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

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Post image for Kate Cumming: A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

Kate Cumming: A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

April 18, 2012

Kate Cumming: A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

April 18.—I remained with Mr. Wasson all night. A child could not have been more composed. He told me how good the Lord was in giving him such peace and strength at the last hour. About 4 o’clock A. M. he insisted that I should leave him, as I required rest. He begged so hard that I left him for a little while. When I returned he had breathed his last. One of his companions was with him, and was very attentive—told me that he died as if he was going to sleep. As Bryant has so beautifully expressed it:

 

“Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch

About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.”

“O, gently close the eye

That loved to look on you;

O, seal the lip whose earliest sigh,

Whose latest breath, was true.”

 

Mr. Regan died this morning; was out of his mind to the last.

Since I have been here, I have been more deeply impressed than ever before with the importance of preparing while in health for that great change that must, sooner or later, happen to all. I see that it is almost impossible, while the physical system is suffering, to compose the thoughts on that all-important subject. For days before their final dissolution, many of those we see here are wandering in their minds, so that it is impossible for them to repent; and God has given us but one example of death-bed repentance, but his holy book is filled with denunciations against those who reject the gospel and quench the Holy Spirit. “Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because, when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear.” Isaiah xiii, 12.

It does seem strange that, amid all the terrible scenes of destruction that we are daily witnessing, we think as little of death as ever, and act as if it was something that might happen to others, but never to ourselves.

 

“The voice of this instructive scene

May every heart obey,

Nor be the faithful warning vain,

Which calls to watch and pray.

 

O, let us to that Savior fly

Whose arm alone can save;

Then shall our hopes ascend on high,

And triumph over the grave.”

Mrs. Lyons left this morning for home. She was very sick; and one of the doctors informed her, if she did not leave immediately, she would certainly die. I know the men whom she has been nursing will miss her very much, as she has been so attentive to them.

While I was giving some sermons to the men to read, I met with Dr. Foster of Natchez, Miss., who is here for the purpose of taking home some wounded men. He looked at the sermons. They were preached by Rev. Dr. Pierce on last fastday, in St. John’s Church, Mobile. The first warned us not to put our trust in any thing earthly, but in Him alone who sitteth in the heavens; and, as just as our cause was, if we trusted in man alone, it would come to naught. The other said, as we profess to be a Christian nation, we should act with that forbearance toward our enemies which Christians should always manifest; and, wronged and abused though we be, we must not hate. This task is a hard one; so the author advises us to have hourly upon our lips the language of his text: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” After examining them, Dr. F. asked me to get some copies for him, as he thought that they would be the means of doing much good in the army.

Dr. Smith has taken charge of this hospital. I think that there will be a different order of things now. He is having the house and yard well cleansed. Before this, it was common to have amputated limbs thrown into the yard, and left there.

Mrs. Glassburn and myself started to go to College Hospital, when we met the doctor who spoke to my patient last night, and he went with us. His name is Hughes—is from Lexington, Ky. The walk was very pleasant. Met a general and his staff. The doctor thought it was General Polk—our bishop-general, as he is called. We called at a shed on the way; found it filled with wounded, lying on the floor; some men attending them. All were in the best of spirits. Mrs. G. promised to send them some of our good things. When we arrived at the hospital, we were charmed with the cleanliness and neatness visible on every side. The Sisters of Charity have charge of the domestic part, and, as usual with them, every thing is parfait. We were received very kindly by them. One was a friend of Mrs. G. She took us through the hospital. The grounds are very neatly laid out . Before the war it was a female college. I saw, as his mother requested, Mr. John Lyons, who is sick; he is a member of Ketchum’s Battery. The wounded seem to be doing very well. One of the surgeons complained bitterly of the bad management of the railroad, and said that its managers should be punished, as they were the cause of a great deal of unnecessary suffering. They take their own time to transport the wounded, and it is impossible to depend upon them. That is the reason why we see so many sick men lying around the depot. Crossing the depot upon our return, we saw a whole Mississippi regiment sick, awaiting transportation. They looked very badly, and nearly all had a cough.

Post image for Journal of Surgeon Alfred L. Castleman.

Journal of Surgeon Alfred L. Castleman.

April 18, 2012

Journal of Surgeon Alfred L Castleman.

18th.—Severe picket firing occasionally through the night, by which the army was twice called out. No fighting to-day, but our troops are still throwing up earthworks on the battle field of the 16th. Wrote General H. to-day, asking to be relieved from serving longer on his staff.

