Wednesday, 3rd—We started this morning at 8 o’clock and marched to the Black river, where we bivouacked for the night. Our brigade was train guard for the provision train. Our entire expedition is supposed to have about twenty-five thousand men, composed of infantry, artillery and cavalry, with one engineers’ corps in charge of a pontoon bridge. The weather is fine for marching. General Crocker’s Division has started ahead.
Monday, February 3, 2014
3rd. Hugh and I went to town in evening and heard the Swiss Bell Ringers. Good time. Zettler House.
Wednesday, February 3d.
Last night we were thrown into the most violent state of commotion by the unexpected entrance of Captain Bradford. He has been brought here a prisoner, from Asphodel, where he has been ever since the surrender of Port Hudson, and taking advantage of his tri-weekly parole, his first visit was naturally here, as he has no other friends.
Poor creature, how he must have suffered! The first glance at his altered face where suffering and passion have both left their traces unmistakably since we last met, and the mere sight of his poor lame leg, filled my heart with compassion.
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How he hates Mr. Halsey! I could not forego the pleasure of provoking him into a discussion about him, knowing how they hated each other. He would not say anything against him; understand, that as a gentleman and a companion, Mr. Halsey was his warmest and best friend; there was no one he admired more; but he must say that as a soldier, he was the worst he had ever seen — not that he was not as brave and gallant a man as ever lived, but he neglected his duties most shamefully while visiting Linwood so constantly, eluding the sentinels daily as he asked for neither pass nor permission, and consulting only his inclinations instead of his superior officers or his business. And that last night at Linwood, when he absented himself without leave, why could he not have signified to him, his Captain, that he wished to say good-bye, instead of quietly doing as he pleased? When the Colonel sent for a report of the number of men, quantity of forage and ammunition, etc., and it was discovered that John Halsey was absent without leave, with the books locked up and the keys in his pocket — even after this lapse of time, the fire flashed through the ice as the Captain spoke. Sergeant Halsey, I am sorry for you when you reported yourself next day! All the fun that could have been crowded into an evening at Linwood could not have repaid you for the morning’s scene. And after all, what was it beyond very empty pleasure, with a great deal of laughter? He could have dispensed with it just as well. Looking back, I congratulate myself on being the only one who did not ask him to stay.
Huntsville, Wednesday, Feb. 3. Colder night than we have had for two weeks. Water frozen a quarter of an inch and obliged to tuck up close to sleep warm. Instead of the usual drill this morning, was general policing, ground to be swept from rear of quarters to behind the guard house, about five acres. Guard house and kitchen whitewashed. A well started. I climbed Russell Hill for evergreen boughs for brooms in company with a couple of others, and managed it so as not to return until nearly recall; that is soldiers’ strategy. “Do no more than you can” is the motto.
Diary And Memoranda, 1864
Feb. 3rd. Went to the Washington theatre last night. Miss Keene played “She stoops to conquer.” It was a laughable affair. She did look splendidly arrayed in all her beauty, before the foot lights, a splendid form; but paint was too profuse, I would rather have seen her natural complextion.
February 3, Wednesday. Had a brief talk to-day with Chase on financial matters. He seems embarrassed how to proceed, but, being fertile in resources, listening to others still more fertile, and having resorted to expedients in one instance, he will probably experience little difficulty in finding another. There will, however, come a day of reckoning, and the nation will have to pay for all these expedients. In departing from the specie standard and making irredeemable paper its equivalent, I think a great error was committed. By inflating the currency, loans have been more easily taken, but the artificial prices are ruinous. I do not gather from Chase that he has any system or fixed principles to govern him in his management of the Treasury. He craves even beyond most others a victory, for the success of our arms inspires capitalists with confidence. He inquired about Charleston; regretted that Farragut had not been ordered there. I asked what F. could do beyond Dahlgren at that point. Well, he said, he knew not that he could do more, but he was brave and had a name which inspired confidence. I admitted he had a reputation which Dahlgren had not, but no one had questioned D.’s courage or capacity and the President favored him. The moral effect of taking Charleston was not to be questioned; beyond that I knew not anything could be gained. The port was closed.
The conversation turned upon army and naval operations. He lamented the President’s want of energy and force, which he said paralyzed everything. His weakness was crushing us. I did not respond to this distinct feeler, and the conversation changed.
Almost daily we have some indications of Presidential aspirations and incipient operations for the campaign. The President does not conceal the interest he takes, and yet I perceive nothing unfair or intrusive. He is sometimes, but not often, deceived by heartless intriguers who impose upon him. Some appointments have been secured by mischievous men, which would never have been made had he known the facts. In some respects he is a singular man and not fully understood. He has great sagacity and shrewdness, but sometimes his assertion or management is astray. When he relies on his own right intentions and good common sense, he is strongest. So in regard to friends whom he distrusts, and mercenary opponents, in some of whom he confides. A great and almost inexcusable error for a man in his position.
by John Beauchamp Jones
FEBRUARY 3D.—The following dispatch indicates the prestige of success for the year 1864, and it is probable it will be followed by a succession of successes, for the administration at Washington will find, this year, constant antagonisms everywhere, in the North as well as in the South, and in the army there will be opposing parties—Republicans and Democrats. On the part of the South, we have experienced the great agony of 1863, and have become so familiar with horrors that we shall fight with a fearful desperation. But the dispatch:
“Glorious news! The whole Yankee force, about 150, are our prisoners, and their gun-boat ‘ Smith Briggs,’ destroyed.
“No one hurt on our side. Four Yankees killed and two or three wounded.
“The prisoners are now at Broad Water. Send down a train for them to-morrow.”
We learn that this Yankee force was commissioned to destroy a large factory at Smithfield, in Isle of WightCounty. We do not know the size or composition of our command which achieved the results noticed above, but understand that it contained two companies of the Thirty-first North Carolina Regiment.
Congress has not yet finally acted on the Tax bill, nor on the new Conscription bill.
The Secretary of War said to-day that he would not allow the increased pay to any of his civil officers who were young and able to bear arms—and this after urging Congress to increase their compensation. It will be very hard on some who are refugees, having families dependent on them. Others, who board, must be forced into the army (the design), for their expenses per month will be some fifty per cent. more than their income.
The weather is clear but colder.
February 3.—Major-General W. T. Sherman, with the Sixteenth army corps, under the command of Major-General Hurlbut, and the Seventeenth army corps, commanded by General McPherson, left Vicksburgh upon an expedition through Mississippi.—(Doc. 122.)
—The guard of one company of infantry posted at Patterson Creek Bridge, eight miles east of Cumberland, Va., was attacked at half-past one P.M. yesterday, by five hundred rebel cavalry, under General Rosser, and after a spirited resistance, in which two were killed and ten wounded, the greater part of the company were captured. This accomplished, the rebels set fire to the bridge, and leaving it to destruction, started off with their prisoners in the direction of Romney. The employés of the railroad succeeded in staying the fire, and saved the bridge, with only slight damage. General Averill, with his command of nearly two thousand cavalry, and who had been sent out from Martinsburgh by General Kelley, this morning overtook the rebels near Springfield, and a severe engagement ensued. The rebels were driven through Springfield, and thence to and south of Burlington. Many of the rebels were killed and wounded, and the Union captures were large, including the recovery of the men yesterday taken at Patterson’s Creek, and many horses. The enemy retreated rapidly to the back country, hotly pursued by the cavalry.— A fight took place at Sartatia, Miss., between a body of rebels numbering about three thousand, under General Ross, and the National gunboats, on an expedition up the Yazoo River to cooperate with General Sherman.—(Docs. 122 and 124.)
