents my receiving them. I cant tell if
you get mine or not. I suppose you do after
the usual delays. I recon you have no time
just now to get low spirited – what with shel-
tering & feeding your stock – sheep, pigs, calves
&c you are quite busy. of course I dont
mean that you do it, but it takes a good
[deal] of thinking & looking after to attend to
all their little details. In fact I see very
little difference between the general management
of a small & a large farm. You have on
your little home every thing that any one has
[page 2]
on a much larger place. one thing I know you
have, that I dont think can be found on any other place
in such perfection that is children. Bless that
little baby. Do you know that I am now thinking
of her all the time as a little brat that can
walk all about if she chooses so to do. She is
now nearly ten months old & I think a smart little
fat thing like her ought to be doing her own
navigation. Lizzie & Jim will be de-
lighted at her walking more probably than
either of us. Do you know my darling that
I am getting foolish again about this war
I have come to the conclusion that Genl Lee
has completely got ahead of Burnside so that
he cant now cross the river or make any ad-
vance without certain defeat. Such is the op-
inion of leading officers here. Now I am so
foolish to believe that the failure of Burnside
to accomplish anything will so demoralize
the Yankey cause both in their own esti-
mation & that of foreign Nations that they
will be unable to make more than a feble [sic]
effort next spring – if indeed it does not
force them to abandon their own cause.
The message of Lincoln seems to me to
be very low spirited and not to make any
very great calculations in future successes
of his army or any thing connected with
his cause.
[page 3]
After breakfast – Now what do you think we had for break-
fast. Here is our Bill of Fare – sugar & coffee, butter & hot
rolls apple butter & molasses, beef stake [sic] & the finest sweet pot-
atoes I ever saw. On arriving here, we were pretty much
out of good things when we got here and so sent a man
to Richmond who got us a barrel of sweet potatoes for $10, sugar
70 c coffee $3.60 molasses $4.00 peper [sic] & so on so that we are
now rather thin in pocket but a pretty full larder. We
are determined to have good things if money will buy them.
Genl Taliaferro assumed command of the briga Division
this morning and just sent me word to select in
this vicinity a good or better camping ground than the
one I have – which I must do as soon as I finish
my letter to you – which by the way I intend to
send to Richmond or Gordonsville to have mailed
for I am told that letters sent to this post office
are neither mailed or delivered within a week
of their reception at the office. Your father was
here the other day and I requested him to get
one of the girls to write to you of my location
and doings. So you observe that I take every
opportunity to let you know what I am
doing so if I fail you must not find fault
with me. I got this morning 118 pair of good
shoes which I hope will very nearly shoe all the
bare feet in my command I also got a lot of
very indifferent looking overcoats, but I think
they are warm. My impression is that I am
better off than any other brigade commander in
[page 4]
the army, for which I will not even receive the
thanks of the men I have taken care of, such
is life in the army.
If I was without a well grounded hope
that this war would end before another
campaign opened I think I would be a
very unhappy man. I can see no chance
of my being able to see you all during
this winter unless we have an armistice
no furloughs are now granted except on a
surgeons certificate of disability, and I am
geting [sic] so hearty that my chance is indeed
a very poor one. It is quite probable
that some change may be made in
the present organization of this Division
that will relieve me honorably from
the command if so I had thought
of applying for a short leave. If I am
relieved in a way that reflects on me
as an officer I will leave of course
Take mighty good care of your-
self & little ones. Julia has gone
home to be confined so our hunt
after Mr Tyler is fruitless to us.
Most Affectionately
E.T.HWarren
[The following was written in the left margin of page 4.]
Wednesday morning – I must send this letter by
Capt Young to Luray thence by mail to you
no chance to get a letter mailed here.
“Guineas Depot”, heading – This is a misspelling of Guinea Depot. The station, also shown on some maps as Guiney’s, was located some 12 miles south-east of Fredericksburg on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
This is the location where Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson died after being wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.
“My own dear Jennie”, salutation – Warren’s wife, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder Warren.
“H. B”, line 3 – Harrisonburg, Rockingham County.
“little baby”, page 2, line 4 – Warren’s youngest daughter, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson.
“Lizzie”, page 2, line 9 – Warren’s seven year old daughter.
“Jim”, page 2, line 9 – Warren’s son, six year old James M.
