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

Sunday, March 18, 2012

“The roar of the 13 and 16-inch mortars is truly terrific.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

March 18, 2012

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry)

Near Point Pleasant, Mo., March 18, ’62.

You see we are creeping along down the river surely if the motions are a little slow. This is about 12 miles below Madrid and said to be 75 or 80 below Cairo. It is said that the Rebels have between a dozen and 20 steamboats above here, and I think the object in occupying this point and planting artillery here is to make the assurances we have of catching them, doubly sure, for the river is considerably less in width here than where our guns are at and near Madrid. We received orders to march about sunset last night and started at tattoo. ‘Twas a beautiful ride. The road lay for nearly the whole distance right along the river bank. ‘Twas warm enough without overcoat or gloves and Commander Foote added to the interest of the ride by his sleep-disturbing music up at Island 10. The river makes a horseshoe bend here and Island 10 lays almost directly east of here across the peninsula. The neck is very flat, and we could plainly see the flash of every gun and see the bombs burst in the air when more than 20 or 30 yards from the ground. The roar of the 13 and 16-inch mortars is truly terrific. There was no difficulty in distinguishing their reports from the cannons. The evidences of an earthquake having performed in this country are visible when pointed out. The natives will show you a swamp and say that was once inhabitable, and then they’ll point out a sand ridge about four feet nearer heaven (the surface of course)! and say that was a swamp. Well, we arrived here: at 2 o’clock last night and moved nearly two miles back from the river to be out of range of a battery the enemy have planted on the opposite shore. This two miles, after deducting about 300 yards where the road runs through the little town, was a swamp of mud and water to the horses’ bellies. I noticed our flag flying on the river bank over an inverted Rebel rag. The flag staff was in front of a store that had received three cannon shots from the Rebels in their efforts to cut down our flag. Nearly every house in town has had one or more doses of heavy iron and several have been burned by shells: General Palmer is five miles below here with his brigade. He was lucky enough yesterday to disable two Rebel gunboats out of three that attacked him. I am very anxious to get out of this country and into Tennessee if possible, or if we have to stay on this side, enough below the swamps to make it a little more pleasant. That ride of last night was delicious. The order was to march without any unnecessary noise, and after 10:30 (it was 2 when we got here), the boys were all perfectly quiet, many of them asleep, and I believe I enjoyed myself better than I ever did before m my life. Can’t begin to tell you precisely why, except there might have been some air-castle building, but ’twas very pleasant. I hear to-night that Island 10 was evacuated last night. Think maybe Foote has his hands full up there, and doubt the evacuation idea some. Gracious how it rained last night, commenced just after we got here, with some awful heavy thunder and don’t know how long it lasted. ‘Twas raining to kill when I went to sleep. We had no tents with us and every fellow provided for himself. I went to bed with a lot of bacon and a barrel under a tent fly and slept a la log. To-day it has been real warm. Shirt sleeves and shade were in requisition. Well, I’ll write you a little every day until I can send kittens.

Post image for How it was in Arkansas.

How it was in Arkansas.

March 18, 2012

War Diary of a Union Woman in the South by Dora Richards Miller

March 18, 1862.—There has been unusual gayety in this little village the past few days. The ladies from the surrounding plantations went to work to get up a festival to equip the new company. As Annie and myself are both brides recently from the city, requisition was made upon us for engravings, costumes, music, garlands, and so forth. Annie’s heart was in the work; not so with me. Nevertheless, my pretty things were captured, and shone with just as good a grace last evening as if willingly lent. The ball was a merry one. One of the songs sung was “Nellie Gray,” in which the most distressing feature of slavery is bewailed so pitifully. To sing this at a festival for raising money to clothe soldiers fighting to perpetuate that very thing was strange.

______

Note: To protect Mrs. Miller’s job as a teacher in New Orleans, the diary was published anonymously, edited by G. W. Cable, names were changed and initials were often used instead of full names — and even the initials differed from the real person’s initials.
Post image for Colonel Zook’s official report of the reconnoissance to Cedar Run, under command of General Stoneman.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

Colonel Zook’s official report of the reconnoissance to Cedar Run, under command of General Stoneman.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

March 18, 2012

Diary of a Young Officer–Josiah Marshall Favill (57th New York Infantry)

Manassas Junction, March 18, 1862.

Lieutenant J. M. Favill, A. A. A. General,

Sir: On the 14th instant, about 9:30 A. M., this regiment marched with a brigade of cavalry, all under the command of Brigadier-General George Stoneman, via the Orange and Alexandria railroad to Cedar Run. The march was rendered somewhat tedious and difficult by having nothing better than the ruins of burnt bridges upon which to cross, at Broad and Kettle runs.

