February 20th. Detailed for picket duty. It again fell my lot to be located on the Charlestown road and the same post I left on the eve of the 6th when I received my furlough. Weather fine at this time. All is quiet in this vicinity. No one knows how long it will last. Business improving in town.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Saturday, 20th—The weather is quite cool and has been for several days. We left Meridian early this morning for Vicksburg, followed by large numbers of contrabands and refugees. Some of the negro women have their bedding tied up in quilts, carrying them on their heads, each with a bundle of clothing in one hand and in the other a corn pone and pieces of bacon tied up in a red handkerchief.
18-20th. Remained quietly at home resting and reading and playing chess till Sat. P. M. went to C. In evening called on Fannie. Happy time—same creature. (She spent the winter of 1864 in Cleveland at the home of her sister, Helen Cobb.)
February 20th.—Mrs. Preston was offended by the story of Buck’s performance at the Ive’s. General Breckinridge told her “it was the most beautifully unconscious act he ever saw.” The General was leaning against the wall, Buck standing guard by him “on her two feet.” The crowd surged that way, and she held out her arm to protect him from the rush. After they had all passed she handed him his crutches, and they, too, moved slowly away. Mrs. Davis said: “Any woman in Richmond would have done the same joyfully, but few could do it so gracefully. Buck is made so conspicuous by her beauty, whatever she does can not fail to attract attention.”
Johnny stayed at home only one day; then went to his plantation, got several thousand Confederate dollars, and in the afternoon drove out with Mrs. K ——. At the Bee Store he spent a thousand of his money; bought us gloves and linen. Well, one can do without gloves, but linen is next to life itself.
Yesterday the President walked home from church with me. He said he was so glad to see my husband at church; had never seen him there before; remarked on how well he looked, etc. I replied that he looked so well “because you have never before seen him in the part of ‘the right man in the right place.'” My husband has no fancy for being planted in pews, but he is utterly Christian in his creed.
Huntsville, Saturday, Feb. 20. As soon as breakfast was over I hitched a new team and drove out to a confiscated fence, a mile off, for a load of lumber, as the two Hungerfords were desirous of coming in with us, and we must build a larger one [hut]. After we were all loaded, a guard commanded us to unload, but after some talk allowed us to leave in quiet with our lumber. Tore down our “humble cot” and six of us went to work in earnest to erect a more commodious one. Had no tent. Built it entirely of lumber. Had it almost completed by night. Was quite tired, with a settled cold on my lungs, almost sick.
Saturday, 20th.—Reported Sherman has taken Enterprise, Miss., and is marching to Mobile.
February 20, Saturday. Two or three committees are investigating naval matters, — contracts, supplies, engineering, etc. Senator Hale labors hard to find fault with the Department; is searching, as with a lantern, for errors and mistakes. Has detectives, rotten and disappointed contractors, and grouty party men of the Navy, as well as politicians of every kind of politics, to aid him, but has thus far seemed to injure his friends as well as himself and not the Department.
by John Beauchamp Jones
FEBRUARY 20TH.—Bright, calm, but still cold—slightly moderating. Roads firm and dusty. Trains of army wagons still go by our house laden with ice.
Brig.-Gen. Wm. Preston has been sent to Mexico, with authority to recognize and treat with the new Emperor Maximilian.
I see, by a letter from Mr. Benjamin, that he is intrusted by the President with the custody of the “secret service” money.
Late papers from the United States show that they have a money panic, and that gold is rising in price. In Lowell not a spindle is turning, and 30,000 operatives are thrown out of employment
From England we learn that the mass of the population are memorializing government to put an end to the war!
I saw a ham sell to-day for $350; it weighed fifty pounds, at $7 per pound.
February 20th, 1864.—Two more Georgia regiments passed through today en route for Lake City. I am afraid that means a fight. God help us.
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Note: Since there are 3 more entries for February followed by entries for the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the extra entries are included here to maintain the sequence of entries in the book.
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February _ _, 1864. We have had a grand time but now it is over. We have had rides and walks and drives; we have had parties, picnics and serenades; we have had a merry two weeks and now our play-mates are gone. They looked so handsome and they held their heads so proudly and marched away with such steady steps. As they went they sang, “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” Poor boys–I hope and pray they may some day come home again.
February _ _, 1864.—Blind Tom is to play at the Capitol tonight. We are going to hear him for he is too wonderful to miss. I am staying at Aunt Margaret’s. Cousin Jim will take Mart and Sue and me to town. It is not very far and I had an invitation to go from a captain in a gorgeous uniform. I would have liked to go with him but Mother does not like us to go around without a chaperon. If I was at Goodwood, Aunt Sue would go; she is the very best aunt a girl ever had.
February _ _, 1864.–Blind Tom is wonderful! He plays the Battle of Manassas and, before he begins to play, his master tells you how Tom came to compose this piece. His master, Colonel Bethune, is so proud of him and Tom loves him and is so affectionate; just like some sweet-tempered animal that you have petted.
This Battle of Manassas begins with the booming of cannon; the rattle of musketry and above all the clear notes of the bugle. Faintly in the distance the strains of Dixie float upon the air, these strains grow louder and louder and mingle with the clashing of guns, the tramping of horses and the sharp commands of officers. He intersperses the music with the names of the different Generals, who took the most prominent parts in the day’s work. How an imbecile (for Tom is plainly that) could ever be taught a connected description of Manassas, is certainly a miracle.
(This diary was written in pencil and in many instances the dates are almost, or quite, illegible. The month and year are plain but the figures are not so plain; particularly is this the case during the years of warfare, possibly the pencils were poor, or the paper might have been. At any rate we ask our readers to be lenient if some little mistakes occur.)
February 20.—The battle of Olustee, Florida, was fought this day by the National forces under the command of General Seymour and the rebels under General Caesar Finnegan.—(Doc. 87.)
—The rebel schooner Henry Colthurst, from Kingston, Jamaica, with a cargo of the munitions of war for the confederate government, and other articles of merchandise, was captured, near San Luis Pass, by the National schooner Virginia.
