10th. Visited some with Mr. Haynes. He and Delos went to Cincinnati.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Friday, 10th—It is cool and cloudy, with some rain. We get our mail every day, as the railroad is open between here and St. Louis.
Bird’s Point, January 10, 1862.
Since daylight yesterday morning we have been all ready with five days’ rations and expecting every moment the orders to fall in and commence a march. We were delayed untill 11 a.m. to-day by a fog so dense that boats could not run even from Cairo to this point. All that time we were in the greatest suspense and after everybody had conjectured all their conjectures, we were yet perfectly in the dark in regard to our destination. All the troops here, save enough for guard duty, are going. I believe I’m within bounds when I say that 75,000 different lies have been circulated here in the last 36 hours, and all in regard to the present expedition. Well the suspense is over and we (think we) know that Columbus is our goal.
At 11 a.m. to-day the fog was dispersed by a cold north wind, and immediately two gunboats steamed down the river, giving us the first intimation of our route. They were shortly followed by other gunboats and then by steamers loaded to their utmost capacity with soldiers. All afternoon they have been going down. The last boat that I saw was towing a couple of flats loaded with ambulances, or “soldier-buggies.” I think all the troops have gone from Cairo and the boats that carried them will be back and take us at daylight to-morrow noon. I think they are landing them about six miles this side of Columbus, maybe not so far from there. General McClernand is taking his whole stock in the soldier business with him. It’s a permanent thing certain. If this really means Columbus, and I don’t see how it can be anything else, it has been managed with more secrecy than any expedition, besides, up to this time in war. I never guessed it within the possibilities of a month. These generals, we have three of them here (Grant, Paine and McClernand) may know their business, but we of the ranks don’t understand what kmd of truck 20,000 men want with the army at Columbus. And 10,000 is, I’m sure, considerably outside of the number that will move from here. There are probably 10,000 more at Paducah, that I think are also going. Well, maybe we’ll get the place, hope we will. If we don’t it won’t be the men’s fault, for we do hate that hole. It’s funny what an effect this soldiering has on men. I suppose there is no mistake about our being within two days, at farthest, of a great battle, and yet these men don’t to any eye show a sign of even a shadow of care or concern. Since I commenced this I don’t believe that one of them has given it a thought. To save my neck I can’t get up enough excitement to kill a flea or even to warn him. The boys are almost all playing cards. Sam Nutt and my chum Hy thought they didn’t get enough supper to-night, so they put about a peck of beans in to boil and have just got them in eating order. I suppose Sam can plant more beans than any other living man of his weight. They have also a lot of pig’s feet between them. Little Ame Babcock and Ike McBean are going with us to-morrow. Colonel Kellogg goes with five companies of his regiment. The Canton company does not go. I am not real well now but I wouldn’t miss this trip to Columbus to save my life. I’ve had my heart set on being at that fight a long time and I’m gong if I can walk two miles.
January 13, ’62. I wrote this letter and thought I wouldn’t send it untill we’d start and save myself a chance of being fooled, but now I’ll send it to show how badly I was misled.
Friday Jan’y 10th 1862
This has been a warm foggy day, streets very mudy. Nothing new in the City worthy of notice. The Burnside Expedition has left Annapolis for Old Point, its destination not yet publicly known. But it is Expected that it will go up some of the Rivers into Virginia. Success attend the gallant General Burnside. I became acquainted with him when he first came on with the 1st R.I. Regt in June last. I have been in the office all day writing Bounty land Patent Deeds. That is my business most of the time in the Land office. Have spent the evening at home. Always find something to do about the house or for the boys if I am not reading or writing letters or something else. Julia is quite unwell tonight from a bad cold. She is taking hot tea to make [her] perspire, hope it is nothing worse than a cold.
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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.
London, January 10, 1862
Captain Wilkes has not positively shipwrecked us, but he has come as near to it without succeeding as he could. Thus far the country has been at least saved the danger of setting up military idols. This reconciles me a little to the slowness of our operations. Another consideration is the crushing nature of our expenditure which must stop this war, if something effective does not follow soon. It is idle to talk of putting down the rebellion whilst our power is resisted successfully within a dozen miles of the capital. This idea prevails so much here that it will undoubtedly become the basis of a movement for recognition before long. . . .
