2nd. Friday. Issued bread and beef. Read some. In the afternoon rode to town. Went up into the Senate and heard the big-bugs spout. Went to Quartermaster and selected some pants. Crabbed fellows.
January 2013
Friday, 2nd—Transferred to the right wing. Saw the fight this eve. Breckinridge had to fall back. Raining all the time.
Friday, 2d—We are now on less than half rations and the outlook for anything better in the next few days is not good, although a train was expected to come through from Memphis today.1 The railroad east and west from us has been torn up; the rebel cavalry seem to be able to destroy it as fast as we can repair it.
1 The train the day before did not have provisions.—A. G. D.
Title: Charge of the first brigade, commanded by Col. M.B. Walker, on the Friday evening of the battle of Stone River January 2nd, 1863; in which the Rebels were repulsed with heavy loss, and driven behind their breastworks…. / sketched by A.E. Mathews, 31st. Reg., O.V.I.
“Middleton, Stobridge & C0. Lith. Cin. O.”
Library of Congress image.
January 2.—The battle of Stone River, or Murfreesboro, Tenn., between the Union army of the Cumberland, under the command of Major-General Rosecrans, and the rebel force under General Bragg, which commenced two days previous, was resumed this morning, and, after a most obstinate and bloody contest, which lasted all day, resulted in the retreat of the rebel forces with great slaughter.—(Docs. 26 and 146.)
— Skirmishing continued yesterday around Vicksburgh, and this morning the rebels advanced upon a portion of General Grant’s army who were engaged erecting works on the lake near the city, causing them to retreat with a slight loss. General Pemberton, in command of the rebels, sent a despatch to Richmond stating that “the enemy finding all his efforts unavailing to make any inroad upon our position here, has reembarked, leaving a considerable quantity of intrenching tools and other property, and apparently has relinquished his designs upon Vicksburgh.”
— President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was officially issued as “General Order No, 1.”
—A Detachment of Stuart’s rebel cavalry, commanded by Major Herring, made a descent into Dumfries, Va., and captured a quantity of public stores and ten sutler’s wagons, belonging principally to Maine and New-York regiments. The movement was accomplished with such extraordinary expedition, that but two drivers only escaped.— At Richmond, Va., brown sugar sold at one dollar and ten cents per pound, molasses at eight dollars a gallon, and other necessaries of life in proportion. — Richmond Examiner.
Salutes in honor of the confirmatory proclamation of the President of the United States, declaring freedom to the slaves of rebels, were given in many portions of the loyal States.— Boston Transcript.
—Union prisoners captured at Galveston, yesterday, arrived at Houston, Texas. In noticing the event, the Telegraph said: “They are a fine looking body of men, and ought to be ashamed of themselves for volunteering their services in the villainy of trying to subjugate a chivalrous people.” —Colonel Hoskins, commanding military post at Lebanon, Ky., made report of his operations before that place, commencing on the twentieth day of December, 1862, at which time he was notified by General Boyle that the rebel forces under General Morgan had again entered Kentucky, and ending on this day, when the pursuit of them was abandoned, by order of General Fry, three miles beyond Columbia, Ky.— (Doc. 52.)
Near Germantown, Friday, Jan. 2. To-day we expected to rest at least and made arrangements accordingly, but as the Company were on their horses to go to water, the orders came to march at 10 A. M., so we were obliged to water our horses double quick, and hitched up in all haste. Retraced our track the day before, arrived at Germantown by sundown, but pushed on six leaving the train of hard-tack to take care of itself. The train Went to bed 11 P. M.
by John Beauchamp Jones
JANUARY 2D.—A dispatch from Gov. Harris gives some additional particulars of the battle near Murfreesborough, Tenn. He says the enemy was driven back six miles, losing four generals killed and three captured, and that we destroyed $2,000,000 commissary and other stores. But still we have no account of what was done yesterday on the “extreme left.”
Gen. Stuart has been near Alexandria, and his prisoners are coming in by every train. He captured and destroyed many stores, and, up to the last intelligence, without loss on his side. He is believed, now, to be in Maryland, having crossed the Potomac near Leesburg.
The mayor of our city, Jos. Mayo, meeting two friends last night, whom he recognized but who did not recognize him, playfully seized one of them, a judge, and, garroter fashion, demanded his money or his life. The judge’s friend fell upon the mayor with a stick and beat him dreadfully before the joke was discovered.
The President was at Mobile on the 30th December, having visited both Murfreesborough and Vicksburg, but not witnessing either of the battles.
We are in great exaltation again! Dispatches from Gen. Bragg, received last night, relieve us with the information that the stronghold of the enemy, which he failed to carry on the day of battle, was abandoned the next day; that Forrest and Morgan were operating successfully far in the rear of the invader, and that Gen. Wheeler had made a circuit of the hostile army after the battle, burning several hundred of their wagons, capturing an ordnance train, and making more prisoners. Bragg says the enemy’s telegraphic and railroad communications with his rear have been demolished, and that he will follow up the defeated foe. I think we will get Nashville now.
