Friday, 13th.—Orders to be ready to go into entrenchments at a moment’s notice.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
London, February 13, 1863
The last week here has been politically very quiet. I am surprised at it, for I thought that the meeting of Parliament would set the floods going. Lord Derby, however, put his foot on any interference with us, on the first night of the session, and so we have obtained a temporary quiet. But the feeling among the upper classes is more bitter and angry than ever, and the strong popular feeling of sympathy with us is gradually dividing the nation into aristocrats and democrats, and may produce pretty serious results for England.
Society is beginning. As it is almost certainly the last season I shall pass in London, I intend to see all I can. Society in London certainly has its pleasures, and I found an example of this, the other evening. We were asked to dinner at the Duke of Argyll’s, who is a warm friend of ours, as well as the Duchess who is daughter of the anti-slavery Duchess of Sutherland. The party was evidently asked on purpose to meet us. There was Lord Clyde, who always has his hair on end and never seems to talk; Charles P. Villiers, a friendly member of the Cabinet; Charles Howard, a brother of Lord Carlisle; John Stuart Mill the logician and economist, a curious looking man with a sharp nose, a wen on his forehead and a black cravat, to whom I took particular pains to be introduced, as I think him about the ablest man in England; very retiring and embarrassed in his manner, and a mighty weapon of defense for our cause in this country. Then there was the famous physician, Dr. Brown-Séquard; then Professor Owen, the famous naturalist, geologist, palæontologist and so on, whom I have met before. Then came Lord Frederick Cavendish whom you know…. You know your friend “Lord Fwedewick’s” style of costume in America. It’s not much better here. If a man chooses to neglect rules he can do it in London though not with impunity. As for example, our friend and cousin the phenomenon who has just graduated at the university with much lower honors than we had hoped for him….
February 13—Nothing new. We have been fixing our camps. Our company has built log huts, from two to three feet high, and then put our tents over them—building a chimney to each hut or tent, and we are very comfortable. We got orders to cook two days’ rations, and be ready to march in two hours, but did not have to go—in fact, nothing new until the 25th.
From Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Fort Henry, Feb. 13, 1863.—No excitement here now about an attack, yet we may have a fight in a week. These matters are all uncertain. Secesh comes like a thief in the night. We are always ready.
13th. When Chester came over we talked about going to Mr. Rice’s in the evening and concluded we wouldn’t go, so went over to Capt. N.’s and got him to give our regrets, etc. Saw the other boys before dark and none of them was going. I prefer staying in camp, a soldier’s home.
Friday, 13th—The mail today brought me a letter from Jason Sparks and the monotony of camp duties was broken with good news from home. The weather is quite warm and we no longer need fires in our tents. Things are growing very fast and the farmers in this locality are planting their corn.
13th.—Still in Richmond, nursing B. He was wounded this day two months ago; but such fluctuations I have never witnessed in any case. We have more hope now, because his appetite has returned. I sent over to market this morning for partridges and eggs for him, and gave 75 cents apiece for the one, and $1.50 per dozen for the other. I am afraid that our currency is rapidly depreciating, and the time is approaching when, as in the old Revolution, a man had to give $300 for a breakfast. Mrs. P. came in to scold me for my breach of good manners in buying any thing in her house. I confessed myself ashamed of it, but that I would be more ashamed to disturb her whenever B’s capricious appetite required indulgence. I have never seen more overflowing hospitality than that of this household. Many sick men are constantly refreshed from the bounties of the table; and supplies from the larder seem to be at the command of every soldier. One of the elegant parlours is still in the occupancy of the wounded soldier brought here with B.; his wound was considered slight, but he suffers excessively from nervous debility, and is still unfit for service. I did feel uncomfortable that we should give Mrs. P. so much trouble, until she told me that, having no sons old enough for service, and her husband being unable to serve the country personally, except as a member of the “Ambulance Committee,” they had determined that their house should be at the service of the soldiers. Last summer, during the campaigns around Richmond, they took in seven wounded men, some of whom had to be nursed for months.
Memphis, Friday, Feb. 13. A bright, sunny day. Everything looked cheerful. Standing gun drill. Milton Campbell, 23rd Regiment, made us a visit from the hospital. Health better.
Washington Friday Feb’y 13th 1863.
A Beautiful bright pleasant day with the atmosphere so pure and braceing that I could not resist its influence but took a long walk before going to the office. We have so much wet fogy weather lately that the change is doubly welcome. We have warm (or rather Mild) pleasant days but not till today has it seemed a real luxury to inhale the air. I have not been on the Ave today. On leaving the office at 3 o’clock I took another long walk before dinner up to the “Stone Hospital” being three miles up and back. My little hero Robt White who lost his foot recently, or rather had it amputated recently, I found doing extremely well to all appearances. I sent him (the first of the week) caned fruit and currant wine which he was very grateful for. This evening I have spent with Mr & Mrs Schram on this Street (12th) a couple of squares above me. His Mother is spending a few days with him, a very fine looking lady of about forty eight years with long silver curls. She is a quaker lady and and a fine specimen of the Class. There is no particular news in the papers today. Tom Thumb and his wife are just now creating more excitement in the City than anybody else, a married couple 28 inches high, and both together weighing some 70 lbs. There are many other “notables” in town. The Country Bank interest is well represented.
February 13.—A large and enthusiastic public meeting of unconditional Union men was this evening held in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas. Speeches were made by General Blunt, and others, and loyal resolutions were unanimously adopted, proclaiming “all who ask for peace with rebels in arms against the Government, except on the terms of unconditional submission to the Constitution and the laws, or who propose a separation of the Union in any manner,” to be traitors, and indorsing the President’s Emancipation Proclamation.
—Yesterday, about one o’clock in the afternoon, a squad of Baylor’s rebel cavalry attacked a small scouting-party of twelve men, of the Twelfth Pennsylvania cavalry from Kearneysville, near Smithfield, Va., killing one, wounding two, and capturing four men and several horses. About four o’clock P.M., General Kelly’s scouts from Harper’s Ferry, Md., fell in with the same party a few miles south of Charlestown, and after a running fight of several miles recaptured the men and horses, and captured Lieutenant Baylor, two of his men, and several horses.—General Kelly’s Despatch.
—A skirmish took place to-day in the vicinity of Bolivar, Tenn., between the detachment of National cavalry and a body of rebels, in which four of the latter were killed, five taken prisoners, and a number wounded. The rebels also lost several of their horses. The Union party had none killed or wounded.—Chicago Tribune.
—To-night the United States gunboat Indianola, under the command of Captain Brown, successfully passed the rebel batteries before Vicksburgh. Twenty heavy guns were fired at her, but she escaped without being hit.—The steamer Douglass ran out of Charleston, S. G, with James B. Clay, of Kentucky, on board, as a passenger, for Liverpool. She successfully passed the blockading fleet.—Charleston Mercury.
