Huntsville, Wednesday, March 23. Warm day. Snow all gone by night making it very slushy and muddy. T. J. Hungerford apparently a little better, but very weak. Sat up long enough to make his bed and bathe him. Hauled wood in forenoon, drilled in afternoon on gun. No mail. I have a bad cold settled on my lungs. The right lung pains me considerably. Alex Ray taken to smallpox hospital, making five in all. Lieutenant Clark and Paddleford wholly recovered. Captain —— got into a barroom row with a citizen in town this afternoon, for which he was put under arrest, but returned to-night. Hurt his hand.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
23rd. Boys on hand to start. Didn’t get off. Tomorrow at 10 we now expect to leave. Most of the regt. has got along. Thede and I went over to Uncle Jones’ to tea and remained till 8:30 P. M. Then went to depot and welcomed Fred. Delos and Will there too. We four “B. F.s” spent several hours very pleasantly. Made me both happy and sad. Seemed good for so many to be together again.
March 23 — It stopped snowing last night, and every speck of cloud drifted away from the azure dome this morning before sunrise. Our common Mother Earth, on whose bosom we slumbered, was calmly reposing this morning under a white crystal counterpane ten inches thick.
March 23.—An expedition under the command of General Steele left Little Rock, Ark., and went in pursuit of the rebel General Price.—The following order was issued by Brigadier General Nathan Kimball on assuming command of troops in the department of Arkansas: “The Commanding General intends to protect, to the fullest extent of his power, all citizens who may be in the country occupied by troops under his command, in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; knowing that in so doing he will assist in accomplishing the primary object of the government he serves.
“He will devote all his energies to the defeat of the enemies of that government; and although, as a soldier, he can feel respect for those openly in arms against it, yet robbers and guerrillas who have taken advantage of the unsettled state of the country to burn dwellings, murder their neighbors, and insult women, are in no respect soldiers, and when taken will not be treated as such.
“He requires all citizens to aid and assist the officers of the United States Government, and to stand firm in their allegiance to it.
“The loyal shall be protected, and the sympathizers with rebellion, though they may have taken the oath of allegiance to the Government of the United States, will be treated as rebels, unless they conform, in word and act, to the spirit of that oath.”
—By order of the Commander-in-Chief, the corps of the Army of the Potomac were reduced to three, namely, the Second, Fifth, and Sixth corps. The First and Third were temporarily reorganized and distributed among the Second, Fifth, and Sixth. Major-General G. K. Warren was assigned to the command of the Fifth corps, General W. S. Hancock continued to command the Second corps, and Major-General Sedgwick the Sixth.
—A daring rebel raid was made into the southern part of Green County to within five or six miles of Springfield, Mo., by a band of rebels numbering from eight to twelve, yesterday. Among the number were Louis Brashears and William Fulbright, (youngest son of Ephraim Fulbright,) both formerly of that county. The citizens collected and drove them out of the county to-day, and in a little fight with them killed Fulbright. In their flight southward the rebels killed Elijah Hunt and one Dotson, both of whom had formerly been in the rebel service.— Missouri Democrat, March 30.
Snow Storm.
March 23. A snow storm commenced yesterday and continued through last night with great severity, and as our camp is only a temporary affair it afforded but slight protection; when I awoke this morning I found myself under a blanket of snow about a foot thick; there was quite a depth of snow and it was badly drifted. Before noon it cleared up and the sun shone out warm. Now commenced snow-ball battles, in which all hands engaged and seemed to take great delight. This afternoon a sleighing party drove into camp and made the rounds of the officers’ quarters. This was a battery company, which out of some timbers and boards had improvised a sled about 30 feet long, and had hitched on their whole team of horses some 80 in number. The battery boys were riding the horses, while the sled was covered with officers, both military and naval. Making the rounds of the camps and being entertained at the officers’ quarters, they had a high old time. It didn’t matter much about the sleighing, whether good or bad, as they had team and whiskey enough to make good sleighing anywhere.
Wednesday, 23d—I left all my accouterments and clothing at the hotel. Before starting for home, I purchased some clothing and other articles, all amounting to $46.50. Among other things, I bought a blouse and vest, a hat, shirts, boots, pen, and my first watch, for which I paid $17.00. I started for home at 10 o’clock, and as it is seeding time and the roads are muddy, there were no teams in town from my neighborhood, so I had to walk the entire distance, all alone. I reached home at 8 o’clock and found all well, and getting along fine.
March 23, Wednesday. I have to-day a lame and not very commendable letter from Chase, yet nothing very bad. He wants the courage and candor to admit his errors.
by John Beauchamp Jones
MARCH 23D.—Snow fell all night, and was eight or ten inches deep this morning; but it was a bright morning, and glorious sunshine all day,—the anniversary of the birth of Shakspeare, 300 years ago,—and the snow is melting rapidly.
The Secretary of War had a large amount of plate taken from the department to-day to his lodgings at the Spottswood Hotel. It was captured from the enemy with Dahlgren, who had pillaged it from our opulent families in the country.
