Commerce, Mo., February 25, 1862.
We start to-morrow morning for ______ with from 25,000 to 40,000 men, who are all piled up here in all kinds of shifts. Our regiment takes the advance. At a venture I’ll bet we get whaled, by vastly superior forces. Goodnight.
Feb. 25. This being a warm, sunny day, a small party of us thought we would take a stroll up to the head of the island, a mile or two, and perhaps we might find some traces or relics of Raleigh’s expedition. Arriving at our destination, we discovered a large, weather-beaten two-storied house, built at some remote period, and surrounded by large live oak trees. We had not the slightest doubt but that this was the house built by Lane and his party. Seeing a man standing outside, whom we supposed was the gentlemanly proprietor of the ranche, we approached, and saluting him very respectfully, inquired if he was in receipt of any recent advices from Raleigh’s expedition. He looked at us in utter astonishment and said he knew nothing about it and reckoned there had been “no sich expedition yere.” He said, “Burnside’s expedition was yere,” and “reckoned that was about enough;” he couldn’t see the use of any more coming. We bade the gentleman good day and left. In looking around for relics, Whipple picked up an old shoe heel. Here was a prize surely, a veritable relic of Raleigh’s party. Whipple put it in his pocket, intending, as he said, to send it to the antiquarian society at Worcester, and indulging in the hope that for presenting such a priceless relic, they would at least vote him an honorary member of the society. Relics being scarce, we went up to the shore where we could look up the Albemarle. The wind was blowing gently down the sound, and the little rollers were breaking on the beach at our feet. It was pretty warm; the water looked clear and really refreshing. Some one proposed taking a dip. No sooner said than off came our clothes and in we plunged. Egad! such a scrambling and floundering to get out is seldom seen. It reminded me of a basket of lobsters turned into a tub of scalding water. The water was ice cold, and I thought I should certainly freeze before getting out. After getting on my clothes and getting warm, I certainly felt better for my bath. It was agreed by all hands that February was the wrong season of the year for out-door bathing. Whipple is despondent, his hopes are dashed. He came to me and informed me that he had carefully inspected the shoe heel, and found it put together with cut nails, which are a much more recent invention than Raleigh’s expedition.
Tuesday, February 25. —Wind moderated, and day pleasant. Went up to General Morell’s to see a flag-presentation, but got tired waiting and so rode home with Tom Sherwin. Got our new cook to-day.
Tuesday Feb 25th 1862
Nothing in particular has occured today. But it has been a clear dry day with a bright sun. Yesterday the wind did much damage blowing off roofs and ruining the Baptist church on 13th Street. Went over with the boys after dinner to see it today. Called on our return at Franklin Square to see the Dress Parade of the “Regulars,” parts of the 3rd & 10th Regts, 11 Companies. Called down to the “National” this evening, got NY papers.
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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.
FEBRUARY 25TH. —And Nashville must fall—although no one seems to anticipate such calamity. We must run the career of disasters allotted us, and await the turning of the tide.
Tuesday, 25th—No news of any importance. There is some talk of our having to stay at this place all summer. We have company drill twice a day and with the other four companies of our regiment here now, have dress parade at 5 p. m.
February 25th. Had quite a scare through the bursting of one of our boilers, which made a loud report and a large amount of confusion, but did slight damage.
25th. On duty around in the wet.
February 25th.—They have taken at Nashville¹ more men than we had at Manassas; there was bad handling of troops, we poor women think, or this would not be. Mr. Venable added bitterly, “Giving up our soldiers to the enemy means giving up the cause. We can not replace them.” The up-country men were Union men generally, and the low-country seceders. The former growl; they never liked those aristocratic boroughs and parishes, they had themselves a good and prosperous country, a good constitution, and were satisfied. But they had to go—to leave all and fight for the others who brought on all the trouble, and who do not show too much disposition to fight for themselves.
That is the extreme up-country view. The extreme lowcountry says Jeff Davis is not enough out of the Union yet. His inaugural address reads as one of his speeches did four years ago in the United States Senate.
A letter in a morning paper accused Mr. Chesnut of staying too long in Charleston. The editor was asked for the writer’s name. He gave it as Little Moses, the Governor’s secretary. When Little Moses was spoken to, in a great trepidation he said that Mrs. Pickens wrote it, and got him to publish it; so it was dropped, for Little Moses is such an arrant liar no one can believe him. Besides, if that sort of thing amuses Mrs. Pickens, let her amuse herself.
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¹ Nashville was evacuated by the Confederates under Albert Sidney Johnston, in February, 1862.
February 25.—General Henry Heth and staff have arrived at Lewisburgh, Va. He takes command of the forces of Kanawha. He was greeted with great applause by the troops, many of whom were in his old command, and all knew him by reputation. Great confidence is felt in this young and talented officer, and no one could have been sent who gives so universal satisfaction.—Richmond Dispatch, February 28.
—The Savannah Republican of this date says: A reconnoissance by the steamer Savannah, yesterday, brought to light all the movements of the enemy in our river. They have erected three batteries, which effectually cut off all communication with the Fort—one of four guns, on Venus’s Point, one of the same number of guns on a small marsh, just above Long Island, and commanding the south channel, and the third on boats moored in Mud River. The three are located in the form of a triangle, and could not be passed by any vessel in our service. The guns are all of a heavy calibre, most of them throwing shot to the distance of three miles. A number were fired at the Savannah, but they all fell short.
—Major Ferdinand Lacomte formally received his appointment on Major-General McClellan’s staff. He is considered one of the most intelligent, energetic officers in the Swiss service, and is known as an author as well as a soldier. He obtained leave of absence from his own government to enter the National army.
—The city of Nashville, on the Cumberland River, capital of Tennessee, was occupied this morning by the National forces under command of General Nelson, U.S.A. No opposition was made to the landing of the troops, who had been conveyed from Clarksville by steamer. The greatest panic prevailed in the city on the announcement of the approach of the National soldiers. Large numbers of the inhabitants fled with the retreating rebel army, and a vast amount of property was wantonly destroyed by the fugitives.— (Doc. 63.)
—The Ninth Ohio and Second Minnesota regiments this afternoon received two splendid flags from the loyal ladies of Louisville, in commemoration of their victory at Mill Springs on January nineteenth. Considerable enthusiasm attended the presentation.—Louisville Journal, Feb. 26.
—An important order was issued from the War Department at Washington, in relation to the transmission of intelligence in regard to military operations. All the telegraph lines in the United States (loyal States, we presume, is meant) were taken possession of by the War Department, and all telegraphic communications in respect to military operations, not authorized by the War Department, were forbidden. Newspapers publishing military intelligence, however obtained, and by whatever medium received, not authorized by the official authority, were excluded thereafter from receiving intelligence by telegraph, or transmitting their papers by railroad.
—The rebel General Sterling Price sent an official report of his retreat from the State of Missouri, to the disloyal Governor C. F. Jackson, dated at Camp on Cove Creek, Arkansas. He states that, having occupied Springfield, Mo., for the purpose of being within reach of supplies, etc., he was attacked by superior numbers of National troops on the twelfth inst., and deemed it prudent to retreat. After a fatiguing march of over four days’ duration, with continual skirmishing with the National troops, he succeeded in reaching Cross Hollows, Arkansas, with a loss of from four to six killed and fifteen or eighteen wounded.— (Doc. 64.)
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