Friday, 4th—Started for Alpine; came out twelve miles and camped.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
September 4.—Knoxville, Tenn., was occupied by the National forces under Major-General Burnside. “The East-Tennesseeans were so glad to see the Union soldiers that they cooked every thing they had, arid gave it to them freely, not asking pay, and apparently not thinking of it. Women stood by the roadside with pails of water, and displayed Union flags. The wonder was, where all the Stars and Stripes came from. Knoxville was radiant with flags. At a point on the road from Kingston to Knoxville sixty women and girls stood by the road-side waving Union flags and shouting: ‘Hurrah for the Union.’ Old ladies rushed out of their houses, and wanted to .see General Burnside and shake hands with him, and cried: ‘Welcome, welcome, General Burnside! welcome to East-Tennessee !'”—(Doc. 168.)
—The women of Mobile, Ala., rendered desperate by their sufferings, met in large numbers on the Spring Hill road, with banners on which were printed such devices as “Bread or Blood,” on one side, and “Bread and Peace,” on the other, and, armed with knives and hatchets, marched down Dauphine street, breaking open the stores in their progress, and taking for their use such articles of food or clothing as they were in urgent need of.
September 4— Last night at midnight we left camp and started with Jones’ brigade of cavalry on a prospective raid on a Yankee cavalry encampment near the Hazel River, and in close proximity to the Yankee line. I think the objective point of the movement was to surprise the Yanks in their camp before daylight. But it was ascertained by some underground means that their infantry were camped dangerously near the cavalry camp, which circumstance rendered it most too perilous for our cavalry to venture an attack in the darkness, without assurance of success. Consequently the raid was abandoned, and we retired to camp to-day without bloodshed or Yankee prisoners.
Friday, 4th.—Walked out to Chattoogata Presbyterian Church at night; heard good sermon. Several professions; among them G. W. Hood, of our company.
4th. Boys got ready to go for forage, when orders came to report to H quarters immediately, lightly equipped. E, G. H and C went under Capt. Stewart over the river to Morgantown. A “coffee” girl brought us some peaches. Ate dinner with Rebs. $200 for a pan of flour. Lady said she paid $3,000 for 35 lbs. Take nothing but rebel money. Took two or three prisoners, citizens. E Co. let one get away. Camped at Mr. Griffith’s near Unitia. Union people, gave us a good supper. Slept in a wheat stack.
Vicksburg, Friday, Sept. 4. Lieutenant Clark left on leave of absence with Miss Calkins and Mr. Fancher, leaving Lieutenant Hood in command of Battery. William Hamilton taken sick with fever and gone to the hospital to-day. D. J. D. quite sick.
Friday, 4th—The weather today is intensely hot. Those who are not sick spent the day in washing their clothing. Over half of the boys in our regiment are sick with the fever and ague, all because of the very poor water we had to drink while on the march, the weather being very hot and sultry.[1]
[1] The results accomplished by this expedition were meager indeed, While the suffering endured by the men engaged in it was very great. Many died from the effects of the hardships to which they were subjected, and many never fully recovered from the diseases contracted while passing through that malarious region, and that during the hottest days of the summer.—A. G. D.
Camp White, September 4, 1863.
Dearest: — Yours mailed 31st came last night. McKinley (the former sergeant), tearfully and emotionally drunk, has been boring me for the last half-hour with his blarney. He uttered a great many prayers for “madame and those little boys, God bless them.” So, of course, I was civil to him.
We are less and less likely to be moved from here as the fall weather sets in. The change to cold weather was a most grateful one in our hot camp. It takes the long cold rain-storms of November to make our camps put on their most cheerless aspect.
You inquire about Mrs. Comly and how we like her. She is an excellent sweet young woman, and all who get acquainted with her like her. She is affable and approachable, but of course she can’t make friends as you do. Your gifts are rare enough in that line. The colonel is not well. He is living too luxuriously!
I would be glad enough to see you enjoying a faith as settled and satisfactory as that of Mrs. Davis, but really I think you are as cheerful and happy as she is, and that is what is to be sought, a cheerful and happy disposition.
Tell the boys that Dick and Guinea are still fast friends. They travelled with us up into Dixie as far as Raleigh, and down into Ohio after Morgan. Dick has a battle with each new rooster which is brought to headquarters, and with the aid of Guinea, and perhaps a little from Frank or Billy, manages to remain “cock of the walk.” . . .
Love to all — girls and boys. Tell Fanny [Platt] if she ever gets time in her Yankee school to write to outsiders, I wish her to remember me.
Affectionately ever,
R.
Mrs. Hayes,
No member of this staff will soon forget the gunboat expedition. The cavalry succeeded, I think, in destroying both the boats, and on the fourth of September we marched back to camp, starting at 6 A. M.
The country around Morrisville is invested with guerillas, and if an officer or enlisted man chances to stray beyond the picket line, he is certain of being captured. Many men have thus been taken prisoners and report says, some of them murdered. In many cases where the officers have made the acquaintance of families living just outside the lines, and have supplied them with food and stores, they have accepted invitations to spend an evening, and in several cases have been captured by these guerrillas, who are the friends or relations of the people, and are kept informed by them of all that goes on in the neighborhood; several men, too, have been betrayed in the very act of carrying supplies, none of the natives can be trusted as a rule, and stringent orders have been issued to keep within the lines.
by John Beauchamp Jones
SEPTEMBER 4TH.—There is a rumor that Gen. Lee (who is still here) is to take the most of his army out of Virginia, to recapture the Southern territory lost by Loring, Pemberton, and Bragg. I doubt this for it might involve the loss of Richmond, and indeed of the whole State of Virginia. It would be a sad blow to the extortionate farmers, it is true but we cannot afford to lose the whole country, and sacrifice the cause, to punish the speculators. It may be, however, that this is a ruse, and if so, Lee is preparing for another northern campaign.
The project of the Hon. Mr. Boteler to place Rains’s subterra shells under the Orange and Alexandria Railroad used by the enemy, was referred by the Secretary to Col. J. Gorgas, the Northern Chief of Ordnance, who says he can furnish the shells, but advises against the use of them, as they will “only irritate the enemy, and not intimidate them.” For this presumptuous advice, which was entirely gratuitous, I do not learn that the Secretary has rebuked him.
Letters from Western North Carolina show that the defection is spreading. In WilkesCounty, Gideon Smoot is the commander of the insurgents, and has raised the United States flag. I have not learned, yet, whether Lieut.-Col. Lay, of the Bureau of Conscription, reached that far; and I was amazed when the good nature of Col. Preston yielded to his solicitations to go thither. What possible good could he, a Virginian, and formerly an aid of Gen. Scott, effect in that quarter?
