Thursday, 1st—It is quite warm. Nothing of importance.[1] The number of men in the hospitals is decreasing rapidly, for so many are going home on furloughs and no more are coming in.[2]
[1] On September 1st Crocker’s Iowa Brigade advanced from Jonesboro to Flint creek with the remainder of Sherman’s army. The loss during the day was light.—A. G. D.
[2] This shows how completely in the dark our diarist-nurse was, as to what was going on around Atlanta.—Ed.
Chesapeake Hospital,
September 1, 1864.
Dear Mother:—
I was very much surprised to hear that E. had not got home, but was to stay here till the 7th of September, and I don’t begin to understand it yet. The One hundred and forty-second Ohio National Guards, which must have been formed after his regiment, has gone home, and I was sure the regiment that passed us that night answered “One hundred and thirtieth Ohio—hundred days’ men.” “The Norton” which was heard might have been imaginary. I may see him yet before he goes.
I am glad to report that I am getting better. I was out yesterday, went down to the fort in the horse car, weighed myself and found my “mortal remains” to be just 109 pounds avoirdupois.
We had a change of surgeons a few days ago, and the new one said my liver was out of order and gave me calomel, salts, quinine, whisky, fever pills, sulphuric acid, etc., enough to kill a man with a less vigorous constitution, but I really believe it did me good. He has stopped all but the quinine and whisky now, and I feel a great deal better. I have gone to the “full diet” table now, with an appetite like a horse.
I am very glad to hear that you have succeeded in getting a roof between yourselves and “the starry decked heavens above you.” Father was quite anxious about that when he wrote, and I cannot see how you do manage to live on his slender salary. I can’t support myself in my present position on that. My full pay is about $100 a month; $11 of that is allowance for a servant, which I get if I have the servant. If I get a boy he will eat more than he earns and in the first battle throw away my overcoat and blankets. If I get a man over sixteen, Butler or some other man will take him away for a teamster or soldier. If I employ a soldier, I must pay $25.50 per month, or just what it costs the United States. $13 wages. $9 subsistence and $3.50 clothing.
Since January 1, Captain Dickey has employed one of the company as servant and the amount was stopped from his pay. Lieutenant Thompson and I had the benefit of his services and shared the expense till June. Since then, Thompson has been detached and the captain and I have stood the whole.
We have not settled for July and August yet, but we cannot employ a soldier any more. It is the general custom in the army for officers to employ soldiers and then certify on their payrolls that they have not done so and draw their full pay. It is done in every regiment and has been ever since I’ve been in the service. In that way some officers send home an immense amount of wages.
It costs me $1 a day for board, saying nothing of clothes or servant. If I want a coat, it costs from $25 to $30, pants $15, boots $12 or $15, hat $10, shirts $10 a pair.
Etowah Bridge, Thursday, Sept. 1. Cold night, rested well. On guard, third relief. Pain over my eye continues very bad. Griff is improving. Sergeant Hood went out with a squad on pass. When they returned, several of them were too drunk to take care of themselves, having obtained whiskey at Allatoona. Too bad. Forage train went out this morning.
While scouting, about 3 P. M. one of General Smith’s bodyguards, riding a little in the advance, was shot dead by some cowardly bushwhackers, stripped of all valuables, boots and hat, leaving the corpse in the road, taking two other prisoners. It was the last day the poor fellow had to serve, expecting soon to start for his home in St. Louis. He was one of the brave men that once composed Fremont’s body-guard. His loved ones will wait for his coming in vain. The escort started out in the evening with full determination to avenge the death of their comrade, if possible. No mail. Wheeler is still in possession of Nashville Railroad at Tullahoma. Captain Dillon acting chief of artillery on General Logan’s staff. —— court-martialled by Division court for old offence at Jackson.
September 1.—My war letters come from Georgetown Hospital now. Mr Noah T. Clarke is very anxious and sends telegrams to Andrew Chesebro every day to go and see his brother.
Thursday, September 1.— Had our room washed and cleaned. We take turns at this, and will soon make good scrubbers. We get some sand or clean dirt from the yard, and scatter over the floor, then throw some buckets of water in, and then set to with bricks and scrub. We fenced off one corner of the room with a blanket, and made a bathroom of it, using half an old barrel for a tub. Usual routine gone through with. Captain Senn comes in twice a day, —morning and evening, —and counts us to see if we are all there.
Camp of Sheridan’s Army, September 1, 1864.
Dearest: — Enclosed find state receipt for seven hundred dollars payable at county treasury of Ross County. You can sign the receipt on the back and send it to the treasurer of Ross County by any friend. I suppose it will get around in about four weeks from this time.
The Rebs are reported all gone. With Sheridan’s fine cavalry and General Crook’s shrewdness they had no business so far from home. We were picking them up in detail. Their loss in the last two weeks was sixteen hundred — mostly prisoners; our loss not over four hundred.
Your two letters in which you speak of Ike Cook [a cousin of Mrs. Hayes] just reached me. I do not see how he can be commissioned as Mr. Hough proposes, but if he can get him commissioned and mustered in any regiment and get him leave to come here, I will get him a good place as aide (aide-de-camp) to myself or somebody else. Of course the regiments in the field need all their promotions. If he is drafted, Mr. Hough can arrange it probably so he can join the Twenty-third or Thirty-sixth. I will then make him an orderly which will give him a horse and very easy duty — nothing harder usually than the care of his horse. If he wishes to volunteer, or go as a substitute, he can get big bounties, and as long as I retain my present position he shall be mounted.
