6th. Word came that we should go under Jim Lane. (Senator Lane of Kansas.)
Friday, January 6, 2012
Fayetteville, Virginia, January 6, 1862.
Dear Joe : — I yesterday received yours of the 26th; at the same time the Commercial of the first — six days later. Am glad to know you are doing so well at home. . . .
We go up to Raleigh tomorrow. A considerable march in the winter, if the mud thaws, as now seems likely. There is no difficulty in teams reaching [there] with goods and stores, but footing it, is, to say the least, disagreeable. Don’t buy a new chest for me or anybody now. In the spring will be time enough.
It is possible you will start for here before this reaches Cincinnati; if not, come on, unless you hear by telegraph, without delay, if the condition of the family will allow. Love to all the dear ones — “wee” one and all.
Yours,
R.
Dr. J. T. Webb.
Monday, January 6. — Snow on the ground. Rainy and blustering—turning into a big fall of snow soon after noon. . . . A big snow-storm — wind whistling in its wintriest way. Not so severe as the northwest storms of the lake shore, but respectable.
Jan. 6. Reveille beat at 6 o’clock this morning, and all hands turned out in the midst of a driving snow storm, elated at the prospect of getting away. I cannot say I was very exuberant in spirit as there was work in it and things began to look like a reality. An hour or so sufficed to pick up our traps and load our camp equipage on the wagons, drink a cup of hot coffee and declare ourselves ready to march. The companies were formed in their company streets; the rolls called, and we marched out on the parade ground and formed the regimental line. Col. Upton said he should like to fire a few rounds as a parting salute to old Camp Hicks, and gave the order to load. The firing over, there came the order, “By companies right wheel! forward march!” and we turned our backs on our old home. Passing the camp of the 27th Massachusetts, we halted, and, wheeling into line, honored them with a salute of a few rounds, which was responded to with hearty cheers. We then marched to the Naval academy, where seven companies, with the field and staff, their horses, band and all the camp equipage, went aboard the steamer New York. Two companies, D and H, went aboard the gunboat Zouave, and company I aboard the schooner Skirmisher. All aboard, the New York steamed out into the harbor a short distance and anchored till further orders.
An Incident.
A little incident here occurred showing the good nature of Col. Upton. While waiting for the baggage to be got aboard, a small party of us thought we would go up to the academy grounds, and see the 4th Rhode Island boys who had just arrived. We had not been there fifteen minutes before we saw the boat leaving the wharf, and the way we put for it was a caution to travelers a little too late for the cars. We readied the wharf all out of breath, and the first man we saw was Col. Upton. He appeared a little cross at first, and then putting on one of his good-natured looks, asked us where we had been. We replied we had been up to see the Rhode Island boys. “Well,” he said, “yonder goes the boat, what are you going to do?” Some one suggested that under the circumstances we had better stand by the colonel and take our chances. “Ah!” he replied, “I will soon have you fellows where I shall know where to find you.” He then procured a boat and crew, told us to get aboard and put for the steamer. As we pushed away from the wharf, we left the colonel standing there, looking as good-natured and happy as though it was Sunday afternoon and he had just heard a good sermon.
Monday, 6th—This is a very fine day. The boys went out on another ‘possum hunt and brought in six.
Monday Jan’y 6th 1862
Got up this morning before 5 o’clock and went down to the “National” with Col Merrick. Got there too late for the Omnibus and he had to take a Hack to get there in time for the cars. “Mel” Goodrich called at the House and at my office today. He has recently been promoted and is now Ajutant of the 27th & ranks as 1st Lieutenant. The officers all seem to have the idea that there is to be a Move forward soon. There has been an ominous stillness and inactivity in the army for some time. The immense preparations on all sides of the rebellious States are about ready and complete. Winter Quarters are not thought of and the blows will soon fall fast and heavy upon the head of the Rebels. I think that Genl Burnside will open the “Ball” within a week. Tonight Willie & I had quite a job getting in wood and coal, the other Boys were up to the Presidents. Willie thought he had earned a “levy” which I paid him. The boys did not return till after dark. They dined with the President and family, Mr & Mrs Lincoln and their two boys. Their “two boys” dined with us about every day during the Holidays. Willie goes there sometimes. Col Merrick thought it quite a rarity to dine with the Presidents Boys at our table. They are two nice well behaved lads, and we make no fuss over them and let them have the “run of the House” with our boys in all their play.
______
The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.
January 6 — Last night it commenced snowing very fast, and snowed all night, which made it very disagreeable for outing, especially without tents, and we all snowed under about six inches. This morning before daylight some of our boys went down to the Hancock depot on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which is on the Virginia side of the Potomac, and captured some splendid army shoes, jackets, and coats, all new and of good quality. They went in the dark, for the reason that there were Yankee sharpshooters on the other side of the river ready to plant bullets in any Rebel that would be despicable enough to dare to touch any of Uncle Sam’s goods.
