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

Monday, June 13, 2011

“Our captains impress me, as a body, most favorably.”—Diary of Rutherford B. Hayes

June 13, 2011

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes,The American Civil War

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Thursday, June 13, Colonel William S. Rosecrans appeared and assumed the command. Our regiment was paraded after retreat had been sounded. The long line looked well, although the men were ununiformed and without arms. We were lucky in having a band enlisted as privates at Ashland.

Colonel Rosecrans is a spirited, rapid talker and worker and makes a fine impression on officers and men. Appointments of regimental staff officers were made. . . . Guards or sentinels detailed. Men lectured on manners and behavior, etc., etc.

There are many good singers in camp, and as we are not reduced to order yet, the noises of the camp these fine evenings and the strangeness have a peculiar charm. How cold the nights are! I am more affected as I look at the men on parade than I expected to be; not more embarrassed. I am not greatly embarrassed, but an agreeable emotion, a swelling of heart possesses me. The strongest excitement was when I saw the spirit and enthusiasm with which the oath was taken.

Our captains impress me, as a body, most favorably. Captain McIlrath is a large, fine-looking man, six feet three and a half inches high; has been a chief of police in Cleveland—one of the best in his vocation; takes great pride in his company and has it in a fine state of discipline—the best of any in camp. Captain Skiles has served in Mexico, is apparently a man of fine character, a member of church. Captain Moore is a New England-farmer-like man, shrewd and trusty. Captain Zimmerman is a conscientious, amiable, industrious man and has a stout set of men from the iron region, Mahoning County.

Post image for “H N Jr. has spent the day with Willie Lincoln at the “White House” and dined there with the Prest.”—Horatio Nelson Taft

“H N Jr. has spent the day with Willie Lincoln at the “White House” and dined there with the Prest.”—Horatio Nelson Taft

June 13, 2011

Diary of US patent clerk Horatio Nelson Taft.

THURSDAY 13

It has been cooler today and quite comfortable. We are relieved today in reference to the “Bethel affair.” Our loss not more than first reported 25 or 30. Nothing stirring in the way of news of importance, but important events expected every day and people are on the “qui vive” all the time. Went out into the fields with wife & Juliet to see the 12th in their skirmish drill. H N Jr. has spent the day with Willie Lincoln at the “White House” and dined there with the Prest. Holly has been to the N[avy] Y[ar]d with his Sunday School teacher & took tea with him.

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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of  Congress.

Wretched Southern news and a life lost.—Woolsey family letters; Eliza Woolsey Howland to Joseph Howland at Albany.

June 13, 2011

The American Civil War,Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Post image for Wretched Southern news and a life lost.—Woolsey family letters; Eliza Woolsey Howland to Joseph Howland at Albany.

8 Brevoort Place, June 13, 1861.

We are waiting for our travellers who are due now at any moment by the “Adriatic.” Abby and I came down this morning from Fishkill leaving a lovely summer morning behind us, but bringing some of it in the shape of flowers, strawberries and vegetables. Mother has everything in nice order for the girls, cribs for the babies, little novelties and conveniences for the girls, plenty of lovely flowers, etc., etc. It will be a tight squeeze to accommodate them all, but it will be done, with Mother’s usual faculty, and there would have been a place for you, too, if you could have come. . . . How wretched the Southern news is; such bungling and such frightful and unnecessary loss of life. That battle of Bethel must injure us very much and give strength to the rebels. I suppose you have seen the death of poor Theodore Winthrop — one of its victims. It has shocked us all and brought the matter very close.

Major Winthrop was shot in the fight at Great Bethel, June 10th, 1861. From the Yale College Obituary Record this extract is taken:

“While gallantly leading a charge on the battery he fell mortally wounded and died in a few minutes. His body was buried near the spot where he fell. It was subsequently disinterred, and after obsequies in New York City was brought to New Haven, where, on the 28th of June, 1861, with unusual demonstrations of respect from military, civic and academic bodies, and from the people-at-large, it was laid to rest in the burial-place of his father.”

All the students and faculty marched in procession to the grave.

