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

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

SATURDAY 29

It has been a pleasant comfortable day. Maj Genl John C. Fremont arrived last evening, and is at “Willards.” Much is expected of him in this contest. The Event of the day was the raising of the Stars & Stripes at tent on the Prests Grounds by the Prest. It caught in going up and was torn in among the Stars, which was taken by some superstitious persons as a bad omen. Our whole family was there, “Dr Pyne” officiated.

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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.

June 29.—I attended a fine luncheon yesterday at one of the public schools. A lady remarked to a school official that the cost of provisions in the Confederacy was getting very high, butter, especially, being scarce and costly. “Never fear, my dear madame,” he replied. “Texas alone can furnish butter enough to supply the whole Confederacy; we’ll soon be getting it from there.” It’s just as well to have this sublime confidence.

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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.
Post image for “The President caught something of what I was saying, and asked me to repeat it, which I did, although I was scared to death.” Mary Chesnut’s Diary

June 29th.—Mrs. Preston, Mrs. Wigfall, Mary Hammy and I drove in a fine open carriage to see the Champ de Mars. It was a grand tableau out there. Mr. Davis rode a beautiful gray horse, the Arab Edwin de Leon brought him from Egypt. His worst enemy will allow that he is a consummate rider, graceful and easy in the saddle, and Mr. Chesnut, who has talked horse with his father ever since he was born, owns that Mr. Davis knows more about horses than any man he has met yet. General Lee was there with him; also Joe Davis and Wigfall acting as his aides.

Poor Mr. Lamar has been brought from his camp—paralysis or some sort of shock. Every woman in the house is ready to rush into the Florence Nightingale business. I think I will wait for a wounded man, to make my first effort as Sister of Charity. Mr. Lamar sent for me. As everybody went, Mr. Davis setting the example, so did I. Lamar will not die this time. Will men flatter and make eyes, until their eyes close in death, at the ministering angels? He was the same old Lamar of the drawing-room.

It is pleasant at the President’s table. My seat is next to Joe Davis, with Mr. Browne on the other side, and Mr. Mallory opposite. There is great constraint, however. As soon as I came I repeated what the North Carolina man said on the cars, that North Carolina had 20,000 men ready and they were kept back by Mr. Walker, etc. The President caught something of what I was saying, and asked me to repeat it, which I did, although I was scared to death. “Madame, when you see that person tell him his statement is false. We are too anxious here for troops to refuse a man who offers himself, not to speak of 20,000 men.” Silence ensued—of the most profound.

Uncle H. gave me three hundred dollars for his daughter Mary’s expenses, making four in all that I have of hers. He would pay me one hundred, which he said he owed my husband for a horse. I thought it an excuse to lend me money. I told him I had enough and to spare for all my needs until my Colonel came home from the wars.

Ben Allston, the Governor’s son, is here—came to see me; does not show much of the wit of the Petigrus; pleasant person, however. Mr. Brewster and Wigfall came at the same time. The former, chafing at Wigfall’s anomalous position here, gave him fiery advice. Mr. Wigfall was calm and full of common sense. A brave man, and without a thought of any necessity for displaying his temper, he said: “Brewster, at this time, before the country is strong and settled in her new career, it would be disastrous for us, the head men, to engage in a row among ourselves.”

As I was brushing flies away and fanning the prostrate Lamar, I reported Mr. Davis’s conversation of the night before. “He is all right,” said Mr. Lamar, “the fight had to come. We are men, not women. The quarrel had lasted long enough. We hate each other so, the fight had to come. Even Homer’s heroes, after they had stormed and scolded enough, fought like brave men, long and well. If the athlete, Sumner, had stood on his manhood and training and struck back when Preston Brooks assailed him, Preston Brooks’s blow need not have been the opening skirmish of the war. Sumner’s country took up the fight because he did not. Sumner chose his own battle-field, and it was the worse for us. What an awful blunder that Preston Brooks business was!” Lamar said Yankees did not fight for the fun of it; they always made it pay or let it alone.

Met Mr. Lyon with news, indeed—a man here in the midst of us, taken with Lincoln’s passports, etc., in his pocket—a palpable spy. Mr. Lyon said he would be hanged —in all human probability, that is.

A letter from my husband written at Camp Pickens, and saying: “If you and Mrs. Preston can make up your minds to leave Richmond, and can come up to a nice little country house near Orange Court House, we could come to see you frequently while the army is stationed here. It would be a safe place for the present, near the scene of action, and directly in the line of news from all sides.” So we go to Orange Court House.

Read the story of Soulouque,¹ the Haytian man: he has wonderful interest just now. Slavery has to go, of course, and joy go with it. These Yankees may kill us and lay waste our land for a while, but conquer us—never!

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¹Faustin Elie Soulouque, a negro slave of Hayti, who, having been freed, took part in the insurrection against the French in 1803, and rose by successive steps until in August, 1849, by the unanimous action of the parliament, he was proclaimed emperor.

JUNE 29TH.—I cannot support my family here, on the salary I receive from the government; and so they leave me in a few days to accept the tendered hospitality of Dr. Custis, of Newbern, N. C., my wife’s cousin.

