Wednesday, 24th—The army left the Hillsborough bivouac over different roads. Our brigade went in advance of the Sixteenth Corps to assist the engineers in laying the pontoons across the Pearl river. This is a good section of the country for forage. We selected twelve men from our entire headquarters’ guard of twenty-eight to go out on forage, and they brought in six hundred pounds of bacon, twenty-five live chickens, one hundred pounds of honey and other articles. Several of us are up tonight cooking the chickens, which with the other things will fill our haversacks. We shall live well now. We are camping on a large plantation.
Monday, February 24, 2014
24th. Up and took cars at 7:30 for home. Thede back from Swift’s. Somewhat tired.
February 24th. Detailed for picket. Corporal in charge of one relief. Located about three miles from camp on the line of the railroad, all quiet.
February 24th, 1864.
Another of our boys has drawn a prize, and leaves for home tomorrow on twenty days’ furlough. A batch of names goes in tonight that will take all the wounded from my ward. There is great excitement here today. The enemy has disappeared from our front, our troops are again at Strawberry Plains. Where they have gone, even rumor saith not. All we know of him is, he has disappeared. Our Provost Marshal’s office is literally besieged by citizens who want passes to their homes.
Perhaps the Ninth Corps can be spared now. The general impression is they will start in two or three days. The Washington papers say we are to be at Newport News by the first of May; a little over two months, which will give us at least six weeks in Michigan, should we be so lucky as to get there. But time is precious. My mind is so fixed on going home —if only for a few days—I can think of little else.
Huntsville, Wednesday, Feb. 24. Weather once more very mild and pleasant. Laid in tent all day. Throat pains me severely. Tonsils much swollen. Did not go out to drill, equipments enough having been received, the standing gun drill instead of squad, much more profitable especially for the recruits. A skirmish is reported having occurred at Whitesburg with the 4th Minnesota Infantry and others, killing four, wounding fifteen. Two infantry regiments started to their support. Artillery ordered to be in readiness.
Diary And Memoranda, 1864
Feb. 24th. Had a horse back ride in the morning. In the evening, went to Grover’s theatre [Washington, D. C.]. Edwin Booth took the part of Ruy Blas. The house cheered him several times, it was the first time that I ever saw him. I liked him very much, he made a slave of me. I would speak of the female portion; but they had such large mouths there is not room here to put them in. No reliable news from Genl. Sherman; but he is still on the move. Longstreet is retreating from the front of Knoxville. Went to the theatre. The play was Brutus. I liked it much; it made some of the women cry. He makes me his captive.
Wednesday, 24th.—Still in same place. Some say Yanks have gone back; don’t know what to think. 2 P. M., some skirmishing in front. Played game of town ball. 5 P. M., cannonading began to the left of Tunnel Hill, and continued for one hour.
February 24, 1864. The great ball, reception, and review all came off with the utmost distinction. A special train brought out an immense throng of notables, who in many cases remained over for the review on the 23d and Kilpatrick’s fine cavalry charge. Amongst the distinguished guests were Vice-president Hamlin and his daughter Sarah, a most agreeable young lady; Mrs. Governor Curtin, her daughter, and a bevy of beauties from the state capital. Guests of our headquarters: Mrs. Governor Sprague, radiant in all her glorious beauty, acknowledged to be the handsomest woman in America, and at present the star around which the fashionable world revolves; her husband, Governor Sprague; a large party from the British embassy; Mrs. Chancellor Walworth, of New York; O. A. Brownsen, of Brownsen’s Review; Colonel and Mrs. Carrol; Mrs. Senator Hale and daughters; Senator Wilkinson and party; Mrs. and Judge Miller, of the United States Supreme Court, and hundreds of others, together with every general officer in the army and their staffs. It was a wonderful success without a drawback. The music was furnished by our band and that of the Fourteenth Connecticut, and was delightfully spoken of by all. “Gayly sped the feet and sweetly smiled the lips” of the brave and beautiful and honored of the republic. Swiftly passed the hours of the festal night, and with the matin song of lark and blue bird and the courtesies of parting, the morning light looked in upon a “Banquet Hall deserted.”
Miss Alvord was especially in my charge, but everybody danced with everybody else, and I had the distinguished honor of dancing once with the queenly beauty, Mrs. Sprague, and the superb and beautiful Miss Curtin, who was by the way sought after by every one. Nothing could surpass the kindness of the ladies; they were in no wise exclusive, and the youngest lieutenant received as much consideration as the oldest and most conspicuous general. This surprised us most agreeably and completed the enchantment, which will live forever in the memory of those of us who had the honor to belong to the grand army and participate in its festivities.
The following day the entire Second corps and Kilpatrick’s division of cavalry were reviewed in the presence of a great throng of officers and ladies. There were as many as two hundred ladies mounted in the cavalcade, which followed in the retinue of General Meade, the reviewing officer. The day was superb, and the men looked well, eliciting immense applause. When the Second corps had passed, Kilpatrick, at the head of his splendid command, made a spirited charge across the plain for the diversion of the party, which, of course, pleased the guests the most of anything. In the evening a special train took home the major part of the visitors, and thus the Second corps ball passed among the things that were.
by John Beauchamp Jones
FEBRUARY 24TH.—Bright and pleasant. Intelligence from the West is of an interesting character. The column of Federal cavalry from Memphis, destined to co-operate with Gen. Sherman, has been intercepted and a junction prevented. And both Sherman and the cavalry are now in full retreat—running out of the country faster than they advanced into it. The desert they made as they traversed the interior of Mississippi they have now to repass, if they can, in the weary retreat, with no supplies but those they brought with them. Many will never get back.
And a dispatch from Beauregard confirms Finnegan’s victory in Florida. He captured all the enemy’s artillery, stores, etc., and for three miles his dead and wounded were found strewn on the ground. Thus the military operations of 1864 are, so far, decidedly favorable. And we shall probably soon have news from Longstreet. If Meade advances, Lee will meet him—and let him beware!
Gold is still mounting up—and so with everything exposed for sale. When, when will prices come down?
But we shall probably end the war this year—and independence will compensate for all. The whole male population, pretty much, will be in the field this year, and our armies will be strong. So far we have the prestige of success, and our men are resolved to keep it, if the dissensions of the leaders do not interfere with the general purpose.
February 24. — A police magistrate at St. John’s, New-Brunswick, ordered the Chesapeake pirates to be committed to be surrendered to the United States, upon charges of robbery, piracy, and murder.
