Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

March 2015

Post image for Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

March 6, 2015

Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry

Monday, 6th—Pleasant weather. We started at 9 a. m., marched eight miles and went into bivouac near Bennettsville. We are marching through a fine country and have plenty of forage. There are no rebels in front of us at present. We are nearing the state line now between South Carolina and North Carolina, and our army has certainly made a wide path of desolation through the state.[1]

[1] In our march through South Carolina every man seemed to think that he had a free hand to burn any kind of property he could put the torch to. South Carolina paid the dearest penalty of any state in the Confederacy, considering the short time the Union army was in the state, and it was well that she should; for, if South Carolina had not been so persistent in going to war, there would have been no war for years to come.—A. G. D.

Post image for War Diary of Luman Harris Tenney

War Diary of Luman Harris Tenney

March 6, 2015

War Diary of Luman Harris Tenney.

6th. Another clear, beautiful day. 1st Div. in yesterday. Saddled up at 4 A. M. Moved out to guard train at 6. Moved in rear of brigade at 9. Marched through a passage underneath the Virginia University. Rear guard. Marched all night. Halted every five minutes—burned many rails. Rather poor country.

Post image for A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

A Rebel War Clerk’s Diary

March 6, 2015

A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital, By John Beauchamp Jones

March 6th.—A bright frosty morning. This day I am fifty-five years of age.

It is now reported that Gen. Early made his escape, and that most of his men have straggled into this city.

One body of Sheridan’s men are said to have been at Gordonsville yesterday, coming hitherward, while another were near Scottsville, aiming for the South Side Railroad.

The Adjutant-General, having granted furloughs to the returned prisoners two days ago, to-day revokes them. Will such vacillating policy conciliate the troops, and incite them to heroic deeds?

The President and his wife were at church yesterday; so they have not left the city; but Gen. Lee’s family, it is rumored, are packing up to leave.

I bought a quarter of a cord of oak wood this morning to mix with the green pine, and paid $55 for it.

Gen. Early’s cavalry, being mostly men of property, were two-thirds of them on furlough or detail, when the enemy advanced on Charlottesville; and the infantry, being poor, with no means either to bribe the authorities, to fee members of Congress, or to aid their suffering families, declined to fight in defense of the property of their rich and absent neighbors! We lost four guns beyond Charlottesville, and our forces were completely routed.

There are rumors to-day that a column of the enemy’s cavalry has reached Hanover County. Gen. R. E. Lee has ordered Major-Gen. Fitz Lee’s cavalry to march against them.

Twelve M. They are bringing boxes to the War Office, to pack up the archives. This certainly indicates a sudden removal in an emergency. It is not understood whether they go to Danville or to Lynchburg; that may depend upon Grant’s movements. It may, however, be Lee’s purpose to attack Grant; meantime preparing to fall back in the event of losing the day.

Four days hence we have a day of fasting, etc., appointed by the President; and I understand there are but three day’s rations for the army—a nice calculation.

Gen. Johnston telegraphs the Secretary that his army must suffer, if not allowed to get commissary stores in the North Carolina depots. The Secretary replies that of course his army must be fed, but hopes he can buy enough, etc., leaving the stores already collected for Lee’s army, which is in great straits.

Post image for Rutherford B. Hayes.

Rutherford B. Hayes.

March 6, 2015

Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes

Monday, March 6. — Sheridan last Monday with a large cavalry force went towards Staunton, Charlottesville, and Lynchburg to destroy stores and connections with Richmond. Mud and water his chief enemies.

Post image for A Diary From Dixie.

A Diary From Dixie.

March 6, 2015

A Diary From Dixie by Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut.

March 6th.—To-day came a godsend. Even a small piece of bread and the molasses had become things of the past. My larder was empty, when a tall mulatto woman brought a tray covered by a huge white serviette. Ellen ushered her in with a flourish, saying, “Mrs. McDaniel’s maid.” The maid set down the tray upon my bare table, and uncovered it with conscious pride. There were fowls ready for roasting, sausages, butter, bread, eggs, and preserves. I was dumb with delight. After silent thanks to heaven my powers of speech returned, and I exhausted myself in messages of gratitude to Mrs. McDaniel.

“Missis, you oughtn’t to let her see how glad you was,” said Ellen. “It was a lettin’ of yo’sef down.”

