6th.—Marched ten or twelve miles to-day. Crossed railroad below Manassas Gap, and encamped near the village of White Plains. There has been no firing in hearing yesterday or to-day.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
November 6 — Last night was very cold, with a little rain. Six of us made a sort of sheltering shed out of rails and covered it with a tarpaulin. About midnight a horse ran over our house and played thunder with the roof. It tore a ruinous rent in the tarpaulin and came very near trampling on some of us. I never saw such crawling out of bed and house before as when the horse came through the roof.
November 6th.
We three girls fancied a walk last evening, and immediately after dinner prepared to walk to Mrs. Breaux’s, only a mile, and get her to come to the sugar-house. But as we put on our bonnets, Captain Bradford, brother of the one who left in the morning, was announced, and our expedition had to be abandoned. This is the third of the five brothers that I have met, and if it were not for the peculiarity in their voices, I should say that there was not the most distant relationship existing between them. This one is very handsome, quiet, and what Dickens calls “in a high-shouldered state of deportment.” He looks like a moss-covered stone wall, a slumbering volcano, a — what you please, so it suggests anything unexpected and dangerous to stumble over. A man of indomitable will and intense feeling, I am sure. I should not like to rouse his temper, or give him cause to hate me. A trip to the sugar-house followed, as a matter of course, and we showed him around, and told him of the fun we had those two nights, and taught him how to use a paddle like a Christian. We remained there until supper-time, when we adjourned to the house, where we spent the remainder of the evening very pleasantly. At least I suppose he found it so, for it was ten o’clock before he left.
• • • • • • • •
Just now I was startled by a pistol shot. Threatening to shoot her, Mr. Carter playfully aimed Miriam’s pistol at her, and before he could take fair aim, one barrel went off, the shot grazing her arm and passing through the armoir just behind. Of course, there was great consternation. Those two seem doomed to kill each other. She had played him the same trick before. He swore that he would have killed himself with the other shot if she had been hurt; but what good would that do her?
Thursday, 6th—The Sixth Division remained in bivouac here at Grand Junction, while a part of the army moved on to Holly Springs. We have roll call now every hour during the day.
Thursday, 6th. In the morning went out with four men to forage three and one-half miles south. Load of oats for 6th and 2nd. The owner just up from Vanburen with two bushels of salt. Seemed to have considerable information, so took him in to Capt. Quigg. One of the boys met me with my horse to go with Capt. and 20 men on scout. Had to gallop a good distance to catch up. Within seven miles of Fayetteville, fifteen miles distant from camp, took a prisoner from Col. Armstrong’s conscripts. He was at home—on furlough—been sick. Out with horse saddled, talking with his wife washing by the clear stream of water. She seemed a very pretty lady, pitied her—innocent looking man. Before reaching Fayetteville two miles out, Capt. sent me with three men, Porter, Morgan and Shaw. After going a mile, found a fire; soon spied two mounted men with glistening guns around a point of woods, watching us and quietly disappearing. Sent back word. No answer and went on. After half a mile we got within sight of them, but did not know whether to shoot or not—no instructions. They took a final look and went pellmell down the hill. Sent word to Capt. No instructions again. Neared town—women and girls at windows and doors—perfectly ignorant! Didn’t know that there were any secesh in town. Passed by a large house. Big negro woman stood on the stoop, showing her teeth and pointing to town ominously, and shook her head. Such were appearances. By the tannery stood a grey horse, looking like the one the picket was riding; were discussing whether to take it or not, when two men came out, citizens apparently; said there were but two or three dozen in town. Capt. halted his command and overtook us and asked what we had learned. Told us not to go further for the present. Turn back if he whistled. After enquiries whistled and turned back. Porter and I kept in the rear in hope that they would follow us. Three miles out saw a man at a house near by. Rode out and learned that he had charge of a hospital at F. Had no papers to show it. Took him to Capt. He brought him to camp. Rode along beside him all the way in. Had been in the service one year last May, on Raines’ staff. Dressed in a field officer’s uniform, coat, black pants, neat gloves and cap and patent leather boots. Was perfectly sanguine of success eventually—perfectly posted in regard to our movements. A lady was out riding with him, out to see some sick. Very indignant. Waited at a private house with him for supper, while Capt. went to camp and back. Ladies very much pleased to see him. Very sure he is an officer of rank. Said he had no commission as surgeon. Showed an appointment as assistant surgeon by surgeon of 8th Div. Mo. State Guards.
Near Rectorville, Va.
November, 1862.
My dear Mother:
I received your half reproachful letter last night just after I had gone to bed, and thought that perhaps I might have made a little too much of the difficulties of writing without pens, ink, stand, and oftentimes in the cold with numb fingers after a day’s march. These things make me disinclined to write letters, yet I should know by the pleasure the receipt of your missives affords me, that to occasion like pleasure in return should be sufficient incentive to exertion. I am commencing well to-night with a small stub of a pencil, sitting in McDonald’s tent. But remember do, dear mother, when at times I prove neglectful, that all is necessarily well; that “no news is good news.”
