Tuesday, 27th.—Had very wet and cold trip. Arrived at Vicksburg 3 p. M. Went down into town; could see Yankee fleet across the bend of the river, about seven miles away. Baggage unloaded and tents pitched.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
London, January 27, 1863
Spring has come again and the leaves are appearing for the third time and we are still here, nor does there seem any immediate probability of our moving. In fact we are now one of the known and acknowledged units of the London and English world, and though politics still place more or less barriers in our path, the majority of people receive us much as they would Englishmen, and seem to consider us as such. I have been much struck by the way in which they affect to distinguish here between us and “foreigners”; that is, persons who don’t speak English. The great difficulty is in the making acquaintances, for London acquaintances are nothing.
After a fortnight’s violent pulling, pushing, threatening, shaking, cursing and coaxing, almost entirely done through private channels, we have at least succeeded in screwing the Government up to what promises to be a respectable position. How steady it will be, I don’t know, nor how far they will declare themselves, do I know. But between our Government at home and our active and energetic allies here, we seem to have made progress. I went last night to a meeting of which I shall send you a report; a democratic and socialist meeting, most threatening and dangerous to the established state of things; and assuming a tone and proportions that are quite novel and alarming in this capital. And they met to notify Government that “they would not tolerate” interference against us. I can assure you this sort of movement is as alarming here as a slave insurrection would be in the South, and we have our hands on the springs that can raise or pacify such agitators, at least as regards our own affairs, they making common cause with us. I never quite appreciated the “moral influence” of American democracy, nor the cause that the privileged classes in Europe have to fear us, until I saw how directly it works. At this moment the American question is organizing a vast mass of the lower orders in direct contact with the wealthy. They go our whole platform and are full of the “rights of man.” The old revolutionary leaven is working steadily in England. You can find millions of people who look up to our institutions as their model and who talk with utter contempt of their own system of Government. Within three months this movement has taken a development that has placed all our enemies on the defensive; has driven Palmerston to sue for peace and Lord Russell to proclaim a limited sympathy. I will not undertake to say where it will stop, but were I an Englishman I should feel nervous. We have strength enough already to shake the very crown on the Queen’s head if we are compelled to employ it all. You are not to suppose that we are intriguing to create trouble. I do not believe that all the intrigue in the world could create one of these great demonstrations of sympathy. But where we have friends, there we shall have support, and those who help us will do it of their own free will. There are few of the thickly populated districts of England where we have not the germs of an organisation that may easily become democratic as it is already antislavery. With such a curb on the upper classes, I think they will do little more harm to us.
The conduct of the affairs of that great republic which though wounded itself almost desperately, can yet threaten to tear down the rulers of the civilised world, by merely assuming her place at the head of the march of democracy, is something to look upon. I wonder whether we shall be forced to call upon the brothers of the great fraternity to come in all lands to the assistance and protection of its head. These are lively times, oh, Hannibal.
January 27 — Went on a scout down the Valley, to guard a forage train. Camped little below Woodstock.
79th Highlanders,
Camp Near Falmouth, Va.,
Jan. 27th, 1863.
My dear Mother:
I have not written either you or other friends to whom I am indebted in an epistolary, for some little time past, because I sincerely cherished the hope that a short leave of absence was at length about to be granted me. As a last card I wrote to Doster to try what he could do for me in Washington. I immediately received a reply from him to the effect that he had applied to the War Department and that I might hope for the coveted “leave” the next day. That was more than a week ago, so I suppose I have had my usual ill-luck, and have nothing more to hope for. Morrison becomes more affable and annoying every day. He cannot forgive me the fright I gave him in regard to the Majority. Fear of American influence in the Regiment is his great Bug-a-boo. He watches me like a cat, and I suppose will catch me at something one of these days which will serve as a pretext for disgracing me. Then he will talk hypocritically of his great regard and fondness for me, but that he is a soldier and must do his duty. Nothing can exceed the sweetness and amiability of the gentleman toward those he particularly dislikes. Bah! Why should I trouble you with these things? I do not doubt that at best your own fond fears make things out much worse than they really are. I hope I may soon see Sam here. He wrote me he intended running down. I should feel delighted to see him.
I wish I could ascertain something positive regarding the new Regiment. If it is not going to succeed, I would try and get something in the line of my profession provided for me. However, I hate to back down, as I resolved at the outset that, for the period of the war, I would serve in any capacity Providence might find best, only reserving my intention to induce Providence to be as pliable as possible.
