Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Post image for War Diary and Letters of Stephen Minot Weld.

War Diary and Letters of Stephen Minot Weld.

April 13, 2014

War diary and letters of Stephen Minot Weld

Annapolis, Md., April 13, ’64.

Dear Father, — The court-martial that I am on began its sittings this morning. From the amount of business before it, I imagine that we shall have a busy and long job. Many of the cases are small ones, which ought properly to be tried by a field officers’ court.

General Grant inspected all the regiments here to-day.[1] I was rather disappointed in his looks, as he is anything but an able-looking man. General Burnside and General Washburn were with him. I understand that General Burnside is to remain at Annapolis where his headquarters will be. I am glad of it, as he is much needed here. I see no preparations made for our leaving here and imagine that we shall remain here some time. . . .

The chief trouble that we have from our men now is caused by liquor. They manage to get hold of it some way, and get drunk. We have very little trouble with them, however, in any way.

I have not touched a drop of liquor or wine since leaving Readville, and don’t mean to while I am with the regiment. I don’t think it safe for an officer to do so, especially one who has so many lives in his charge. . . .

[1] General Grant issued his first order as Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States, in March, 1864. His headquarters were with the Army of the Potomac thenceforth, to the end.

Post image for War Diary and Letters of Stephen Minot Weld.

War Diary and Letters of Stephen Minot Weld.

April 13, 2014

War diary and letters of Stephen Minot Weld

Wednesday, April 13. — Court-martial met this morning. Finished one case to-day. General Grant reviewed the whole corps, riding to each camp and inspecting its regiments. Day showery. I was rather disappointed in General Grant’s looks. He reminded me of Captain Wardwell, or of old Mathison. Felt as if I were going to have a fever this evening.

Post image for Diary of a Line Officer.

Diary of a Line Officer.

April 13, 2014

The Diary of a Line Officer, Captain Augustus C. Brown, Co. H, 4th NY Heavy Artillery

Wednesday, April 13th.

The regiment to-day received two months’ pay, and the sutler, King, was rendered happy if no one else was. The event was celebrated by the men in making large purchases of useless sutler’s stores, and by many of the officers in a reception at the private tent of the sutler, where, I regret to say, a large number did more than justice to several casks of ale and bottles of whiskey. Among those who distinguished themselves most conspicuously was Lieut. Blank, who, like the famous “Carrier of Southwell,”

 

“A Carrier who carried a can to his mouth well,

He carried so much and he carried so fast

He could carry no more, so was carried at last—”

 

into a corner of the tent, where he passed the night in quiet and peaceful repose.

Orders were received to-day directing a battalion of the regiment to be sent to the Artillery Brigade of each of the three Corps, and accordingly the First Battalion, under Major Sears, broke camp and marched over to the Sixth Corps. This disposition of our regiment is exceedingly distasteful to both officers and men, but as it seems that all hope of being supplied with a siege train must be given up, we look upon this as a sort of compromise between Artillery and Infantry, and though it looks very much as if we should become simply “hewers of wood and drawers of water” for the light batteries, we accept the assignment as the least of the two evils.

Post image for Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

April 13, 2014

Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry

Wednesday, 13th—It is cloudy and very cool. I helped father put in his wheat today, harrowing all forenoon and drilling in wheat in the afternoon. James Kelley, a soldier of the neighborhood, home on a furlough, came over to help me out for a few days.

Post image for An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

April 13, 2014

An Artilleryman's Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones, 6th Battery, Wisconsin Artillery.

Huntsville, Wednesday, April 13. A delightful day for the great review that took place at 2 P. M. of the remnant of the 3rd Division that is left here. We had no horses to take out, our Battery, but went as drivers on one of our caissons with the Illinois Battery to fill the place of the one that was “Mowed up” Monday. The imposing line was formed on the race course consisting of five regiments of infantry and two batteries. The bands rolled out their cheers as Generals McPherson, Logan and Smith, with their respective staffs, rode down the lines, on gay steeds glittering with their military embellishments. After they rode by, they took a position in front, and we passed in review, artillery in front, in column of sections followed by infantry in divisions. Returned to camp, each impressed with the prospect of a move, which heretofore has always been the result in this army.

Sixteen of Cogswell’s Battery veterans left for home this morning. The Nashville and Stevenson R. R. is abandoned, and all the transportation runs through here via Decatur, upwards of ten trains each way. Mail train arrives 9 P. M.

Post image for Diary of Gideon Welles.

Diary of Gideon Welles.

April 13, 2014

Diary of Gideon Welles

April 13, Wednesday. Matters press on the Department. Have been very busy. Some talk with Rice about Annapolis and the Naval School, League Island and the navy yard. Suggested that New England must not monopolize and that we should avoid even the appearance of sectionalism.

Consulted Mr. Eames yesterday and again to-day in relation to the investigations into the frauds of naval contractors and others. Told him he must go to Boston to supervise Olcott, who is fierce in diving into matters and often, I apprehend, without judgment.

Post image for A Diary of American Events.

A Diary of American Events.

April 13, 2014

The American Civil War,The Rebellion Record—A Diary of American Events; by Frank Moore

April 13.—The rebel General Buford appeared before Columbus, Ky., and demanded its unconditional surrender. Colonel Lawrence, in command of the post, refused the demand, and the rebels retired.—The ocean iron-clad steamer Catawba was successfully launched at Cincinnati, Ohio.—The schooner Mandoline was captured in Atchafalaya Bay, Florida, by the National vessel Nyanza.—The rebel sloop Rosina was captured by the Virginia, at San Luis Pass, Texas.

—Last night the notorious bushwhacking gang of Shumate and Clark went to the house of an industrious, hard-working German farmer, named Kuntz, who lives some twenty-five to thirty miles from the mouth of Osage River, in Missouri, and demanded his money. He stoutly denied having any cash; but the fiends, not believing him, or perhaps knowing that he did have some money, deliberately took down a wood-saw which was hanging up in the cabin, and cut his left leg three times below and four times above the knee, with the saw. Loss of blood, pain, and agony made the poor fellow insensible, and he was unable to tell where the money was concealed. His mangled body was found to-day, life extinct. A boy who lived with him, succeeded in making his escape, terror-stricken, to give the alarm. After leaving Kuntz’s, the gang went to an adjoining American farmer, and not succeeding in their demands for money, they destroyed every thing in and about the place, took the man out, and literally cut his head off.—Missouri Democrat.

—The British schooner Maria Alfred, with an assorted cargo, intended for the rebels, was captured in latitude 28° 50′ N., longitude 95° 5′ W., by the National vessel Rachel Seaman.

Post image for A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

April 13, 2014

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, By John Beauchamp Jones

by John Beauchamp Jones

            APRIL 13TH.—A clear, but cool day. Again planted corn, the other having rotted.

There is an unofficial report that one of our torpedo boats struck the Federal war steamer Minnesota yesterday, near Newport News, and damaged her badly.

            I learn (from an official source) to-day that Gen. Longstreet’s corps is at Charlottesville, to co-operate with Lee’s army, which will soon move, no doubt.

            Gen. Bragg received a dispatch yesterday, requesting that commissary stores for Longstreet be sent to Charlottesville, and he ordered his military secretary to direct the Commissary-General accordingly. To this Col. Northrop, C. G. S., took exceptions, and returned the paper, calling the attention of Gen. B.’s secretary to the Rules and Regulations, involving a matter of red tape etiquette. The C. G. S. can only be ordered or directed by The Secretary of War. Gen. B. sent the paper to the Secretary, with the remark that if he is to be restricted, etc., his usefulness must be necessarily diminished. The Secretary sent for Col. N., and I suppose pacified him.