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

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

August 21 — This morning we went down the railroad and had a very spirited and warmish fight with a Yankee battery. They had the advantage of us both in the number of pieces and position, but we stuck to our position for a while, under a hot and well directed fire, and for about forty minutes gave them in return the best work we could furnish at short notice, then cried enough and withdrew under fire.

After the fight we moved up to the Hazel River, crossed it and went nearly to the Rappahannock, then moved back a little distance and camped near the Hazel River.

At dusk this evening we heard heavy cannonading and some musketry down the Rappahannock. The whole country around here seems to be full of Yankees. We will tree some of them before long; perhaps tomorrow.

August 21st.

Miriam and mother are going to Baton Rouge in a few hours, to see if anything can be saved from the general wreck. From the reports of the removal of the Penitentiary machinery, State Library, Washington Statue, etc., we presume that that part of the town yet standing is to be burnt like the rest. I think, though, that mother has delayed too long. However, I dreamed last night that we had saved a great deal, in trunks; and my dreams sometimes come true. Waking with that impression, I was surprised, a few hours after, to hear mother’s sudden determination. But I also dreamed I was about to marry a Federal officer! That was in consequence of having answered the question, whether I would do so, with an emphatic “Yes! if I loved him,” which will probably ruin my reputation as a patriot in this parish. Bah! I am no bigot! — or fool either. . . .

21st.—Camped last night in sight of Big Bethel, and left this morning at 5 o’clock. After a brisk march of four hours, we reached Hampton, (12 miles.) As we reached the summit of a ridge and the Roads, and the shipping two miles off suddenly burst upon the view, how intensely did I realize the feeling of a scarred leader in a ten year’s war, when, on his return he caught the first glimpse of his native land—

“Italiam, primus conolamat Achates.”

Thursday, 21st—There is one train a day over the railroad. It is a combination train, and comes in at 6 p. m. and departs at 8 o’clock in the morning. The train does not run at night for fear the track might be torn up, as the rebels are so near.

Some very hot weather now. We get all the fruit that we want here, and have plenty of other rations at this camp. We have fresh pork and sweet potatoes. The potatoes we either boil in kettles or bake in ashes.

21st. Thursday. Went with two Company F men and got breakfast at a farmhouse. Some of the boys had had nothing to eat for 36 hours. Ham and corn bread. Borrowed 20 cents and paid. They asked nothing but we preferred to pay them. Major Burnett, with detail of five started for Fort Scott. Several of us contrived to go too. Got breakfast out three miles, milk and honey. A man came up. We frightened him so he swore he was secesh and made himself ridiculous generally for a union man. Had a secesh horse, taking care of it. Brought him in. In the morning put a rope around a boy’s neck and made him take the oath with some meaning. Letters from Minnie, Melissa and Fannie.

1862 August Fauquier Sulphur Springs, Va., vicinity. Troops building bridges across the north fork of the Rappahannock

Troops building bridges across the north fork of the Rappahannock in the vicinity of Fauquier Sulphur Springs, Va., by Timothy H. O’Sullivan in August 1862.

It is highly likely that the fellow on the right is the photographer, O’Sullivan.  This is the fifth photo I’ve found in this period of time – July and August 1862 – where he appears in the image.

Library of Congress image.

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The four other images from the summer of 1862 with images that include O’Sullivan were published in the following posts:

August 21—Left at 4 A.M. and arrived in Richmond at 6 P.M. Marched to Camp Lee, two miles from the city, and put up any tent we could get hold of, as it was raining very hard and too dark to see. We are all O. K. now.

AUGUST 21ST.—Some apprehensions are felt by a few for the safety of this city, as it is supposed that all the troops have been withdrawn. This is not so, however. From ten to fifteen thousand men could be concentrated here in twenty-four hours. Richmond is not in half the danger that Washington is.

August 21st. Marched bright and early, arriving at Yorktown about noon and put up our tents on the identical spot occupied by us while awaiting shipment to West Point, in the spring; felt quite at home. As soon as the camp was established, all hands were dismissed for a swim, and the waves were quickly whispering lullabys in the ears of the dusty and weary warriors of the first division. Got a lot of gossip here. It seems the army is being transferred as speedily as possible by transports, from both this place and Newport News, to Alexandria and Washington, to head off Lee, who is really in front of the army of Virginia, under Pope somewhere on the Rapidan. The coast here is covered with troops awaiting transportation, and are loading night and day; but it is a big undertaking to transport by ships one hundred thousand men, together with their material, and it takes a good deal of time. General McClellan, it is rumored, has been removed, or is to be, on dit; that the President is disgusted with him; his want of success and very disagreeable relations with the government, constantly throwing all the blame on Washington for his failure, is a little too much, even for our long-suffering and patient President.

After a capital swim, several of us rode through the quaint, slow, old town, which we found just as dirty as ever, the pigs still running at large, feeding on the filth from the tumble down houses; received orders to be ready to march early in the morning for Newport News, as transports were awaiting us; weather magnificent.

hancock_w_s

August 21.—Jeff Davis issued an order from Richmond, directing that Major-Gen. Hunter and Brig.-Gen. Phelps should no longer be held and treated as public enemies of the rebel States, but as outlaws; and that in the event of the capture of either of them, or that of any other commissioned officer of the United States employed in drilling, organizing, or instructing slaves, with a view to their armed service in the war, he should not be regarded as a prisoner of war, but held in close confinement for execution as a felon, at such time and place as Jeff Davis might order. —To-day the Union army, under Gen. Pope, and the rebel army, under Gen. Lee, faced each other on the Rappahannock, the former on the north and the latter on the left bank of the river. An attempt was made on the part of the rebels to cross the river at Kelly’s Ford, for the purpose of turning the position of the Unionists, but it was foiled by General Reno, who opened fire with his batteries, and then followed it with a cavalry charge, which put them to flight, and determined them to make no more attempts to cross at Kelly’s Ford.—(Doc. 104.)

—A war meeting was held at Southficld, Staten Island, N. Y. —Thomas Shultzer, one of the editors of the Maryland News Sheet, was released from Fort McHenry, on taking an oath not to engage in newspaper business, nor do any thing to aid and abet rebellion during the continuance of the war. Carpenter and Neilson, the responsible editors and publishers of the same paper, refused to take the oath.

—The rebel schooner Eliza, loaded with salt and other contraband goods, was captured off Charleston, S. C, by the United States steamer Bienville.

—The Union pickets on Pinckney Island, near Hilton Head, S. C, were attacked by a superior force of rebel troops, and thirty-two of their number taken prisoners, three killed and three wounded.—A very large and enthusiastic war meeting was held at St. Louis, Mo., in the Mercantile Library Hall, at which Gov. Gamble made the principal speech. He recommended a most vigorous war policy in the State, and deprecated the disposition to find fault with the policy of the Federal Government. He recommended the extermination of the guerrillas in the State, and would make the secessionists pay for the protection they received from the Government. He would drive South all non-combatants who denounced the Government. The military authorities held bonds from the rebels to the amount of over a million of dollars, and he advised all broken bonds to be collected at once. The speech was received with tremendous applause.

—A severe fight took place at Gallatin, Tenn., between a body of Union troops under the command of General R. W. Johnson, and an inferior force of rebel cavalry, under Col. John H. Morgan, resulting in a rout of the Unionists with great loss.—(Doc. 187.)


Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War.