Huntsville, Saturday, Feb. 27. Throat better. Tumor broken. Bad cough yet. Excused from guard, it being my turn. Camp policed. Lieutenant Clark’s wife arrived. No parade. Mail. Carriages all painted over with olive paint. Twelve on the sick roll this morning. Weather exceedingly changeable.
February 2014
Saturday, 27th.—Yanks have fallen back past Tunnel Hill. Cavalry have been to Dr. Lee’s.
Guard Duty.
Feb. 27. Our guard duty is just outside the town. There are three stations: one on the south side next the asylum, one at the college on the west side, and one on the north side on the Palace Green. This last station is the one I usually take charge of. At each station the guard is divided into three reliefs, and the duty is simply to keep a lookout for the approach of the enemy and turn out the guard in honor of the officer of the day and to Col. West, the post commander. Our quarters at this station are in a small house which was formerly negroes’ quarters. In the yard stands a large, unoccupied house owned by a Mr. Saunders, now a resident of New York. He is said to be a loyal man and a lawyer by profession. When McClellan passed through here, Mr. Saunders availed himself of the opportunity, and taking his family, went to New Fork. When I first took command of this station several mornings ago, the instructions given me were to keep a sharp lookout for the approach of the enemy. I had not been engaged in this business a great while, when the approach of Col. West was announced. I turned out the guard with a great dash, extending all the honors due his exalted rank. He inquired my instructions. I informed him of those I had received. He then inquired if I had not received instructions in regard to-this house in the yard. I said I had not. “Then I will give you some; I shall expect you to look after this house and see that no one goes in there or in any way disturbs anything around it, and shall hold you responsible for its safe keeping while you are on duty.” I promised to faithfully attend to that important duty. He then dismissed the guard and rode over to call on a lady friend of his.
A Frightened Darky.
I now had a very important trust imposed on me, and I naturally felt a sort of womanly curiosity to explore that sacred realm. Soon after daylight the next morning, I took three of the boys and went around to the back side of the house and effected an entrance, but it was evident we were not the first explorers. We found nothing but a few articles of heavy furniture until we went into the southwest corner room next to the veranda. Here was a rich find, a large library. This room was about 15 feet square, and on all sides were books from the floor to the ceiling. Here was history, biography, travels, fiction, religion, law and miscellaneous works, magazines of all kinds, public documents, reports on all manner of subjects, and a large quantity of letters and private papers.
We tarried here over an hour, and on coming out met a darky on the veranda. He put on one of his ugliest looks and said:
“Wot doin’ in dar? Mus keep out dar!”
“What’s that to you, you black cuss?”
“You fine out, you go in dar. Colonel West tole me look out for dis yer property an’ tole him wot I sees goin’ on roun yere.”
“And do you tell Colonel West what you see done here?”
“O, yas sah, yas sah, Ize tole him ebery ting Ize sees.”
“Look here, boy, do you want to live to be old?”
“O, yas sah, yas sah.”
“Well then, if you are cherishing any such desire, you must be a little careful what you say to West, for if he ever comes to us with any stories from you, we will take you out here into the woods and leave you for the buzzards to eat.”
“O, lorra golly mity, boss, Ize neber ses nosin’ bout de sogers, it’s on’y dese yere citizens roun yere Ise looks arter, fore de Lord, boss, Ise done sa nosin bout de sogers.”
“That’s right, boy; yon stick to that and keep it right on your mind when you see West, unless you want buzzards to your funeral.”
That darky came down from boiling heat to zero in a short space of time, and as we have heard nothing from him he probably keeps the buzzards on his mind.
Saluting the Post Commander.
A few mornings ago it was warm, sunshiny and spring-like. It was my turn on guard, and I was in command of the whole party marching through town. On the way I saw Col. West coming, and gave the order: “Shoulder arms; close up!” Just then we were passing a house on the right side of the street. On the veranda were several ladies taking their morning airing. I gave the order: “Eyes right!” West heard the order, and caught the idea; laughing, he touched his cap as he rode past us.
I reckon he was pleased with my style of soldiering as he called on me at the station a few hours afterwards. I turned out the guard and extended the customary honors. After looking us over he said:
“Sergeant, suppose you should see a force of the enemy file out of the woods over yonder, what would you do?”
“Well, sir, that would depend altogether on the size of the force.”
“Well, say one or two regiments of infantry.”
“In that case I should deploy my men among the buildings here, and skirmish with them until reinforcements arrived.”