The first effect of the surrender of Messrs. Mason and Slidell has been extraordinary. The current which ran against us with such extreme violence six weeks ago now seems to be going with equal fury in our favor. The reaction in the city was very great yesterday, and even the most violent of the presses, the Times and the Post, are for the moment a little tamed. Possibly, if nothing else should intervene to break its force, this favoring gale may carry us through the first half of the session of Parliament, in other words, until the first of May. If by that time we shall have made no decided progress towards a result, we may as well make up our minds to disbelieve in our power to do it at all. Foreign nations will come to that conclusion if we do not. . . .
London, January 10, 1862
The news of the surrender of the unhung arrived yesterday, and gave us much satisfaction. It was particularly grateful to me because the ground taken is that which the Chief recommended in an early despatch to the Government, in which he quoted Madison’s words. The effect here is good and will help us, but I have little hope that we shall be able to maintain ourselves here much longer. I fear that the meeting of Parliament will be the signal for a grand battle, and March will see us en route for somewhere.
Still there is great activity among our friends here in preparing for the struggle, and Thurlow Weed is organising our forces effectively. We shall die hard I think, and England will have little to be proud of. The blockade is the place where the shoe pinches, and the blockade is now very perfect, I should judge. We shall see what they mean to do. . . .
Financially we are dished. There is but one resort, and that is severe direct taxation. It is in this way alone that the expenses of all modern wars in Europe have been borne, and we must come to it at last, or repudiate. The latter is out of the question, but the Lord knows.
The Legation is tolerably quiet just now, with little doing. Government has behaved well in the Nashville business, and that vessel is now under our guns and without increased armament. Meanwhile the Sumter has turned up and is making trouble in Spain. I wish to God the Tuscarora could catch her and sink her.
Today I find myself in a scrape that is by no manner of means agreeable. The Courier in putting my name to my “Diary” has completely used me up. To my immense astonishment and dismay I found myself this morning sarsed through a whole column of the Times, and am laughed at by all England. You can imagine my sensations. Unless something occurs to make me forgotten, my bed is not likely to be one of roses for some time to come. There is nothing to be done but to grin and bear it. But for the present I shall cease my other writings as I am in agonies for fear they should be exposed. I wish I could get at Raymond, as I don’t want to write myself, for fear my letter should get out. Could n’t you write to him and explain, without mentioning names, why his London correspondent has stopped for a time. My connection with him must on no account be known. The Chief as yet bears this vexation very good-naturedly, but another would be my ruin for a long time. I don’t want him ever to know about it. . . .
Jan. 10. A thick, heavy fog envelopes the bay this morning, so thick we cannot see half the boat’s length. In a little while the fog began to settle, and it looked curious to see the topmasts of the boats and schooners above the fog as they passed us, their hulls being hidden entirely from view.
10 a. m. Weighed anchor and proceeded on our journey. Our boat being first after the flag-boat, we soon passed the boats that ran by us in the fog.
Arrival at Fortress Monroe.
A little before noon we sighted Fortress Monroe, and as we passed the Minnesota and other men-of-war lying in the roads, the sailors sprung into the rigging and cheered lustily, to which the boys responded heartily from the boats, the bands playing as each boat passed.
At 12 m., our boat dropped anchor between the rip raps and the fort. Every available place on the boat for sight seeing was quickly taken, the boys eagerly looking at things the like of which they never saw before, and many of them probably never supposed existed. .
Here it appears is the rendezvous of the expedition; gunboats, tugboats and supply vessels in great numbers are lying here to join us. If one-half the armada lying here accompany us, we may naturally conclude there is heavy work to be done somewhere, or else we are taking force enough to break down all opposition and make an easy job of it.
JANUARY 10TH.—The President is rarely seen in the streets now, and it is complained that he is not so accessible as formerly in his office. I do not know what foundation there is for these reports, and see no reason to credit them. I know he rides out in the afternoon, if the weather be fair, after the labors of the day, and he is a regular attendant at St. Paul’s Church. I am rather inclined to credit the rumor that he intends to join the church. All his messages and proclamations indicate that he is looking to a mightier power than England for assistance. There is a general desire to have the cabinet modified and Christianized upon the inauguration of the permanent government.
