Wednesday, April 6. — Morning cloudy, but towards noon it cleared. Rode into town and put $398 of Foley’s into hands of Adams Express. Major went with me. We stopped at Holland’s to get some oysters, and witnessed some everyday occurrences in this town, such as officers treating their men to drinks, etc. The 3d New Jersey Hussars came in last night. Had battalion drill. I took command of dress-parade. Corporal Jones had his chevrons taken off for absence without leave, in presence of whole regiment. In the evening felt very tired and sick.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
6th. Issued clothing to the companies. Short on several articles. Had Thede detailed. Barber commenced cooking.
April 6— At home now, and what next? Eat, sleep, and be merry,— who cares for war when I have a fresh furlough in my pocket?
Annapolis, Md., April 6th, 1864.
We left Knoxville, with the sick and wounded of the Ninth Corps, on the twenty-second day of March, by way of Chattanooga, and were thirteen days on the road. From Knoxville to Loudon we rode in open cars. It was quite cold and snowed all day. Snow fell fourteen inches deep at Chattanooga. At Loudon we lay all night, awaiting transportation— slept in the basement of a large building that had been used for a stable. Although without fire, we were quite comfortable, having plenty of blankets and warm clothing. Early next morning we took cars for Chattanooga, where we arrived about 8 o’clock in the evening. We went to the Soldiers’ Home, and were served hot coffee, boiled ham and soft bread. About 10 p. m. we started for Nashville, where we arrived at 8 o’clock the next evening. Here we were taken to the barracks, where we stayed until nearly noon the next day, and were treated to warm supper and breakfast. We reached Louisville early Sunday morning and were given comfortable quarters. Monday morning we crossed over to Jeffersonville and took cars for Cincinnati. We rode in passenger coaches marked “M. C. R. R.” to Seymour, Ind., and it seemed like I was nearly home, and then to leave them and change direction, it cut me to the soul. At Seymour we were packed in “hog cars,” littered with straw, and so closely it was difficult for all to sit down. We expected to stay at Cincinnati until the regiment came up, but were disappointed, only staying over one night. Some of our sick were unable to go further, and I was until nearly midnight getting them into a hospital. We started early next morning and made no farther stops until we reached Annapolis about 10 p. m. of April 4th.
The next day we drew rations and tents. We got our tents pitched about sundown, just in time for a storm of rain, which soon began, and has continued with unabated fury until the present time. Our regiment arrived this morning, and I have rejoined my company. They marched over the mountains to Lebanon—one hundred eighty miles—in ten days. From Lebanon they came by rail, over the same route taken by us a few days before.
I find the men very bitter toward General Wilcox. The report is current that he is the cause of our men not being paid before leaving Tennessee; that he feared they would buy whisky if they had the money —as, doubtless, they would have done. The men believed these reports, and were very angry, and, as a retaliatory measure, swore they would steal “everything they could lay their hands on.” Most disgrace’ fully did they keep their oath.
We have received about one hundred recruits, mostly French from near Monroe. We are encamped on an inclined plane half a mile from the city. The soil is light sand. Our tents are eight feet square, and will accommodate four or five persons.
Wednesday, 6th—I went to Tipton to attend the celebration of the 6th of April, the day on which two years ago we fought the battle of Shiloh. I went with a team, taking a load of the young people of the community with me. The roads were awfully muddy and once we stuck in the mud. The citizens gave a dinner in honor of the veterans of Company E, and though I cannot brag on the dinner, there were a great many present. Although we had a muddy time of it, yet all seemed to enjoy themselves. At a meeting in the court house in the afternoon, Major Foster of the Eleventh Iowa delivered a speech before a large audience.
Huntsville, Wednesday, April 6. A beautiful sunny day, so warm in midday as to make it uncomfortable with coat on. Policed camp thoroughly in morning, and company drills in the afternoon. Veterans were at last mustered in at 2 P. M. by the mustering officer. Consisted of their taking the oath together, thirty in number, two others being in pest hospital. My horse brought back from the river sick. Keeler bled, rowelled, physicked him. I guess he will be all right to-morrow. Ought to. -Played chess most of the day. New thing for me. Fascinating.
April 6, Wednesday. Little of importance. Some movements by the army in contemplation, yet nothing has been communicated to the Navy Department, except an intimation that ironclads may be wanted on the James River. This intimation, or obscure request, comes indirectly from General Grant; nothing from the War Department proper.
April 6.—Brigadier-General Guitar, from his headquarters at Macon, Missouri, issued general orders relinquishing his command of the district of North-Missouri, to Brigadier-General C. B. Fisk.
—Reuben Patrick, captain of a company of secret service employed by order of Governor Bramlette, by Colonel G.W. Gallup, commanding the district of Eastern Kentucky, with fifteen men of company I, Fourteenth Kentucky, and four of his own company, surprised Captain Bradshaw, with eighty men of Hodge’s brigade, on Quicksand Creek. He drove them in all directions, they leaving all their horses, arms, and camp equipage in Patrick’s possession, who selected thirty of the best horses, and, with three prisoners, made quick time for camp, where he arrived, having left ten dead rebels, and seven mortally wounded on the ground. The captured arms were destroyed by burning them. This is the same Patrick who stole Humphrey Marshall’s artillery out of his camp at Shelbyville, last spring.
—An election was held in Maryland, to determine whether a convention should be called for the purpose of amending the Constitution of the State. The question was carried by a large majority.—The schooner Julia A. Hodges was captured off Matagorda Bay, Texas, by the National vessel Estrella.
by John Beauchamp Jones
APRIL 6TH.—At mid-day it cleared off; wind still northwest, and cool.
Beans (white) were held to-day at $5 per quart! and other articles of food in proportion. How we are to live is the anxious question. At auction old sheets brought $25 a piece, and there seemed to be an advance on everything, instead of a decline as was expected. The speculators and extortioners seem to act in concert, and the government appears to be no match for them. It is not the scarcity of food which causes the high prices, for wood and coal sell as high as other things, and they are no scarcer than at any former period. But it is an insatiable thirst for gain, which I fear the Almighty Justicer will rebuke in some signal manner, perhaps in the emancipation of the slaves, and then the loss will be greater than all the gains reaped from the heart’s blood of our brave soldiers and the tears of the widow and orphan And government still neglects the wives and children of the soldiers,— a fearful risk!
But, alas! how are our brave men faring in the hands of the demon fanatics in the United States? It is said they are dying like sheep.
April 6th, 1864.—There was a concert last night at the Capitol for the benefit of the Martha Reid Hospital, in Richmond. Local talent, assisted by Quincy and Monticello, furnished the music. Sister Mart was one of the star performers and there were a score of others. Pretty music they made and a pretty picture, too, as they all came forward to the footlights and bowed, when the curtain first rose. As one of the audience I had a good opportunity to judge.
Several gentlemen with fine voices offered their services and we had very fine music, both vocal and instrumental. They sang operatic selections; they sang soft, plaintive Confederate songs; they sang the world-old ballads that everybody loves and they sang patriotic songs and wound up with Dixie, sung by the entire assembly and followed by cheers so heartfelt as almost to shake the foundations of Florida’s Capitol.
Quite a large sum was realized and many of the gentlemen present added hundreds of dollars to the original amount. The hospitals will need all we can send them, for every day brings us fresh news of skirmishing and often of battles. We are so far off from the seat of war here that it is hard to remember all the time how perfectly terrible it is.
