Huntsville, Thursday, March 10. Had a very stormy night but a fine day. I was on guard P. M., first relief, on horses in the daytime and tents in the evening. Midnight tour very stormy and dark, but managed to pass the time quickly in thinking of all but the present. Drills and parades as usual.
Monday, March 10, 2014
10th. Major Nettleton returned. Told M. this morning in regard to F. and myself. She thinks as I do, that if the girl really loves me she ought to know it. If not, we ought to stop our intimacy. So shall I act. Received letter, unable to decide, does not know her own heart. Answered, after a crying spell, and consulting with Ma and M. We all think alike. Feel as if I were doing my duty anyway. Finished the letter and went to Friday prayer meeting. Spoke. Did me good. Determined through the grace of God to make my trial a blessing. Will be a man and a Christian. Called at Fannie Hudson’s. Meeting in the evening.
March 10th 1864
The Military affairs of the Nation has not been “all a success” for the past two or three weeks. Our troops were repulsed in Florida with a loss of some 1200 men killed, wounded, and prisoners. They are now at Jacksonville and have been re-inforced, and will be able to stay there. Genl Sherman has returned to Vicksburgh from his great “raid” into the heart of Miss. He met with no very great losses of men, destroyed a Vast amount of property belonging to the rebels, captured a great number of horses, and brought away (the papers say) 8000 Negroes. Genl Kilpatrick of the Army of the Potomac made a “raid” last week upon Richmond with some four or five thousand Cavalry. He approached within two miles of the City, had a fight but found the rebels too well prepared for him and he passed down the Peninsula to Fortress Monroe. The Rebels seem strong this spring and the indications are that there must be a good deal more desperate fighting before the war closes. The impression is generaly entertained that they have got all their men in the field and are determined to make a desperate effort to regain what they have lost the past year. But their desperation will only prolong the war, in the end they will have to give in. We must have double the number of men in the field but our lines are vastly more extended and we are occupying positions in strong force over thousands of miles of territory. Genl Grant arrived here on Tuesday, he has recently been made a Lieut Genl and is just now the “Lion of the day.” I hope he will return to the West soon or before he becomes paralyzed by breathing the atmosphere of the Potomac. Congress does not seem to be doing much and the political cauldron does not boil much yet.
March 10, Thursday. The developments of fraud and swindling by contractors, and I fear by Navy agents and probably other officials, are represented to be astounding. Olcott, the detective, is an employé of the War Department and has been detailed to us for duty. I know less of him than I wish, for one intrusted with so delicate and responsible a duty. Fox is so greedy to get hold of the fellows that I fear he does not sufficiently respect private rights. I therefore hope Olcott is discreet and truthful.
Thursday, 10th—It rained all day yesterday, and today it is quite cool. The expedition that is going up the Red river left this afternoon. Regiments are leaving every day for the North, going home on their veterans’ furloughs. We are still on guard at the roundhouse.
The following appeared in our “Camp Journal” some time after the great ball:
“The appearance of this charming and accomplished author and lecturer (Grace Greenwood) before our lecture association last week and her entire visit to the corps is a source of pride and pleasure alike to all of us. The entire winter has been very gay and spirited in its numerous festivities in the gallant old corps; and it was certainly an appropriate finale to them that this cultivated and accomplished lady should come from the refinement of her quiet home to the very outskirts of the rebel army and lay the rich treasures of her loyal, womanly heart and fertile mind at the feet of the men, who have come from their far Northern homes, to plant the dear old flag once more upon the mountain tops and domes, where it was ruthlessly torn by traitors’ hands. We shall not soon forget her earnest, burning words in behalf of justice, liberty, and law, nor cease to feel their inspiration, as night after night they gave some new charm to the holiness and majesty of our great cause. Our only regret is that we have not the room at this late hour to give a synopsis of her eloquent lecture before the officers of the corps, and that the exigencies of the service were such that she could not have spoken to every corps in the army.
“During her stay, Mrs. Lippencott has been the guest of General Caldwell and staff and has received many attentions at the hands of our most distinguished officers.”
The enemy has had the good taste not to disturb the festivities by any ill timed demonstrations on the approach of a party of ladies and their attendants; they have frequently saluted them and have always refrained from firing or other disagreeable attentions. The picket lines, in fact, fraternize very agreeably, and unless closely watched get to be unduly familiar, that is, for the safety and good of the army.
Horse races, in many of which I ride, hurdle races, division and brigade drills occupy our daily life, which runs as smoothly as could be desired. The army is, of course, bountifully supplied and clothed and is fast filling up again to its normal standard.
By dint of steady and indefatigable work we have managed to empty the guard house, straighten out the muster rolls, relieve the oppressed and punish the guilty.