All well. Soldiers so jolly. Birch and Webb would like it here. The men are camped in a wooded ravine, officers’ quarters on the edge of the wood looking out upon fine open fields and mountains. About a dozen men of Company B, Twenty-third, with their hats swinging ran yelling up to the open ground crying, “See the prisoners! Mosby a prisoner.” Of course those next to them ran, the thing took and the whole camp clear to army headquarters a mile off or more, perhaps ten thousand men, followed their example. Officers of course ran, major-generals and all. Then the “sell” was discovered, and such laughing and shouting I never heard before. — A squirrel is started; up the trees go the soldiers and fun alive until he is caught. A mule or a dog gets into camp, and such a time! I am constantly saying, “How the boys would like this.”
Well, good-bye dearest. We feel that this Valley campaign has been a lucky one, though not very eventful. We shall, I think, go up the Valley again to Winchester and beyond. — Love to all.
Ever affectionately, your
R.
McKinley is a captain now on General Crook’s staff.
September 2, A. M. — Your letter of 22nd came last night. You are doing me such a favor in writing often. I now get letters. In [the] September Harper is an article “First Time Under Fire” which is very like my case. — Truthful.
Mrs. Hayes.
Sept. 1st. The regt. moved forward 400 yards and occupied a fort.
1st. Lay in camp all day. In evening relieved 3rd Jersey on picket. Busy most all night drawing oats.
September 1st, ’64.
A real autumn morning. We were aroused at 3 a.m. and the air was then almost crisp. A breath of cold air is a luxury we can appreciate. A fresh, cool breeze is now stirring and I can almost hear the leaves falling. It is a real yellow fall and does me more good than aught else could, except a letter from home. Haven’t had one from you for ten days. A prisoner says that yesterday’s fight was rougher on them than the 28th of July fight. He said their brigade came up in front of our men, and though they did not stay more than long enough to take one look, when they got back under cover they were 500 men short. They afterwards charged again, and he said he doubted whether any of them got off alive and sound.
This is the 124th day of the campaign, exactly 90 of which we have been under fire. Have also moved 340 miles, though the direct road would be much less. The boys say we just finished the summer campaign in time to commence the fall ditto. I guess the movement surprised Hood. Prisoners all say they understood it to be a raiding party. ‘Tis a rather mighty one.
The country between these two railroads is rather better than any we have seen before in Georgia, but I never saw any in Illinois half as poor. Hardly any of the land has been under cultivation since the war commenced. A little sickly corn and a few patches of sorghum and millet are about all the farming evidence I have seen.
Northern Alabama and a few counties in Mississippi are the only passable parts of the Confederacy that I have seen. Mrs. Lee Henty’s grand plantations, with their “hospitable mansions, whose broad verandas, supported by graceful pillars,” etc., are principally “bosh,” at least as far as northern Georgia is concerned. The health of the regiment is excellent, the men being, if anything, healthier than the officers. The lieutenant colonel and major, though both with us, are not yet reported for duty. Captain Boyd, Lieutenants Fox, A. & J. Smith are quite unwell.
Captains Post, Vorhees, Smith and myself have at different times been all the officers fit for duty. I believe I am the only one who has never been off duty during the campaign, though Post, Smith, Vorhees and Dorrance have lost but a few days each, Smith, I believe only one. I don’t believe these Rebels can be in very good spirits. I am afraid I’d be a little blue if we’d been whipped as often as they have this campaign. Most of the prisoners are great “peace” men, but they all say that their leaders will never give up as long as they can raise a brigade to fight. Every pup of them has hopes that the Chicago Convention will do something for them, they hardly know what. I heard one of the boys say he wished that the Convention could be induced to charge us in these works. There’s talk of our going home to vote.
About 2 p.m. a signal officer in a tree reported that he could see our troops moving in line down the railroad toward us. It was the 23d and 4th Corps. The 14th which held the left of our line, about the same time commenced to swing its left around, and by 4 p.m. a battle opened. The 14th broke the enemy’s line before the 23d got up, and alone rolled the Rebels up in fine style. By dark the 14th had captured from 12 to 20 pieces of artillery and a large number of prisoners. Three hours more of daylight and Hardee would have had no corps left, for the 4th and 23d were swinging further to the left, and would have been in his rear in less than two hours, when our whole line would have closed in on them.
by John Beauchamp Jones
SEPTEMBER 1ST—Clear, bright, and cool.
The intelligence from the North indicates that Gen. McClellan will be nominated for the Presidency. Judge Campbell, Assistant Secretary of War, shakes his head, and says he is not the right man. Our people take a lively interest in the proceedings of the Chicago Convention, hoping for a speedy termination of the war.
Senator Johnson, ofMissouri, has a project of taxation for the extinguishment of the public debt—a sweeping taxation, amounting to one-half the value of the real and personal estate of the Confederate States. He got me to commit his ideas to writing, which I did, and they will be published.
Gen. Kemper told me to-day that there were 40,000 able-bodied men inVirginia now detailed.
There is a project on the tapis of introducing lady clerks into this bureau—all of them otherwise able to subsist themselves—while the poor refugees, who have suffered most, are denied places. Even the President named one to-day, Mrs. Ford, who, of course, will be appointed.
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