Thursday, April 14. — Court-martial took up the case of Sergeant George Young. Did not finish it. Some of our cases are to come up to-morrow. Day pleasant. Took command of dress-parade this afternoon. The regiment has improved a great deal since coming here. Had a game of whist in the evening with Mr. Lipp and others.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Edgefield, Tenn., Thursday, April 14, 1864.—I think that I told you that the right wing of the regiment was over beyond the city doing picket duty. We now picket the whole city, on both sides of the river, and guard all the trains running on the Louisville R. R.
Thursday, April 14th.
The day was spent in determining which of the remaining battalions should go to the Fifth Corps, and what companies should compose it, and, when it was finally decided to send the Second Battalion, by that command in packing up and preparing to move, while Major Arthur reported in person to his new Brigade Commander, Col. Wainwright.
Col. Bull, of the 126th, called on me and congratulated me on the fact that my Battalion is to go to the Fifth Corps, saying that as that Corps is largely composed of regulars, if there is “a soft snap” anywhere that command will be likely to get it, but I doubt if any partiality is shown even if it could be. It has rained every day but two since we reached Stevensburg two weeks ago, and though in common with many others I used to wonder why the army did not move, since coming down here and seeing the country, the climate, the weather, the soil and the army with its necessary wagon, supply, hospital and ammunition trains, its batteries and accessories, my wonder is that it can ever move at all.
Jacksonville, Fla.,
Thursday, April 14, 1864.
Dear Mother:—
Any news of special importance is simply out of the question. The rebels, after taking out of Florida all they cared for, have abandoned the state to the Yankee invaders. Only a few roving bands of cavalry remain.
This morning two regiments left us for the Army of the Potomac. Rumor said that all the white troops in this district were to be sent there, but I believe that is one of Madam’s incredible stories. Certainly no others have orders yet.
The court-martial, which has been in session the last six weeks, was broken up by the departure of the judge advocate, who went with his regiment, but I hear it is the intention to appoint another to fill his place and continue the court.
Judging from appearances, it is not the intention to abandon this place soon. The general is having the streets re-planted with shade trees in places where the fire killed them. Fatigue parties have been at work draining the swamps in the immediate vicinity, and they have succeeded well. A high signal tower has been erected to communicate with vessels outside the bar at the mouth of the river.
Jacksonville was before the war as large or larger than Jamestown, and built mostly of brick. Sutlers are doing a heavy business in the stores which survived the general wreck. Everyone is occupied and there are two eating houses in operation. I notice one good thing—no liquor is sold in the town. Neither officer nor soldier can get a drop. As a consequence nobody gets drunk, a very satisfactory state of affairs.
Beyond this there is little to say. The regiment, so far as I can judge by observation (having had nothing to do with it for the last six weeks), is improving rapidly. I think another fight will give them a different story to tell.
We have received a list of our wounded in the enemy’s hands and find that quite a number supposed and reported to be dead are alive, and some left alive have since died. The furnishing this list was the act of Major General Patten Anderson, “Commanding Confederate States Forces in Florida,” and was entirely of his own free will, and shows a disposition that I wish was more general.
Mr. Rockwood is the only useful chaplain I ever saw in the army. He is doing the regiment much good. Besides preaching he is furnishing the men books, teaching and encouraging them to read, and working all the time as hard as any other officer to improve the regiment. He is very much liked, or at least respected in the regiment.
Thursday, 14th—Another cloudy, disagreeable day! I drilled in wheat all day and Kelley did the harrowing. The boys with the measles are getting along fine and will be well in a few days if they don’t take cold.
Huntsville, Thursday, April 14. The camps were aroused last night at midnight, ordered to dress and be ready to turn out at a moment’s warning. I got up, lit a candle, packed up my knapsack and Evie’s. Put everything ready and laid down again. Did not wake till the breakfast call sounded. Pound the sun shining pleasantly and “nary” Forrest or Morgan near. I know not the cause of alarm. Some of the boys say they heard artillery firing. The other Batteries hitched up, but as we had no horses I think they intended we should run if they came. We could do little fighting if they came not in our front. But as we are on the front such alarms are not strange. Evergreens were hauled into camp by detail, and a row of shady pine is planted in front of the tents, adding much to the beauty and comfort of the camp. I have a big tree in front of my “shebang”. This does not look like moving, but still there is no reliance upon appearances. Two of our men and Henry returned from pest hospital, recovered from smallpox.
April 14—I went to A. P. Hill’s corps to visit my friend, Lieutenant Rusler, and returned to camp on the 15th.
April 15—Nothing more up to the 18th.
April 14, Thursday. The Baltimore American of this morning contains my report in relation to the ironclads and Du Pont. A synopsis, very brief, has been sent out by the agent of the newspapers, but the press only to a limited extent publishes even that meagre abstract. I believe the New York Tribune does not publish it or take any notice of it. Du Pont and his satellites have been busy, and Greeley and others take such a partisan, personal view of all questions that no honest or fair treatment can be expected of them in a case like this. Without ever looking at facts, Greeley has always vigorously indorsed Du Pont and had his flings at the Navy Department.
Gold is reported at 190 to-day; that is, it requires one hundred and ninety dollars of Treasury notes, Chase’s standard, to buy one hundred dollars in gold, paper has so depreciated.
April 14.—Major-General Alfred Pleasanton was assigned to duty as second in command of the Missouri department, by order of Major-General Rosecrans.
—An expedition, under command of General Graham, consisting of the army gunboats, the Ninth New-Jersey, the Twenty-third and Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, the One Hundredth and the Eighteenth New-York regiments, and two sections of artillery, under Captain Easterly, left Fortress Monroe last night, and landed at different points. They concentrated at Smithfield, Va., this evening, and succeeded in routing the enemy, capturing one commissioned officer and five men—all wounded; also several horses and carriages, and some commissary stores. A rebel mail, and one piece of artillery, formerly taken from the gunboat Smith Briggs, were also captured. Fifty contrabands were brought off at the same time. The Union loss was one missing, and five slightly wounded.
—This morning, a force of confederate cavalry, estimated at some twenty in number, and supposed to be a portion of Captain Jumel’s command, stationed on the Grosse Tête, appeared in front of the village and park on the opposite side of the Bayou Plaquemine, La., and a party being detailed, crossed over and set fire to all the cotton at that place, while parties were at the same time engaged in burning that on flatboats at the village.—Plaquemine Gazette and Sentinel.
—Colonel Gallup, at Paintsville, Ky., while falling back to get an advantageous position, attacked one thousand rebels, killing and wounding twenty-five, including a rebel colonel, and capturing fifty rebels, one hundred horses, and two hundred saddles.
Near Shelbyville, the rebel advance ran into Colonel True’s advance, which was going from West-Liberty to Shelbyville; Colonel True captured six rebels, and then pressed forward to join Colonel Gallup.
by John Beauchamp Jones
APRIL 14TH.— Bright morning—cloudy and cold the rest of the day.
No reliable war news to-day; but we are on the tip-toe of expectation of exciting news from the Rapidan. Longstreet is certainly in communication with Lee; and if the enemy be not present with overwhelming numbers, which there is no reason to anticipate, a great battle may be imminent.
Read Vice-President Stephens’s speech against the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus to-day. He said independence without liberty was of no value to him, and if he must have a master, he cared not whether he was Northern or Southern. If we gain our independence, this speech will ruin Mr. S.; if we do not, it may save him and his friends.