The Irish brigade was for a time in a most chaotic state; nearly every other officer and man had charges preferred against him, thereby stopping their pay and taking them off the roster for duty; by assiduous labor we have gone through the entire command, dismissing the charges in most cases as frivolous and unworthy of attention.
The ladies remained at our headquarters their allotted time, and then took leave with great reluctance. They were escorted to the train by the entire body of officers, who wished to show their appreciation of their great kindness. Several officers’ wives and daughters remained, and Miss Hamlin is still a visitor at our quarters and promises to remain in the army for some time to come.
March 10.—A party of “over one hundred citizen guerrillas” entered Mayfield, Ky., and after pillaging the stores and severely wounding one of the citizens, left, carrying away their booty.
—Governor Joseph E. Brown’s annual message was read in the Legislature of Georgia, It concluded as follows:
“Lincoln has declared that Georgia and other States are in rebellion to the Federal Government, the creature of the States, which they could destroy as well as create. In authorizing war, he did not seek to restore the Union under the Constitution as it was, by confining the Government to a sphere of limited powers, They have taken one hundred thousand negroes, which cost half a million of whites four thousand millions of dollars, and now seek to repudiate self-government—subjugate Southern people, and confiscate their property. The statement of Lincoln, that we offer no terms of adjustment, is made an artful pretext that it is impossible to say when the war will terminate, but that negotiation, not the sword, will finally terminate it.
“We should keep before the Northern people the idea that we are ready to negotiate, when they are ready, and will recognize our right to self-government, and the sovereignty of the States. After each victory, our government should make a distinct offer of peace on these terms, and should the course of any Slate be doubted, let the armed force be withdrawn, and the ballot-box decide. If this is refused even a dozen times, renew it, and keep before the North and the world that our ability to defend ourselves for many years has been proved.”
—Pilatka, Florida, was occupied by the Union forces under Colonel Barton. The force, consisting of infantry and artillery, left Jacksonville on the transports General Hunter, Delaware, Maple Leaf, and Charles Houghton last evening, and, under the direction of good pilots, reached Pilatka at about daylight this morning. The night was densely dark, and a terrible thunder-storm added not a little to the difficulty of the passage of the boats up the tortuous channel. The troops disembarked at sunrise, and found but few of the enemy. The rebels probably had only a small cavalry picket in the town, and on the approach of the Nationals it was withdrawn, and the place given up without firing a shot on either side. The town was found entirely deserted, except by three small families, who professed Union sentiments, and desired to remain at their homes.—The rebel iron-clad war steamer Ashley was successfully launched at Charleston, S. C.
by John Beauchamp Jones
MARCH 10TH.—Raining fast all day.
There was a rumor to-day that the enemy were approaching again, but the Secretary knew nothing of it.
Major Griswold is at variance with Gen. Winder, who has relieved him as Provost Marshal, and ordered him to Americus, Ga., to be second in command of the prisons, and assigned Major Carrington to duty as Provost Marshal here. Major Griswold makes a pathetic appeal to the President to be allowed to stay here in his old office.
The following, from the Dispatch, differs from the Examiner’s account of the disposal of Col. Dahlgren’s body:
“Col. Dahlgren’s Body.—On Sunday afternoon last, the body of Col. Ulric Dahlgren, one of the leaders of the late Yankee raid on this city, and on whose body the paper revealing their designs, if successful, were found, was brought to this city on the York River Railroad train, and remained in the car (baggage) in which it was till yesterday afternoon, when it was transferred to some retired burial place. The object in bringing Dahlgren’s body here was for identification, and was visited, among others, by Captain Dement and Mr. Mountcastle, of this city, who were recently captured and taken around by the raiders. These gentlemen readily recognized it as that of the leader of the band sent to assassinate the President and burn the city. The appearance of the corpse yesterday was decidedly more genteel than could be expected, considering the length of time he has been dead. He was laid in a plain white pine coffin, with flat top, and was dressed in a clean, coarse white cotton shirt, dark blue pants, and enveloped in a dark military blanket. In stature he was about five feet ten inches high, with a long, cadaverous face, light hair, slight beard, closely shaven, and had a small goatee, very light in color. In age we suppose he was about thirty years, and the expression of his countenance indicated that of pain.”
March 10.—There has been much excitement in Richmond about Kilpatrick’s and Dahlgren’s raids, and the death of the latter. The cannon roared around the city, the alarm-bell rang, the reserves went out; but Richmond was safe, and we felt no alarm. As usual, they did all the injury they could to country-people, by pillaging and burning. They steal every thing they can; but the people have become very adroit in hiding. Bacon, flour, etc., are put in most mysterious places; plate and handsome china are kept under ground; horses are driven into dense woods, and the cattle and sheep are driven off. It is astonishing, though much is taken, how much is left. I suppose the raiders are too much hurried for close inspection.
