Philip Kearny, Jr. (/ˈkɑrniː/; June 2, 1815 – September 1, 1862) was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly. (Wikipedia)
Date Created/Published: Hartford, Conn. : Taylor & Huntington, No. 2 State St., 1862 July.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Record page for image: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011661087/
July 11TH—Gen. Howell Cobb has been sent down the river under flag of truce to negotiate a cartel with Gen. Dix for the ex-change of prisoners. It was decided that the exchange should be conducted on the basis agreed to between the United States and the British Government during the war of 1812, and all men taken hereafter will be released on parole within ten days after their capture. We have some 8000 prisoners in this city, and altogether, I dare say, a larger number than the enemy have of our men.
July 11th.
A letter from George this morning! It was written on the 20th of June, and he speaks of being on crutches in consequence of his horse having fallen with him, and injured his knee. Perhaps, then, he was not in the first battle of the 25th? But bah! I know George too well to imagine he would keep quiet at such a moment, if he could possibly stand! I am sure he was there with the rest of the Louisiana regiment. The papers say “the conduct of the First Louisiana is beyond all praise”; of course, George was there!
And Jimmy is with him at Richmond; but whether in the army, or navy, or what rank if in the first, he does not say; he only says he is looking remarkably well. Gibbes he had heard from in a letter dated the 16th, and up to then he was in perfect health. His last letter here was dated 10th of March, so we are thankful enough now. I was so delighted to read the accounts of the “gallant Seventh” in some paper we fortunately procured. At Jackson’s address, and presentation of the battery they had so bravely won, I was beside myself with delight; I was thinking that Gibbes, of course, was “the” regiment, had taken the battery with his single sword, and I know not what besides. Strange to say, I have not an idea of the names of the half-dozen battles he was in, in June, but believe that one to be Port Republic.
Friday, 11th—Nothing of importance today. The weather is very warm. The entire army is engaged on the fortifications and in felling trees, and besides picket duty we have to keep the camp clean and our accouterments polished. Every man has his rifle in readiness.
Flat Top Mountain, July 11, 1862. Thursday [Friday].— Wrote to Platt about promotion to colonelcy in one of the new regiments. I would dislike to leave the Twenty-third under any circumstances and would not be willing to do it to be taken from active service. But I certainly wish the command of a regiment before the war closes.
Today, to my surprise, Rev. A. Wilson made his appearance. He could not get his pay on the pay sheets furnished because there was no certificate of his resignation having been accepted. He was directed to return to the regiment by General Fremont’s adjutant-general. So he came. One of the men, seeing him, said to me with a knowing look: “Have you any chickens in your coop, Colonel?” A pretty reputation for a chaplain truly! — A fine rain last night and this forenoon.
In a letter dated Camp Flat Rock, Ind. Ter., July 11, 1862, he says:
The Fourth of July was duly celebrated at Cabin Creek Camp. We did no marching, and perfect license was given to all to drink and carouse as much as they chose.
One officer even told his men that the one who wasn’t drunk that night should be ducked in Grand river.
When the 1st Brigade had their fight near here, Col. Weir, our commander, was so intoxicated that he could neither receive the report of the battle or give any orders.
One reason everybody liked Col. Doubleday so well was, that he never drank.
It seems good to get settled down again. While marching, the middle of the day was so very hot, that we commenced marching at three o’clock in the morning, so we had to get up very early to have breakfast out of the way and get ready.
The greatest trouble so far has been the scarcity of water.
Had we come down the other side of the river—people say—there would have been an abundance of water. But water has been very scarce—and mostly stale creek water for which we would have to go quite a distance.
One Q. M. Sergeant was reduced to the ranks day before yesterday for going to a spring almost in our line of march.
I feared there would be a mutiny that day, so many boys hadn’t water and weren’t permitted to leave the ranks to get any. Hereafter any member of the cavalry losing a horse, save in battle, must go afoot, by order of Col. Wier.
Well, Charlie seems to have had his fill of grass, so I must go back to camp. I have been sitting here on my blanket while he has been grazing. We have to go quite a distance from camp for good grass. . . You don’t know what melting weather we have had.
The thermometer has been as high as one hundred and twelve in the shade I believe.
Several men have been sunstruck. There has been no rain of consequence for about two months.
