Wednesday, April 20th.
Received an order detailing Col. James L. Bates, 12th Mass., Capt. C. A. Watkins, 76th New York, and myself, as a Board to examine enlisted men of the Fifth Corps who are recommended for admission to the Military School at Philadelphia, whence, after a brief attendance, so it is said, they are to be sent before Gen. Casey’s Board at Washington for examination as to fitness for commissions in the negro regiments.
April 20.—When General Johnston took command of the army, he ordered that every tenth man should draw a two weeks’ furlough, and then, if they chose, could transfer it to any of their comrades, which is often done by those whose homes are in the enemy’s lines. There are many of the latter.
My brother has just called on his way to the army, having drawn a two weeks’ furlough and been to Mobile. While there, he went to a party every night. He brought a number of tobacco bags with him, given him by the ladies, for, to use his own words, “some poor fellows whose mothers and sisters are in the enemy’s lines.” Miss W. added to his stock, as the “poor fellows” are from Louisiana.
Lord John Russell has informed President Davis that he can not permit the building of rams for the “so-called” Confederate government, as that would be a breach of that neutrality which the British government has been so careful in keeping between the two nations. I think the less Lord Russell says on that subject the better; as, thanks to Smith O’Brien, and many others as good authority, we all know how that has been kept, and how Great Britain has aided the North in every possible way. If Britain feels that she can not consistently league with barbarians who have the crime of slavery dimming their national character, let her act honestly, and not cry neutrality with her voice while she is doing all in her power with her hands to aid our enemy: and to think how much stronger they are than we! I shall begin to think what I have often been told about Britain is true, that she is afraid of the North:
“Is it England mocks us with her grief!
Who hate but dare not chide the imperial thief!”
But from all we know, Lord Russell does not represent the feeling of the British people . Had they their way, we would have been recognized long ago.
President Davis’s answer is worthy of the upright man, which he is. He tells Lord Russell that it is useless for him to try and blind us, when not a day passes without ships, laden with deluded people, leaving Britain to aid our enemies. I am certain that Davis would not be guilty of resorting to such a subterfuge as this lord has, even to save the country and cause, which we all know he has so much at heart.
April 20 — I wish this cruel war were over, for my furlough is out and I will have to strike out once more for the tented field and be off for the war again. I left home this evening and came to New Market. These beautiful, bright, peaceful spring days of citizen life glided swiftly by like golden bubbles on the stream of time; they glowed and flashed and lo! they are gone.
April 20. — Grandfather dictated a letter to-night to a friend of his in New York. After I had finished he asked me if I had mended his gloves. I said no, but I would have them ready when he wanted them. Dear Grandfather! he looks so sick I fear he will never wear his gloves again.
Wednesday, 20th—I remained at Mr. Sparks’s over night and coming home this morning stopped at the postoffice. I got a letter from Thomas R. McConnoll, my bunk-mate and one of the non-veterans whom I left at Vicksburg. The non-veterans are all at Cairo now awaiting our return.
Huntsville, Wednesday, April 20. Cogswell’s Battery turned their horses over to us late last evening, and this morning broke camp, and go to Nashville by rail to-night for the field. I was given a team once more, a good large span of bays. Two guns, caisson, harness and all equipments pertaining to them were turned over this afternoon. I drove my team down with them leaving us but two guns in our park.
I was rendered half crazy all the forenoon by the greatest of plagues, the toothache in back tooth. Could not lie, or sit, or talk, eat or drink with it. After dinner Dr. Griswold laid siege to it. After taking a hitch on it and pulling with all his might, showing me a beautiful panorama of stars, it came out and bothered me no more. Heavy cannonading could be heard from 2 to 4 P. M. in the direction of Decatur.
April 20—I hit the bull’s-eye to-day. We are practising every day up to the 23d.
April 20, Wednesday. The last public evening reception of the season took place last evening at the Executive Mansion. It was a jam, not creditable in its arrangements to the authorities. The multitude were not misbehaved, farther than crowding together in disorder and confusion may be so regarded. Had there been a small guard, or even a few police officers, present, there might have been regulations which would have been readily acquiesced in and observed. There has always been a want of order and proper management at these levees or receptions, which I hope may soon be corrected.
