Thursday, 4th—It is warm and sultry. There is no news from the front. I am still serving the medicine to the sick.
August 2014
August 4th. Fine morning. Had an early swim in the good clean waters of the Monocacy River. Later hunted up some bait, sat under a large tree to try my luck at fishing. Always keep a hook and line by me. Had very good luck. Dressed the fish at the river, went back to the camp, cooked them, and shared the fish with the boys. Only trouble was, I did not have enough for all our company. A battle had been fought at this point a few weeks before, between the forces of General Lew Wallace and the Confederate leader Early. Additional rations were given to us, one potato, one onion, large size. A long time since we had vegetables. They were all right. We boiled and ate them.
Etowah Bridge, Thursday, Aug. 4. The 63rd Illinois broke camp at the foot of the hill and moved into town as provost guards. This forenoon sultry. Sergeant Dixon took team outside lines after lumber. In the afternoon we went to work to tear down our single bunks and put up some double bunks on one side. Made cupboard, etc. More comfortable and snug. Bathed in the evening. All merry way into the night before we could sober down enough to go to sleep. Light-hearted and unconcerned about all things. Such is a soldier if he lives.
by John Beauchamp Jones
AUGUST 4TH.—Clear and hot.
All quiet atPetersburg. President Lincoln was at Fortress Monroe on Sunday last, after the explosion and its failure.
The Northern papers acknowledge that Grant sustained a terrible disaster atPetersburg, losing in killed, wounded, and missing 5000. They say the negro troops caused the failure, by running back and breaking the lines of the whites. The blacks were pushed forward in front, and suffered most.
From the same source we learn that our troops have penetratedPennsylvania, and laid the city ofChambersburg in ashes. This may be so, as they have burned some half dozen of our towns, and are now daily throwing shell intoCharleston,Atlanta, andPetersburg.
A letter to the Secretary from J. Thompson, in Canada (per Capt. Hines), was received to-day. He says the work will not probably begin before the middle of August. I know not what sort of work. But he says much caution is necessary. I suppose it to be the destruction of the Federal army depots, etc. in theUnited States.
Public meetings and the public press continue to denounce in unmeasured terms the high schedule of prices recently sanctioned by the Commissary and Quartermaster’s bureaus. And, although the schedule has been modified, much odium will attach to all concerned in it. A large farmer, at the rates fixed for his products, would realize, perhaps, $200,000 per annum.
Wednesday, August 3d.
All being quiet along the lines, I procured a horse and visited City Point for the first time since my arrival before Petersburg. While there I met one of our Assistant Surgeons, who had come down with an ambulance to get some ice and other needed medical supplies, and arranged to go back to camp in his company. The day was very warm, and when we were ready to start and while in the act of mounting my horse, I suddenly fainted, and the next thing of which I was conscious was the fact that I was lying on a blanket spread on the ice in the doctor’s ambulance, and I remained there most of the time until we reached our lines, my horse being led by the bridle behind us. The doctor seemed to regard my attack as not at all serious, and prescribed rest and a gentle tonic treatment, and I crawled into my bunk.
3rd. Received papers of 1st claiming a grand victory here— all bosh—sorry. Some one is much at fault that the grand plan of July 30, 1864, failed. Grant seems to have used the best strategy and skill. Who is at fault will soon be determined. Visited the picket line. Saw the Johnnies. Many amusing incidents occur daily. As our line fell back July 30 the rebel line advanced. When we went back Johnnies occupied one of our posts. Had saluted the sergeant and asked if we intended establishing our old line and carelessly fell back. Today Johnnies and our men gather apples from the same trees. Boys trade tobacco, coffee and many things.
August 3d.—Yesterday was such a lucky day for my housekeeping in our hired house. Oh, ye kind Columbia folk! Mrs. Alex Taylor, née Hayne, sent me a huge bowl of yellow butter and a basket to match of every vegetable in season. Mrs. Preston’s man came with mushrooms freshly cut and Mrs. Tom Taylor’s with fine melons.
Sent Smith and Johnson (my house servant and a carpenter from home, respectively) to the Commissary’s with our wagon for supplies. They made a mistake, so they said, and went to the depot instead, and stayed there all day. I needed a servant sadly in many ways all day long, but I hope Smith and Johnson had a good time. I did not lose patience until Harriet came in an omnibus because I had neither servants nor horse to send to the station for her.
Stephen Elliott is wounded, and his wife and father have gone to him. Six hundred of his men were destroyed in a mine; and part of his brigade taken prisoners: Stoneman and his raiders have been captured. This last fact gives a slightly different hue to our horizon of unmitigated misery.
General L—— told us of an unpleasant scene at the President’s last winter. He called there to see Mrs. McLean. Mrs. Davis was in the room and he did not speak to her. He did not intend to be rude; it was merely an oversight. And so he called again and tried to apologize, to remedy his blunder, but the President was inexorable, and would not receive his overtures of peace and good-will.
General L—— is a New York man. Talk of the savagery of slavery, heavens! How perfect are our men’s manners down here, how suave, how polished are they. Fancy one of them forgetting to speak to Mrs. Davis in her own drawing-room.
Wednesday, August 3. — Remained in the same place. Had a shower which cooled the air somewhat. General Bartlett went to the hospital yesterday. He seemed almost worn out. He is no better to-day. Heard that we were to move to-morrow to Columbia, S. C. Had our usual ration of coarse corn-bread and bacon, and an extra one for to-morrow.
Friday, August 3, 1864. — Wednesday, marched eighteen to twenty miles across the Catoctin (Blue) Ridge, [and on] through Frederick to the left bank of the Monocacy, one and one-half miles below [Frederick] Junction [where we camped]. Yesterday [there arrived] ninety recruits for [the] Twenty-third, a deserter from Charleston among them. Providential!.—[I] rode into Frederick with General Crook, and dined with Dr. Steele, of Dayton. Today [was the] trial [drumhead court-martial] of deserter Whitlow. He was shot at sundown before all the troops.
Wednesday, 3d—Everything is quiet here in Rome, Georgia. There is no news from General Grant’s army.