While waiting for the army to make some Army move, G. ran up to Washington with Mr. Olmsted and Charley, on the Small, to secure more hospital supplies, and took news to Mrs. Franklin of her husband the General, at Harrison’s Point.
Abby Howland Woolsey to her sister, Eliza.
8 Brevoort Place,
July, ’62, Friday Morning.
Dear E.: Enclosed are a lot of letters for you, Georgy’s own among them. . . . She describes their doings at Washington, voyage, etc., and says the best thing Mr. Olmsted did was to get Meigs to give him fifty hospital tents, each holding twelve patients. Also to get him to promise to send the old tents stored since last winter, enough to shelter fifty thousand men. Our poor, wretched army, she says, “lies tentless and blanketless at Harrison’s Point, smitten by sun by day, and moon by night, and it only makes her cry to hear them cheer.” . .
August 11th. Early on the march. A hot dry morning. Passed on through Berryville, pushing south through open lots and woods. Skirmishing on the extreme right, at Stony Point. A hot, hard, day’s march. Suffered very much for water. After marching about twenty miles, late tonight came to a halt near a large spring. Many of the boys were obliged to fall out. We are all very tired and about exhausted as we lie down for the night.
July 11. [Mobil] —I have just come from the funeral of Mrs. B—— , an old and valued friend. She was an old lady. It is remarked by all that we have had more deaths among our old citizens since the war than we ever had before. They seem to suffer much more mentally from it than do the young.
This has been one of the hottest days I have ever felt.
In the afternoon, a friend and myself paid a visit with Mrs. F. (a lady who visits there daily) to the General Hospital. In going through it I could not but contrast it with those I had seen in Mississippi. Every thing was in perfect order, and as cleanly as any private house. I was very much pleased to see that our men had such nice comfortable quarters to go to in case of their needing them. This was the first time my friend had ever been in a hospital, and she felt quite sad at the sight of so many young men being so far away from their homes. There were few very sick. We met some very nice young Texians, who were delighted to see us. To one, Frank Epperson, of the Eighteenth Texas Regiment, we promised to send some books. The hospital is in charge of Dr. Miller, who is said to be an excellent surgeon.
The ladies of the place have a society, and arrange so that there are some of them in the hospital every day, to attend to the wants of the patients. They prepare the delicacies, and take charge of all things sent as donations, and see that the persons they are meant for receive them.
The patriotism of the ladies of Mobile, I suppose, has not been outdone by any in the Confederacy. As soon as the war commenced, they formed themselves into a body, called the “Military Aid Society,” for the benefit, not only of the soldiers, but their families. They have clothes made for the soldiers, and their families, who need employment, make them. In that way the war has not been felt as much by them as it would otherwise have been. I have been told by one of the clergymen that he has had fewer calls on him for aid than he had before the war. Soldiers coming, strangers, to this place, can have their wants supplied by this society. I believe it is supported by private donations, and money paid by the government for the work done.
July 11.—A skirmish took place at Williamsburgh, Virginia, between the National and rebel pickets, in which the latter were defeated with a loss of three killed and seven taken prisoners.
—Governor Yates, of Illinois, published a letter to the President of the United States, urging the employment of all available means to crush the rebellion.—At New-Orleans, La., all acts of sale by auctioneers who had not taken the oath of allegiance to the United States were declared null and void by the Military Commandant, Gen. Shepley.
—A skirmish occurred near Pleasant Hill, Mo., between a company of State militia and a band of rebel guerrillas, resulting in a rout of the rebels, with a loss of six killed and five mortally wounded.
—A despatch from Gen. McClellan, at Harrison’s Landing, on the James River, of this date, said:
“All quiet. We are rested. Enemy has retreated.”
—By order of President Lincoln, Major-General Henry W. Halleck was this day assigned to the command of the whole land forces of the United States, as General-in-Chief.
—The rebel Gen. Ruggles refused to grant the petition of the inhabitants of Saint Tammany Parish, La., to permit them to exchange their wood, bricks, lumber, etc., for food, with the citizens of New-Orleans.—A skirmish took place near New-Hope, Ky., between a body of Union troops, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Moore, and a force of rebel guerrilla cavalry, resulting in the complete rout of the rebels.
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