Wednesday, 14th.—Marched two miles and camped on the banks of Tom Big Bee River.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Hi all,
I got a bit behind on some of the diary posts – I’m just about caught up now. I am done publishing material from 1862 (unless I come across some new and interesting diary or journal).
One of the diaries I was behind on was a new one, the Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd, Co. D of Terry’s Texas Rangers.
Dodd was taken prisoner and the diary was found in his pocket. He was condemned and hung as a spy.
I’ve saved all of the Dodd diary entries prior to January 14, 1863 as a pdf for those who may be interested in reading them without backtracking through the blog. Just click on the image above.
Washington Wednesday January 14th 1863.
As gloomy and as dark as two years ago are the days now. When we look into the future for our Country Dark days were those, and it looks dark now for the preservation of our Union. Our vast armies seem to be lying idle or baffled everywhere by our alert enimies. But worse than all there are indications of mutiny among ourselves. The weakness and imbecility of the Govt manifested in the Management of the War has raised a storm in the north and west that looks dark and threatening. People are tired and sick of the war, and now the Political leaders say, and the mass of the people believe, that the object of the war is now not what it was (to preserve the Union). But, to free the Negroes (an abolition War) and they hate abolitionists as well as the Negroes. Under present circumstances no Union or re-construction can take place. Nothing in fact but crushing the rebels, entirely subdueing them, can bring Peace. It dont now look as though we were able to do that, and in any case the South say they will accept No Terms short of their Independence. Well, the War must Continue for a long while yet. (Gold today 147). Got letters from home & one from Lieut Belden from Lyons. Called and spent an hour with Mr Haws on I St. I consider him a rising man. He certainly is a thriving one. There is no news in particular, quite a financial panic. If this miserable Congress does not adopt Mr Chases measures, we shall go to ruin soon.
January 14.—We have received a box of oranges from Mobile, and some money from my friend. Mr. M.
Had a very nice ride to-day with Mrs. Newsom. We went on a foraging expedition, in search of milk, and found a woman who would sell us a quantity of buttermilk—a treat for the patients. We went round by the river part of the road. It was the wildest scenery I ever beheld. In one moment we were in a ravine so deep as almost to exclude from view the blue of heaven (a nice haunt for bogles and witches), and at another time I trembled lest my horse might stumble and cast me into the ravine below.
Mrs. N. rode on as fearlessly as any knight of old, or one of our own cavalry. I believe the latter are the best horsemen in the world, the Indians not excepted.
In a letter received from my father and my friend Mr. M., both are much elated that the state of Alabama has been able to pay off the interest of her state debt in gold. The British war steamer Vesuvius came and took it away. My father was indignant at a telegram which Lord Lyons had dispatched from Washington, ordering the captain not to take the money, as it would be a breach of international law. The dispatch did not arrive until the steamer had left. I wonder if they are as particular in regard to their dealings with the Federals? From what we hear on the subject I think not.
Tuesday, [January] 14. — A warm, pleasant day. Sent three companies late last night to Tompkins Farm under Captain Sperry; a dark, muddy march — just out of good quarters too. Colonel Hatfield of [the] Eighty-ninth Regiment makes a singular point as to my rank compared with his. He was appointed colonel about December 1, and has a commission of that date; that is, at the bottom are the words “issued this day of December” and also sealed, etc., this day of December. My commission in like manner was of November 1. Colonel Hatfield was major before and acted as second in command until he received his commission. But his commission in the body of it has a clause to take rank from October 2, 1862, which is twelve days earlier than mine. He claims this is the date of his commission. Not so, the date is at the bottom as above. A note dated December 1 with interest from October 2 is still a note of December 1. But what is the effect of the clause or order in the body of the commission? I say nothing. The governor of a State has no power to give rank in the army of the United States prior to either appointment or actual service in such rank. If he could confer rank two months prior to appointment or service, he could two years. He could now appoint civilians to outrank all officers of same grade now in service from Ohio or from any other State. But this is absurd. A commission being merely evidence of appointment, the governor may perhaps date it back to the time of actual appointment or service. The President of the United States, as Commander-in-Chief of [the] United States army, can, perhaps, give rank independent of service or actual appointment. But if a state governor is authorized to do so, the Act of Congress or lawful order for it can be shown. Let us see it.