January 1st [1863]. The long expected negro dinner did not come off. Banks has forbidden all public demonstrations. During Butler’s reign a great many wooden figures, painted black and wearing chains, were made for exhibition on this occasion. The programme was a procession bearing along these figures, which were to be met by the goddess of liberty, who was to break their chains. One may imagine the scene if it had only been acted out. The Ogden girls in from Greenville. Lizzie in much distress; came to tell a tale which she did not wish us to hear from others. It seems a young naval officer, attracted towards the girls from having met them on the cars, has got the family physician, Doctor Campbell, to take him to the judge’s house. The judge met the gentleman on the railroad, and, though hating the sight of a Federal officer, was weak enough to express no disapprobation of his visits. The girls fearing to hurt the old doctor’s feelings, entertained the officer to the best of their ability. The young gentleman came every day; brought books, also some of his naval friends. The judge was in distress and the girls, no matter how they felt, knew that friendly intercourse with those against whom four of their brothers are in arms, was not proper. Remarks were made by the neighbors and the Harrison family especially had been very bitter, she said. Jule, who reads novels, asserted defiantly that “no one had a right to speak of what they pleased to do; indeed, she had read of instances where passages of romantic love had passed between rebel ladies and English officers (always officers) in our first revolution.” “This is a war for the union, Lizzie,” said I, “therefore we should avoid carefully any show of entertaining union feelings; besides it is scarcely decorous to take a hand in friendship which is red with Confederate blood. If Lieutenant Hale had been a gentleman he would not have entered your house as he did, knowing that true Southerners are compromised by receiving Federals. In the next place I don’t think he would have brought you Harper’s illustrated papers, in which the Confederates come off second best, to say the least of it. If Lieutenant Hale was ill and needed help I would not hesitate to give it to him, but as a guest I would not receive him. No woman’s smile should cheer these invaders. There is a latent disrespect of us when they force their way into our houses, and we make tacit acknowledgment of want of self-respect when we receive them. I would not be rude, for rudeness in a woman is always vulgar, but you can freeze those young gentlemen with such glances and quicken them with such politely pointed remarks, that they will not wish to come again.” This I said because she was afraid they would injure their father if he should forbid them the house. The girls have little knowledge of character, but are kind and good and have all the soft instincts of a lady. Mary Harrison was in; reports a larger camp in Greenville than ever before. We told her of the supposed bitterness to the Ogdens’. It was, as I thought, a misunderstanding.
Reports of Confederate victories fill the town. There is great excitement and many women are jubilant. I, too, am glad that we are safe from conquest and desolation; each victory makes this assurance doubly sure, yet even a great victory to one’s own side is a sad thing to a lover of humanity. I accept a bloody triumph only as the least of two evils. My friends, I think, look upon me as half Yankee. They say my state of feeling is unnatural. Men’s suffering always excites me, let the men be who they may. When it comes to “oath-of-allegiance” taking, I am staunch; let me lose what I may by refusing. Only yesterday I held argument with some that they should not accept their slaves on the plea that Louisiana is a “loyal” State. I wouldn’t take mine on such a plea, because it should be our individual pride now to prove that Louisiana is not a loyal State. This is called romance. I plead with my acquaintances last summer to resist the unlawful taxation which Butler ordered. I tied up my few relics to bear to prison with me, when he ordered the police to report each inmate of households who had not taken the oath with as good faith as I ever had done anything in my life. When I see these officers I do not hide the scorn I feel. I cannot condescend to smile or render more than a haughty politeness, even though I lose my object by it, yet I am thought wavering in my faith to the Confederate cause because I can still pity the slain foe and the sufferings of the living—and because I cannot hurrah for a victory. Of course I rejoice that the Fredericksburg and Vicksburg heights have not been carried, but my heart bleeds inwardly at the bloody reports. These men have many to mourn them at home, and their love of life was as ours. It is true they need not have joined in such unholy war, yet numbers perhaps have not been moved by evil motives. There is no infatuation so baleful that good men by artful tongues cannot be brought within its influence. The human mind is a strange thing—professing forever to seek happiness and truth, it constantly immolates one and crushes out the other. Oh, these are sad days and I regret that I ever lived to see them. I hope our country will be spared an other revolution, but I doubt it. Bad politicians will never be wanting to stir up evil for the sake of gain. Since the Constitution of our forefathers has been forgotten, the security seems to have gone from everything.
January 1st.—Left banks of the Tennessee and marched up Sand Mountain.
Washington Thursday Jan’y 1st 1863. Diary.
The New Year has opened beautifully, it has been a mild and bright day. The Departments of the Govt have been (as usual) closed, and the whole City (Males) went at 12 o’clock to pay their respects to the President. The Foreign Ministers and the officers of the Army and Navy paid their respects before 12. I met Genl Halleck at Mr Sec’y Chases, Genl Heintzelman and Genl Meigs at Mr Sewards, Comodore Smith and Admiral Foot at Mr Sec’y Stantons, “lesser lights” of both Army and Navy were quite plenty. The expected Proclamation is “out” tonight in the “Star.” It carries out the one issued a hundred days ago. Mr Lincoln looks quite as well as he did a year ago. I have seen him frequently during the year. In the summer he used to ride out with a body guard of ten or twelve horsemen (Cavalry) round his carriage. I think he has dispensed with that of late. That was not done at his desire but at the desire of friends who feared for his life. Mr Seward received “in State.” Six Policemen at and near the Door & Hall, and a “Gentleman Usher” at the parlor door anounced the name of each visitor in a loud voice as he entered the room. I suppose it was “done up” in the English style. No particular news today but indications of Army movements and more Battles. Assisted some today at an extra and realy luxurious Dinner given to the Patients at the Ascension Church Hospital. No choicer Bill of fare was to be found on any table in the City. The men were feasted on the greatest delicacies to their hearts content. I was in at “Willards” this evening, counted forty pairs of Shoulder Straps there at one time. It is quite disgusting to see (every night) such neglect of duty!!!