I hardly can give you any hint of the intentions of the Army. We do not see the papers often enough to study the general movement of our troops, and cannot even make conjectures. We all hope , though, that we are engaged on some earnest and important undertaking. We feel that it is vital to act, and wish to act successfully. Burnside and McClellan are near us, and we have faith in them. I judge from some remark I read in the papers, that Connecticut has given her vote to the Democracy in the late elections. A test-vote was taken on election day in our Regiment to try the relative strengths of Seymour and Wadsworth. 168 votes were polled, of which Wadsworth received only 52. This was not so much because Seymour or his principles were popular, as for the reason that Wadsworth, long before his nomination for Governor of New-York, was generally known to the army as rather the leader of the clique, so obnoxious to the soldier, which was loud and virulent in its abuse of McClellan. The feeling was rather McClellan versus Fremont, than Seymour versus Wadsworth.
While I think of it, I will deny the story that Rockwell did not command his battery in the James Island battle. He did so, and I do not think Porter meant to deny it. Porter probably said that he (Porter) commanded Rockwell’s Battery the most of the time they were on James Island, without specifying anything regarding the fight. You know Rockwell was sick a good deal of the time, and Porter, as next in rank, did command in many of the almost daily skirmishes. Porter did first-rate service, and is too good a man, I think, to injure his own reputation by decrying another. On the day of the battle Rockwell was well enough to command in person, and to the entire satisfaction of General Stevens.
I had a letter from Horace yesterday, and should judge he was blue. The poor fellow has had discouragements enough. He writes that if the draft falls upon him, he shall enter the ranks and come out to the war. This is wrong. He should secure a Commission, or stay at home. With my present experience, I would not have leaped blindly as I did at the commencement of the war. I have had a hard struggle with pride and duty to make me persist, but a little of the caution displayed by most of my friends would have saved me many difficulties. If my friends have generally been more successful than I, I can at least feel consoled by the thought that what I have gained has been won by my own exertion. There, that is pretty egotism! Little boy blue, come blow your horn!
I wish I had seen Charley Johnson when in my neighborhood. I suppose I was off to Frederick. Charley must have been journeying to the moon, I guess, when he so narrowly escaped Stuart’s Cavalry.
Believe me,
Affec’y.,
Will.
November 6—We commenced to put up winter quarters to-day. It is very cold and sleeting.
NOVEMBER 6TH.—I believe the commissaries and quartermasters are cheating the government. The Quartermaster-General sent in a paper, to-day, saying he did not need the contributions of clothes tendered by the people of Petersburg, but still would pay for them. They were offered for nothing.
The Commissary-General to-day says there is not wheat enough in Virginia (when a good crop was raised) for Gen. Lee’s army, and unless he has millions in money and cotton, the army must disband for want of food. I don’t believe it.
There are 5000 negroes working on the fortifications near the city, and 2500 are to work on the Piedmont Railroad.
We are all hoping that New York and other States declared against the Republicans, at the elections in the United States, on Tuesday last. Such a communication would be regarded as the harbinger of peace. We are all weary of the war, but must and will fight on, for no other alternative remains. Everything, however, indicates that we are upon the eve of most interesting events. This is the time for England or France to come to the rescue, and enjoy a commercial monopoly for many years. I think the Secretary of War has abandoned the idea of trading cotton to the enemy. It might cost him his head.
November 6.—Major-General Butler, from his headquarters at New Orleans, issued the following order:
Headquarters Department number 1,
Confederate States of America, New-Orleans, La.,
March 20, 1862.General orders, no. 90. . . .
XII. All process from any court of law or equity in the parishes of Orleans and Jefferson, for the ejection of the families of soldiers now in the service of the government, either on land or water, for rent past due, is hereby suspended, and no such collections shall be forced until further orders. . . . . .
By command of Major-General Lovell. J. G. Pickett,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
The above extract from orders of the rebel General Lovell is accepted and ordered as referring to the families of soldiers and sailors now in the service of the United States.
By command of Major-General Butler.
George C. Strong, A. A. G.
—General Reynolds took possession of Warrenton, Virginia, this afternoon, the rebels offering no opposition; five prisoners belonging to the Third Virginia cavalry, and two infantry soldiers were captured.—General Charles D. Jameson died at Old Town, Maine, this morning.—The English schooner Dart was captured off Sabine Pass, Texas, by the United States schooner Rachel Seaman.
General Beauregard ordered non-combatants to leave Charleston, South-Carolina, “with all their movable property, including the slaves.” This was done “to avoid embarrassments and delay, in case a sudden necessity should arise for the removal of the entire population.”
A fight took place near Leatherwood, Kentucky, between a small body of Union troops under the command of Captain Ambrose Powell, and a gang of rebel guerrillas, resulting in the flight of the latter, leaving six of their number dead, and their captain mortally wounded.—Frankfort Commonwealth.
