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

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Post image for Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes.

Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes.

March 6, 2012

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Fayetteville, March 6, 1862.

Dearest : — Dr. Joe has been in his happiest mood every since my return — all the regiment are perfectly healthy. Avery and he started for Raleigh with Thomas this morning. Snowing — snow three inches on mud twelve inches. All of the Twenty-third goes up soon. We shall be “to ourselves” a little while up there. . . . The telegraph line will extend to Raleigh soon.

Lieutenant Bottsford says the picture I bring of you is not so pretty as you are! What do you say to that?

Affectionately,

R.

Mrs. Hayes.

Post image for Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes.

Diary and Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes.

March 6, 2012

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Thursday, 6. — Snow two or three inches deep on top of the mud. Dr. Webb and Adjutant Avery started for Raleigh in the storm, or rather on the snow and mud. There is no storm, merely snowing. P. M., with Captain McMullen and Lieutenant Bottsford rode out toward Bowyer’s Ferry; horses “balled” badly; fired a few pistol shots. My Webby (new) shies some and was decidedly outraged when I fired sitting on his back. Practiced sabre exercise. Evening, heard the telegraphic news; General Lander’s death, the only untoward event. How many of the favorites are killed! General Lyon, Colonel Baker, Major Winthrop, and now General Lander. I should mention Colonel Ellsworth also. He was a popular favorite, but by no means so fine or high a character as the others. Army in Tennessee “marching on.” The newspapers and the telegraph are under strict surveillance. Very little of army movements transpire[s]. On the upper Potomac a movement seems to be making on the enemy’s left in the direction of Winchester. Night, very cold — very.

Post image for Army letters of Oliver Willcox Norton.

Army letters of Oliver Willcox Norton.

March 6, 2012

Army letters of Oliver Willcox Norton (Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers)

Hall’s Hill, Va., March 6, 1862.

Dear E.:—

As far as advice is concerned about what you are to do in the future I do not know as I can give any. Mother’s idea of your learning a trade depends upon just what you intend to do through life. A blacksmith’s trade is a very good one if well followed, and, if you ever intend to be a blacksmith, now is the best time for you to commence. By the time you are of age you will have a good capital to begin with, for I consider almost any business well mastered a capital. You can earn a good living and make property, too, always provided your heart is in it and you like the business. If you ever intend to learn any trade, now is just the time for you to begin. Your education is sufficiently advanced for the purpose, and it need not entirely stop on account of your having steady employment. On the other hand, if you have determined to adopt one of the professions and feel that you can succeed, and have made up your mind just what you will do and how you will do it, I say go ahead and do it. My advice is—determine now what you will follow through life and then shape your conduct accordingly. You doubtless have the idea that a good education is of great advantage to a man in any business. This is true, but you and I have to depend upon ourselves without help from relatives and commence life immediately on coming of age. We must look this fact squarely in the face and act accordingly. Now, if you mean by getting an education, completing a college course, how are you to do it? You can get along by working on a farm part of the time and fit yourself to enter college. Then you must have five or six hundred dollars to take you through and graduate. Then you are ready to commence the practice of your profession. You have years of patient industry after you begin, before you attain a profitable business. Now after you are fitted for college you have the means to earn to take you through. Look at that and meet it squarely. If you have health, patience, perseverance and firm self-reliance, you may accomplish it and obtain a good profession. On the other hand, if you learn a trade, you may be settled comfortably in life in a few years. But, if you adopt a business against your will, ten chances to one you will be unsuccessful. So if you decide on a trade pitch into it heart and soul and you may succeed. You say Father does not favor your learning a trade. Well, what does he advise? To get an education? Yes, but for what? What kind of an education, for that’s the question? At the best he can assist you but a year or two longer, and he can scarcely do that. Now my opinion is that the best assistance he can give you is to help you fix your choice on some calling and then take the proper steps to secure success in that calling. You have the material in you for a first-class man, and I hope you will prove yourself to be one. Prove yourself to have one of the first qualities of such a man—decision of character—by marking out your path and then steadily following it. It is just the turning point of life with you, and I know just about how you feel. You look away down into the dim future of coming years and imagine yourself a man, a prosperous business in your hands, a splendid home, a good wife, and yourself rich and respected. Such is your ideal. It lies within your reach, but it will never come by your wishing for it. You must grow into it. You cannot begin too soon to select your road to it. There are many roads, but you can travel but one, and the sooner you set out the sooner you will reach the goal. I cannot advise you which to take, but only say take some one and act the man in your choice, show that you have judgment like a man and look at all sides of the question. Perhaps I have now written more than enough on this subject, but I see it is occupying your thoughts, and, as you asked my advice, you have it for what it is worth.

Post image for “Their purpose in crossing the river is probably to rebuild the railroad. When this is done we shall probably be attacked here.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

“Their purpose in crossing the river is probably to rebuild the railroad. When this is done we shall probably be attacked here.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

March 6, 2012

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army,The American Civil War

Winchester, March 6, 1862.

