November 17, Sunday. — I was sent in command of one hundred men of Twenty-third and one hundred of Twenty-sixth six miles towards Raleigh to Blake’s to watch a road on which it was thought Colonel Jenkins’ Rebel cavalry might pass with prisoners and plunder from Guyandotte. We bivouacked on the snow in fence corners — ice half inch thick — and passed the night not uncomfortably at all. A party of Rebels from Floyd’s army met us here with a flag of truce. Had a good little chat with several of them. They did not seem at all averse to friendly approaches. It seemed absurd to be fighting such civil and friendly fellows. I thought they were not so full of fight as our men — acted sick of it. One youngster, a lieutenant in Phillips’ Legion, T. H. Kennon of Milledgeville, Georgia, wanted to buy back his little sorrel mare which we had captured — a pleasant fellow. They were after Croghan’s body.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
17th. Sunday. Stayed at Uncle’s in the morning. Theodore rode my horse to Uncle Jones’. Stayed over night.
Sunday, 17th—We had a pretty stiff introduction to our first night on a river boat, for it snowed in the night. My bunk-mate, James Fossett, and I lay down on the deck with our heads to the smoke-stack instead of our feet, in order to avoid lying with our heads down hill. By morning we were covered with snow, about two inches deep. At 8 a. m. we landed at Montrose, where two of our companies were transferred from our boat to another boat in order to lighten our boat for the purpose of passing through the rapids just above Keokuk. We reached Keokuk in safety about noon and went on shore to cook some provisions. At dusk we returned to the boats, our company being transferred to another boat which lay at Keokuk all night while the “Jennie Whipple” proceeded down the river.
SUNDAY 17
Cool, pleasant day, did not go out to church. Wife and the boys went. Julia is still confined to the house and coughs a good deal yet. Took a long walk this evening, brought up at Willards Hotel. Saw Mr Stillson there from Rochester. Hotel very full, in fact the City seems to now be running over now. Where will the Congressmen go with all the hangers on. No News today of any importance.
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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.
November 17th.—For my sins I went to see a dress parade of the 6th Regular Cavalry early this morning, and underwent a small purgatory from the cold, on a bare plain, whilst the men and officers, with red cheeks and blue noses, mounted on horses with staring coats, marched, trotted, and cantered past. The papers contain joyous articles on the Trent affair, and some have got up an immense amount of learning at a short notice; but I am glad to say we had no discussion in camp. There is scarcely more than one opinion among thinking people in Washington respecting the legality of the act, and the course Great Britain must pursue. All the Foreign Ministers, without exception, have called on Lord Lyons—Russia, France, Italy, Prussia, Denmark. All are of accord. I am not sure whether the important diplomatist who represents the mighty interests of the Hanse Towns has not condescended to admit England has right on her side.
NOVEMBER 17TH.—There are also quite a number of letter-carriers obtaining special passports to leave the Confederacy. They charge $1.50 postage to Washington and Maryland, and as much coming hither. They take on the average three hundred letters, and bring as many, besides diverse articles they sell at enormously high prices. Thus they realize $1000 per trip, and make two each month. They furnish the press with Northern journals; but they give no valuable information: at least I have not conversed with any who could furnish it. They seem particularly ignorant of the plans and forces of the enemy. It is my belief that they render as much service to the enemy as to us; and they certainly do obtain passports on the other side.
Gen. Winder and his alien detectives seem to be on peculiar terms of intimacy with some of these men; for they tell me they convey letters for them to Maryland, and deliver them to their families. This is an equivocal business. Why did they not bring their families away before the storm burst upon them?
Camp near Winchester, November 17, 1861.
Soldiering for the past week has been a hard business. For two or three days we had cold rains, and the balance of the time very severe winds. The wind is perhaps more severe than the rain, as it makes our outdoor fires very uncomfortable, it being doubtful whether it is best to stand the cold or the smoke. The weather feels now as if the campaign was over and we must soon go into winter quarters. If we get houses, I presume it will be shanties, such as the men can build for themselves out of logs and clapboards. This they could do in a very short time. But cotton tents will be bad quarters for snowy, freezing weather; and if we do not have better, I fear we shall lose much from disease this winter. My health at present is very good, and I think I stand the service as well as any one else in it. Last night I slept very comfortably with the assistance of two sheepskins and five blankets.