The President’s power to appoint and to discharge officers embraces all power. It is supreme. But the governor has no power of removal. He can only appoint according to the terms of his authority from Congress or the War Department. What is that authority?
The appointments are often made long before the issuing of commissions. The commission may then well specify the date from which rank shall begin. But I conclude there can be no rank given by a governor prior to either commission, appointment, or actual service. Else a citizen could now be appointed colonel to outrank every other colonel in the United States, and be entitled to pay for an indefinite period in the past, which is absurd.
The governor has no authority to put a junior over a senior of the same grade. He may promote or rather appoint the junior out of order, because the power to appoint is given him. But to assign rank among officers of [the] same grade is no part of his duties. Why is such a clause put in commissions? (i) Because appointments are often made (always so at the beginning of the war) long before the commissions issue. (2) In recruiting also, the appointment is conditional on the enlistment of the requisite number of men. Of course the rank dates from the appointment and actual service.
But the great difficulty lies here. Is not this clause the highest evidence — conclusive evidence — of the date of the appointment? Can we go behind it? I say no, for so to hold is to give the governor the power to determine rank between officers of [the] same grade after appointment.
The order of appointment is highest (see Regulations). The governor’s order may be written, as Governor Dennison’s were, or verbal as Governor Tod’s are — to be proved in one case by the order, in the other verbally.
February 14 — We moved camp to-day, down the Valley, to Edenburg, and are camped this evening half mile south of Edenburg, and about a quarter mile from the North Fork of the Shenandoah.
From Mrs. Lyon’s Diary
Fort Henry, Tenn., Jan. 14, 1863.—A party of twenty of us went to Fort Donelson, returning the same day. While going there the carriage in which I rode broke down, upset and rolled us all out in the road in fine confusion. Except a few slight bruises nobody was injured. Mrs. Stanton fainted away and we had to take her into a house. Here we saw for the first time the filthy habit of dipping. They take a small stick and chew the end of it into a brush, then stick it into Scotch snuff and rub it all around their teeth.
14th. Wednesday. Met D. R. in the morning. Gave me a letter from Ella Clark. Went over to Co. H. and read it to the boys. The best I ever received from her, I think. The boys seemed pleased and surely I was.
January 14th [1863]. Just this moment got a letter from Mrs. Chilton; it came from Vicksburg, where she has been to attend Miss Emanuel’s wedding. She went by boat with a flag of truce. She writes enigmatically, but informs us, who understand her, that all is safe in that region for our Confederate arms; she has just heard from our dear Claude, whom she calls Claudine, who writes with his poor left hand from Texas. All well and all safe there. She has just written to our dear sister there that we are well; I wish she could have said happy. I feel grateful to hear even through others when so many here are cut off entirely. Mrs. Stone has lost her young son in the army; so also has Mrs. Prentiss. How my heart aches for the poor desolate mothers in this cruel war. Mr. Brink came up with a few lines from Mr. Brown, written without date or signature; all are in fine spirits beyond the lines and Bragg’s fight with Rosecranz in Tennessee is considered a victory to our side in the Confederacy, though here the Yankees dole it out to us in the papers as a defeat. An order of Banks’ today enjoins on all of us a most respectful treatment of Federal soldiers; parents are to be held responsible for the behavior of the children. I had no idea rulers could descend to such trifles, for my part I consider it beneath me to treat anyone with rudeness, least of all would I treat with indignity these wretched privates who have been induced to leave their homes by thousands of pretenses, and are uncomfortable and miserable enough without our jeers. They all have a serious, heavy-hearted aspect; men fighting for home and fireside feel differently; our Confederate knights have at least this consolation to support them under all their trials. The wind blew a perfect hurricane all day; I thought of the poor soldiers at sea. Spent the evening at Mrs. Dameron’s; got an old music book containing many songs which are among my first recollections, when my father’s guitar and his melodious voice seemed to me the finest music. As I recalled one by one the friends whose voices are forever stilled, who used to sing those songs, I felt a pang like that of a new parting for each and all; my heart would cry out, “What is life after all?”
