September 30th. At Harper’s Ferry with the prisoners, having been on duty all night. Had a great time talking to the rebs over past experiences. Met one, formerly from our old home town, Norwich, Conn. Turned the prisoners over to the commander of the post, when we returned to Martinsburg. As soon as we arrived went right on duty, after being up all last night. Picket duty and working on the railroad. The guerillas are at work. Old Mosby keeps us busy. They managed to steal horses, and get the best. Our boys are kicking over the hard work on the railroad. Trains are running regular again over the road. This is an important line, through, on to the west. Business is improving, judging by the number of trains.
September 2014
Friday, 30th.—Crossed Chattahoochie River at Pumpkin Town Ferry at 9 A. M. Camped for the night seven and one half miles from Villarica.
Friday, 30th—The weather is quite pleasant. Nothing of any importance. I have made loans to the boys of my company as follows: Samuel Bain, $5.00; John Ford, $5.00; Samuel Metcalf, $5.00; Burtis Rumsey, $3.00; William Green, $3.00, and Monroe Blazer, $1.00. I also loaned $5.00 to John Hemphill of Company I of the Sixteenth Iowa. All loans are to be paid back on next pay day. I paid a debt of $5.00 to Thomas Armstrong. I bought a gold pen from Jason Sparks for $5.00. All is quiet on the post.
Etowah Bridge, Friday, Sept. 30. Rained all night but cleared off this morning. D. J. D. and myself washed our clothes out and did other woman’s work. Grazed in the afternoon, taking a guard’s team out. Detailed to go after corn. While horses eat, three of us filled a wagon in a pocket three miles from camp. Troops still going to the rear. Wild rumors afloat as to Hood’s movements and whereabouts. No mail yet.
September 30.—To-day the “Benjamin” of the family reached home under the care of Dr J. Byron Hayes, who was sent to Washington after him. I went over to Mr Noah T. Clarke’s to see him and found him just a shadow of his former self. However, “hope springs eternal in the human breast” and he says he knows he will soon be well again. This is his thirtieth birthday and it is glorious that he can spend it at home.
Friday, September 30. — Meade received a letter from home, saying that Captain Williams had called, and said that the exchange had been effected. Day pleasant. In the evening 100 sailors came up from Charleston. They are to go on to Richmond to be exchanged. Major Gist was here on an inspection tour. He said that the exchange would be resumed in a few days. Wrote to General Ripley and Dr. Marks.
September 30 — Rained hard all last night, but I slept in the dry, by stowing myself away among some tobacco hogsheads under an old warehouse. We remained in Lynchburg all day, ready for business and waiting for orders, but have not heard one word about Yankee raiders since we have been here. Our guns are still on the cars.
Henry Adams, private secretary of the US Minister to the UK, to his brother, Charles.
London, September 30, 1864
When I study Sherman’s campaign, I shudder to think what a close thing it was, and how nearly desperate that superb final march was, in the sense of its being a last expedient. As you know, I had frequently despaired. How could I reckon on the mere personal genius of one man? Now that it is over, I feel almost incredulous, and do not wonder at all at the persistent conviction of the southern press that we should be defeated. If they were unable to hold that place, I cannot see where they look for the place they will hold; and if they could not in the whole Confederacy raise more than ten thousand men to reinforce Hood at the most excruciating pinch, where can they get men to meet our new levies? The courage of the rebs has been marvellous, but human nature has its limits and unless the sun shines a little, the devil himself would lose heart in such a case.
Meanwhile quiet still reigns supreme on this side. We hear nothing of any consequence. Your friend Mr. Y[eatman] has gone back to Richmond and Mr. S[cott] R[ussell] says he suspects his hand to be in various articles in Richmond papers looking peace-ward. There is a great financial crisis down in the City, all due to our war and the fall in cotton consequent on the peace panic. The rebel cotton-loan has fallen twenty per cent from its high estate, and brought down with it a flock of lame ducks on the stock-exchange. Old Mr. Bates meanwhile is dead and buried. You remember the gloomy magnificence of our call there, and how the poor old man sat in that sombre vastness and waited for death. I have seen few sights more rich in comments on human vanities than the picture of the good old gentleman dying; for of all England, and in spite of all the years he had lived here, and fed and entertained all the world, not an Englishman except his partners seems to have cared whether he lived or died. After all, his mourners are Americans, although he has probably founded an English family. . . .
30th. Friday. Rainy day. Borrowed “Charles O’Malley.”
by John Beauchamp Jones
SEPTEMBER 30TH.—Cloudy, and occasional showers.
None of the papers except the Whig were published this morning, the printers, etc. being called out to defend the city. Every device of the military authorities has been employed to put the people here in the ranks. Guards everywhere, on horseback and on foot, in the city and at the suburbs, are arresting pedestrians, who, if they have not passes from Gen. Kemper, are hurried to some of the depots or to the City Square (iron palings), and confined until marched to the field or released. Two of the clerks of the War Department, who went down to the Spottswood Hotel to hear the news, although having the Secretary’s own details, were hustled off to a prison on Cary Street to report to Lieut. Bates, who alone could release them. But when they arrived, no Lieut. Bates was there, and they found themselves incarcerated with some five hundred others of all classes and conditions. Here they remained cooped up for an hour, when they espied an officer who knew them, and who had them released.
To-day the guards arrested Judges Reagan and Davis, Postmaster-General and Attorney-General, both members of the cabinet, because neither of them were over fifty years old. Judge Reagan grew angry and stormed a little; but both were released immediately.
Gen. Lee dispatched Gen. Bragg, at 9 P.M. last night, that all the assaults of the enemy on Fort Gilmer had been repulsed, the enemy losing many in killed, and wounded, and prisoners, while our loss was small.
And we have driven the Yankees from Staunton, and have them in full retreat again as far as Harrisonburg.
To-day at 2 P.M. another battle occurred at or near FortHarrison or Signal Hill, supposed to be an attempt on our part to retake the post. I never heard more furious shelling, and fear our loss was frightful, provided it was our assault on the enemy’s lines. We could see the white smoke, from the observatory, floating along the horizon over the woods and down the river. The melee of sounds was terrific: heavy siege guns (from our steam-rams, probably) mingled with the incessant roar of field artillery. At 3 P.M. all was comparatively quiet, and we await intelligence of the result.