At 6:30 P.M., we arrived at a point about a mile and a half east of Cedar Run, where the enemy had driven back a small force of the Sixth cavalry. General Stoneman, here ordered me to send two companies to drive in their pickets. I ordered out Company A, Captain Chapman, on the south side of the road, and H., Captain Horner, on the north, under the command of Major Parisen. Advancing as skirmishers, they drove the enemy before them in the dark to the west end of the run. Here a portion of Captain Chapman’s company, becoming exposed by the light of some burning cars on the road, received a few shots from the enemy, which were promptly returned, but with what effect is not known, further than that the enemy retreated beyond the hills.

About midnight Lieutenant Reid, of Company F, with twenty men, returned to the regiment. He had been sent forward with Lieutenant Brower, from the vicinity of Bristoe Station, in the morning. He reported having seen the enemy’s scouts, at a distance, several times during the day. In the morning General Stoneman ordered the whole regiment forward to Catlett’s Station. Two Companies, B, and I, under Throop and Lieutenant Mott, being deployed in advance as skirmishers, continued their march to the run. Shortly after Major Parisen was sent to asume command of them; they had arrived but a short time, when small parties of the enemy appeared on the opposite bank.

The orders of the general prohibited firing except in reply to fire, but little time, however, was lost in consequence, for they soon commenced firing upon both companies. Their fire was promptly returned, two or three of their saddles being emptied. The general’s object having been accomplished, the regiment retired, the skirmishers were drawn in as a rear guard, and the whole command marched to camp. The return march was severe on account of incessant rain and bad condition of the roads. The difficulty in recrossing Broad and Kettle Runs was increased by the rapid rise of the water. At the former the ruins were swept away whilst two men yet remained to cross. There was no alternative but to leave them behind, but both have since come in.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. K. Zook,

Colonel Commanding Fifty-seventh N. Y.

Post image for “…soaked to the skin, and pretty well used up.”–“…remodeling of the organization of the Army of the Potomac.”–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

“…soaked to the skin, and pretty well used up.”–“…remodeling of the organization of the Army of the Potomac.”–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

March 18, 2012

Diary of a Young Officer–Josiah Marshall Favill (57th New York Infantry)

(March 18th)

I occupied the rebel adjutant general’s office, which was a large, long, log house, with a good fireplace in one end of it, shingle roof, and board door. The roof leaked a good deal, but otherwise the place was very comfortable. We found it strewn with reports, letters, and returns, and picked up a good deal of information from them. When General Stoneman arrived, he had with him two of McClellan’s aides, the Count de Paris and Duke de Chartres; upon his return to camp, general French quartered the Count de Paris and General Stoneman with him, and turned over the Duke de Chartres to me, but before describing our guest I must mention my ride over the plains. Stoneman sent an orderly in advance to General French, asking him to provide a drove of beeves, for the supply of his brigade, upon their arrival in camp. The general directed me to take an orderly and ride over to the commissary station some three or four miles in the rear, and direct him to provide the cattle. It was about four o’clock, and the rain poured down in torrents, flooding the level ground so that it took on more the appearance of a sea than dry land; there being no road nor anything whatever to indicate the route, we pointed in the proper direction at starting, and wrapped in rubber coats and leggings put spurs to our horses, and dashed into the sea of mud and water at the top of our horses’ speed, and only drew rein at the hospitable tent of the commissary. Here we gave the necessary orders, fortified the inner man with copious libations of commissary, and buttoned up to the chin, headed back for the camp. It was nearly dark by this time, the wind dead ahead, and the rain coming down in perfect sheets. Nothing more melancholy or depressing than the appearance of things here can possibly be imagined. Near the commissary’s quarters were the blackened remains of the burnt rebel stores, the guant skeleton chimneys, and the vast expanse of space now overshadowed by night. We started at a full gallop, but the wind and rain beat so dreadfully in our faces our coats were torn open, the horses swerved from their course, and we lost our bearings, so we gave our horses their heads, and at 7 P.M. they carried us into camp soaked to the skin, and pretty well used up. When I dismounted and went into the office, I found most of the brigade staff officers there, and sitting in front of the fire place, his feet up on the rounds of a camp chair, a small, delicate looking man, holding in front of him the daintiest little embroidered handkerchief, making a desperate effort to dry it. The size and style of the handkerchief, the uncomfortable looking position, and general wretchedness of the man, made me laugh outright, in which the rest of the crowd immediately joined. The duke, for it was he, did not catch on at first, and looked much astonished; but finally laughed too, and it ended in a regular fit of laughter; he certainly cut a ridiculous figure, the water running down his breeches, his hair bedraggled, the very picture of despair. After a good supper, we all became hilarious and had a jolly time, in which the duke joined. When we turned in, we took the large office table, pulled it in the centre of the room, where the roof was the tightest, and giving the duke the center, as many others piled on to it as it would hold, and all were soon asleep.