“Very well. Suppose a brigade of cavalry should dash out, what then?”
“In that case we would empty our rifles on them once or twice, and cut and run like hell for Fort Magruder.”
“You’ll do, dismiss your guard;” and wheeling his horse he rode off laughing.
February 27, Saturday. A very busy day, and I am very indifferently well to discharge the mass of business; but got through with it before 5 P.M. Am surprised that I do not commit more serious mistakes. Received the charges and specifications against Wilkes. Convened the court, or ordered it to be convened, on the 9th. Am sorry to be compelled to do this, but there is no alternative.
Sedgwick calls about the prize law which Judge Sprague and Dana have got up. In the main it is pretty well done, but needs some amendments.
Seward told me in a whisper that we had met a serious reverse in Florida. It is [not] mentioned in the papers. This suppressing a plump and plain fact, already accomplished, because unfortunate, is not wise. The Florida expedition has been one of the secret movements that have been projected, I know not by whom, but suspect the President has been trying a game himself. He has done such things, and, I believe, always unfortunately. I may be wrong in my conclusions, but his secretary, John Hay, was sent off to join the forces at Port Royal, and this expedition was then commenced. Admiral Dahlgren went off on it without orders from me, and had only time to advise me he was going. Though he has general directions to cooperate with the army, he would not have done this but from high authority.
February 27th. Grace Greenwood, Mrs. Lippencott of literary renown, has been our guest for the past two days. She came to lecture before the officers and their friends of the division and is quartered and will remain for two weeks with us. She is most fascinating in her conversation and manner and is a valuable acquisition at the breakfast table, full of anecdotes, wit, and bon mots all carefully arranged and kept in readiness for the proper occasion. After the lecture we clear the floor for dancing, and there is “revelry by night,” invariably till twelve o’clock. Hobart, Wilson, Broom, and I are standing floor managers and are always receiving more or less agreeable attention.
by John Beauchamp Jones
FEBRUARY 27TH—Bright and pleasant—dusty. But one rain during the winter!
The “associated press” publishes an unofficial dispatch, giving almost incredible accounts of Gen. Forrest’s defeat of Grierson’s cavalry, 10,000 strong, with only 2000. It is said the enemy were cut up and routed, losing all his guns, etc.
Sugar is $20 per pound; new bacon, $8; and chickens, $12 per pair. Soon we look for a money panic, when a few hundred millions of the paper money is funded, and as many more collected by the tax collectors. Congress struck the speculators a hard blow. One man, eager to invest his money, gave $100,000 for a house and lot, and he now pays $5000 tax on it; the interest is $6000 more—$11,000 total. His next door neighbor, who bought his house in 1860 for $10,000, similar in every respect, pays $500 tax (valued at date of sale), interest $600; total, $1100 per annum. The speculator pays $10,000 per annum more than his patriotic neighbor, who refused to sell his house for $100,000.
Friday, 26th—General McPherson with the main part of the army left camp at 8 o’clock in the morning and after an all day march arrived at Canton after dark. They crossed the Pearl river at 10 a. m. and then reloaded the pontoons and destroyed what remained of the bridge. Just before going into camp two men were shot dead by the accidental discharge of a gun which they were pulling out from the back end of the wagon.
26th. The day at home. In evening called at Ella’s. Had a pleasant visit and a good game of chess—Prof. Clarke.
Feb 26th 1864
As the season advances and Spring approaches the news becomes more interesting. The Armies begin to move and important events are expected to happen soon, are in fact happening at the present time. Genl Sherman has struck out from Vicksburgh with about 30,000 men and has advanced far into the interior taking Jackson the Capitol of Miss and other towns in his course. It is supposed that Mobile is his destination. Genl Grant is moveing South from Chattanooga and the papers tonight say that he is at Dalton Georgia. The Army of the Potomac stretches from near Fairfax Courthouse to Culpepper some Thirty Miles and is now fast being reinforced. Recruits are now arriving rapidly and more than fifteen thousand soldiers have crossed the long Bridge into Virginia this week. Troops are crowding the cars & marching and again we hear “the drums beat at dead of night.
Huntsville, Friday, Feb. 26. Felt very much better than yesterday. Could eat a little with pain to-day. Off duty and laid in tent all day, most of the time alone. Boys all on duty, Hungerfords foraging. Carriages washed preparatory to painting. Sergeant Hauxhurst under arrest for refusing to obey Sergeant Hood’s orders on drill.