Post image for A Diary of American Events – June 29, 1861

—Colonel Allen of the First Regiment N. Y. S. V., was arrested at Fortress Monroe for court martial, by order of General Butler.—The Eleventh Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, under the command of Colonel George Clark, Jr., left Boston for the seat of war. The regiment, previous to their starting, were encamped at Camp Cameron. They were enlisted in April last, and sworn into the United States service about three weeks ago. They number 950 men, and are all armed with new smooth-bore Springfield muskets. In point of equipage, no regiment, perhaps, has exceeded the Eleventh. Their camping arrangements are complete, and they will enter upon their duties with no less than twenty-five baggage wagons, and eighty horses. So complete, indeed, are their arrangements that they will be dependent on the Government for nothing except food and ammunition.—N. Y. News, June 30.

—The steamer St. Nicholas was captured in the Potomac River, by a party of secessionists. The steamer left Baltimore, having on board about fifty passengers. Among those who went aboard previous to her departure, was a very respectable “French lady,” who was heavily veiled, and, pleading indisposition, she was immediately shown to her state-room, where she was kindly cared for by the females on board. There were also a party of about twenty-five men dressed in the garb of mechanics, carrying with them carpenters, tinners, blacksmiths’, and other tools. When near Point Lookout, the “French lady ” appeared on deck, not in crinoline, but in the person of a stalwart man, who was immediately surrounded by the party of mechanics above alluded to. Captain Kirwan of the steamer, demanded an explanation, when the “lady-man” informed him that he designed confiscating the steamer and going on a privateering expedition. Finding himself overpowered, Capt. Kirwan was compelled to submit, and the boat was handed over to the man and his crew, who took possession, and proceeded to run the steamer to a point known as “The Cone,” on the Virginia shore. Upon landing at that place, the steamer was boarded by a body of about 1,000 Virginia troops, when the passengers were all landed, and allowed to go on their way. About one hundred and fifty of the troops were then placed on board the steamer, Captain Kirwan and fourteen of the crew being retained as prisoners. Leaving the shore the steamer was run down as far as the mouth of the Rappahannock River, where the “new Captain” hailed three large brigs which were lying off a few miles from Fredericksburg. These vessels were immediately boarded, and not having a sufficient force on board to offer any resistance they were all then quietly delivered over to the party as prizes. The prizes, one of which was laden with coffee, a second with ice, and the third with coal, were run into Fredericksburg, Virginia, and delivered into the possession of the Virginians, the steamer being kept at that port, together with her captain and crew.—Baltimore American, July 2.

—An elaborate article respecting the constitutional power of the President of the United States to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, was published. It was prepared by Reverdy Johnson, of Maryland, in response to the opinion of Chief Justice Taney, of the Supreme Court of the United States.—(Doc. 58.)

—The Fifteenth Regiment N. Y. S. V., under the command of Colonel John McLcod Murphy, left Willet’s Point, N. Y., for Washington.

Two regiments, one of Alabamians and the other of Mississippians, reached Harper’s Ferry, Va., this morning, and destroyed the balance of the trestle work of the railroad bridge. They then went over to the Maryland shore, seizing all the boats they could lay their hands on, either breaking them up or taking them over the river. All the Union men of Harper’s Ferry were driven out by them.—N. Y. Herald, June 30.

—A skirmish took place at Bowners, twelve miles from Cheat River bridge, between portions of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Ohio, the First Virginia regiments, and a company of rebel cavalry. The former were sent to protect the polls, and the latter, mistaking their number, attacked them, and were routed with the loss of several men, among them the lieutenant of the company. Several horses were captured. The only loss on the Federal side is N. O. Smith, of the Fifteenth Regiment.—Louisville Journal, July 1.

—The Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, stationed at Washington, left that place for Edward’s Ferry. Lieutenant Hamilton H. Dutton, of Mississippi, having tendered his resignation, was dismissed from the navy of the United States.

An imposing ceremony took place this afternoon at Washington, in the President’s grounds on the front of the White House toward Virginia. The New York 12th Regiment of Militia, with Company G United States Infantry, formed a hollow square, enclosing the fountain and a pavilion, under which were the President and Mrs. Lincoln, surrounded by the members of the Cabinet and other distinguished gentlemen. The Rev. Dr. Pyne offered a fervent prayer for the Union, law and good Government, the well-being of the nation and of its appointed rulers, and the peace which comes with the restoration of order.

While the Marine Band was playing, the President hauled up the flag, which was slightly torn in the process. Simultaneously, cannon roared and shouts went up from the throng of civilians and lines of soldiers.

The soldiers having gone through with a leaf of the manual, cheers for the flag and the President were given heartily. Gen. Scott, with his staff and other officers, were on a portico adjoining.—N. Y. Tribune, June 30.

—During last night there was a skirmish between the New Jersey Zouaves and the rebels outside of Fall’s Church, Va. Two of the rebels were killed, and one of the Zouaves was wounded. The dead bodies were brought to Washington this morning.—N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, June 29.