Oct. 25th. Waiting orders; cold nights.
October 2014
October 25th.—Bright and beautiful morning.
All quiet below. Mr. McRae has been permitted by Gen. Butler to return again to the city to await his exchange, pledged not to bear arms, etc. Many more of the government employees, forced into the trenches, would be happy to be in the same predicament. A great many are deserting under a deliberate conviction that their rights have been despotically invaded by the government; and that this government is, and is likely to be, as tyrannous as Lincoln’s. No doubt many give valuable information to the enemy.
The Superintendent of the Bureau of Conscription is at open war with the General of Reserves in Virginia, and confusion is likely to be worse confounded.
Gen. Cooper, A. and I. General (Pennsylvanian), suggests to the President the appointment of Gen. Lovell to the command of all the prisons containing Federal captives. Gen. Lovell, too, is a Northern man.
Etowah Bridge, Monday, Oct. 24. Was on detail to go on a two days’ foraging expedition but Charlie Pickard took my place, and both were better suited. Wrote to John in the afternoon. No mail or news whatever. We are fast becoming accustomed to this state of things.
Monday, 24th.—Crossed Sand Mountain at the summit; crossed the road we travelled going to Vicksburg with the wagon trains.
Monday, 24th—Still lying in camp and all is quiet at the front. Large foraging parties are being sent out for food for the men and feed for the horses and mules. The valleys in this part of the country are thickly settled, but not more than half of the plantations have been cultivated this past season, as the negroes were taken south by their masters to keep them from falling into the hands of the “Yanks,” and also to help build fortifications. The plantations that have been farmed were put mostly in wheat and corn. There are some large fields of corn which come in very handy for our army at this time.
24th. Monday. Rode to several Hdqrs. with Adj. Pike. Watson and Pearson mustered out. Read papers and letter from home.
Monday, October 24. — Colonel Marshall asked Lieutenant Belcher whether Captain McChesney has asked him for an affidavit. He said he had not. Some conversation occurred between Colonel Marshall and Captain McChesney. Received a letter from Captain Chute of the 59th at the stockade. A Mr. Thomas Pauvear called to see if he could do anything for me. He said a Mr. Sprague of Boston asked him to do so. Day pleasant.
Eight miles southeast of last night’s camp,
October 24, 1864.
With five brigades of our corps started at 3.30 p.m. to look after Rebels reported. Came through a little hamlet called Blue Pond from a little lake in the neighborhood of a dirty mud color. Plenty of milk and honey.
Oct. 24th. Moved about 11 P.M. to the rear and closed, en masse.
October 24th.—Clouds and sunshine. Nothing new of importance from the army.
Gov. Smith has been writing letters to Gen. Lee, asking that Gen. Early be superseded in the Valley. Pity it had not been done! Gen. Lee replied, expressing confidence in Early; and the President (since the disaster!) coincides with Lee.
The President administers a sharp rebuke to Gen. Whiting, for irregularly corresponding with Generals Lee and Beauregard on the subject of Lieut. Taylor Wood’s naval expedition, fitting out at Wilmington.
The President and cabinet are still at work on the one hundred clerks in the departments whom they wish to displace.
I append the result of my gardening this year. The dry weather in May and June injured the crop, or the amount would have been much larger. Total valuation, at market prices, $347.
