Wednesday, 28th—There is nothing of importance. The camp looks as if it were deserted. There are just a few convalescents here, who were not able to go with the boys to Keokuk; there are also a few recruits coming in.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
August 28th.—Raining. Sundry officers turned in to inquire of me, who was quietly in bed at Washington, concerning certain skirmishes reported to have taken place last night. Sold one horse and bought another; that is, I paid ready money in the latter transaction, and in the former, received an order from an officer on the paymaster of his regiment, on a certain day not yet arrived.
To-day, Lord A. V. Tempest is added to the number of English arrivals; he amused me by narrating his reception at Willard’s on the night of his arrival. When he came in with the usual ruck of passengers, he took his turn at the book, and wrote down Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest, with possibly M.P. after it. The clerk, who was busily engaged in showing that he was perfectly indifferent to the claims of the crowd who were waiting at the counter for their rooms, when the book was finished, commenced looking over the names of the various persons, such as Leonidas Buggs, Rome, N. Y.; Doctor Onesiphorous Bowells, D.D., Syracuse; Olynthus Craggs, Palmyra, Mo.; Washington Whilkes, Indianopolis, writing down the numbers of the rooms, and handing over the keys to the waiters at the same time. When he came to the name of the English nobleman, he said, “Vane Tempest, No. 125.” “But stop,” cried Lord Adolphus. “Lycurgus Siccles,” continued the clerk, “No. 23.” “I insist upon it, sir,”—broke in Lord Adolphus,—”you really must hear me. I protest against being put in 125. I can’t go up so high.” “Why,” said the clerk, with infinite contempt, “I can put you at twice as high—I’ll give you No. 250 if I like.” This was rather too much, and Lord Adolphus put his things into a cab, and drove about Washington until he got to earth in the two-pair back of a dentist’s, for which no doubt, tout vu, he paid as much as for an apartment at the Hotel Bristol.
A gathering of American officers and others, amongst whom was Mr. Olmsted, enabled him to form some idea of the young men’s society of Washington, which is a strange mixture of politics and fighting, gossip, gaiety, and a certain apprehension of a wrath to come for their dear republic. Here is Olmsted prepared to lay down his life for free speech over a united republic, in one part of which his freedom of speech would lead to irretrievable confusion and ruin; whilst Wise, on the other hand, seeks only to establish a union which shall have a large fleet, be powerful at sea, and be able to smash up abolitionists, newspaper people, and political agitators at home.
WEDNESDAY 28
Went to the Patent office this morning with Brownson to help him along with his knapsack application. We got it before the Examr in an hour. Went then with him up to the War Dept to see the Qr Master Genl about knapsacks for the Army. Then went up to see the Washington Statue and the “Meigs Bridge” over Rock Creek. Got home to dinner at 2 o’clock. It rained all the afternoon, did not go out. Cap Fowler & Drum Majr Smith of the old 12th called.
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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.
Wednesday, 28.—A long march over a bad path—thirty miles—to French Creek, or Scotchtown. Boarded with Mrs. Farrell. A fine Union settlement. Forty years ago a Massachusetts colony came here, and their thrift, morality, and patriotism are the salt of this region. Slept in tent of Culbertson and Lieutenant—of Captain Remley’s Fifth Regiment. Noble and generous treatment from them.
AUGUST 28TH.—Beauregard offers battle again on the plains of Manassas; but it is declined by the enemy, who retire behind their fortifications. Our banners are advanced to Munson’s Hill, in sight of Washington. The Northern President and his cabinet may see our army, with good glasses, from the roof of the White House. It is said they sleep in their boots; and that some of them leave the city every night, for fear of being captured before morning.
Generals Johnston, Wise, and Floyd are sending here, daily, the Union traitors they discover to be in communication with the enemy. We have a Yankee member of Congress, Ely, taken at Manassas; he rode out to witness the sport of killing rebels as terriers kill rats, but was caught in the trap himself. He says his people were badly whipped; and he hopes they will give up the job of subjugation as a speculation that won’t pay. Most of the prisoners speak thus while in confinement.
August 28.—A party of National troops under the command of Capt. Smith, detailed on the 24th ult. to break up a force of secessionists at Wayne Court House, Va., returned to Camp Pierpont, at Ceredo, having been successful in their expedition.—(Doc. 14.)
—President Lincoln to-day appointed as aides-de-camp to Gen. Wool, Alexander Hamilton, Jr., and Legrand B. Cannon of Now York, each with the rank of Major, and William Jay, of Bedford, N. Y., with the rank of Captain. These appointments were made at Gen. Wool’s request, and the official notification from the War Department instructs the aids to immediately report to him in person.—N. y. Tribune, August 29.