January 10.—The Trenton (Tenn.) Standard, of this date, contains the following: “We regret to say that considerable evidence of disloyalty to the Confederate government has been manifested in some of the counties in West-Tennessee since the call upon the militia was made; one county (Carroll) having gone so far, we learn, as positively to refuse to submit to the detail. In Weakly county, also, we learn there was trouble on Monday last, which led to the fear that serious difficulties would occur there; but we understand that matters were settled peaceably and without bloodshed, which was at one time apprehended. In McNairy county, however, the disaffection seems to have reached its highest point, as we see from the West-Tennessee Whig that it was found necessary to send troops into that county to arrest some of the authorities, and to send detachments of soldiers into some of the other counties for the some purpose.”
—At Louisville, Ky., the household effects ofGeneral Simon Bolivar Buckner were offered for sale in front of the Court-House. Quite a crowd assembled, among whom were a number of persons as rampant for “their rights” as a Southern sun could make them; but still among them all there were none—no, not one—who would come forward with the amount, settle the tax bill, and prevent the sale.
Mr. Thuxton, the collector, proceeded with the sale until sufficient money had been realized to pay the taxes on Buckner’s property in Louisville.—Louisville Journal, January 11.
—Colonel Garfield left Paintsville, Ky., yesterday, in pursuit of the flying rebels, and came up with them this morning, finding them posted on an eminence, two thousand five hundred strong, with three pieces of cannon. The fight lasted throughout the day, resulting in the defeat of the rebels, who were commanded by Humphrey Marshall About sixty rebels were killed, twenty-five taken prisoners, and ten horses with a quantity of stores captured. The principal engagement took place at the forks of Middle Creek, Ky., and the road to Prestonburg, only a few miles distant, was laid open.—(Doc. 11.)
An expedition under Generals Grant and McClernand, about five thousand strong, left Cairo, Ill, and started down the Mississippi River this afternoon. They went on the following boats: City of Memphis, Belle Memphis, Emerald with one barge, Fanny Bullitt, W. H. Brown, Alps with two barges, Keystone with two barges, Aleck Scott; and were from the Tenth Illinois regiment, Colonel Morgan; Twenty-seventh Illinois, Colonel Buford; Twenty-ninth Illinois, Colonel Reorden; Thirtieth Illinois, Colonel Fouke; Thirty-first Illinois, Colonel Logan; Forty-eighth Illinois, Colonel Kaynie; Eighteenth Illinois, Colonel Lawler; Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Colonel Dickey; and Captain Swartz’s Artillery, four guns.
They took five days’ cooked rations, about ninety wagons and four hundred mules, together with ambulances, tents, etc. They were landed on the Kentucky shore, eight miles below Cairo, near the mouth of Mayfield creek, and opposite Norfolk, Mo. Two gunboats—the Essex and St Louis, accompanied them.—Cincinnati Enquirer.
A party of Kansas Indians visited Leavenworth for the purpose of ascertaining in what manner and for how long a time they could enlist in the service of the United States Government. During their stay the Chief, Y-o-to-wah, delivered a speech in which he set forth the intentions of his fellows, and expressed the greatest desire to aid in the suppression of the rebellion.—(Doc. 12.)
—The First Kansas regiment, which was sent from Sedalia, Mo., arrived at Lexington and arrested several of the most prominent and active rebels of the town, captured and destroyed about fifteen hundred hogs, which were being packed for the use of General Price’s rebels, and took possession of a good deal of other valuable property.—National Intelligencer, January 16.
—In the United States Senate, the reports of the Judiciary Committee, in favor of the expulsion of Waldo P. Johnson and Trusten Polk, Senators from Missouri, were taken up and unanimously adopted. A copy of the resolutions for their expulsion was ordered to be sent to the Governor of Missouri.—New-York Times, January 11.
—The first auction sale of confiscated cotton from Port Royal occurred in New-York, under orders of the Government. There were seventy-nine bales in all, and the cotton sold at an average of nearly sixty cents per pound, with the exception of two out of the ten lots, (a very inferior quality,) which sold at eighteen and twenty-five cents respectively.
