March 20th.—All quiet. No move.
March 2012
MARCH 20TH.—There is skirmishing every day on the Peninsula. We have not exceeding 60,000 men there, while the enemy have 158,000. It is fearful odds. And they have a fleet of gun-boats.
Thursday, 20th—It is cloudy, chilly and very disagreeable weather. A great many of the boys are getting sick with the chills and fever, and the doctors are no account. We have no drill nor dress parade; we seem to be just stopping here in the mud. Troops are passing here every day going up the river. The boys are getting anxious for a fight.
20th. Found the books in use, so busied myself in writing to Fannie Henderson.
Thursday, 20.— Cold; no rain falling this morning, but the storm not over. Fremont at the head of our department, the Mountain District, western Virginia and east Tennessee. Good! 1 admire the general. If he comes up to my anticipations, we shall have an active campaign.
Colonel Scammon returned, also Major Comly, to Fayetteville. They send no news and bring no newspapers. Thoughtless fellows! No, I must not call the colonel fellow. He put down a countryman who came in with, “Are you the feller what rents land?” Colonel Scammon: “In the first place I am not a feller; in the second place, take off your hat! and in the third place, I don’t rent land. There is the door”!
March 20. Newbern, situated at the north confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers, was, I think, first settled by colonists from Berne, in Switzerland, and in honor of the old town was named New Berne, but for short, is now pronounced as written. The chivalry, in their hasty flight, thought to make a Moscow of it, and fired it in several places, destroying the long and expensive railroad bridge across the Trent river, all the turpentine distilleries (save one) of which there was quite a number, and three squares of the town, in one of which was the large Planter’s hotel. The city has a fine water front on the south and east sides, furnishing ample wharfage for shipping and warehouses. It contains a population of about 8000. The streets cross at right angles, thus forming squares which are compactly built over. The area of the city is much less than many northern towns of 2000 inhabitants, but land is scarce here and it doesn’t do to waste it for building purposes. There are, however, several fine residences with ample surroundings. There are four churches, several halls, one academy, one hotel, court house, jail, post office, printing office, and many large wholesale stores and warehouses. There is a small cotton mill, manufacturing cotton yarn, a lumber mill, one turpentine distillery, tannery, gas works, and a large machine shop and foundry connected with the railroad depot, at the north side of the city. There are two banks here, but at present they do not seem to be doing a regular banking business. Capt. Dan, the provost marshal, occupies the Merchant’s, while the master of transportation occupies the bank of North Carolina. Whether the latter bank discounts or not, I am unable to say, but I know that Capt. Dan does, when there is anything in the bottle. The streets are wide and level, set on either side with handsome shade trees. Altogether it is rather a pretty city. This has been a town of some commercial importance, having had a large inland and coastwise trade, exporting shingles, staves and other lumber to the West Indies, cotton and naval stores to northern ports, and bringing return cargoes of such goods as the market here demanded.
March 20, 1862.—A man professing to act by General Hindman’s orders is going through the country impressing horses and mules. The overseer of a certain estate came to inquire of H. if he had not a legal right to protect the property from seizure. Mr. L. said yes, unless the agent could show some better credentials than his bare word. This answer soon spread about, and the overseer returned to report that it excited great indignation, especially among the company of new volunteers. H. was pronounced a traitor, and they declared that no one so untrue to the Confederacy should live there. When H. related the circumstance at dinner, his partner, Mr. R., became very angry, being ignorant of H.’s real opinions. He jumped up in a rage and marched away to the village thoroughfare. There he met a batch of the volunteers, and said, “We know what you have said of us, and I have come to tell you that you are liars, and you know where to find us.”
Of course I expected a difficulty; but the evening passed, and we retired undisturbed. Not long afterward a series of indescribable sounds broke the stillness of the night, and the tramp of feet was heard outside the house. Mr. R. called out, “It’s a serenade, H. Get up and bring out all the wine you have.” Annie and I peeped through the parlor window, and lo! it was the company of volunteers and a diabolical band composed of bones and broken-winded brass instruments. They piped and clattered and whined for some time, and then swarmed in, while we ladies retreated and listened to the clink of glasses.
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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.
Georgeanna’s Journal.
March 20.