An order to-day tempting planters to bring down their produce. The earnest desire to open the river is made known by other means than those used at Port Hudson and Vicksburg. These places both hold out, though it is represented in Northern papers that both have fallen. This is a deliberate falsehood gotten up to prevent recognition. By the fall of either we would lose the supplies from Red River and Texas, upon which a large portion of our people depend, and by the seizure of the railroad which would follow, the Confederacy would be cut in half. The fleet has all left Vicksburg, being threatened from above. A large force is drilling here daily for an attack on Port Hudson. We hear that our people are killing the enemy rapidly in various portions of Louisiana, where they have been burning houses, stealing negroes and all other property, and committing frightful depredations. We Confederates of New Orleans consider that Louisiana has been neglected by our Government; Mississippi gets the credit of holding out better against the foe, but as soon as she was threatened the Government made haste to help her with tried soldiers from all parts of the Confederacy. Louisiana and Kentucky bled in defense of Vicksburg, coward “New Orleans” is the cry. There were no troops left to defend New Orleans, though such an important point. We had no soldiers except the ”Confederate Guard,” a sort of holiday regiment composed of the well-to-do old gentlemen of the city, who were anxious to show their patriotism on the parade ground, but who never expected to fight. The pomp and circumstance they kept up finely. They had beautiful tents, too, on their camping-out excursions, to which they transported comfortable bedsteads, sundry boxes and demijohns’. I have no doubt that the idea of being of immense service to a grateful country, gave quite a flavor to their expensive wines; these were our defenders, and General Lovell was given to feasting with them. They were called his pets. When the forts fell the most valiant of these gentlemen returned with General Lovell to Camp Moore, and others, using much discretion, made haste to pack away their epaulettes and became the most unassuming of citizens on a moment’s notice. We had no tried men at the forts. Congress was appealed to again and again, but the President and House seemed to keep up a hardened blindness as to its condition. I am told that Davis said that two guns could defend New Orleans, and that Benjamin laughingly said that “Timbuctoo would be attacked as soon.” Well, well, here am I writing, nearly a year after its fall, running out to look at Yankee cavalry instead of the Confederate Guards, while, more serious matter still, the poor, surprised plantations are defended by hastily gotten up guerrilla bands. There is a fight at Baton Rouge, in Yankee possession, nearly every night; no Yankee boat dares go beyond a certain distance up the river. The guerrillas, not infrequently, fire on them and sometimes capture or burn them. To what a dreadful condition is our dear country reduced—our country which once lay in happy security.
Every wile is used to obtain cotton; when it can be seized, it is, of course. Men are going round constantly buying even the smallest parcels of this now precious commodity—mattresses and small samples—offering fabulous prices for the same. On our old plantation, with what little reverence I regarded this beautiful staple! Now it seems to represent so much that it appeals to my fancy almost like a matter of poetry. “King Cotton dethroned must mount again.” How the working world is suffering for his aid. A letter has recently arrived from Mrs. Roselius’ sister, who is English and in England; she dwells much on the suffering of the people near her; she had had no idea that the world could contain such distress; she never saw anything like it in America, where she lived so long. The Government is allowing the starved operatives five cents per day. Food is as dear there as here, and I am sure that no American, no negro slave, could support life on such a sum. Ah, if men would only grow wise enough to let the evils of other countries alone until they had remedied those near them! “The Greeks are at our door,” said John Randolph once, when called on to contribute to their assistance.
Wednesday, 14th—It rained all night and much of the day. Our tents failed to turn the water, as the strong wind blowing literally drove the rain through the canvas, making it as wet where we lay as on the outside. There is no hay or straw to lie on at night and no lumber to be had for floors, but the quartermaster is providing us with plenty of cordwood, and having the Sibley tents we build fires in the center of them to warm ourselves and dry our clothes. A great many of the boys got permission to go down town to spend the night. We signed the payrolls for two months’ pay and were expecting to receive our pay today, but for some reason it failed to come.