About ten o’clock this morning the Yanks commenced passing some shell from Maryland to Virginia, and as we were close to the State line we moved back about a mile, and are now camped about a mile and a half from Hancock. Our camp is hanging way up on a steep hillside where the winter wind has a good whack at us.
Jackson’s men have all moved back beyond the range of the Yankee shell. His batteries did not reply to the enemy’s fire, which was slow and desultory, and from indications they had but two guns engaged. They threw their shell all over these hills and fired at nothing in particular.
JANUARY 6TH.—No news.
January 6.—The second execution by hanging, in the Army of the Potomac, took place today. The convict was private Michael Lanahan, Company A, Second Regiment, U. S. Infantry, and the offence, killing Sergeant Brenner, by shooting him. The General-in-Chief, in the order approving the finding of the court-martial, says the proof is clear that he did this in the satisfaction of the grudge he bore toward the deceased; not only for the blow he had given him in the guard-house, a few minutes before, but for old scores, which he mentioned in his statement to the court It is very reprehensible for a commissioned or noncommissioned officer to strike a soldier, except when it is absolutely necessary to repress disorder. It is never allowable as a punishment for an offence. But for a soldier, because of being struck, to shoot his immediate superior, is at war with every principle of military subordination. It was in evidence that it was not customary for sentinels at Georgetown to have their guns loaded The prisoner must have loaded his musket for the purpose of carrying out his vindictive design against the sergeant The homicide in this case seems to lack none of the features which distinguish murder from simple manslaughter. For these reasons the sentence was approved, and the Provost Marshal was charged with the execution of the order.
The gallows was erected in the northern suburbs, and the convict was hung in the presence of detachments from five regiments of the regular infantry.
—The schooner William Northrop, hailing from Nassau, N. P., and from Havana, December 1, was brought into New-York by Prize-master Rhoades and five men from the gunboat Fernandina. She had a cargo of eighteen bags of coffee, and a quantity of quinine and other medicines. She was taken December 25th, off Cape Fear, by the gunboat Fernandina, while attempting to run the blockade at Wilmington, N. C, and ordered to New York. She was formerly a Charleston pilot-boat.—Baltimore American, January 7.
—The Richmond Dispatch, of this date, says: The fortification of Richmond, Va., on the Manchester side of James River, is progressing at a very satisfactory rate, under the capable superintendence of Mr. William A. Mason, who has been appointed one of Captain Hagan’s deputies in carrying out the designs of the government. So far as we are capable of judging, all of the defensive works on both sides of the river have been or are being put with a single eye to the amount of resistance which they may be capable of making to the inroads of the enemy, should he ever, at any time hereafter, make his appearance in this section of country.
As the reader is probably aware, companies are now being formed in this city to man the fortifications. When the men are announced as ready, no doubt all the guns which the present force is capable of handling with effect will be immediately placed in position, and the men duly instructed in their use. This subject of manning the batteries, from the abortive attempts made by the “Home Artillery,” has been treated more lightly than it deserves.
It is an encouraging sign of the times that the people are now willing to consider the matter in the serious light in which it should be regarded. We hope the enemy may never come this way; we don’t believe that he ever will, but should he ever do so, the value of the batteries to our citizens would be beyond computation.
—This night Colonel Howell, of the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania regiment, arrested Captain Gwin at a point twenty miles below Washington. He was an officer of the rebel army, and had, not long before, crossed from Virginia into Maryland, where his family resided. There were found in his possession numerous letters directed to parties both in the North and South, and also bundles of clothing, which doubtless, he intended to transfer across the Potomac to Virginia.—N. Y. Commercial, January 8.
— Major – General George B. Crittenden, commanding the Confederate forces in Southeastern Kentucky, issued an order, dated at Mill Spring, in which he strongly appeals to all Kentuckians who have not yet taken up arms, to join immediately the rebel ranks, and fight for the cause, not only of the Confederate government, but of their own State. He affirms that the object of the war, on the part of the North, is “the extinction of slavery and the subjugation of the South;” and urges the men of Kentucky, by all obligations of interest, honor, and duty, not to remain inactive, but to join hands and hearts with these who are striving to repel the invaders.—(Doc. 6.)
—John Letcher, Governor of Virginia, sent a message to the Virginia House of Delegates, in relation to resolutions received by him from Joseph E. Brown, Governor of Georgia. After rehearsing Mr. Lincoln’s course and designs, he urges the “Mother of States” to reaffirm what the “Empire State of the South” has declared, that “the separation of the Confederate States from the United States is, and ought to be, final and irrevocable,” and that, therefore, all efforts to subjugate them will be resisted by the sister States with the utmost vigor, energy, and unanimity.—(Doc. 7.)
