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1862 December 9 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Tuesday 9  Nothing of very special inter
est.  Letter from Charles requesting
me to get him an enclosed requisition
a small wall tent.  He had not heard
of his appointment and refers me
to a letter directed to Sue, which has
not come to hand, for an account of
his interview with Gen Lee.  It was of
course satisfactory-but we know
nothing of its nature.  I shall sus
pend doing any about the
tent until I hear further from him.
-I rather wish he would not leave
the company until the fight has
taken place-if fight there is to be-
near Fredg–I am glad three of my
sons are near enough to strike
in defense of their native town &
protection of their property.  I am asto
nished when I see how little I care
for the danger in which our house
s–Perish the whole town, rather than
let the [word scratched out] for get possession
of it  [word scratched out] weather much moderated
Bringing up arrears of business
in Bank and getting ready for the
end of the year

MSS 4763 

1862 Dec 8 Lynchburg, Va.

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[from the diary of Wesley Hammond, Co. E., 42nd Virgnia “Dixie Greys”

Monday 8th.  Felt
rather unwell to day as I sat up
last night, Read a sermon from
Union Pulpits.  Tuesday, 9th. –

1 & 5 S.
[The rest of this page is blank.]

The daily entries in Hammond’s diary end here.  Pages to the end of the small pocket diary contain the following assorted notes

           Wesley Hammond

Neb. xi. 24  26
Moses standing, etc.
Life full of illust. events
He is promising appearances
I  The Choice of Moses –
II.  The things Moses suc-
III.  The time in which he
made this choice and sub
and
IV The great principle
by which he was acutated.
I.  chosen
1.  The condition of his af-
licted countrymen
2.  He chose religious
reproach.

II.
1 he sacrifices the dignity of
a prince.
2  he [-] the riches of a prince
3.  The pelasure [sic] of a palace
III.  Time etc.

12 1. Faith
2 was sanctified self in-
terest
     Applicu.
1. G  ask was his choice
wise
2. Then imitate his son
3. Act on same prin
4. And [—] a high
reward

Jacob Echols.
Wesley Hammon

Sister E. T. Howlett,
Geo. W. Sheelly
Bro. Roy Littleton.

John Owens, Dave Sperry
$40.00 from same
W. R. Smith $ 2.00 in stamps
Bill of exemptions

Mrs. Annie E.  Pitzer
   Clear Branch P. O.
            Washington. Co.
Received of Mr. Shrewsbury
$ 300.00 Sue Hannah Floyd
$  37.50  Gabe [or Gave] 94.00, [-]
$ 91.00

Wise St.
Taylor St.
Monroe St.
Polker St.
Jackson St.
Federal St.
Harrison St.
Madison St.
Clay St.
Court St.
Church St.
Main St.
Jefferson Street

S. C. Hammond        $45.00
C. Hammond               39.00

List of killed and wounded in
Kernstown fight
            Killed
M. Hall.  S. Reynolds
            wounded
Sergts. J. M. Evans,  W. McCauly
Privates  J. P. Edington, G. Shrewsberry
W. Taylor.  J. Airheart.   D. Shrewsberry.

List killed & wounded at the battle
of Cedar Run  Augt. 9th 1862
              Killed
W. A. Walker,  P. Shetzer [Shartzer], J. Cling
enpeel, J. Moorman, J. Hogan
H. Floyd, J. Phillips

G. L. Garnand. A. Bott
T. J. Hawley.  J. Mason.
J. Lansdown. C. Moses
          Wounded
Capt. A. J. Deyerle.  Lieuts. W. Per-
.  singer, A. J. Heslep.  Sergt.
C. M. Dulaney – Privates.
R.. P. Kefauver.  S.  Divers.
M. P. France.  R. Craig. D
Lockard.  S. J. Jenkins.
T. Redden – In hands of Enemy
N. Smith, J. Lefler since died
R. Morris –W. Blanken
ship.  S. C. Hammond
Battle Manassas. 28 Aug. Casualties
Sergt. S. C. Hammond wounded
Private D. N. Wertz killed.

Distance from  Woodstock to [-]
Woodstock to N. Market 20
N. Mar, to Harrisonburg 18
Harrisonburg to Mt. Crawford 9
Mt. C. to Mt. Sidney 6
Mt. S. to Staunton 10
Staunton to Lexington36
Lexington to Nat. Bridge 16
Nat. Bridge to Buchanan 12
Buchanan to Fincastle    18
                                         132
Woodstock to Winchester   [-]
                                           42
                                           36
                                           16
                                           12
                                           13
                                           11
From Winchester home    180

     The lamentable cry of poor
Adrian when he felt death ap proa-
ching.  “ Oh my poor wandering soul!  alas!
whither art thou going!  Where
must thou lodge this night!
Thou shall never jest more.
Never be merry more!”
    Malachi IIII. 15
Where ignorance is bliss
Tis folly to be wise. – Guy

Spalden glue.
Paper for Envelopes

John Owen
        Cave Spring
             Roanoke Co.

                   7
                   2
                   2 ¼        
                   2
                   1 ½
                  14 ¾

[There are some words in pencil that cannot be discerned  with the following written over the top in pen:]
    Wesley Hammon
             Diary
                 Augst 25/61

     Wesley Hammond served as a Corporal in Co. E, 42th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.  In the Regimental Register for the 42th , on page ninety-three, the following  is noted beside his name: “Cpl., Co. E. enl. 6/4/61, Salem, Roanoke County, 4th Cpl.  Present through 10/3/61.  Staunton hospital, sick, by 12/31/61 through 4/1/62.  Returned, promoted 3rd Cpl., furloughed on sick leave by 8/7/62.  Returned then to Staunton hospital 10/18 through 12/31/62.  Promoted 2nd Cpl. 10-12-62.  No further record.  Postwar rosters indicate he was discharged in 1862.”