The morning after the return of the cavalry, the weather cleared up and became magnificent, and the fields were soon fit for manœuvering. Nobody seemed to know what was going to happen, but from the fact that most of the army is far in rear of us, we concluded the enemy was retreating, and, it is suspected, towards Fredericksburg. General French, the second day after the storm, ordered a brigade drill with batteries, and the two squadrons of cavalry, and it proved a great and brilliant success, and was continued every day until we withdrew. We found a great deal of amusement wandering over the deserted rebel huts. Several dead bodies were found unburied, and many curious and interesting mementos. They were very comfortable here, but from the number of graves around what were the hospitals, think it must have been an unhealthy spot.

On the 18th, the brigade was ordered to fall back two miles, but the following morning advanced again to its old position. We hear the army is falling back to Alexandria, and being sent to some other part of the country, so expect shortly to retire ourselves. General McClellan seems to have been very much surprised by the enemy’s falling back from this point, and apparently has not yet determined what to do. To-day we received orders from headquarters announcing the remodeling of the organization of the Army of the Potomac. Up to this time the division has been the tactical unit, now it is to be a corps. The order is dated March 13, 1862, and divides the army into four corps; our corps is the second, and General Sumner is promoted to the command of it, and General Richardson to the division which is composed of three brigades: Brigadier-General O. O. Howard the first brigade, General Meagher the Irish brigade, and General French the third brigade. With our division are batteries B, First New York, Captain Pettit, G, First New York, Captain Frank, A, Captain Hogan, and batteries A and C, 4th United States artillery, Captain Hazzard, and Lieutenant Thomas. The present for duty in the division is said to be about eight thousand men.

Post image for A Diary From Dixie

A Diary From Dixie

March 18, 2012

A Diary From Dixie by Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut.

March 18th.—My war archon is beset for commissions, and somebody says for every one given, you make one ingrate and a thousand enemies.

As I entered Miss Mary Stark’s I whispered: “He has promised to vote for Louis.” What radiant faces. To my friend, Miss Mary said, “Your son-in-law, what is he doing for his country?” “He is a tax collector.” Then spoke up the stout old girl: “Look at my cheek; it is red with blushing for you. A great, hale, hearty young man! Fie on him! fie on him! for shame! Tell his wife; run him out of the house with a broomstick; send him down to the coast at least.” Fancy my cheeks. I could not raise my eyes to the poor lady, so mercilessly assaulted. My face was as hot with compassion as the outspoken Miss Mary pretended hers to be with vicarious mortification.

Went to see sweet and saintly Mrs. Bartow. She read us a letter from Mississippi—not so bad: “More men there than the enemy suspected, and torpedoes to blow up the wretches when they came.” Next to see Mrs. Izard. She had with her a relative just from the North. This lady had asked Seward for passports, and he told her to “hold on a while; the road to South Carolina will soon be open to all, open and safe.” To-day Mrs. Arthur Hayne heard from her daughter that Richmond is to be given up. Mrs. Buell is her daughter.

Met Mr. Chesnut, who said: “New Madrid¹ has been given up. I do not know any more than the dead where New Madrid is. It is bad, all the same, this giving up. I can’t stand it. The hemming-in process is nearly complete. The ring of fire is almost unbroken.”

Mr. Chesnut’s negroes offered to fight for him if he would arm them. He pretended to believe them. He says one man can not do it. The whole country must agree to it. He would trust such as he would select, and he would give so many acres of land and his freedom to each one as he enlisted.

Mrs. Albert Rhett came for an office for her son John. I told her Mr. Chesnut would never propose a kinsman for office, but if any one else would bring him forward he would vote for him certainly, as he is so eminently fit for position. Now he is a private.

______

¹ New Madrid, Missouri, had been under siege since March 3, 1862.

Post image for A Diary of American Events.

A Diary of American Events.

March 18, 2012

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

 

March 18.—Jefferson Davis sent a message into the rebel Congress, recommending that all the rebel prisoners who had been put on parole by the United States Government, be released from the obligation of their parole, so as to bear arms in defence of the rebel government.

Of this message the Richmond Examiner said:

“The recommendation was urged as a retaliation for the infamous and reckless breach of good faith on the part of the Northern Government, with regard to the exchange of prisoners, and was accompanied by the exposure of this perfidy in a lengthy correspondence conducted by the War Department We have been enabled to extract the points of this interesting correspondence.

It appears from the correspondence that, at the time permission was asked by the Northern Government for Messrs. Fish and Ames to visit their prisoners within the jurisdiction of the South, our government, while denying this permission, sought to improve the opportunity by concerting a settled plan for the exchange of prisoners. For the execution of this purpose, Messrs. Conrad and Seddon were deputed by our government as Commissioners to meet those of the Northern Government under a flag of truce at Norfolk.

