Saturday, 28th—Our company received orders to move on to the front tomorrow. The weather is quite pleasant. Some of the trains of the Fifteenth Corps came in from the landing this evening, but the corps has not yet arrived.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Six miles south of Combahee River,
January 28, 1865, 6 p.m.
The campaign commences Monday. It is yet cold; about an inch of ice forms every night, and sleeping out without tents is not a fair sample of paradise. I am in excellent health and we are all anxious to be en route.
28th. Saturday. 50 men of the 2nd Ohio on a scout with sabres under Capt. Chester. Clear and cold.
January 28th.—Clear and very cold; can’t find a thermometer in the city.
The President did sign the bill creating a general-in-chief, and depriving Gen. Bragg of his staff.
Major-Gen. Jno. C. Breckinridge has been appointed Secretary of War. May our success be greater hereafter!
Gen. Lee has sent a letter from Gen. Imboden, exposing the wretched management of the Piedmont Railroad, and showing that salt and corn, in “immense quantity,” have been daily left piled in the mud and water, and exposed to rain, etc., while the army has been starving. Complaints and representations of this state of things have been made repeatedly.
Gold sold at $47 for one at auction yesterday.
Mr. Hunter was seen early this morning running (almost) toward the President’s office, to pick up news. He and Breckinridge were old rivals in the United States.
The Enquirer seems in favor of listening to Blair’s propositions.
Judge Campbell thinks Gen. Breckinridge will not make a good Secretary of War, as he is not a man of small details. I hope he is not going to indulge in so many of them as the judge and Mr. Seddon have done, else all is lost! The judge’s successor will be recommended soon to the new Secretary. There will be applicants enough, even if the ship of State were visibly going down.
Although it is understood that Gen. Breckinridge has been confirmed by the Senate, he has not yet taken his seat in the department.
The President has issued a proclamation for the observance of Friday, March 10th, as a day of “fasting, humiliation, and prayer, with thanksgiving,” in pursuance of a resolution of Congress.
It seems that Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee will not be represented in the cabinet; this may breed trouble, and we have trouble enough, in all conscience.
It is said Mr. Blair has returned again to Richmond—third visit.
Can there be war brewing between the United States and England or France? We shall know all soon. Or have propositions been made on our part for reconstruction? There are many smiling faces in the streets, betokening a profound desire for peace.
January—Nothing, only that I fear that our cause is lost, as we are losing heavily, and have no more men at home to come to the army. Our resources in everything are at an end, while the enemy are seemingly stronger than ever. All the prisoners in Northern prisons, it seems, will have to stay until the end of the war, as Grant would rather feed than fight us.
Saturday, 28th.—Marched in regular order along the big road. Passed near Lafayette, Alabama. 56th Georgia boys left us, and took their own ways home, being in a different direction. From this on I can’t remember dates but we got plenty to eat and had a jolly time, finding plenty of friends to help us on our way. One day about half-dozen young ladies came out and said they were glad to see us going home. Some of the older women shouted: “That’s the way we love to see you coming home, boys; wish they would all come home that way.” One nice-looking old lady said: “I wish I could see my old man coming.” Several places in Alabama, as we were marching on, half dozen women and children would come running and ask if peace was made. The first ones we told if it was we did not know it. Well, they said, we have heard it has. The next that asked us, we said we had heard that it was, but only a few miles back. They would take it as confirmation of what they had heard, and get almost into an ecstasy of joy. Poor things, perhaps, we ought not to have treated them so; but we had been bound down so long, we wanted a little fun.
We kept in Alabama, but near the line, until we crossed both Big and Little Talapoosa River. Came into the left of Cedar Town; passed through Cave Springs. Crossed Coosa River at Queen’s Ferry; same place Hood’s army crossed, twelve miles below Rome. We had dreaded Coosa River all the way, because we were afraid it would be the line between the contending armies and ferry boats destroyed and pickets along the river, but when we got near, we learned that ferry boat was running all right and no pickets. As we came to the river, a man by the name of Davis was coming over in the ferry boat. He told the ferry man he ought to set us over free, as we were soldiers. The ferryman replied: “You pay half and I will give half.” The fare was $l0.00. The man was caught at his own game, and handed him $5.00, and so we passed over free, and gave three cheers for Davis—not Jeff, mind you. The boys of Companies H and E and also W. A. Keys, left us here, leaving only seven of us. Came on by Ecles’ Mill, in sight of Subligna and struck Taylor’s Ridge some distance south of Shipp’s Gap. After passing Shipp’s Gap, we decided we had better not carry our guns farther, for fear we run upon some Yankee soldiers, and they might treat us as bushwhackers. So we hid our guns in the cleft of a rock on top of Taylor’s Ridge. Travelled Taylor’s Ridge to Nickajack Gap; there turned eastward and came to Dixie’s Ridge, near James Wright’s.
