September 2013

Diary of Gideon Welles.

September 30, 2013

September 30, Wednesday. I am warned and admonished in various quarters that Laird’s vessel is about to make a trial trip, and that it will extend across the Atlantic. My omission to make preparations is stigmatized as negligence, indifference, and worse.

Am sorry Seward treats the subject so gingerly. When Palmerston or Earl Russell prates about their foreign enlistment act, and that it is uncertain whether the law has really been violated by Laird, Americans must be provoked. If their municipal legislation is weak and inefficient, why is it not corrected? There are international obligations which cannot be disregarded. Let us have good faith, peace or war!

Post image for “Our regiment and the 40th Illinois are both on board and we are somewhat crowded.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

“Our regiment and the 40th Illinois are both on board and we are somewhat crowded.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

September 30, 2013

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry)

Steamboat Diana, 70 miles from Vicksburg,

September 30, 1863.

We left Vicksburg in advance of the rest of the fleet at 8 o’clock this a.m. I am officer of the day and have found a good deal to do. Our regiment and the 40th Illinois are both on board and we are somewhat crowded. Gen. W. S. Smith and our division commander reached Vicksburg just before we left. The boat he came down on, the Robert Campbell, was burned about 50 miles above Vicksburg, and from 30 to 60 persons lost. The general and Colonel Hicks, our brigade commander, both escaped by swimming. General Smith says that a number of boats have been burned within two weeks by Rebel incendiaries and agents, the object being, by destroying our transportation, to make it impossible to reinforce Rosecrans from Grant’s army. General Smith is not yet with us, and we think he will not follow if we go to Chattanooga, for he was once under Rosecrans, and they had some serious difficulty. If he does retain command of the division we will probably stop at some point on the M. and C. railroad again. We all think a great deal of Smith, but would ten times rather lose him than have to, on his account, again go to guarding railroads. It has rained steadily for the last 48 hours, not very fast, but everything uncovered is thoroughly soaked. My company was first stationed on the berth deck, but when steam was raised it because so hot that I took them up on the hurricane deck where, though they have to stand the rain, it will certainly be better for them than breathing the hot steam.

Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery — George Michael Neese.

September 30, 2013

Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery — George Michael Neese.

September 30 — We had company inspection to-day.

War Diary of Luman Harris Tenney

September 30, 2013

War Diary of Luman Harris Tenney.

30th. At 3 A. M. whole Brigade fell back, 2nd Ohio in the rear. Arrived at Greenville and found that troops had all fallen back. People in town seem to feel very sad. All houses closed and hardly a person to be seen. Some few ladies in tears. Oh it seemed very sad indeed. Brigade moved on. 2nd Ohio camped two miles west of Greenville.

An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

September 30, 2013

An Artilleryman's Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones, 6th Battery, Wisconsin Artillery.

Memphis, Wednesday, Sept. 30. The threatening clouds of yesterday evening resulted in a heavy rain commencing about midnight, raining all night, and by daylight we were glad to get up from our wet blankets, as the rubbers, stretched against the fence, did but partially keep out the rain. After breakfast I was detailed to go down town after forage and rations. The rain fell thick and fast. Got down there; the requisitions being wrong, Quartermaster had to come back, and we were obliged to wait on the street till 4 P. M. When he came we drew ten days’ rations, eighty loaves of bread at the post commissary. Reached camp by night, wet to the hide with no place dry or warm to go to. The 12th Battery being a little more active than our officers, drew their tents and they kindly divided with us. We had nine wedge tents. Moved our wet blankets in one of them and spread on the wet ground. Still raining. Lieutenants —— and —— on a grand drunk last night, fought with brickbats, etc. Were they privates, they would be tied up. Shame! Shame!

Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

September 30, 2013

Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry

Wednesday, 30th—It rained all day. I was on fatigue, helping to clean up the review ground. We are to have general inspection in the next few days by General McArthur, our division commander, and General McPherson, corps commander. Our company is returning to its old-time form and numbers.

Rutherford B. Hayes.

