December 23, Wednesday. Congress has adjourned to the 5th of January. Little has been done as yet. There appears to be, I think, a good feeling among the Members, though there are petty intrigues among the small men in abundance.
Monday, December 23, 2013
24th. At 1:30 orders came to move immediately to the Chuckey for the purpose of capturing a rebel brigade. Campbell’s brigade to attack in front and Garrard the rear, Garrard to have command. Col. Palmer, senior, of G.’s, had detachments from 11th Ohio, 75th Penn., 1st Tenn. When half a mile from road, rebels fired on our pickets and Palmer rushed out, bringing on an engagement. Rebels charged nearly to our horses, then we charged them for half a mile. Ordered back by Sturgess just as were making a flank movement. Rather heavy loss on each side. Saw Bennie Sears. Things looked rather scaly for awhile. Got out all right. In camp at 10 P. M. Supper.
23rd. Hillhouse came around early. Hurried breakfast and wrote a few lines home and to Fannie, for Thede to take. Got George a saddle and Lewis govt. horse. How I dislike to have Thede leave me. I shall be homesick. Still it is best. Poor fellow. God grant he may get well soon. Command moved at 9 A. M. following Woolford’s division. I waited till near dark. Lu (Emmons) and I went together. Awful ford over Holston. Found brigade at Newmarket. Took supper with Maj. Nettleton. Slept on floor.
Wednesday. 23d—The weather continues quite pleasant. There is no news. All is quiet here. There has been no foraging for two months now, for the reason that there is nothing left to forage. I often wonder what the farmers in this section live on; whatever they have certainly cannot be in abundance. The citizens of Vicksburg are a little more fortunate; that is, if they have the greenbacks, for since July 4th, last. Confederate scrip is no longer legal tender. Some people still have a little gold and silver, which comes from its hiding place when their larders run low.
December 23 — Very cold last night and to-day. Nearly the whole company was busily engaged in building houses for winter quarters. Each mess puts up its own domicile. However, I am building one of my own without a chimney, as I have sworn off from the chimney-building business for this winter; I will be a boarder with my mess, but I furnish my own lodging.
Wednesday, 23d.—Built our winter quarter house to-day. Comfortable.
December 23d. All quiet through the night. This is known as a very loyal town. The Johnnies call it Little Massachusetts, so we were informed by the people, who were very kind to us. With daylight our duty ended. We remained until noontime, when we left for Charlestown. Have been sorry that I did not keep the names of the cavalry scouts. The detail from our company, C, Thomas A. Loomis, Lemuel A. Manning, Charles H. Lynch. Arrived at headquarters late this P. M. Tired. Pleased with the trip. Enjoyed scouting when everything went well.
We are all the time watching the mountain passes and the fords. The guerillas know every foot of this country and section of Virginia. They make many raids on the B. & O. R. R., and are generally successful, capturing and wrecking trains. All is quiet at this point. Some of the boys managed to find skates and are having a great time on a pond. Women and children watch the tricks on the ice performed by our boys and seem pleased.
Stevenson, Ala., Wednesday, Dec. 23. Broke camp at 8 P. M. and marched to Stevenson. Before we arrived at 11:30 A. M. Osterhaus’s train, going in cars, went to camp to the left of town and put up tents in a fine open field.
by John Beauchamp Jones
DECEMBER 23D—Nothing further from the West. But we have reliable information of the burning (accidentally, I suppose) of the enemy’s magazine at Yorktown, destroying all the houses, etc.
I learn to-day that the Secretary of War revoked the order confiscating blockade goods brought from the enemy’s country.
December 23.—A bill, prohibiting dealing in the currency of the United States, was passed in the rebel Congress: “Any person violating the provisions of the act was subject to indictment and prosecution in the confederate court holden for the district within which the offence was committed, and should, upon conviction, forfeit the amount so bought, sold, circulated, or used, or a sum equal thereto, and be moreover subject to a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars, nor less than five hundred, and be imprisoned not less than three months, nor more than three years, at the discretion of the court; and it was declared the duty of the judges of the several confederate courts to give the act specially in charge to the grand-jury : Provided, that the purchase of postage-stamps should not be considered a violation of the act”
—The rebel forces, under General Longstreet, still remained in the neighborhood of Rutledge and Morristown, Tenn. “General Longstreet was unable to follow up his advantage in consequence of the large number of bare-footed men in his command. The weather was extremely cold, and the mountains covered with snow.”
—A party belonging to the rebel Colonel Harrison’s guerrilla band, headed by James Cavalier, entered Omega, La., and after capturing twelve or fourteen negroes, proceeded to murder them in cold blood, after which they hurried away upon mules captured in the town.—In discussing the conscription proposed by the rebel Congress, the Raleigh Progress says: “There is not another man to spare from the farms or other industrial pursuits of the country, and a further draft on this class will be fraught with the most disastrous consequences. If more men are wanted in the line, let the thousands of able-bodied men already in the pay of the government be placed there, and the drones and non-producers who insult honest toil by their constant swagger, and who have been shielded by the corruptions of office-holders since the war commenced, be gathered up and compelled to fight for that liberty for which they ever profess to be so ready to pour out their precious blood.
“Congress, we fear, is disposed to run into extremes, especially those members whose States are largely or entirely in the hands of the enemy. If this war is to be fought out to the last man and the last dollar, if we are really battling for independence, we must husband our resources. We must have men to fight, and we must have something to feed them on. Beware of destroying the seed-corn.”
—The Yankees made a raid on Luray, Va., and burned P. B. Borst’s large tannery, the old Baptist Church, and Mr. Booton’s workshop; broke open all the stores, and robbed them of all their goods, and what they could not take off, they distributed among the negroes. They also broke open the meat-houses, and stole, carried away, and destroyed nearly all the pork and bacon in the place, besides killing nearly all the chickens they could find. They also burnt the tannery of William R. Barbee, about six miles east of Luray.—Richmond Despatch.
—Lieutenant-general Leonidas Polk, assuming command of the rebel army in Mississipppi, issued an order at Meridian, in which he recognizes the defeats and discouragements the confederate cause has sustained of late, but seeks to stimulate his troops to fresh efforts, by assuring them that there is still, in the South, ample material for a continued and successful prosecution of the war. “The vigorous employment of our own resources,” he closed by saying, “with unity, harmony, and an unflinching determination to be true cannot, under God, but crown our efforts with triumphant success.”