As the coffin was brought through New York it was taken to the Seventh Regiment Armory. There Mother and G. saw it resting on a gun carriage, when they went for a last farewell. They had, so short a time before, helped to pack and buckle on his knapsack!

“Flatterer.”—John B. Jones diary at the rebel war office.

June 13, 2011

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, By John Beauchamp Jones

Post image for “Flatterer.”—John B. Jones diary at the rebel war office.

JUNE 13TH. —Only one of the Williamsburg volunteers came into the department proper; and he will make his way, for he is a flatterer. He told me he had read my “Wild Western Scenes” twice, and never was so much entertained by any other book. He went to work with hearty good-will.

Post image for Fast day in New Orleans. War Diary of a Union Woman in the South by Dora Richards Miller.

Fast day in New Orleans. War Diary of a Union Woman in the South by Dora Richards Miller.

June 13, 2011

War Diary of a Union Woman in the South by Dora Richards Miller

June 13.—To-day has been appointed a Fast Day. I spent the morning writing a letter on which I put my first Confederate postage-stamp. It is of a brown color and has a large 5 in the center. To-morrow must be devoted to all my foreign correspondents before the expected blockade cuts us off.

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Note: To protect Mrs. Miller’s job as a teacher in New Orleans, the diary was published anonymously, edited by G. W. Cable, names were changed and initials were often used instead of full names — and even the initials differed from the real person’s initials.

“…out on a reconoitering expedition..,”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

June 13, 2011

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry),The American Civil War

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Cairo, June 13, 1861.

I am converted to the belief that Cairo is not such a bad place after all. The record shows that less deaths have occurred here in seven weeks among 3,000 men, than in Villa Ridge (a higher, and much dryer place with abundant shade and spring water), in five weeks among 1,000. There has been but one death here by disease in that time, and that with miserable hospital accommodations. The soldiers lie like the d___l about Cairo. The days are hot of course, but we do nothing now between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. but cook and eat, so that amounts to not near as much as working all day at home. The mosquitoes and bugs are furious from 6 p.m. to 11, but we are drilling from 7 p.m. to nearly 9, and from that to 11 we save ourselves by smoking, which we all do pretty steadily. The nights after 11 are splendidly cool, so much so that we can cover ourselves entirely in our blankets, which is a block game on the mosquitoes, and sleep like logs. I believe those Camp Mather boys are hard sticks from the accounts we get of their fingers sticking to chickens, vegetables, etc. The citizens here say that the boys have not taken a thing without permission, or insulted a citizen. “Bully for us.”

We had a little fun yesterday. At 8 p.m. we (the Peoria and Pekin companies) were ordered to get ready for marching in ten minutes. So ready we got (but had to leave knapsacks, canteens and blankets) and were marched down to the “City of Alton,” which had on board a six pounder and one 12 pound howitzer. We cast off, fired a salute of two guns and steamed down the Mississippi. After five miles the colonel (Oglesby) called us together, told us that he was out on a reconoitering expedition, and his information led him to think we should be forced into a little fight before we got back. We were then ordered to load and keep in our places by our guns. At Columbus we saw a secesh flag waving but passed on a couple of miles farther where he expected to find a secesh force. Failed and turned back. At Columbus the flag was still waving and the stores all closed, and quite a crowd collected on the levee, but one gun though, that we could see. The colonel ordered the flag down. They said they wouldn’t do it. He said he would do it himself then. They answered, “We’d like to see you try it.” We were drawn up then round the cabin deck guards next the shore in two ranks, with guns at “ready,” and the captain jumped ashore and hauled down the serpent. We were all sure of a skirmish but missed it. Flag was about 15×7, with eight stars and three stripes. I send you some scraps of it. They raised another flag one hour after we left and sent us word to “Come and take it.” The ride on the river was the best treat I’ve had for two years.

A Diary of American Events – June 13, 1861

June 13, 2011

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

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—By proclamation of Jefferson Davis, this day was observed as a fast-day throughout the States in rebellion against the U. S. Government.—N. Y. Times, June 2.

—The United Turner Rifles, Twentieth Regiment N. Y. S. V., Colonel Max Weber, left New York for Fortress Monroe and the army of Southeastern Virginia. In their march through the city they were drawn up in front of the City Hall, where a flag was presented to them by Samuel B. Ruggles, in behalf of Mrs. Charles E. Strong and other ladies of New York.—(Doc. 248.)

