Huntsville, Sunday, March 13. A delightful Sabbath morning. T. J. Hungerford very sick, heavy fever and hard breathing. Afraid he is going to have a fever. Bathed him, towels kept around him, and all we can do for him is done gladly. After inspection 8 A. M. attended Sabbath school and meeting at the Methodist Church with Booth and D. Evans. The society was in deep mourning for Mrs. Jordan, principal teacher and superintendent of the Sabbath school, who was killed in the railroad accident of the 5th inst. Fitting resolutions were passed by the school in memoriam. The minister preached from the 35th and 36th verses of the fourth chapter of St. John, a discourse filled with hell fire and eternal misery, with but little consolation to the many bereaved mothers and sisters present who had lost their all in the Confederate army. Although enemies, I could but feel for their distressing sobs, that were audible all over the room. In the afternoon the day was so cheering that I could not resist the temptation of another walk to town, where in a crowded house of soldiers and citizens I listened to an excellent practical sermon on the ten virgins, wise and foolish.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
13th. Felt so unwell and uneasy, concluded not to go to church. Lay down part of the day. Read “Bitter Sweet,” by Holland. Much interested.
March 13th, 1864.
I received a bundle of Northern papers today. The Tribune thinks the Rebels and their Northern allies will exert themselves to prolong the war until after the next election. I fully agree with it, and think it better for the cause of freedom that they do so. Every day the war continues is another guaranty of the downfall of slavery. The time is not far distant when every Northern man will become an Abolitionist. Look at the Woods, the Brookses, the New York Herald, the New York World and all the leading pro-slavery men and journals of the North. Already are they trying to disengage themselves from the fetid carcass of their dead ally. I do not know as it matters where the final struggle takes place. It may be here, but I think not. Lee and his army will never forsake their native state. There they will fight, and there they must be met and conquered. That done, the rest is comparitively easy. My health is improving. I think I might now take charge of my ward, but the Doctor will not permit it yet.
I am overwhelmed with joy at so favorable report of my only son. God bless my faithful, patient, persevering boy. May he be kept from deception and craft, his lips from guile.
Sunday, 13th—The Eleventh and the Fifteenth Iowa, together with the Twelfth Wisconsin, all veterans, went aboard the “Continental” this afternoon and about dark left for the North. I could not go with my regiment, as I have not yet been relieved from guard duty at the roundhouse.
March 13.—A Union meeting was held at Huntsville, Alabama, at which resolutions were passed deprecating the action of the South, and calling upon the Governor of the State to convene the Legislature, that it might “call a convention to provide some mode for the restoration of peace and the rights and liberties of the people.” Speeches were made by Jere Clemens and D. C. Humphreys in support of the resolutions.
—General Butler, learning that the Fifth and Ninth Virginia cavalry, with a large force of armed citizens, were in the vicinity of King and Queen Court-House, immediately despatched an expedition from Yorktown under command of General Wistar, with which General Kilpatrick and a portion of his command essayed to cooperate. This rebel force was ascertained to be one thousand two hundred strong, and the same that ambushed and killed Colonel Dahlgren.
General Kilpatrick left Gloucester Point on Tuesday night, March eighth, in charge of the cavalry, and was ordered to scout Gloucester County to the north and east as far as Dragon River, and drive the enemy up the Peninsula, while Wistar landed his forces by transports on Wednesday at Shepherd’s warehouse, six miles above West-Point, on the Mattapony, with the purpose of heading off their retreat and charging their front and rear. Owing to a misapprehension of General Wistar’s orders, General Kilpatrick marched direct to West-Point, where he arrived about the same time with General Wistar.
A small cavalry force was then despatched to New-Market, and the infantry and artillery moved out as far as Little Plymouth, while Kilpatrick scouted across the Dragon River and tried to cross at Old and New-Bridge, but could not, owing to the swollen state of the stream. Our forces then moved down through the counties of King and Queen, Middlesex and Gloucester, making many captures and destroying large quantities of supplies. King and Queen Court-House was destroyed, and when near Carrolton’s store, Colonel Onderdonk, commanding the First New-York Mounted Rifles, and Colonel Spear, of the Eleventh Pennsylvania cavalry, came upon the looked-for rebel force of cavalry and citizens. This was in the midst of a severe rain-storm which had been pouring all day, and the mud was knee-deep; yet the rebels were gallantly charged, dispersed, and chased ten miles, their camp destroyed, about twenty killed, and seventy wounded and taken prisoners. The remainder made good their escape by recrossing the river into King William County.
The Union force comprised the Forty-fifth, Sixth, and Twenty-second National colored troops the First New-York Mounted Rifles, the Eleventh Pennsylvania cavalry, parts of Hart’s and Belger’s batteries, and some five hundred of Kilpatrick’s Richmond raiders. The only organized rebel force encountered were the Fifth and Ninth Virginia cavalry, having, however, many mounted and armed, though ununiformed citizens in their ranks, who claimed to be noncombatants.
On the raid large amounts of grain, provisions, arms, etc., were destroyed. One mill filled with corn belonging to the Ninth Virginia cavalry was burned. Several of Lee’s soldiers at home on recruiting service were captured; two Union officers recently escaped from Libby Prison were rescued, and one of Longstreet’s men captured.
The National forces returned to Yorktown today, without the loss of a man, and but very few horses, and the objects of the expedition were as fully accomplished as were possible. The enemy was severely punished for the death and brutalities perpetrated upon Colonel Dahlgren, and General Wistar highly complimented for the success of his expedition.
—President Lincoln addressed the following to Michael Hahn, the newly elected Governor of Louisiana: “I congratulate you on having fixed your name in history as the first free State Governor of Louisiana: now you are about to have a commission which, among other things, will probably define the elective franchise. I barely suggest, for your private consideration, whether some of the colored people may not be let in, as, for instance, the very intelligent, and especially those who have fought gallantly in our ranks. They would probably help in some trying time to keep the jewel of Liberty in the family of freedom. But this is only a suggestion, not to the public, but to you alone.”
—Two men belonging to the Thirty-second Missouri infantry, Archibald Towner, of company B, and Thomas Norris, of company D, while beyond their picket-lines, in Mo., were taken prisoners by a party of guerrillas, who took them to the top of a mountain near by and tied them to a tree, where they were kept until about sundown, when they were shot, robbed of every thing valuable, and thrown from the summit of the mountain down a precipice sixty feet. Norris miraculously escaped death, which he feigned while being handled by the murderers, and succeeded in reaching camp very much exhausted. He implicated many of the citizens who received their daily rations from the Government, and several in that vicinity were arrested for trial.
The body of Towner was found by the men of his regiment, while out in search of the guerrillas, and carried into camp.—Captain John T. Campbell’s Report.
by John Beauchamp Jones
MARCH 13TH.-A lovely spring day—bright, warm, and calm.
There is nothing new, only the burning of houses, mills, etc. on the York River by the Yankees, and that is nothing new.
Subsequently the day became very windy, but not cold. The roads will be dry again, and military operations will be resumed. The campaign will be an early one in Virginia, probably. Our people are impatient to meet the foe, for they are weary of the war. Blood will flow in torrents, unless the invaders avoid great battles; and in that event our armies may assume the offensive.
It is now thought that the Department Battalion will be kept here for the defense of the city; the clerks, or most of them, retaining their offices. Those having families may possibly live on their salaries; but those who live at boarding-houses cannot, for board is now from $200 to $300 per month. Relief must soon come from some quarter, else many in this community will famish. But they prefer death to submission to the terms offered by the Abolitionists at Washington. The government must provide for the destitute, and array every one capable of bearing arms in the field.
