Florence, Ala., Monday, Nov. 2. Reveille sounded at 5 A. M. this morning, and at 6 we were on the road. We marched by brigades. The 2nd is a day’s march ahead and the 3rd behind. In this way all the necessary delays in marching along are avoided. The Division train generally moves with us. The first five miles was rocky and stony with plenty of beautiful springs, but after that the country was more level, of red clayey soil. We passed some fine fields but a large portion of it is in its wild state waiting for the hand of enterprise and industry to convert it into productive fields of wealth. Halted at Cypress Mills half an hour at 3 o’clock. Watered our horses in creek of same mill. A good water power here which used to move a large cotton factory owned by the furious rebel John Morgan. The factories were burned last May by Colonel —— as they were manufacturing for the C. S. A. The people here were represented to be all Union people. Squads of factory girls were strung along the road, some of them good looking, others passable. An old woman did good business selling milk at 5 cts. a drink. Many of them wore Union badges and inquired for the Alabama Cavalry. This was three miles from Florence and we reached it by 4 P. M. Went into camp on the outskirts of the town. A beautiful college located here, three stories high, of brick, and built after, the manner of ancient castles. Tuscumbia is on the other side of the Tennessee River. A branch R. R. five miles long formerly connected the two places. Rebs represented to be at Tuscumbia in force and to shoot every blue “breech” they see on this side. R. Randolph captured by rebs and paroled. He was detailed to go with forage train in the evening, strayed off, and was gobbled up by a couple of cavalry. Paroled and sent back. He arrived in camp after night completely worn out. His parole was not properly drawn, and will not be respected by our authorities. 2nd Brigade moved out at 5, after drawing five days’ rations from Division teams. We have forty-seven miles to go in the next two days.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Monday, 2nd—Remain in Camp all day.
2nd. Wrote a letter home. Helped make our ordnance returns —about square in everything. Was kept busy till quite late. Ordered to be ready to march tomorrow at daylight. Plenty of rumors. Col. Kautz came to inspect the cavalry—all wished he would come to stay.
Monday, 2d—It was my turn on the picket line today. Our picket post is three miles below Vicksburg on the main road to Warrington, and I was stationed right on the bank of the Mississippi. Our reserve post has one lieutenant, one sergeant, two corporals and thirty privates. Six men under a sergeant go out on the public highway from four to six miles, twice a day, to see that there are no rebels advancing.
Camp near Warrenton, Va.,
Monday, Nov. 2, 1863.
Dear Sister L.:—
I got back to camp last Thursday night. Next morning early we marched about six miles and brought up on the Branch railroad, about three miles from Warrenton. I do not as yet know any more of the result of my examination than I wrote you from Washington. My papers have not arrived yet.
Unidentified soldier in Union uniform holding Hardee hat
__________
Sixth-plate tintype, hand-colored ; 9.5 x 8.4 cm (case)
Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs; Ambrotype/Tintype photograph filing series; Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Record page for image is here.
__________
Note – This image has been digitally adjusted for one or more of the following:
- fade correction,
- color, contrast, and/or saturation enhancement
- selected spot and/or scratch removal
- cropped for composition and/or to accentuate subject matter
- straighten image
Civil War Portrait 081
by John Beauchamp Jones
NOVEMBER 2D.-A refugee from Portsmouth reports the arrival of 6000 Federal troops at Newport News, and that Richmond is to be menaced again.
Brig.-Gen. H. W. Allen, Alexandria, La., reports 8000 deserters and skulking conscripts in that vicinity, and a bad state of things generally.
Gen. Lee has written three letters to the department, dated 30th and 31st October. 1st, complaining of the tardiness of the Bureau of Examination, and the want of efficient officers; 2d, complaining of the furloughs given Georgia officers as members of the legislature, causing a brigade to be commanded by a lieutenant-colonel, etc.; 3d, relating to an order from the Secretary to respite certain deserters, condemned to execution. He says executions are necessary to keep the army together, but he feels the painfulness of the sad necessity.
Mr. H. D. Whitcomb, Superintendent Central Railroad, applied for and obtained passports for his mother and sister to return to the United States. He is a Northern man.
Brig.-Gen. S. A. Meredith (United States) writes from Fortress Monroe, proposing that prisoners west of the Mississippi be exchanged at Galveston. Mr. Ould, our agent of exchange, indorses on it that there is no necessity for immediate action, for the United States are not exchanging any prisoners at all at this time.
Mr. Memminger writes for troops to be sent to Ashville, West North Carolina, which is menaced by the traitors, tories, and Federals. His family is there, having fled from South Carolina. Hon. Jas. Farron also writes that a bad state of things exists in that section, and communication is kept open with the enemy in East Tennessee.
From St. Helena Parish, Ark., we have letters stating that all restraint is thrown off, and everybody almost is trading with the enemy. Some 1500 bales of cotton per week is taken to the Yankees from that region. They say most of the parties have permits from the government or from commanding generals to trade with the enemy.
Gen. Whiting writes that his men are suffering for shoes, and as 15,000 pairs are in that town, asks if he shall not impress them. The Secretary is reluctant to do this, and asks the Quartermaster-General what he shall do. The Quartermaster-General advises that the shoes be bought at a fair price, and paid for in cotton. He says blankets may be had in the same way.
November 2nd, 1863.—Now, while Cousin Julia is with us, I am trying to make things as pleasant as possible for her. All the boys are away in the army, so we have what Aunt Dinah calls “hen parties.” We have been the rounds of the family to dinings; we have had picnics, to which we have taken the children from the various families in the neighborhood, rides on horseback, walks to look for chinquepins and hickory nuts and now we want some evening parties. As Cousin Julia is a minister’s daughter and does not dance or play cards, the question of amusement is a little difficult, but we will play games and next week we will set the ball rolling with a musicale. We have several fine musicians in the neighborhood and mother never fails to have plenty of good things to eat.
Brother Amos and sister Mag are with us and they are splendid help in entertaining. He is still on crutches but is as jolly as a cricket and she is so sweet everybody loves her.
November 2.—President Lincoln replied to the letter of Governor Bradford, of Maryland, on the subject of the election in that State.—W. G. Sparrow, son of the Rev. Dr. Sparrow, formerly principal of Fairfax Seminary, was arrested, on his arrival from Staunton, Virginia, with a rebel mail, containing letters of importance, and committed to the Old Capital Prison, at Washington.—A party of rebel guerrillas captured two trains of cars near Mayfleld, Kentucky.
—Jefferson Davis arrived at Charleston, S. C, from Savannah, and was escorted to the City Hall, where an address of welcome was made by Charles Macbeth, the Mayor of the city. Mr. Davis replied, in a speech setting forth the reasons of his visit, and urging upon the people the necessity of “harmonious cooperation with the commanding general. He who would attempt to promote his own personal ends in preference, would not take a musket and fight in the ranks, was not worthy of the confederate liberty for which we are fighting. He trusted the Yankee’s desire to possess Charleston would never be gratified; but if Providence ordered otherwise, he desired for her what he wished for his own town of Vicksburgh, that the whole should be a mass of ruins. He believed that Charleston would never be taken.”