     Also listed in the Regimental Register for the 46th is Wesley Hammond’s brother, Samuel. C. Hammond, whom Wesley mentions in this dairy.  He enlisted the same day Wesley did on 6/4/61.

     This transcriber has referred to the 42nd Virginia Infantry , The Virginia Regimental Histories Series to verify the spelling of some of the names in Co. E. for which Hammond’s writing was unclear, particularly in his lists of killed and wounded 

  – Mary Roy Dawson Edwards, Transcriber         September 2002


MSS 5526

1862 December 8 near Aquia Creek

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                                                 Head Quarters 1st Brigade Caseys Divis
                                                       Camp in the Field near Aquia Creek
                                                                               Dec 8th 1862    Va.
Dear Sister Helen
                                                         It is most 11 ock P.M. and I am
very tired but as I am anxious to let you know where
I am and how I get along I must write a few words
     We have been on the march 7 days now and have
seen some tough times     We left Fairfax Seminary
last Monday at 12  marched through Washington
and Uniontown making about 10 miles before night
the troops camped each side of the road and the
Genl & staff put up at a house that happened to be
near had supper – lodgings – etc breakfast and started
again at about 8 and so on each day making about
13 miles a day and camping about 4 ock in the first,
good ground, there were 2 Brigades ahead of us
and they made rather rough work all along the
route  killing pigs – sheep- poultry and even oxen
to eat but our Brigade did not act as bad
but they made – way with a good amount of turkeys
and pigs etc.  I have had a pretty easy time of it so
far as I have stayed with the Genl all the time
and he was fortunate enough to find a good
house to stay in every night except last night
when we stayed on the boat that ferried us across
the Potomac and tonight we have put up our
Head Quarters tents so that we are quite comfortable
but the boys have rather hard times of it as they
have only the little shelter tents that only hold 2
and have nothing but hard tack & Pork to eat –

   We are now just beginning to see the gay side of
soldering but I have enjoyed it amazingly and
feel better than I did when we were idle at camp
Casey & Chase   although we expect to see fighting
soon as we are within 8 miles of the Rebel army
we shall probably get orders of some kind to –
morrow as Gen only had orders to go to Aquia Ck
and shall then know what is to be our fate.
         I received a letter from Father last Tuesday
with 2$ also one from Geo & one from you yesterday
but my poor boxes I fear are doomed to stay at
Washington until I call for them on my way home
from the war for I have not seen or heard from
them further than that they left home & York about
2 weeks ago – Oh my from Thanksgiving dinner what
shall I do with it.. but I trust that as soon as
we make a stand for any little time they
will be brought up and that I shall get
the substansial [sic] part of the contents at least..
     I would like to write you a long letter and
tell you-all about our march through Maryland
but I am so tired that I cannot do it this
time but if we don’t move from here in a day
or two I will write again and “the next will
be longer”  I am very well and shall stand
it through I guess.  It is pretty cold weather
here now and it takes lots of wood to keep the
soldiers warm   I wish you could see the amount
of wood that they have burnt since yesterday
a pine grove about twice as large as “Hemlock grove”
has all been cut down and consumed already..
          Give my love to all the folks tell Father am
very thankful for the $$$ tell Chas to write me soon
tired  and in a hurry     Your brother   Jim..

James Howard, 15th Connecticut

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12668

1862 December 8 near Aquia Creek

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[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]

Mon 8.  Clear bright cold day.  Wrote Mr. H.   got letters
Sat. fr. home – franked letters.  Nothing but coffee & hard
tack for breakfast.  rose at reveille – Saw several regts.
move infantry move to front.  We are on high bank   Rbl
Army close by in gorge – Abt. noon staff baggage – Ard & my
horse & blankets came – It was a welcome sight arrival.
We ate sweet potatoes  roast turkey & bread, with
relish.  Attended dress parade.  815 is strength of regt.
Coming in – Perry sd. with tears he had given way to anger &
used bad language – talked & comforted him.
One crazy boy – says “My dear Chaplain you never heard
me say bad words Amen” – Col. M & officers took

tea with us.  I am to go (DV) tomorrow with
Col. M. to Burnside’s head Quarters   Falmouth to
see about being new brigaded &c   visited Capt. Blenkow
Sick in Shelter tent.  Sd. his father was shot at Waterloo
before he was born – tallest man in his regt.   the
Capt is abt. the shortest in his.  May be ordered to front
any moment – cant get any supplies except
pork – crackers – coffee sugar salt & potatoes.
Our march here was abt. 70 miles – & 6 crossg. river,
a week a way.  Not quite so cold today.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935


Three men with last name Perry in 25th New Jersey: Private Berthnal of Co. C, Private John of Co. H. and Private Theodore S. of Co. H.

Col. Moses N. Wisewell [?] of 28th New Jersey

Capt. David Blenkow, Co. F, 25th New Jersey

1862 December 8 Staunton, Va.

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

Monday night, Dec. 8, 1862.
Weather very cold since Friday, on which day we had a snow storm. Some persons hauling ice to-day — much thicker than any I have seen for three years. All quiet at Fredericksburg — persons connected with the army, just from that place, say that Gen. Lee does not anticipate a battle there. He thinks the enemy will not attempt to cross the river. A small force of Yankees visited Winchester last week, going off in a few hours, and our cavalry are again picketing below Charlestown, Lincoln message to Congress is much talked about — It is in every respect a contemptible document. Mary Tate Graham goes to Lexington in the morning. Jinny accompanying her. They have gone to the Hotel to sleep.

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]
MSS 38-258