Since our arrival here, there has been a very general congregation of officers’ wives at the farm-houses in the neighborhood, and I think it likely to continue until women and children are as common in the camp as blackberries in August. So I have little hope of seeing you here, but think the Yankees will go into winter quarters before long. They will discover that a winter campaign in this part of the sunny South, with the snow a foot deep and ice everywhere, is uncomfortable, and will give us a few months’ rest. I hope then to be able to get a short furlough to see my dear little wife and babies at home.
And now, Love, I will take leave of yon. I sympathize deeply with you in your approaching illness, and hope for your safe and speedy recovery. Remember me kindly to your father, and say that I am very grateful for the assistance which he has given you in my absence.
November 17.—This morning a detachment, under Col. Alcorn, stationed at Calhoun, attacked Hawkins’ regiment at Cypress Bridge, three miles back of Rumsey, in McLean County, Ky., and completely routed the rebels, killing a great number, taking twenty-five prisoners, three hundred horses, and a number of guns, blankets, etc. The national loss was ten killed and fifteen wounded.
—A panic prevailed at Charleston, which “a week before the battle of Port Royal was regarded as absolutely impregnable.” In explanation of the panic it is said: “The entire fighting population of Charleston and Savannah, as well as the intervening and adjacent country, is on active duty. The exempts are very few in number, being confined to these who are engaged in expediting the preparations for the war, or are detained by other occupations which the public interest requires not to be suspended. Thus the community of Charleston and that of Savannah, alike shorn of the young and vigorous men, who give buoyancy and a sense of security to the household, is now made up almost exclusively of women and children, and nervous old men who have passed the period of military service. In such a condition of things it is scarcely wonderful that vague and unreasonable apprehensions should prevail.”— Richmond Examiner, November 20.
—A party of Union troops recaptured nearly all the wagons and cattle which were seized by the rebels yesterday, near Pleasant Hill, Mo.
—This morning the Ninety-seventh regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, numbering nine hundred and fifty muskets, under command of Col. Guess, arrived at Baltimore, Md.—Four hundred and eighty-eight U. S. Artillery and Infantry, commanded by Lieut.-Col. C. S. Merchant; the Sixty-sixth regiment N. Y. S. V. under command of Col. Pinckney; the Fifty-first regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and a detachment of five hundred sailors, belonging to the Ellsworth and Naval batteries, commanded by Col. Wainwright, also arrived at Baltimore during the day.—Baltimore American, November 18.
—The Wild Cat Brigade, under Gen. Schoepf in Kentucky, reached Crab Orchard after a forced marched of four days in retreat.—(Doc. 170.)
—United States steam gunboat Connecticut captured the British schooner Adelaide, of Nassau, N. P., near Cape Canaveral, and took her into Key West. She was loaded -with coffee, lead, and swords, having several cases of the latter. The supercargo, Lieutenant Hardee, a relative of “Tactic” Hardee, is an officer in the Confederate army, he claimed the cargo as his property, and acknowledged that he was taking it to Savannah, Ga. The Adelaide had made several voyages to Savannah since the blockade.—N. Y. Commercial, November 27.
—Lieutenant George W. Snyder, of the U. S. Engineers, first assistant to General Barnard on the construction of the forts on the line of the Potomac, died at Washington, D. C., to-day, of typhoid fever. He was one of the garrison at Fort Sumter, from its occupation by Major Anderson until its evacuation, and during the bombardment commanded a portion of the men. His gallant conduct elicited the highest praise. Fort Ellsworth and six other fortifications, opposite Washington, were constructed under his direction. He was but twenty-eight years of age, but was one of the most talented members of the engineer corps. He graduated at the head of his class, and was thereupon appointed an instructor at West Point in the engineering department. Subsequently, on entering the army, he was employed in the fortification of Pickens, at Pensacola, and other forts. He had charge of the landing of the first troops at Annapolis; was in General Heintzleman’s staff at the battle of Bull Run, and brought off the last of the troops from the field. At one time he was tendered the colonelcy of the Twelfth volunteer regiment from New York, by Governor Morgan, but his services as engineer in the regular army were too valuable, and the Government would not permit his acceptance of the position.
—A Large number of rebels on their way to join Price’s army, were attacked near Palmyra, Mo., by a detachment of the Third Missouri Cavalry. The rebels lost three killed, five wounded, and sixteen prisoners.—N. T. Commercial Advertiser, Nov. 17.