We have been getting some stores to-day for Will Winthrop. They are at last delighted by the order to join Heintzelman. Twenty to thirty thousand men have gone in the transports already. Will’s black mess-boy came in to us and took out a basket with enough for the voyage. Have been up to see Charles Bradford, son of Captain Woolsey Hopkins’ sister, at Columbian Hospital, and have sent him jelly, oysters, etc. Nice young fellow and pleased to see us.
March 20th.—The Merrimac is now called the Virginia. I think these changes of names so confusing and so senseless. Like the French “Royal Bengal Tiger,” “National Tiger,” etc. Rue this, and next day Rue that, the very days and months a symbol, and nothing signified.
I was lying on the sofa in my room, and two men slowly walking up and down the corridor talked aloud as if necessarily all rooms were unoccupied at this midday hour. I asked Maum Mary who they were. “Yeadon and Barnwell Rhett, Jr.” They abused the Council roundly, and my husband’s name arrested my attention. Afterward, when Yeadon attacked Mr. Chesnut, Mr. Chesnut surprised him by knowing beforehand all he had to say. Naturally I had repeated the loud interchange of views I had overheard in the corridor.
First, Nathan Davis called. Then Gonzales, who presented a fine, soldierly appearance in his soldier clothes, and the likeness to Beauregard was greater than ever. Nathan, all the world knows, is by profession a handsome man.
General Gonzales told us what in the bitterness of his soul he had written to Jeff Davis. He regretted that he had not been his classmate; then he might have been as well treated as Northrop. In any case he would not have been refused a brigadiership, citing General Trapier and Tom Drayton. He had worked for it, had earned it; they had not. To his surprise, Mr. Davis answered him, and in a sharp note of four pages. Mr. Davis demanded from whom he quoted, “not his classmate.” General Gonzales responded, “from the public voice only.” Now he will fight for us all the same, but go on demanding justice from Jeff Davis until he get his dues—at least, until one of them gets his dues, for he means to go on hitting Jeff Davis over the head whenever he has a chance.
“I am afraid,” said I, “you will find it a hard head to crack.” He replied in his flowery Spanish way: “Jeff Davis will be the sun, radiating all light, heat, and patronage; he will not be a moon reflecting public opinion, for he has the soul of a despot; he delights to spite public opinion. See, people abused him for making Crittenden brigadier. Straightway he made him major-general, and just after a blundering, besotted defeat, too.” Also, he told the President in that letter: “Napoleon made his generals after great deeds on their part, and not for having been educated at St. Cyr, or Brie, or the Polytechnique,” etc., etc. Nathan Davis sat as still as a Sioux warrior, not an eyelash moved. And yet he said afterward that he was amused while the Spaniard railed at his great namesake.
Gonzales said: “Mrs. Slidell would proudly say that she was a Creole. They were such fools, they thought Creole meant——” Here Nathan interrupted pleasantly: “At the St. Charles, in New Orleans, on the bill of fare were ‘Creole eggs.’ When they were brought to a man who had ordered them, with perfect simplicity, he held them up, ‘ Why, they are only hens’ eggs, after all.’ What in Heaven’s name he expected them to be, who can say?” smiled Nathan the elegant.
One lady says (as I sit reading in the drawing-room window while Maum Mary puts my room to rights): “I clothe my negroes well. I could not bear to see them in dirt and rags; it would be unpleasant to me.” Another lady: “Yes. Well, so do I. But not fine clothes, you know. I feel—now—it was one of our sins as a nation, the way we indulged them in sinful finery. We will be punished for it.”
Last night, Mrs. Pickens met General Cooper. Madam knew General Cooper only as our adjutant-general, and Mr. Mason’s brother-in-law. In her slow, graceful, impressive way, her beautiful eyes eloquent with feeling, she inveighed against Mr. Davis’s wickedness in always sending men born at the North to command at Charleston. General Cooper is on his way to make a tour of inspection there now. The dear general settled his head on his cravat with the aid of his forefinger; he tugged rather more nervously with the something that is always wrong inside of his collar, and looked straight up through his spectacles. Some one crossed the room, stood back of Mrs. Pickens, and murmured in her ear, “General Cooper was born in New York.” Sudden silence.
