Tuesday, 13th.—Passed Clinton at 10 o’clock this morning. Citizens proposed to give regiment a dinner, but Colonel McConnell would not wait until they could get it ready; too bad.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Tuesday Jan’y 13th 1863 (My Birth day) 57 years.
The first thing that I hear in the morning is the cry of the News Boys, “Baltimore Sun & Clipper,” “Morning Chronicle,” “Northern Battle.” At 3 o’clock the “Star.” About 4 o’ck it is “Star 2nd Edition,” “Northern Union Victory.” After the N York mail gets in which is about 6 o’clock, the boys run through the Streets crying “N York Herald, Tribune, and Times.” The Baltimore papers and the Washington papers are sold at three cents, the NY at 5 cts, which are about three times the size of the “Sun” or Star. The old “Inteligencer” is distributed without any Noise. It stands on its dignity. Treads where it trod forty years ago, never radical or very divided in anything, trimming its sails to suit the breeze as far as prudence allows. It has lived through all administrations for half a Century and almost always enjoyed the patronage of the Govt until now. The Globe and the Republican are also daily papers. Nothing New today, all quiet. The Govt seems waiting (like Mr McCawber) “for something to turn up.” If it could only hatch out a Military genius who could lead our troops to Victory in Virginia, it would pay for sitting still. Victory is what we want now with gold at forty per cent over Treasury notes. I have not labored very hard today on the “Board,” have not had much to do. Was down to “Willards” awhile, saw Genl McDowell and Genl Heintzelman there. Qr Master Knowles called upon me today at the office. The hundreds of officers around the City have got what (in former times) was a Paradise to the southern employees in the Departments of the Govt, that is, “High Salaries and nothing to do.”
January 13, Tuesday. Received this A.M. from Admiral Du Pont an intercepted mail captured off Charleston. Reed Saunders, who had the mail in charge, threw it overboard, as he supposed, but the master of the vessel, once a volunteer acting master in our service whom I had dismissed for drunkenness, practiced a deception, and Saunders threw over something else than the mail, which the master secreted, retained, and delivered, and thereby saved his bacon. The mail was not forwarded to its destination, as Seward directed it should be, but opened. Numerous and important dispatches from Mallory, Memminger, Benjamin,[1] etc., etc., disclose important facts. Took some of the more interesting to Cabinet council.
Was waited upon by a large committee composed mostly of old friends and associates sent here by Connecticut to procure the location of a navy yard at New London. Mr. Speaker Carter was chairman and chief spokesman; wanted a navy yard at New London for defensive purposes, for the benefit to be derived from a large establishment located in the State; but little had been expended in Connecticut by the Federal Government; thought it a duty to look out for our own State; if the Union should be broken up, it would be well to have such an establishment as I had proposed in our own limits, etc. Assured the committee if Congress decided to establish a navy yard at New London I should not oppose but would heartily cooperate to make it what was wanted and what it should be. That the small yard at Philadelphia was totally insufficient, and if, in removing it, Congress should decide to go to New London instead of remaining on the Delaware, I should submit to the decision, but I could not, in honesty, sincerity, and as an American citizen acting for all, recommend it. That I had never supposed that the true interest of the country would be promoted by such a transfer; that, much as I loved my native State, I could not forget I was acting for the whole country and for no one locality. That League Island on the Delaware possessed some peculiar advantages that belonged to no other navy yard nor to New London; that it had been tendered, a free gift, by the city of Philadelphia as a substitute for the present contracted wharfage in the city; that I had conscientiously advised its acceptance, and I could not do otherwise than to still act in accordance with my convictions of what I deemed best for the whole country by continuing to recommend its acceptance, whatever might be determined in regard to a navy yard at New London, which was an altogether different matter.
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[1] Heads respectively of the Navy, Treasury, and State Departments in the Confederate Government.
13th. Tuesday. Spent the day very quietly at home. Worked as usual. Last night Chester treated to the oysters. Buglers expect to be mustered out, very jubilant over it. Wrote a letter home.
January 13.—P. T. Barnum delivered his lecture on ” The Art of Money Getting” in Bemis Hall this evening for the benefit of the Ladies Aid Society, which is working for the soldiers. We girls went and enjoyed it.
Tuesday, 13th—We left bivouac this morning at 6 o’clock and moved on to within a mile of Memphis, where we went into camp. The day was cloudy, threatening rain, and by evening had turned quite cool, with a high wind blowing. The ground being very rough here, the setting up of our tents was pretty slow work.
On this page Mr. Waud has illustrated for us the Army Telegraph. Of this important institution he says: “The army signal-telegraph has been so far perfected that in a few hours quite a large force can be in constant connection with head-quarters. This, while a battle is progressing, is a great convenience. The wire used is a copper one insulated, raised on light poles, made expressly for the purpose, on convenient trees, or trailed along fences. The wire and the instrument can be easily carried in a cart, which as it proceeds unwinds the wire, and, when a connection is made, becomes the telegraph-office. Where the cart can not go the men carry the drum of wire by hand. In the picture the cart has come to a halt, and the signal-men are hastening along—some with the drum, while others with crow-bars make the holes for the poles, upon which it is rapidly raised.
“The machine is a simple one, worked by a handle, which is passed around a dial-plate marked with numerals and the alphabet. By stopping at the necessary letters a message is easily spelled out upon the instrument at the other end of the line, which repeats by a pointer every move on the dial-plate. The whole thing is so simple that any man able to read and write can work it with facility.”
Published January 24, 1863, in Harper’s Weekly
by John Beauchamp Jones
JANUARY 13TH.—The generals in North Carolina are importunate for reinforcements. They represent the enemy as in great force, and that Weldon, Goldsborough, Raleigh, and Wilmington are in extreme peril. Lee cannot send any, or, if he does, Richmond will be threatened again, and possibly taken.
How shall we live? Boarding ranges from $60 to $100 per month. Our landlord says he will try to get boarding in the country, and if he succeeds, probably we may keep the house we now occupy, furnished, at a rent of $1200, for a mere robin’s nest of four rooms! But I hope to get the house at the corner of First and Casey, in conjunction with Gem Rains, for $1800. It has a dozen rooms.
January 13.—The United States gunboat Major Slidel, under the command of Lieutenant Van Dorn, surrendered to a party of rebel guerrillas at Harpeth Shoals, on the Cumberland River, Tenn., without firing a shot . The United States transport steamers Hastings, Trio, and Parthenia, with wounded troops, were also captured by the same party of rebels, at the same time and place. After robbing the wounded soldiers of all their money, overcoats, boots, and blankets, they were transferred to the Hastings, which was then permitted to proceed on her voyage. The other vessels, including the Slidel, were burned.—(Doc 104.)
—At New-Orleans, General Banks gave the following notice to the people of that place: “That offensive personal demonstrations, by language or conduct of any character, by persons of any class whatever, with the intention of giving personal offence, or tending to disturb the public peace, are forbidden, and will be punished with relentless severity. Parents will be held responsible for the respectful conduct of their children, and prompt measures will be taken to fasten upon the proper parties any act of this character. All persons who may be witnesses to such conduct are directed, as a measure of public peace, to give information thereof to the Provost-Marshal, or at these headquarters.”—The schooner Hampton was captured in Dividing Creek, Va., by the United States steamer Currituck.— Com. Barwood’s Despatch.
Buntyn Station, Tuesday, Jan. 13. Cloudy and appearance of rain. The health in general is not very well, several troubled with ague, etc., supposed to be owing to the water which is very bad, being taken out of an artificial pond. Stood guard. Rained very heavy in the night.