—Brigadier-General Schenck has been assigned to the Second Michigan Regiment now in Washington. He is thus attached to the Military Department of Washington, the chief of which is General Mansfield.—Conflicting statements having been made, it is proper to say—while Major-General Banks superseded General Cadwalader in command of the Department at Annapolis, the latter has been assigned to command a new division to cooperate with General Patterson in the progressing action against Harper’s Ferry.—Rochester Union, June 14.

—The steamer Iatan, with the Second Battalion of the First Regiment of Missouri volunteers, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Andrews, one section of Totten’s light artillery and two companies of regulars, under Captain Lathrop, and the steamer J. C. Swon, with the First Battalion of the First Regiment, under Colonel Blair, and another section of Totten’s battery, and a detachment of pioneers, and General Lyon and staff, numbering 1,500 men all told, left St. Louis for some point up the Missouri River, supposed to be Jefferson city. They had horses, wagons, and all necessary camp equipage, ammunition, and provisions for a long march.—Louisville Journal, June 14.

—The troops which started from Washington on Monday, left the vicinity of Tenlytown the next day, and are now beyond Rockville; the National Rifles, under Major Smead, the Slemmer Guards, Capt. Knight, and the Cameron Guards, accompanied by Capt. Magruder’s battery of U. S. Artillery, with three field-pieces, being in advance. The troops have taken the river route, and will be followed immediately by the First Pennsylvania and New York Ninth Regiments, which were at Rockville on Tuesday. What is called the river route is the road which diverges from the Frederick Road outside of Rockville, and passes through Poolesville direct to Edwards’ Ferry and on to Leesburg, Va. For several weeks past the Edwards’ Ferry route has been a general thoroughfare for secessionists from Maryland, and also for military stores, provisions, etc. The Fifth Battalion D. C. Volunteers took boats at the Chain Bridge yesterday morning at eight o’clock, and proceeded towards Edwards’ Ferry. This battalion is commanded by Lieut.-Col. Everett.— Washington Star, June 12.

—The Third Michigan Regiment, numbering 1,040 men, left Grand Rapids this morning for the seat of war. They are a fine body of men fully armed, equipped, and ready for service.—N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, June 13.

—The Sixth Regiment N. Y. S. V., Colonel William Wilson’s Zouaves, left New York for Fort Pickens. Previous to its departure the regiment was presented with a set of colors by the ladies of the Relief Committee.—(Doc. 249.)

—A portion of Montgomery’s men, under Capt. Jamison, armed with Sharp’s rifles and revolvers, reached Wyandotte, Kansas, from Lawrence under orders from Col. Mitchell. Montgomery, with several hundred mounted men, will at once take possession of the Kansas side of the Missouri line, so as to be ready to meet Gov. Jackson’s forces whenever they make a movement from Independence towards Kansas City. The militia and volunteer companies are ready to march to the order, as soon as the orders are sent.—St. Louis Democrat, June 18.

—The largest meeting ever known in Dover, Delaware, was held there to-day. Chancellor Harrington presided. The following, among other resolutions, was adopted unanimously: Resolved, That, considering the sentiments embodied in the foregoing resolution, incompatible with the views of James A. Bayard, now Senator, as expressed in his last speech in the Senate, and his recent addresses to the people of Delaware, we most respectfully request him to resign.

Not less than three thousand persons were at the meeting, and great enthusiasm prevailed. A resolution was also passed requesting the Governor to call the Legislature together.—Rochester Union, June 14.

—An attack was made by the rebels on the outpost of the Pennsylvania Fifth regiment at Alexandria, in which a private of company G was wounded in the arm. His arm was amputated.—N. Y. Commer. Advertiser, June 14.

—Gen. Beauregard ordered the Fairfax Court-House Company, Capt. Ball, recently prisoners in Washington, to leave the State of Virginia, because they took the oath of allegiance to the United States. Those of them who may be induced to violate it, will, of course, be excepted from the operation of this order.—N. Y. World, June 15.