Joe Hooker commands the army of the Potomac. Everybody appears entirely indifferent to the matter. Heroes of many defeats, we are not inclined to give gratuitous confidence to anyone. Whoever finally succeeds any better than McClellan did, has a fine chance for immortality. The army of the Potomac is splendid in material, and, once taught that their best efforts are not to be wasted, they will tell for themselves a splendid story. With McClellan they did best, because they believed that his plans contained all that human skill was capable of. Every new General will be splendidly supported in his first battle. If the battle end in another Golgotha, the old cry will be raised, “McClellan, or a new man!” Sumner and Franklin, piqued, it is reported are about to withdraw likewise. So, peaceful revolutions are occurring in the Army. Let us pray, and hope for the best. Possibly we are adopting the right course to find the right man, possibly the right course to insure our ruin. If Burnside was not a Napoleon, he was a first-rate soldier, and in a subordinate position can do splendid service to the country. Alas! Good-bye.
Affec’y., Will.
From Mrs. Lyon’s Diary
Jan. 27, 1863.—We had a pleasure excursion down the river on the Nevada. Went fourteen miles, to the Dutch grocery. Took a long tramp in the woods. Two negroes cut down two hickory trees for us to gather the nuts. We had to return to the boat on account of rain. There has been a terrible battle at Murfreesboro, we hear.
Attended a pleasant dancing party given by Mrs. Lowe on the boat Ewing. We all enjoyed it very much, it was such a new experience. We did not go back to camp until after ten o’clock (after taps they call it), and not one of the officers had the countersign, so when we got to the picket there were a number of officers waiting for the Colonel to give them the countersign. In his hurry to get ready he had not thought to get it, but I had opened the note and was, therefore, the only one in the crowd who knew it, so I had to whisper it to the guard before they would let us pass. I often go to the hospital and take some little good thing to the sick boys. They appreciate it, I can tell you.
27th. Tuesday. After breakfast went up to prayer meeting. Met Minnie at the corner. Called with Minnie on Henry Lincoln, Prin. Fairchild, and Haynes. Went to the new house and then home. After a lunch played battledore and game of chess. W. N., F. D., and D. R. called, good time. Took tea with Fred. Charade party. F. D. A. and H., M. and J., Ella and Libbie acted Masquerade and Mendicant. Music.
Tuesday Jan’y 27th 1863
This has been a wet drizzly day, one well calculated to give a person the “blues,” and I think that almost every one has the “blues” in view of our present state of affairs. The future looks as dark and unpromising as ever. The rebellion seems to be just as far from being “crushed” as it did a year ago, in fact much farther, for we as a Nation are much more divided among ourselves. Where the end will be no one human can divine. All sorts of opinions prevail in reference to the changes in the “Army of the Potomac.” Some think it is all for the best and some that there will be a general dissolution of it and that it will soon fall to pieces. But we may soon hear of important successes in the South West and Hooker may soon strike a successful blow, and then, all will be right again, but today gold is 154. Got letters from home today, family all well. “Willie” would like to come back to Washington. He doubts the Safty of his present location as in the late terrific storm the “Waves of the Sea roared so loud.” I have spent most of the evening at Maj Williams eating apples & nuts and talking about Lyons people. The Maj has gone done to Suffolk to pay a Regiment. Mrs W. told me that her daughter (Mrs Townley) was to have been married to Henry T. Tower this morning at Lyons. She expects they will visit Washington. Mr & Mrs Bemis called upon me this morning at the office and I went through the Pat office Museum with them. A few Patients still remain in the Hospital there, too sick to be removed. It is raining quite hard now, 10 o’clock P.M.
Tuesday, 27th—Wood for fuel is becoming very scarce in camp, and also on the transports. The Thirteenth Iowa, with thirty of us from my regiment, were detailed to go with the transports up the river for wood. We reached the woodyard about thirty miles up the river at dark and Company C of the Thirteenth Iowa was detailed for picket. There are six thousand cords of wood piled up here.
Reconnoissance in the Great Ogeeche River, Near Ossibaw Sound, GA., by the Iron-Clad Monitor Montauk, Capt. Worden, and other Federal Gunboats, January 27 (from sketch by Capt. Baldwin, of the U. S. Steamer Daffodil, published February 28, 1863 in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.)
January 27.—Bloomfield, Mo., was visited by a party of the Sixty-eighth Missouri militia, under the command of Colonel James Lindsay, and a large number of rebel guerrillas were driven out of the town, with a loss of fifty-two prisoners, seventy horses with their trappings, and nearly one hundred stand of arms. The Unionists met with no loss.—Col. Lindsay’s Despatch.
— Fort McAllister, on Genesis Point, Great Ogeechee River, Ga., was attacked by the ironclad monitor Montauk, under the command of Captain John L. Worden, three gunboats, and a mortar-schooner, but after a bombardment of many hours’ duration, they failed to reduce it.— Savannah News.
—A. D. Boileau, the proprietor of the Philadelphia Evening Journal, was this day arrested by order of the National Government and taken to Washington.—An enthusiastic Union demonstration took place at Fayetteville, Ark.—Captain Williamson of General Weitzel’s brigade, had a fight with a small body of rebel troops at Indian Village, on Bayou Plaquemine, La., and succeeded in routing them without any material loss to the Nationals.—New-Orleans True Delta.