“Genl Lee”, page 2, line 13 – Robert Edward Lee, Confederate general, commanded the Army of Northern Virginia.
“Burnside”, page 2, lines 14 & 18 – Ambrose E. Burnside, Union general, commanded the Army of the Potomac.
“the river”, page 2, line 15 – Rappahannock River.
“Genl Taliaferro”, page 3, line 10 – William B. Taliaferro, Confederate general, commanded the division in which the 10th VA Infantry served. He had been seriously wounded at the Battle of Brawner Farm, 28 August 1862.
“Your father”, page 3, line 18 – Warren’s wife’s father, seventy year old James Magruder.
“brigade commander”, page 3, line 29 – Warren still held temporary command of the 3rd Brigade, Taliaferro’s Division, Jackson’s Command. The brigade consisted of the 47th & 48th Alabama Infantry regiments, and the 10th, 23rd, and 37th VA Infantry regiments.
“E.T.HWarren”, page 4, signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.
“Capt Young”, page 4, note, line 2 – William T. Young whose hometown was Luray. Young had served as captain of the Page Volunteers, Company K2, 10th VA Infantry from June 1861 until April 1862. He was not reelected in the reorganization of the company in April 1862 and was discharged. Obviously, at the time of this letter, Young had been visiting the men of the Page Volunteers.
[transcript by John P. Mann, IV]
MSS 7786-g
[from the diary of Frank C. Fitzhugh of Cutshaw’s battery]
Wednesday 10
Heavy fireing at Fre’burg and
Port Royal
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 4448
Bell Plains Landing Va Dec 10/62
Dear parents
I have received three
letters from you since I wrote
to you and I thought to day I would
try and answer them although it
is under a great disadvantage that
I try to write With your last
letter I received four post stamps
which was very acceptable to me
I have plenty of money for my own
use but stamps are hard to get for
the money here. You spoke about
sending me boots and other things
I think it is not safe to send any
thing besides I do not need boots
at present our brigade is on detached
duty here and will be likely to stay
here all winter so we shall not be
exposed to the mud and snow by
mooving about and if it was otherways
the winter would be nearly gone
before you could send any thing out
so that I could get it I hope you
[page 2]
will try and content yourself about
me and not worry so much if I had
wanted any thing from home I should
have written to you in season so it
would do me some good we have
not been paid yet they owe me now
almost six months pay when we do
get paid I shall send you money to
pay Mr.Strout all up for the colt
then I hope he will feel contented
what people say about the property
at home does not worry me in the
least and I think they had better
save their breath to cool their broth
I was sorry to hear that Washington
was sick but I hope he is not dangerous
my health is good except my lame
back which remains about the same
I was very sick for three days with
pain in my back and hips so I
could not rest in any way but I
am better now than I have been
for a long time. I received a letter
from Phebe and Rhoda Symonds and
if you see them tell them I will answer
their kind letters as soon as I can if
you could know just how we have
[page 3]
been situated for the past month
you would not think I could write
at all history speaks of the suffering
of our army at valley forge and if
Bell plains is not equal to it I hope
never to see an equal to it when I
write again I will try and give a
description of it as near as I can
We had a feast for thanksgiving
consisting of tripe mainly we
boiled it in lye first and it took
all the strong taste out and it cleaned
very easy and it was very good
I can tell you we have enough to
eat drink and to wear such as it
is but I think very often how
good a dish of bread and milk
would taste such as I could get at
home but it does not worry me
in the least I take every thing
as it comes thinking all is for
the best and I hope it will turn
out so in the end I am still on
guard at head quarters but I do not
know how long we shall stop here
Bell plains is on the Potomac a little
way below aquia creek and near the
[page 4]
mouth of the Rappahannock
river I have not recieved any
letters from Washington and it is
no use to write to him as long as
he is in the hospital the hospitals
at Alexandria are good ones and he
will be well taken care of when
you hear from him try and let
me know for I am anxious to
hear what the matter is with him
I cannot write any more now
and must close try and be
contented with this and I
will write again soon
From you son
Hiram M. Cash
I think there is no doubt but I
shall get all your letters in time
so you can write all you wish to
and I want you to write all
the news there is stiring we have
just got orders to march to
morrow morning but I do not
know where we are going I
shall write again as soon as I
can in haste H.M. Cash
Hiram M. Cash, Co. K, 5th Maine
MSS 12916