—The funeral ceremonies and military display in honor of Gen. Lyon took place at St. Louis, Mo., to-day. The procession which escorted the remains to the railroad depot consisted of Gen. Fremont’s body-guard, under Gen. Zagoni, Capt. Tillman’s company of cavalry; a section of Capt. Carlin’s battery; the First regiment of Missouri Volunteers, Col. Blair; Gen. Fremont and staff; a number of army and .volunteer officers; city officials; prominent citizens; and the Third regiment of United States Reserve Corps, Col. McNeil, all under command of Brigadier-General Siegel. The streets through which the procession passed were thronged with spectators, and the flags throughout the city were draped in mourning. —Louisville Journal, August 29.
—The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle and Sentinel gives the following reasons to the Confederate States for organizing a coast defence:
“1. Because there are many places where the enemy might commit raids and do us damage before we could organize and drive them off. Beaufort District, opposite to Savannah, has several fine ports and inlets, navigable for large vessels, wholly unprotected. (See United States Coast Survey.) This district has five black to one white inhabitant. Several inlets on our coast, which our enemies know like a book, from surveys in their possession, are equally unprotected.
“2. In two months more they will not fear our climate. By that time they might be ready to make a sudden descent and find us unprepared.
“3. A small force might eject them if ready to go at once; when, if we have to wait, a much larger one will become necessary.
“4. By organizing and drilling infantry and guerillas at home, there will be no need to call upon the President for troops, and a feint from the enemy would not injure our Virginia operations.
“There are many who are so situated that they cannot enlist for the war who would willingly organize to go for a few months, if necessary, to defend the coast. We earnestly hope that the Governor will soon have companies organized for this purpose all over the State. Captain Cain has a company drilling for this purpose in this county, and we understand that Gov. Brown has accepted them as State troops to defend the coast, and is much pleased with the plan. Captain Harris has also a company of mounted rangers, with double-barrel shotguns, for home defence. If every county will imitate the example of Old Hancock we would lave 15,000 drilled troops in the field at the command of the Governor, ready to operate at any point on a brief warning. Will not the editors throughout the State urge this thing on the people?”
—The Nineteenth regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers, under the command of Col. Edward W. Hincks, of Lynn, left Beston for New York, on the way to the seat of war. The regiment has been in quarters for four weeks at Camp Schouler, Lynnfield. They are fully equipped and are armed with Enfield rifles. They have with them seventeen baggage wagons, seven ambulances and hospital wagons, and one hundred horses. Col. Hincks was formerly Lieut.-Col. of the Eighth Massachusetts Militia regiment, that held the Annapolis Railroad with the New York Seventh; and Lieut.-Col. Deveraux was Captain of the Salem Zouaves, who, with the Massachusetts sappers and miners, brought out the Constitution from the Annapolis navy yard. The Tiger Zouaves are a part of this regiment.
—Governor Dennison, of Ohio, issued a proclamation to the citizens of that State, calling upon them to rally to the defence of the Union, in accordance with the late call of the Executive at Washington.—(Doc. 15.)
—The National Intelligencer of this day gives the following on the mode in which the minor affairs of the South are managed: The lamentations which journals sympathizing with the secession cause express over the loss of “public and private liberty,” would perhaps carry some weight if their sincerity were believed to be equal to their unction, or if any recognition was made of the relation which such losses bear as the natural effects of the causes set in motion by the revolutionists. The vehement denouncers of “Federal usurpations,” which, in whatever degree they may exist, are but the inevitable incidents of a state of things precipitated by the secession movement, these journals, with a hypocrisy only equalled by their effrontery, continue to reserve all their virtuous indignation for the secondary, rather than the primary movers in these great transactions—for these who are acting on the defensive in the preservation of the National authority, rather than these who were the first to invoke the precedents of tyranny for its overthrow. As a sample of the maxims which pass current in the seceded States, without incurring a breath of censure from these sturdy defenders of the Constitution and of public liberty, we make the following selection from a Southern journal:—
The Charleston Mercury announces the passage of the following resolutions by a vigilance committee of that city:
Resolved, That this committee considers it highly inexpedient and impolitic for persons resident at the South to visit the free States of the Federal Government and return to our midst, and especially do we condemn visits of the same person.
Resolved, therefore, That in future any resident of Charleston and its vicinity who shall go to any of the Northern States, unless with previous knowledge and consent of the committee, shall not be permitted to return to our community under pain of such disabilities or punishment as the law may decree.
Such are the institutes of public opinion as now enforced in “the last home of constitutional liberty,” and it is from men who have no word of reproof for the authors of such usurpations that we are doomed to hear daily homilies on the rigorous proceedings of the National Government. These proceedings would indeed be most abnormal in a time of public peace, and it is quite possible that innocent parties may in some cases suffer from the unjust suspicions engendered in a day of great civil defection and official treachery. But it does not become the apologists of the men who have directly superinduced the public and private calamities which afflict the whole nation, to assume the championship of these who are the victims of a wrong which they seek to palliate and protect.
