Sunday, 13th—We had preaching in camp this morning by the chaplain, and he gave us a good sermon. A great many people came out from town to attend the meeting, and still more came this afternoon to see us on dress parade at 5 o’clock.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sunday. Took Fannie over to Helen’s. Returned to camp to hear the Chaplain. Fannie and Mrs. Cobb came over too late for the preaching.
October 13th.—Mr. Duncan, attended by myself and other Britishers, made an extensive excursion through the camps on horseback, and I led him from Arlington to Upton’s House, up by Munson’s Hill, to General Wadsworth’s quarters, where we lunched on camp fare and, from the observatory erected at the rear of the house in which he lives, had a fine view this bright, cold, clear autumn day, of the wonderful expanse of undulating forest lands, streaked by rows of tents, which at last concentrated into vast white patches in the distance, towards Alexandria. The country is desolate, but the camps are flourishing, and that is enough to satisfy most patriots bent upon the subjugation of their enemies.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1861.
I caught a severe cold last night by the wind blowing on me in bed and have been rather miserable today, have not been out at all. The Family all went to church excepting myself and Willie, he has got smart again and eats his allowance. The weather is rather chilly, a good fire comfortable in the house. Every body is on the “qui vive” to heare from the great naval expedition which sailed south recently, Charleston or N Orleans probably the point.
______
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.
OCTOBER 13TH.—Another little success, but not in this vicinity. Gen. Anderson, of South Carolina, in the night crossed to Santa Rosa Island and cut up Billy Wilson’s regiment of New York cut-throats and thieves, under the very guns of Fort Pickens.
Camp near Fairfax C. H., October 13, 1861.
I have received your last letter, and will devote an hour of this quiet Sabbath to giving you one in return for it. I am very sorry to hear that, having spared your team so long, they have called for it at last. I had hope they would let it alone in consideration of my absence from home in the service of the State, and consequently my inability to provide means of supplying its place, as others who have remained in the county can. It is nearly equivalent to a loss of our wheat crop, besides the great injury the horses must sustain in such a trip. For them I feel a sort of attachment, as for everything else at home, and should hate very much to see them injured.
We are having a very quiet and dull time. The fault I have with my present position is that I have too little to do. Jackson has been promoted again, and is now Major General. It is, indeed, very gratifying to see him appreciated so highly and promoted so rapidly. It is all well merited. We have, I think, no better man or better officer in the army. I do not know to what position he will be assigned. But this brigade will part with him with very much regret. I shall be very reluctant to leave my place on his staff for any other position.
I am sorry to inform you on the money question that I am dead broke, and gratified to say that I do not expect it to continue many days. I have about $300 pay due me from the government, and sent by a friend who went to Richmond a few days since to draw the money, but he has not returned. Say to Mrs. Fuller I see Sam frequently and he is very well. Kiss the children for me, and think of me often.
October 13.—Eighteen miles northeast of Lebanon, Missouri, near the Wet Glaze, Major Wright, with two companies of United States cavalry, routed about three hundred mounted rebels. The rebels were gathered on the side of a hill, drawn up in line, with the road in front, and the summit of the hill behind them. Here they remained an hour and a half, evidently awaiting the approach along the road of a Union force, when suddenly two companies of Federal cavalry, under command of Captains Montgomery and Switzler, led by Major Wright, advanced over the brow of the hill, in the rear of the rebels, and plunging forward to within one hundred paces, delivered a murderous volley, which scattered the rebels like chaff before the wind. They fled precipitately up the ravine, toward Lebanon, tearing through the brush, in a perfect rout.
A number of saddles were emptied, and horses were galloping riderless about the field. They were taken so completely by surprise that they had hardly time to return a few strangling shots. The action was over in five minutes—it was a dash; a gleam of firo on tlie Federal side, and a wild scamper for life on the other side. The latter were seen running over a hill half a mile distant. Thirty prisoners were taken, and it is supposed that about Twenty rebels were killed. The United States force lost one man. —(Doc. 82.)
—A skirmish occurred at Beckweth’s farm, about twelve miles southwest of Bird’s Point, Mo., between a squad of twenty men, under command of Lieutenant Tufts, and a body of rebel cavalry, one hundred strong, resulting in the loss of two killed, five wounded, and three missing of the National forces, and twelve killed and wounded on the part of the enemy. The rebels first appeared at the outskirts of the timber in small force, and retreated into the woods upon the approach of the Nationals, who pursued them. As soon as they had entered the woods, the whole rebel force attacked them with vigor, they repelling their attack with an effect worthy of greater numbers; but owing to their inferiority of force a retreat was ordered, but not until they had inflicted serious damage upon their overwhelming foe, the effect of the fire of the little band being such as to prevent their being followed up by the enemy. One of the Federals, who had previously been stigmatized as a coward, here sought and most heroically succeeded in restoring his fair name. He had been noticed to fight with much valor during the action; and, upon Lieutenant Tufts ordering a retreat, he wheeled his horse in the face of the enemy, took deliberate aim at the rebel captain, and brought him from his saddle, after which the National force made good their retreat.—Louisville Journal, October 23.
—The brig Granada, from Nenvitas, for New York, was captured by the privateer “Sallie,” of Charleston. The Sallie is a fore-and-aft schooner, of about one hundred and forty tons, painted black, mounts one long gun amidships, and has a crew of forty men, and is commanded by Captain Libby, formerly of the ship Gondar, of Charleston. She ran the blockade from Charleston on the 10th inst. She was formerly the schooner Virginian, of Brookhaven.—N.Y. Evening Post, October 24.
—A Detachment from the Twenty-ninth Illinois regiment, and the Second Illinois dragoons, went to Shelby Thompson’s farm, near Cairo, Ill., and seized three thousand bushels of corn, a large number of horses, mules, cattle, &c., and took two prisoners. Thompson is an officer in the rebel army.—Captain W. H. Parish was to-day appointed provost-marshal of Cairo, Ill.—Missouri Republican, October 15.