September 30, 2013

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

September 30, [1863]. — Today I explained to the Twenty-third Order Number 191 respecting the re-enlistment of veteran volunteers. I told them I would not urge them to re-enlist; that my opinion was that the war would end soon after the inauguration of a new President or of Lincoln for a second term, say within one year after the expiration of their present term, i. e., June 1865, unless foreign nations intervened, in which case they would all expect to fight again. About sixty re-enlisted.

A Diary of American Events.

September 30, 2013

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

September 30.—Colonel Rowett, with the Seventh Illinois and Seventh Kansas regiments of cavalry, had a fight with the rebel guerrillas under Newsome, at Swallow’s Bluff, on the Tennessee River. Colonel Rowett came up with the rebels while they were crossing the river. About one hundred had already crossed with the horses and baggage, leaving a major and twenty men on this side. The rebels were sheltered by the bluff, and defended by their comrades on the other side, who were in supporting distance, but the Unionists dashed in and captured the whole party with the loss of one killed and two wounded.—The bombardment of Forts Sumter, Johnson, and Simpkins, in Charleston harbor, was continued all day, Forts Moultrie and Simpkins alone replying.—(See Supplement.)

—Leonidas Polk, a Lieutenant-General in the rebel service, being relieved from his command “in consequence of an unfortunate disagreement between himself and the commander-in-chief of the rebel department of the Mississippi,” issued his farewell order.

A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

September 30, 2013

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, By John Beauchamp Jones

by John Beauchamp Jones

SEPTEMBER 30TH. — Still nothing additional from Lee’s or Bragg’s army; but from abroad we learn that the British Government has prevented the rams built for us from leaving the Mersey.

Gen. Pemberton is here, and was closeted for several hours today with the Secretary of War.

Capt. J. H. Wright, 56th Georgia, gives another version of the surrender of Cumberland Gap. He is the friend of Gen. Frazer, and says he was induced to that step by the fear that the North Carolina regiments (62d and 63d) could not be relied on. Did he try them?

A Mr. Blair, Columbus, Miss., applies for permission to bring drugs from Memphis, and refers, for respectability, to President Davis and Gov. Letcher. His letter gives a list of prices of medicines in the Confederate States. I select the following: Quinine, per oz., $100; calomel, $20; blue mass, $20; Opium, $100; S. N. bismuth, $100; soda, $5; borax, $14; oil of bergamot, per lb., $100; indigo, $35; blue-stone, $10.

Boots are selling in this city at $100 per pair, and common shoes for $60. Shuck mattresses, $40. Blankets, $40 each; and sheets, cotton, $25 each. Wood is $40 per cord.

I submitted a proposition to the Secretary (of a quartermaster) to use some idle government wagons and some negro prisoners, to get in wood for the civil officers of the government, which could be done for $8 per cord ; but the quartermasters opposed it.

But to-day I sent a letter to the President, suggesting that the perishable tithes (potatoes, meal, etc.) be sold at reasonable rates to the civil officers and the people, when in excess of the demand of the army, and that transportation be allowed, and that a government store be opened in Richmond. I told him plainly, that without some speedy measure of relief there would be much discontent, for half the families here are neither half-fed nor half-clad. The measure, if adopted in all the cities, would be a beneficent one, and would give popular strength to the government, while it would be a death-blow to the speculators and extortioners. It will be seen what heed the government will give it.

Gen. Wise has his brigade in South Carolina.

“The markets.—The quantity of produce in our markets continues large, and of good quality, but the prices remain as high as ever, as the following quotations will show: butter, $4; bacon, $2.75 to $3 per pound; lard, $2.25 per pound; beef, $1 to $1.25; lamb, $1 to $1.25; veal, $1 to $1.50; shote, $1.25 to $1.75; sausage, $1; chickens, $2.50 to $7 per pair; ducks, $5 per pair; salt herrings, $4 per dozen; cabbage, $1 to $1.50; green corn, $1.50 to $2 per dozen; sweet potatoes, $21 to $26 per bushe ; Irish potatoes, 50 to 75 cts. per quart; snaps, $1 per quart; peas, 75 cts. to $1.25 per quart; butter-beans, $1 to $1.50 per quart; onions, $1.25 per quart; egg-plant, $1 to $2 a piece; tomatoes, 50 cts. to $1 per quart; country soap, $1 to $1.50 per pound.”