The boat is very crowded.

April 18, 2012

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Joe Howland to Eliza Woolsey Howland.

Steamer Daniel Webster, April 18.

I have a chance to send a boat ashore to get a mail and so can say good morning to you. All the steamers are lying in the stream two or three miles below Alexandria receiving their “tows.” There are about a hundred schooners and barges to take down. We tow four. All’s well. The boat is very crowded, but the men are more comfortable than I supposed they would be and are behaving admirably. The work of getting them well on board was a hard one. I have 820 officers and men on this boat and the four schooners. The sick are doing well; the change of air and rest are curing the dysentery. I do not know where we are going.

Steamer to be fit up as a hospital ship.

April 18, 2012

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Cousin Margaret Hodge to Georgeanna.

Philadelphia, April, 62.

My dear Georgy: I feel a great interest in dear Eliza and yourself, and also in your dear mother, and all the family, knowing how anxious you must all be about Joe. I do wish you could get to Fortress Monroe, or, as you say, to the Hygiea Hotel. . . . We had a letter this morning from Lenox, dated from on board the steamer Welden, which Dr. Smith has chartered to fit up as a hospital ship for the Pennsylvania wounded. You know we have 50,000 at Yorktown, at least so say the papers.

Lenox seems much pleased that they have the steamer, as it makes them so independent, and enables them to go where they may be most needed, without troubling any one. Dr. Smith’s plan is to have a building on shore for a hospital, and the steamer can convey the wounded to it. Some of the doctors are to attend to their removal from the field, while some are to take charge of them on the steamer, and the remainder to receive them at the hospital. . . . Lenox was just going off to Cheesman’s landing. He is very much interested in all he sees; has visited the Monitor and been all over it, and also he had been over the fortress and visited several camps.

It is a great trial to part with him, but he has wanted so long to do what he could for the cause that it is a great gratification that he can go now without interfering with his duty to his father. The lectures are over, and he can spare him better than he could before, though even now Lenox is a great loss to his father… .

My love to your dear mother and Hatty, and say I am still looking for their promised visit, and shall count on their coming here on their way home. We have Lottie and baby here now, for a little visit, but I have plenty of room for all.

Post image for Quite a little engagement on the left.–A host of unpleasant rumors afloat.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

Quite a little engagement on the left.–A host of unpleasant rumors afloat.–Diary of Josiah Marshall Favill.

April 18, 2012

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

April 18th. At twelve o’clock last night we were suddenly routed out by a heavy cannonading and musketry, apparently in our front. As we always sleep here fully accoutred, we had nothing to do but grasp our arms and rush for the color line. Stood in line about an hour, watching the beautiful effect of the shell fire in the dark night, and then dismissed the regiment, but got little sleep, as the firing continued, apparently, without any object. We learned subsequently that the pickets had been engaged in our front, and that quite a little engagement had taken place on the left, where the officer commanding has made a reconnoisance. During the afternoon a string of ambulances came in, bringing about one hundred wounded men and passed to the rear. In the evening we gathered some particulars of the last two or three days’ operations about the movement of the troops. The reconnoisance was made by General Smith, commanding a division of Key’s corps, at a place known as dam No. 1, on the Warwick river, between Lees and Wigans mills. The dam, defended by a rebel battery of two guns and a line of rifle pits, was attacked by Brook’s Vermont brigade, under cover of the fire of a battery of artillery. After the battery had shelled the works, the brigade made a rush for the dam, driving back the rebel pickets, and captured and occupied their rifle pits. Smith found but few troops to oppose him, and in one of the small redouts nothing but wooden guns. Later on, several companies of the Third Vermont crossed the river below the dam and carried the works there with ease, driving the enemy pell mell before them. Expecting to be reenforced, they held on to this position till the enemy moved down upon them in force, obliging them to retire across the river under a heavy and destructive fire, losing nearly one hundred men in the retreat. The heavy cannonading we heard yesterday in that quarter was Smith’s guns. There are a host of unpleasant rumors afloat which we have no means of verifying, and, therefore, I shall not mention them, but the affair was undoubtedly badly managed. The greatest need of our army seems to be general officers that know something, to lead it, but, of course, we can’t believe all we hear. After tattoo, received orders to hold ourselves in readiness to move forward into the advanced trenches to-morrow.