April 20.—Plymouth, North Carolina, garrisoned by one thousand six hundred men, under the command of General Wessells, was captured by the rebels, after an obstinate and prolonged fight. The following account of the operations in the vicinity of Plymouth, and its capture, was given by a participant:
“On Saturday evening, April seventeenth, at about half-past five o’clock, the rebels attacked Fort Gray, on the Roanoke, two miles above the town, with six pieces of field-artillery. They were speedily repulsed, doing but little damage, except sinking our gunboat Bombshell by firing into her. She dropped down and sunk opposite Plymouth, much injured. On Monday they fired occasionally all day at Fort Wessells, and took it by assault on Monday night, with a loss of some sixty killed. Here our men fought like tigers, and the heroic Captain Chapin, of company K, Eighty-fifth New-York, fell. This little fort is about a mile from the town; in it we had about sixty men and four thirty-two pounders. Here, through mistake, the rebels fired on their own men, and, it is said, killed several of them. Our loss here, so far as known, was only two killed, beside Captain Chapin. Our artillery played heavily upon this fort all day Tuesday, ceasing at intervals. On Monday, at dusk, they drove in our pickets in front, killing one and wounding one; and at dark they opened and continued for two hours and a half a most fierce fire of artillery upon Fort Williams, our strongest fort, in which General Wessells had his headquarters during the siege. Fort Williams fired in upon them heavily, with great slaughter, and received but little injury, excepting the death of Lieutenant Cline, of the One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania. Just after dark, one of our gunboats opened upon them a most galling fire. The cannonading now for more than two hours was most grand, awful, terrific, and sublime. I stood upon the piazza of my own room, with shells and balls dropping around me. Men who had been in the Peninsula campaign said they never saw any thing to equal the firing here. One shell from our gunboat, commanded by Captain Flusser, who afterward fell dead on the deck of his own ship, it was said, killed three and wounded nineteen rebels. About nine o’clock all firing ceased, and the rebels retired to the woods in front of Fort Williams.
“The women, children, and our sick, were sent to Roanoke Island on Saturday night, together with a schooner-load of old negroes. Another load went on Monday night.
“About four o’clock on Tuesday morning, the rebel ram, with two guns, came down and swept out all our gunboats, upon which we had depended so much to protect the left and lower part of the town. The gunboats Miami and Southfield were linked together, and the ram ran between them, and ran into the Southfield, and she soon sank. Then the Miami went below.
“All day on Tuesday, the ram lay some two miles below town, and kept up firing all day, but with little or no execution, save perforating the houses. She threw shells most awfully swift. I could dodge balls from other pieces, but it would be hard to dodge one from her. Her guns are thirty-two pounders; a good many of her shells never burst. It takes her about eight minutes to load and fire.
“Early on Wednesday morning, about daylight, the rebels, with five brigades, commanded by General Ransom, (a part of Stonewall Jackson’s division,) made assault after assault upon the redoubt on the left, in which we had about two hundred men and four thirty-two pounders. Coming up with such an overwhelming force, they succeeded, with the loss of scores of killed, in taking this little fort, which let them into the town, up Main street. Shortly after their entrance into the town, about three hundred of us were taken prisoners of war, and marched nearly two miles below town, leaving our beautiful flag still floating over Fort Williams, with the brave General Wessells, his staff, and some two hundred men, still holding out, and refusing to surrender until ten P.M. on Wednesday.
“Their force engaged has been estimated at ten thousand, with a reserve of four or five thousand. Our effective force was about two thousand. Their killed and wounded, I suppose, is about one thousand—some put it at one thousand five hundred. General Hoke, commanding the rebel forces, was heard to say that their loss was about one thousand five hundred, Our killed won’t exceed twenty, and wounded not eighty; captured, including citizens, two thousand two hundred. They shot a great many blacks after the fight was over.”
by John Beauchamp Jones
APRIL 20TH.—A clear morning, but a cold, cloudy day.
The following dispatch from Gen. Forrest shows that the bloody work has commenced in earnest :
“DEMOPOLIS, ALA., April 19th.
“To GEN. S. COOPER.
“The following dispatch has just been received from Gen. Forrest, dated Jackson, Tenn., April 15th.
“L. POLK, Lieut.-General.
“I attacked Fort Pillow on the morning of the 12th inst., with a part of Bell’s and McCulloch’s brigades, numbering _____, under Brig.-Gen. J. R. Chalmers. After a short fight we drove the enemy, seven hundred strong, into the fort, under cover of their gun-boats, and demanded a surrender, which was declined by Major L. W. Booth, commanding United States forces. I stormed the fort, and after a contest of thirty minutes captured the entire garrison, killing 500 and taking 100 prisoners, and a large amount of quartermaster stores. The officers in the fort were killed, including Major Booth. I sustained a loss of 20 killed and 60 wounded. The Confederate flag now floats over the fort.
“(Signed) N. B. FORREST, Major-General.”
There is a rumor that Grant’s army is falling back toward Centreville.
It is supposed by many that all the departments will follow the Auditor to Montgomery soon.
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