22nd. Another chat with some rebels. Some intelligent, but impudent. Makes the boys mad that they are not deprived of their plunder. Drew and issued three days’ rations. Managed to get a saddle. Day passed very quietly. Waiting for transports, they say.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Haines Bluff, Miss., July 23d, 1863.
We arrived at our old camp yesterday—twenty days from the time we left it—the toughest twenty days of our experience. A dirtier, more ragged and drilled-out lot of men I hope never to see. The first thing I did, after eating a little hardtack and drinking a cup of coffee, was to bolt for the spring, build a fire, boil my shirt, pants and socks, scrub myself from head to heels, put on my clothing wet—though not much wetter than before—and return to camp a cleaner, therefore a better man. There have been times when we could not get water to wash our hands and face, to say nothing of our clothing, for a week or more.
It was dark when I returned to camp, but fires were burning brightly in every direction, and around them were gathered groups of men silently reading letters. I hastened to the Orderly and asked him “Have you anything for me?” “Yes, I have four letters for you.” My heart gave one great bound of gladness, and, grasping them tightly, I hastened to the nearest fire to learn what news from home. Rumors of a great battle, fought and won by Meade, had been in circulation several days, but no one knew whether true or fake. These letters from my wife confirmed them. The threatened invasion took place, was crushed, and Lee was suffered to recross the Potomac at his leisure, as he was allowed to do after Antietam.
Vicksburg, Thursday, July 23. Hot and monotonous. Evie troubled with diarrhea for several days, very sick in the afternoon.
July 23. — Captain Mitchell arrived here at 5 A.M., with orders for us to move to Warrenton, 13 miles from White Plains. General Kenly led. We reached Warrenton about 3 P.M.; Mosby’s men were ahead of us all along the route. We met the cavalry train parked about 8 miles from Warrenton. Our corps was camped on the Waterloo and Culpeper roads. Our headquarters are at the Warren Green Hotel. A year ago next November I passed through here with General Porter on the way to Washington. He had just been relieved, and was accompanied as far as this hotel by General Hooker. We saw Burnside at the hotel, General Halleck, and numerous other generals. There has been a great change since then. Burnside and Hooker both in command of this army, and both relieved. I wonder how much was gained by removing McClellan? We dined at the Warren Green on biscuit and bacon. Our wagon train, with General Cutler’s division, went by way of New Baltimore. Colonel Painter was fired at while entering the town. We sent skirmishers in at one end of the town while our wagon train was entering the other end.
July 23d, 1863.—We moved again two days ago.
by John Beauchamp Jones
JULY 23D.—We have the following dispatch from Gen. Beauregard, which is really refreshing in this season of disasters:
“CHARLESTON, July 22d, 1863.
“The enemy recommenced shelling again yesterday, with but few casualties on our part. We had, in the battle of the 18th inst., about 150 killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss, including prisoners, was about 2000. Nearly 800 were buried under a flag of .truce.
“Col. Putnam, acting brigadier-general, and Col. Shaw, commanding the negro regiment, were killed.
“(Signed) G. T. BEAUREGARD, General.”
It is said the raiders that dashed into Wytheville have been taken; but not so with the raiders that have been playing havoc with the railroad in North Carolina.
Another letter from J. M. Botts, Culpepper County, complains of the pasturing of army horses in his fields before the Gettysburg campaign, and asks if his fields are to be again subject to the use of the commander of the army, now returning to his vicinity. If he knows that Gen. Lee is fallen back thither, it is more than any one here seems to know. We shall see how accurate Mr. B. is in his conjecture.
A letter from Mr. Goodman, president of Mobile and Charleston Railroad, says military orders have been issued to destroy, by fire, railroad equipments to the value of $5,000,000; and one-third of this amount of destruction would defeat the purpose of the enemy for a long time. The President orders efforts to be made to bring away the equipments by sending them down the road.
Col. Preston, commandant of conscripts for South Carolina, has been appointed Chief of the Bureau of Conscription; he has accepted the appointment, and will be here August 1st. The law will now be honestly executed—if he be not too indolent, sick, etc.
Archbishop Hughes has made a speech in New York to keep down the Irish.
