9th. Finished a letter to Uncle Albert. Not as neat and concise as I wish it were. I am too apt to hurry my work of all kinds—I must be more guarded. Thede went down to see John.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Saturday, July 9. — Court continued the case of Lieutenant Knickerbocker, and then adjourned till Monday. John Jones came over to see us to-day. Went over to Fifth Corps headquarters in afternoon, and then to General Turner’s headquarters, where I took tea. Made arrangements with John to go to Point of Rocks in the morning.
City Point, July 9th, 1864.
What strange beings we mortals are—swayed to and fro by each passing emotion. At last I have received a letter from home, dated June 21st. It found me wallowing in the dark pool of despondency. I could not write—often did I make the effort and failed—could only conjure up images of evil. The only consolation I found was in ministering to the needs of others, and in this I found constant employ. All this a few cheering words from my darling has power to change. Hope, confidence and trust revive. The newspapers bring us, today, news strange and startling. The Alabama destroyed! Sherman defeated, and a “Rebel raid” in Maryland! Great excitement in Washington, etc.
Saturday, 9th—The rebels left their rifle pits in the night and crossed the Chattahoochee river.[1]
[1] General Sherman always moved his army by the right or left flank when he found the Confederate fortifications in front too strong to make a charge, and in that way the enemy had to fall back, leaving their strong position.—A. G. D.
July 9th. The boys started for home at dusk; it seemed sad to part with them. We moved at 10 A.M. to the left.
Nine miles from Atlanta, two and one-half miles
southwest of railroad crossing,
July 9, 1864.
On the evening of the 7th, just dark, a Rebel battery in a fort which our guns had been bursting shells over all day, suddenly opened with eight 20-pound Parrotts, and for one-half an hour did some of the most rapid work I ever heard. They first paid their attention to our batteries, then demolished some half-dozen wagons and 20 mules for the 4th Division of the 17th Army Corps half a mile to our right, and then began scattering their compliments along our line, wherever I suppose they had detected our presence by smoke or noise. They kept getting closer and closer to us, and finally, a shell burst in front of our regiment. The next one went 50 yards past us and dropped into the 40th Illinois. Neither of them did any damage, and no more came so close. An hour afterward we fell in, and moving a mile to the left and onehalf a mile to the front, occupied a ridge which we fortified by daylight, so they might shell and be hanged.
The Rebel skirmishers heard us moving as we came over, and threw more than a thousand bullets at us, but it was so pitchy dark that fortunately they did us no damage. From our colors we can see the fort that fired so the night of the 7th. They are about three-fourths of a mile distant. There have not been any bullets or shells passed over us since we got our works up, though the skirmish line at the foot of the hill, has a lively time. We have it very easy. I was on the 8th in charge of a line of skirmishers on the left of our brigade. The Rebels were seemingly quite peaceable, so much so, that I thought I’d walk over to some blackberry bushes 50 yards in front of our right.
I got about half way out when they sent about a dozen bullets at me. I retired in good order, considering. In the p.m. of the 7th, the skirmishers in front of a brigade of the 20th Corps, and the Rebel line, left their guns, and went out and were together nearly all the afternoon; 13 of the Rebels agreed to come into our line after dark. At the time appointed, heavy firing commenced on the Rebel side, and our boys, fearing foul play, poured in a few volleys. Through the heaviest of the fire two of the Rebels came running in. They said that the 13 started, and that the Rebels opened on them. The rest were probably killed. One of my men has just returned from visiting his brother in the 20th Corps. It is reported there that the 23d Corps crossed the river this p.m. without losing a man. The heavy firing this evening was our folks knocking down some block houses at the railroad bridge. The 4th Corps to-night lays right along the river bank.
by John Beauchamp Jones
JULY 9TH.—Dry and pleasant.
We have a rumor to-day of the success of a desperate expedition fromWilmington, N. C., toPoint Lookout,Md., to liberate the prisoners of war (20,000) confined there and to arm them. If this be confirmed, the prisoners will probably march upon Washington City, and co-operate with Gen. Early, who has taken Martinsburg (with a large supply of stores), and at last accounts had driven Sigel back to Washington, and on the 6th inst. was (by Northern accounts) at Hagerstown, Md. Much excitement prevails there.Lincoln has called for the militia of the surrounding States, etc.
We have British accounts of the sinking of theALABAMA, nearCherbourg, by theUnited States steamer Kearsarge, but Semmes was not taken, and his treasure, etc. had been deposited inFrance.
Kingston, Saturday, July 9. Drew sugar last night, as could be known by the large number anxious to ride out grazing so as to get berries. E. W. E. went out with us. Picked two gallons. No mail or news.
July 9th. This fine morning finds me on picket near Cherry Run, Maryland. Nothing important occurred so far. Late this afternoon relieved from picket. Ordered to join the regiment, it having left Cherry Run and advanced east along the line of the railroad, towards Martinsburg. After pushing along from six to eight miles, found headquarters located at Back Creek, the regiment having reached here in the early morning. Companies A and C were out on scout duty in the direction of Martinsburg. They returned late tonight without having found the enemy. The railroad is badly damaged. Business on the line is suspended east of Cumberland, as far as Harper’s Ferry. This is an important railroad through to the west. It has met with great losses on account of the war.
