Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

March 4.—John B. Gough lectured in Bemis Hall last night and was entertained by Governor Clark. I told Grandfather that I had an invitation to the lecture and he asked me who from. I told him from Mr Noah T. Clarke’s brother. He did not make the least objection and I was awfully glad, because he has asked me to the whole course. Wendell Phillips and Horace Greeley, E. H. Chapin and John G. Saxe and Bayard Taylor are expected. John B. Gough’s lecture was fine. He can make an audience laugh as much by wagging his coattails as some men can by talking an hour.

4th.—In statu quo as far as our armies are concerned. The Nashville, a Confederate steamer, that has been watched by eight Federal war vessels, came into port the other day, at Beaufort, North Carolina, after many hairbreadth escapes, bringing a rich burden.

Tuesday, March 4. — I found that my horse had cast a shoe yesterday, so that I was obliged to have one put on this morning by the farrier at Martin’s Battery. General Porter returned this morning from Washington. I received an invitation from General Butterfield yesterday to attend Miss Chase’s reception, but as General Porter did not go, I thought it hardly worth the while. James went to Washington to-day, and bought himself a pair of boots, etc.

Tuesday 4th

This is Julias Birth day. I must try and make her some little present. There is talk about town the the [sic] Illumination “goes off” tonight but I think it will not. It has been dry today but the Weather does not appear to be settled yet. No news that I have heard of.

______

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.

MARCH 4TH.—We shall have stirring times here. Our troops are to be marched through Richmond immediately, for the defense of Yorktown—the same town surrendered by Lord Cornwallis to Washington. But its fall or its successful defense now will signify nothing.

Tuesday, 4th—Nothing of importance.

Monday, March 4th. Procured rations for seven days preparatory to our trip to Fort Scott. First Battalion and “General” moved. Got some chickens baked by a woman who was a messenger in the Lexington fight, and who was a prisoner one week. Heard some little girls sing. Had a turkey baked by some Union ladies who were afraid we might be poisoned by the secesh. God bless these friends! Gave a lady some coffee and sugar.

Tuesday, 4. — Bright, cold, snow on ground. Ride with Dr. Joe, A. M. Webby doesn’t like the bit; it brings the blood. A good horse, I think.

Today a German soldier, Hegelman, asks to marry a girl living near here. She comes in to see me on the same subject; a good-looking girl, French on her father’s side, name, Elizabeth Ann de Quasie. A neighbor tells me she is a queer girl; has belonged to the Christian, Baptist, and Methodist church, that she now prefers the Big Church. She has a doubtful reputation. When Charles Hegelman came in to get permission to go to Gauley to get married by the chaplain of the Twenty-eighth, I asked him why he was in a hurry to marry; if he knew much about her; and what was her name. He replied, “I like her looks”; and after confessing that he didn’t know her name, that he thought it was Eliza Watson(!), he admitted that the thing was this: Eight hundred dollars had been left to him payable on his marriage, and he wanted the money out at interest!

A jolly evening with Drs. Webb and McCurdy and Lieutenants Avery and Bottsford at my room. Bottsford giving his California experience — gambling, fiddling, spreeing, washing clothes, driving mules, keeping tavern, grocery, digging, clerking, etc., etc., rich and poor, in debt and working it out; all in two or three years.

News on the wires that the Rebels have Murfreesboro; that Pope takes four or six guns from Jeff Thompson; that there is appearance of a move at Centreville and also of a move on Charleston, Virginia, and the capture of six hundred barrels of flour.

4th.—I returned from Washington to-day, and was met by Colonel _____, who told me that the Brigade Commander had ordered him to have every hospital nurse who had taken any part in the purchase or presentation of the sword to me, dismissed from hospital and returned to the ranks. Well, now, who is to do that? I shall not; and I am glad that our Commander of Brigade has had pride enough to rise to this trick to find out who they are, rather, than (pencil in hand) to go sneaking around, asking “Who did it?” But he will miss fire; I shall dismiss nobody. I would rather he would catch himself in the little act of nosing around for information. I doubt not he will do it, or even dirtier work, rather than let slip any opportunity to gratify his vindictiveness.

After I received this verbal order, I sat down and wrote a defiant letter to the General, giving him my estimate of such doings, but then, feeling that it might redound to the injury of my friends, who were sharing his displeasure with me, I suppressed it, and sent a request to the General to be permitted to see him on the subject. I received the manly reply: “When the order is carried out!” If we never meet till I carry out that order, these eyes will for a long time be relieved of performing a most disagreeable duty. He may perform the duty; I shall not. In the hope, however, of relieving my friends from his further vindictiveness, I determined on another attempt to mollify, and here record the attempt, with its result:

Headquarters Medical Department,”
_____ Reg’t. _____ Vols,

Colonel:—

Permit me, through you, to lay before Brigadier General _____, the following statement of facts: During the autumn and early part of the winter, the sickness in our regiment was unusually severe. Often, one half of our nurses were sick, and the rest worn down by fatigue. Rather than draw more strength from the regiment to our aid, I, after my official duties of the day were over, did, for weeks together, spend the greater part of every night in the unofficial, and, perhaps, undignified capacity of nurse, sending the exhausted nurses to their beds, and ministering to the wants of the sick. I rarely retired before two o’clock in the morning. During this time I was so fortunate as to gain the affection and gratitude of those for whom I labored, whilst many of them were still feeble, scarcely able to leave their beds, they decided to express their gratitude for my personal efforts, by a new year’s gift to me. They forgot that in becoming soldiers they ceased to be men, and gave vent to their feelings by presenting me a sword. If, in this presentation, there were “deliberations or discussions having the object of conveying praise or censure” for me, officially, as stated by the General, I have not been able to discover it. The circumstances attending—the spirit of the address—the inscription on the scabbard, all point to a different feeling and another object. With feelings of the deepest regret, I learn that this act of theirs meets the disapproval of the Brigade Commander, and that these men are to become the objects of censure and punishment.

For six months, these soldiers, by the direction of the Medical Director of the Army, have been thoroughly trained to the performance of those duties which are expected of hospital attendants on the field of battle, and I venture nothing in saying that the hospital under their care will show that they are second to no corps on the Potomac.

Under this state of facts, I respectfully appeal to the Brigade Commander, and beg that he will revoke the order dismissing these nurses and filling the hospital with inexperienced ones, at the moment when we are expecting to enter the battle field, and to need all the experience in our reach.

I waive all considerations of my own mortification, and will even cheerfully bear a public reprimand for myself. I put aside the consideration of the inconvenience which theer dismissal will bring on me; I put aside even their mortification and disappointment; but, in behalf of the sick, the wounded, the dying of my regiment, I appeal for the revocation of this order.

I beg, Sir, to remain,

Respectfully, your ob’t serv’t,

______ _______
Surgeon _____ Volunteers.

To Colonel _______, Commanding _______ Vols.

With this last appeal I close the labors of this day.

March 4.—An intelligent gentleman, arrived in Richmond, Va., from the South, states that the whole country is in a blaze of patriotic enthusiasm. The late reverses have awakened a military spirit which throws into the shade the glorious demonstrations at the beginning of the war. The whole population is offering itself en masse for the defence of the county. It is said that nothing like the universal and fervid awakening of the people to the exigencies of the times has occurred before from the beginning of the war. Men of all ages are eager to unite in the holy work of driving back the foul invader from our Southern homes, and even the women, if they could procure arms, would buckle them on and hasten to the field. As it is, the prayers of mothers, wives and daughters, were sent up unceasingly to Heaven in behalf of ” the case, the cause, the course,” that is giving strength even to the arm of old age, converting boys into veterans, and even the weak and timid into heroes.

Let the government keep up with the energy of the people, and we have every reason to believe it will; let the government emulate the splendid boldness of the soldier, and the tide of battle will soon be in our favor. Let all be prepared for sacrifices, to make bonfires of cotton and tobacco, and convert every Southern town to ashes, rather than to submit to a base and inhuman foe. In such a spirit, and with humble reliance on Heaven, our independence is as sure as the rising of to-morrow’s sun.—Richmond Dispatch, March 5.

—A General order was issued by Gen. McClellan, dismissing Col. James E. Kerrigan, of the Twenty-fifth regiment N. Y. S. V., from the service. The court-martial found him guilty of habitual neglect of duty; conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline; violation of the forty-fourth article of war in failing to attend a meeting of officers ordered by his brigadier general; a violation of the ninth article of war; and sleeping outside the camp without leave.— N. Y. Commercial, March 5.

—The Senate of the United States confirmed the nomination of Senator Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, as Brigadier-General, at the nomination of the President, and the Senator at once proceeded- to organize a provisional government for Tennessee, over which he is to preside as Military Governor until a regular civil government is organized.—National Intelligencer.

—Gen. Shields passed through Charlestown, Va., this day, on his way to take command of the late Gen. Lander’s brigade.—Mrs. William H. Norris was arrested at her residence in Baltimore, Md., by orders from Washington, and conveyed to that city, on the charge of transmitting clothing to persons in the rebel army in Virginia.— Baltimore American, March 5.

—Gen. Hitchcock has been compelled, on account of impaired health, which will not permit him to perform the responsible duties of the position in the field, to decline the appointment of Major-General lately tendered by the President with the approval of the Senate. His letter to this effect utters strong Union sentiments, his fervent desire that the rebellion may be speedily overthrown, and his confident belief that this will soon take place, and the authority of the Federal Government everywhere be reestablished. He expresses great admiration of the recent brilliant achievements in the West, and of the military genius which they manifest.—National Intelligencer, March 5.