Your first letter since I left home reached me on yesterday, bringing the welcome intelligence that you were all well, and the intelligence, not less gratifying, that you would not have me stay at home whilst the country has such pressing need for the service of every citizen in the field. If such were the feeling and wish of every woman and child, the men would be moved by nobler impulses and we would have a brighter prospect before us. Our soldiers, impelled by influence from home, would all remain in the service, and those left behind would rally to their support, instead of remaining behind until compelled by force to join the army and fight for the liberties of the country. Whatever others may do, their delinquencies will not justify our faults; and you and I must act so that what we do in these times of peril and uncertainty shall hereafter have our own and the approval of those whose good opinion we value.

We came to our present encampment a week ago, and have made little preparation for comfort, not knowing how soon, but expecting every day, we might move again. I doubt not you have heard frequent rumors that a battle was imminent. You had best never alarm yourself with such. From this to the end of the war, I never expect to see the time when a battle may not occur in a few days. Hence I always try to be ready for it, expecting it as something through which I must pass, which is not to be avoided. The facts, so far as I can learn, are that the enemy is in Charlestown with considerable force, in Martinsburg with some 3000, and at Paw-paw tunnel in Morgan with some 12,000 or 15,000. I think it very uncertain whether an advance upon Winchester is intended at this time. Their purpose in crossing the river is probably to rebuild the railroad. When this is done we shall probably be attacked here. If the force of the enemy is far superior to our own,—and it probably will be, I think,—we shall retire from the place without making a defence. So don’t be alarmed at any rumors you may hear.

 

Since my return we have had a very idle time. My duty is to take charge of the regiment in the absence of the Colonel, and as he is here I have nothing at all to do. I am very anxious to get a job of some sort which will give me occupation.

The wish which lies nearest my heart is for your comfort and happiness in my absence. I will write regularly so that you will get my letters on Sunday morning when you go to church. As soon as you hear what was the fate of Brother’s two boys at Fort Donelson, write me about it.

Post image for A Diary of American Events.

A Diary of American Events.

March 6, 2012

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

March 6.—A squad of Van Allen’s cavalry today captured a rebel picket, five in number, near Bunker Hill, Va. They belonged to the Second Virginia infantry. They were carried before the Division Provost-Marshal, Lieut-Col. Andrews, of the Massachusetts Second, for examination.

-—The confederate Congress passed the following substitute for the original bill offered by Mr. Foote, of Tennessee, to authorize the destruction of cotton, tobacco, and other property in military emergencies:

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Confederate States of America, That it shall be the duty of all military commanders in the service of the confederate States to destroy all cotton, tobacco, or other property that may be useful to the enemy, if the same cannot be safely removed, whenever, in their judgment, the said cotton, tobacco, and other property is about to fall into the hands of the enemy.

The following clause was struck out of the original bill on a motion to amend:

The owners thereof shall receive just compensation therefor from the confederate government, under such laws and regulations as may hereafter be established by Congress.

It will be seen that the question of the compensation of owners of the property destroyed is cut off.—Richmond Examiner, March 7.

—President Lincoln transmitted to Congress a message, recommending the adoption of a joint resolution that “the United States ought to cooperate with any State which may adopt a gradual abolishment of slavery, giving to such State pecuniary aid, to be used by such State in its discretion to compensate for the inconveniences, public and private, produced by such change of system.” The President does not urge the adoption of the resolution, but says that the proposition is made “as an offer only,” and declares his conviction that the emancipation of slavery must be gradual, not sudden. He says the “war has been an indispensable mean” for the preservation of the Union, and the present proposition is made as something which promises “great efficiency toward ending the struggle.”— (Doc. 79.)

—Smithfield, Va., was this day occupied by a strong force of United States troops.—Capts. Bell, McKean, Du Pont, Goldsborough, and Farragut were confirmed by the Senate of the United States as flag-officers of the Navy. President Lincoln, in addition to the officers promoted for gallant conduct, nominated Brig.-Gen. Thomas to be a major-general, as a recognition of his eminent services in Kentucky.

—The Ninety-eighth regiment of New-York State volunteers arrived at New-York, en route for the scat of war. It is commanded by Col. William Dutton, a graduate of West-Point, and a classmate of Gen. McClellan.

—An adjourned meeting of citizens of Charleston, S. C, was held at the City Hall, at seven o’clock P.M., to organize the free market of the city, in order to supply the families of soldiers and sailors with provisions and necessaries, free of charge, during the existing war.— Charleston Mercury, March 6.

—A Squadron of the First regiment of Michigan cavalry surprised a party of rebel cavalry at Berryville, Va., routing them, killing three and capturing nine horses, without the loss of a man. —Baltimore American, March 7.

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