Dined with General Cooper at the Prestons. General Hampton and Blanton Duncan were there also; the latter a thoroughly free-and-easy Western man, handsome and clever; more audacious than either, perhaps. He pointed to Buck—Sally Buchanan Campbell Preston. “What’s that girl laughing at?” Poor child, how amazed she looked. He bade them “not despair; all the nice young men would not be killed in the war; there would be a few left. For himself, he could give them no hope; Mrs. Duncan was uncommonly healthy.” Mrs. Duncan is also lovely. We have seen her.
March 20.—Gov. Curtin issued a general order complimenting the Fifty-first regiment of Pennsylvania for gallantry at Roanoke and Newbern, N. C, at the latter engagement storming the enemy’s batteries at the point of the bayonet, and ordering the names of these battles to be inscribed on their colors. The regiment is commanded by Col. Hartrauft, and mainly composed of those who left Bull Run before the battle. They were the first to plant the flag at Newbern, and seem determined to recover their lost fame.— .N. Y. Herald, March 22.
—The One Hundred and Fourth regiment of New-York volunteers, under the command of Col. John Roorbach, left Albany for the seat of war. This regiment was organized by the consolidation of seven companies which were recruited in Genesee, and three companies in Troy, and numbers about nine hundred and fifty men, who are well uniformed, and give every indication of being a hardy set of fellows.—N. Y. Tribune, March 22.
—Seventy-seven citizens of Loudon County, Va., accused of loyalty to the Federal Government, were sent to Richmond on the central cars, and committed to one of the military prisons.— Lynchburgh Virginian.
—A Meeting of loyal citizens was held at Jacksonville, Fla., at which a declaration of rights and a protest and resolutions were unanimously adopted to the following effect:
That no State has a constitutional right to separate from the United States. That the act of secession adopted by the State Convention of Florida is void, being in conflict with the Constitution and never having been submitted to the people for ratification. That Florida is an integral part of the United States, subject to constitutional jurisdiction, and it is believed that thousands of her citizens hail with joy the restoration of the Government, bringing deliverance from the terrors of an unrestrained military despotism.
They protested against all the acts and ordinances of the convention, as depriving them of their rights as citizens of the United States; against the despotism which denied freedom of speech and of the press; against the contributions of money, property, and labor and military enlistments forced upon them; against the tyranny which demands the abandoment of their homes and property, and the exposure of their wives and children to sickness, destitution, and famine, and untold miseries; against the barbarous policy which sends brutal soldiers to pillage and burn property and destroy life as a punishment for remaining in their homes; and against the government who threatens to hang them because they will not tamely submit to such indignities.
Having been released from such dangers and indignities, and restored to the Government of the United States, and the reign of terror having passed, it now becomes them as loyal citizens to rise up and state that the State and Government demands that a convention of all loyal citizens be called forthwith to organize a State Government of the State of Florida. Also that the Chief of the Military Department of the United States be requested to retain sufficient force to maintain order and protect the people in their persons and property.—(Doc. 100.)
—The United States gunboat Juniata was launched at Philadelphia, Pa., this day.
—Six citizens of Sangamon County, Ill., were arrested by order of Gen. Halleck, and sent to Alton, to be placed in close confinement, for aiding the escape of rebel prisoners from Camp Butler.—Cincinnati Gazette, March 22.
Gen. Sherman issued a proclamation to the people of Florida, in which he stated that the troops of the United States had come to protect loyal citizens and their property, and enable them to resuscitate their government All loyal people who return or remain at their homes, in the quiet pursuit of their lawful avocations, shall be protected in all their constitutional rights. The sole desire and intention of the Government was to maintain the integrity of the Constitution and laws, and reclaim the States revolted from the national allegiance to their former prosperous condition.
He expresses great satisfaction at the evidence of loyalty, and recommends the citizens to assemble in their cities and towns and proscribe and throw off the sham government forced upon them, and swear true fidelity and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, organize a State government, and elect officers in the good old ways of the past When this is done, he predicts a return of prosperous and happy times, immunity from want and suffering, and the enjoyment of honest labor, and the sweets of happy homes, and the consolation of living under wise and salutary laws, due only to an industrious and law-abiding people.
