Sunday March 30th
This has been a cold rainy day, as uncomfortable for the soldiers as could well be. It rained so hard that none of us went to church in the morning. Wife and the boys went in the afternoon. I have not been out, staid in the house reading.
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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.
30th—Slept in the open air again last night; it rained, and I awoke in a pool of water. Strange that we do not take cold from such exposure. I never felt better, and I notice that very few of the soldiers take cold from any amount of exposure at this season of the year.
MARCH 30TH—Gen. Lee is to have command of all the armies —but will not be in the field himself. He will reside here. Congress passed an act to create a commanding general; but this was vetoed, for trenching on the executive prerogative—or failed in some way. The proceedings were in secret session.
Sunday, 30th—This is our first Sunday in camp in the “Sunny South.” We had company inspection with all accouterments on, by the colonel of our regiment, Colonel Hare.
30th. Sunday. Brigade review, Second Ohio Cavalry, Ninth Wisconsin Infantry and Rabb’s Battery practiced with guns. Helped foot up officers account with Q. M. Received and answered a good letter from Fannie.
Raleigh, March 30, 1862. Sunday night.
Dearest : — I received your good letters tonight. I will recollect Will De Charmes and do what I can properly, and more too. I wish you and the boys and Grandma were here tonight to enjoy the sacred music of our band. They are now full (eighteen) and better than ever. The regiment is also strong and looks big and effective. Eight companies on dress parade looked bigger than the regiment has ever seemed since we left Camp Chase. The service performed the last ten days, breaking up bushwhackers and Governor Letcher’s militia musters, is prodigious. They have marched in snow four to six inches deep on the mountains sixty-five miles in three days, and look all the better for it. — Much love to Grandma and the dear boys. Ever so lovingly yours,
R.
I hear of Lippett’s arrest and Whitcomb’s death; both sad for families, but Lippett better have gone into the army and been killed.
Mrs. Hayes.
To Mrs. Lyon
March 30, 1862.—Jeff Thompson and Pillow both had headquarters here last winter and ravaged the country. The regiment is still at Mt. Pleasant doing nothing. We do not expect to join it until we can go down the river. Our forces are cutting a channel through from above Island No. 10, about one-half mile long, which leads into a bayou or slough and will give us water communication to New Madrid without passing the island. Our business here is to take care of a section of the railroad and to help in the trans-shipment from cars to wagons of supplies for the army at New Madrid.
March 30.—At Pensacola, Fla., Colonel T. M. Jones, commander at that place, issued the following:
“For the information of all concerned: There are certain lounging, worthless people, white as well as colored, who frequent Pensacola and vicinity, and have no observable occupation. Their intentions may be honest; but the colonel commanding does not believe it, and as he has no use for their presence, they are warned to leave, or the consequence must rest on their own heads. The gallows is erected in Pensacola, and will be in constant use on and after the third of April, 1862. The town is under complete martial law.”
—Lieut. Drake De Kay, aid to Gen. Mansfield, at Newport News, Va., started on a small trip up the James River, accompanied by some of the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts regiment When some eight or nine miles from camp, on going round a bend in the river, he came suddenly upon a boat containing five secessionists, named John Moore and son, John Parker, W. Burnham, (constable for a number of years in Warwick,) and W. T. Wilburn. The whole party belonged to Warwick, and had been supplying the secession army along the James River with rations. Their boat was loaded with flour, fish, tobacco, eggs, whisky, etc. The whole cargo was confiscated, and the rebel crew imprisoned. — Philadelphia Inquirer.
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