Subsequently, a letter from Gen. Wool was addressed to Gen. Huger, informing him that he (Gen. Wool) had full authority to settle any terms for the exchange of prisoners, and asking an interview on the subject Gen. Howell Cobb was then appointed by the government to mediate with Gen. Wool, and to settle a permanent plan for the exchange of prisoners during the war. The adjustment was considered to have been satisfactorily made.

It was agreed that the prisoners of war in the hands of each government should be exchanged, man for man, the officers being assimilated as to rank, etc., that our privateersmen should be exchanged on the footing of prisoners of war; that any surplus remaining on either side, after these exchanges, should be released, and that hereafter, during the whole continuance of the war, prisoners taken on either side should be paroled.

In carrying out this agreement, our government has released some three hundred prisoners above those exchanged by the North, the balance in the competing numbers of prisoners in the hands of the two governments being so much in our favor. At the time, however, of sending North the hostages we had retained for our privateersmen, Gen. Cobb had reason to suspect the good faith of the Northern Government, and telegraphed in time to intercept the release of a portion of these hostages, (among them Col. Corcoran,) who were en route from points further South than Richmond to go North under a flag of truce to Norfolk. A number of these hostages, however, had already been exchanged.

It now appears that, in contravention of the solemn agreement of the Northern Government, not one of our privateermen have been released, and the Fort Donelson prisoners, instead of being paroled, have been taken into the interior, where they are still confined.

As a judgment upon this open and shameless perfidy of the North, it is proposed that our prisoners, who have been paroled by the Yankees, shall be released from their obligations. There is as little doubt of the honor of such a proposition as there is of its justice and meetness as a retaliatory measure for an act of flagrant perfidy. —Richmond Examiner, March 19.

—The rebel steamer Nashville escaped from the harbor of Beaufort, N. C, this night, evading the National blockading vessels by superior speed.—(Doc. 97.)

—A short time since, anticipating rebel movements in Texas County, Missouri, Gen. Halleck ordered five companies of troops and two light steel six-pounders, mounted on two wheels amd drawn by two horses, under Col. Wood, to repair to that vicinity. Finding no enemy there, Col. Wood pushed on to Salem, Fulton County, Arkansas, where he encountered a largely superior force of rebels, and after a sharp fight routed them, killing about one hundred and taking many prisoners, among whom were three colonels. The National loss was about twenty-five.—(Doc. 98.)

—The ship Emily St Pierre, was this day captured off Charleston, S. C, by the vessels of the United States blockading fleet She had a full cargo of gunnies, and was ostensibly bound to St. John’s, New-Brunswick. She showed no colors, nor was any national ensign found on board. A few moments before she was boarded they were observed to throw over the stern a small package, which immediately sunk.

—To-day Gen. Sickles ordered a portion of the First regiment, Excelsior brigade, under the command of Col. Dwight, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy’s forces between Dumfries and Fredericksburgh, Va. His skirmishers, after marching to a place four miles in the interior, suddenly came upon a force of rebel cavalry, who were put to flight

When within a short distance of Fredericksburgh, a camp of the enemy was discovered, said to number one thousand three hundred infantry and artillery. The force of Col. Dwight being inadequate to make an assault upon them, fearing he might be cut off, he marched toward Dumfries. On the way the force examined a barn where some rebel cavalry were seen to emerge, and found it filled with choice commissary stores, to which the soldiers helped themselves.

On the march from Dumfries to Shipping Point, within five miles of the latter place, a large camp was discovered, containing many good log houses and tents. Articles of furniture were also found, such as sofas, bedsteads, mirrors, cushioned arm-chairs, officers’ trunks, mess chests, and a variety of articles for camp use, which lay scattered in every direction.

The soldiers of Col. Dwight’s force came in at Shipping Point loaded down with commissary stores or articles in the shape of trinkets. One prisoner was captured, who said he belonged to a North-Carolina regiment stationed at Aquia Creek.—N. Y. Times, March 20.

—Aquia Creek, Va., was evacuated by the rebels to-night Previous to their retreat they burned the wharves and buildings of the town. —A New military department, to be called the Middle Department, and to consist of the States of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, and the counties of Cecil, Hartford, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel, in Maryland, was created. Major-Gen. Dix, was assigned the command, his headquarters at Baltimore.

—Near New-Madrid, Mo., Gen. Pope allowed a rebel gunboat to approach within fifty yards of a masked battery, and then sunk her, killing fifteen of those on board. He had previously allowed five rebel steamers to pass on toward the town, and they are now between his batteries, unable to escape.—N. Y. Tribune, March 22.

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