Post image for A Diary of American Events.

A Diary of American Events.

April 18, 2012

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

April 18.—The United States gunboat Tioga was successfully launched at the Navy-Yard at Charlestown, Mass., this afternoon.—N. Y. Tribune, April 19.

—At Philadelphia, Pa., Parson Brownlow was received at Independence Hall by the city authorities this morning —Mr. Tregg, President of the Common Council, receiving him with words of the heartiest welcome. Mr. Brownlow replied in a characteristic address of some length, delivered from a stand erected in front of the Hall, to an immense audience. He recited the tribulations East-Tennessee Unionists had undergone. —Philadelphia Press, April 19.

—Wm. Gilchrist, arrested some months ago on the charge of furnishing “aid and comfort to the enemy,” and sent to Fort Warren, and afterward upon his release, by order of the Government, arrested by Detective Franklin, on the charge of “treason,” has now been discharged unconditionally, after months’ imprisonment, without trial.—K Y. Commercial, April 19.

—Gen. McClellan, before Yorktown, Va., telegraphed as follows to the War Department: “At about one half-hour after midnight, the enemy attacked Smith’s position, and attempted to carry his guns. Smith repulsed them handsomely, and took some prisoners. I have no details. Will forward them as soon as my aids return. The firing was very heavy. All is now quiet.

“Second Despatch.—My position occupied yesterday by Smith was intrenched last night, so that we have been able to prevent the enemy from working to-day, and kept his guns silent Same result at the batteries at Hyam’s Mills.

“Yorktown was shelled by our gunboats and some of our barges to-day, without effect

“There has been a good deal of firing from the Yorktown land batteries.”

—Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburgh, Va:, was occupied by the forces of the United States. Their progress was disputed by a rebel force of one regiment of infantry, one of cavalry, and a battery of artillery, which attempted to make two distinct stands. They wore, however, driven across the Rappahannock, after inflicting upon the Unionists a loss of five killed and sixteen wounded, all of them cavalry, including Lieut. Decker, of the Harris cavalry, killed; Col. Fitzpatrick, wounded, and a valuable scout, named Britten, badly wounded. Col. Bayard’s horse was badly wounded under him. Immediately after making their escape across the Rappahannock bridge, opposite Fredericksburgh, the rebels applied the torch to it, and thus temporarily delayed progress into the town.—(Doc. 143.)

In the afternoon, Lieut. Wood, of Gen. King’s staff, Lieut. Campbell, Fourth artillery, and Major Duffle, of the Harris light cavalry, crossed the Rappahannock under a flag of truce, and communicated with the municipal authorities of the city.

The City Councils had called a meeting immediately after the appearance of the forces, and appointed a committee consisting of the Mayor, Mr. Slaughter, three members from each Board, and three citizens, to confer with Gen. Augur relative to the occupation of Fredericksburgh and the protection of property. The Councils at the same time adopted a series of resolutions declaring that the city, since the adoption of the ordinance of secession, had been unanimously in favor of disunion, and was still firmly attached to the Southern cause, surrendering only upon conditions of protection to private property.

—Martial law was declared in Eastern Tennessee, by the rebel government.—(Doc. 141.)

—Henry T. Clark, the rebel Governor of North Carolina, issued the following notice to the people of that State:

“By an advertisement in the public papers, signed W. S. Ashe, you are informed that he will appoint, and send agents through every county in the State to borrow, purchase, and, if necessary, to impress, all the arms now in the hands of private citizens.

“Any attempt to seize the arms of our citizens is directly at variance with the Constitution, and in opposition to the declared policy of the government, which makes it the duty of every citizen to keep and bear arms, and protects the arms of the militia even from execution for debt

“But while I notify you that these agents have no lawful authority to seize your private arms, and you will be protected in preserving the means of self-defence, I must enjoin upon you in this emergency, as an act of the highest patriotism and duty, that you should discover to the proper State authorities all public arms, muskets or rifles, within your knowledge, and of selling to the State all the arms, the property of individuals, which can be spared.

“The colonels of the several regiments of militia will act as agents for the State, and will notify me whenever any such arms are delivered or offered to them. Their prompt and earnest attention is called to the execution of this order.— Raleigh Standard, April 26.

—The bombardment of Forts Jackson and St Philip, on the Mississippi River below New-Orleans, was this day commenced by the National fleet under the command of Flag-Officer Farragut.

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