Mrs. Glover gave me some yarn, and I bought five dozen eggs with it from a wagon—eggs for Lent. To show that I have faith yet in humanity, I paid in advance in yarn for something to eat, which they promised to bring to-morrow. Had they rated their eggs at $100 a dozen in “Confederick” money, I would have paid it as readily as $10. But I haggle in yarn for the millionth part of a thread.

Two weeks have passed and the rumors from Columbia are still of the vaguest. No letter has come from there, no direct message, or messenger. “My God!” cried Dr. Frank Miles, “but it is strange. Can it be anything so dreadful they dare not tell us?” Dr. St. Julien Ravenel has grown pale and haggard with care. His wife and children were left there.

Dr. Brumby has at last been coaxed into selling me enough leather for the making of a pair of shoes, else I should have had to give up walking. He knew my father well. He intimated that in some way my father helped him through college. His own money had not sufficed, and so William C. Preston and my father advanced funds sufficient to let him be graduated. Then my uncle, Charles Miller, married his aunt. I listened in rapture, for all this tended to leniency in the leather business, and I bore off the leather gladly. When asked for Confederate money in trade I never stop to bargain. I give them $20 or $50 cheerfully for anything—either sum.

Post image for Through Some Eventful Years

Through Some Eventful Years

March 6, 2015

Through Some Eventful Years by Susan Bradford Eppes

March 6th, 1865.—The battle is on and since daylight we have been listening to the booming of cannon. Natural Bridge, where the two armies met, is only eighteen miles (as the crow flies) from Tallahassee and these big guns can be heard plainly. This is our first experience in warfare at first hand and I do not feel quite as bad as I expected. I am so hot with anger, I would like to take part in the fighting myself. Now, while I am scribbling this, we are waiting at the depot, for there are no telegraph lines, no way to hear from the battle except by courier or by train.

Mother has been sending the nicest lunches to us to be sent down to Natural Bridge, for distribution among the soldiers; others are doing this same thing and I hope none will go hungry. Dick Long rode in a few minutes ago with a dispatch for the Governor. Of course we do not know what it is but we will waylay the messenger on the return and, if possible, stop him long enough to hear the news. There he comes now. It was impossible to get anything out of Dick. He positively would not tell us one thing, except how well “Yannie” behaved in the fight. Then he and Yannie were off like a flash. Well, I suppose that is the way for a courier to do his part.

It is night, the battle is over and we have some news at last. God has been good to us and the enemy was completely routed, though we were outnumbered four to one. All the troops were negroes but the officers were white, if we had not been reinforced at the critical moment, things might have been different but a Regiment of Georgians rushed in and the enemy fled, not knowing how many more might be coming. We lost two men, Captain Simmons and a private whose name I have not yet ascertained. Poor Mrs. Simmons, she has a little two weeks’ old baby and has been very ill. After the terrible excitement of the last forty-eight hours Tallahassee should sleep well tonight.

We have a ten-mile ride before us but it would not be right to stay in town when Father and Mother will be anxious to hear the full account of the battle, before they sleep.

Post image for “We will get out of S. C. to-morrow.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

“We will get out of S. C. to-morrow.”–Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills.

March 5, 2015

Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, Charles Wright Wills, (8th Illinois Infantry)

March 5, 1865.

The 17th and all our corps, except our division, have crossed the river. We follow in the morning. The enemy did not attempt to oppose us. The boys say that an intercepted dispatch from Hampton to General Butler reads: “Do not attempt to delay Sherman’s march by destroying bridges, or any other means. For God’s sake let him get out of the country as quickly as possible.” Were I one of the S. C. chivalry I’d be in favor of turning out en masse and building up roads for him.

We will get out of S. C. to-morrow. I have not been in a house in the State occupied by a citizen. Everything in Cheraw of any value to the enemy, including cotton and business houses, is going up in smoke. Hear to-day that Schofield is in Goldsboro or Fayetteville, N. C.

General Wood says we have 120 miles yet to make. You may give the credit of Wilmington, Charleston and Georgetown to whom you please, we know Sherman deserves it. We hear that that miserable Foster is claiming the glory over his capture of Charleston. We are yet pretty short of breadstuffs, but have plenty of meat. Sherman has been heard to say that this army can live on fresh meat alone for 30 days. I’d like to see it tried on him. We think to-day that Goldsboro is our resting place. You must understand that we don’t know anything at all about anything. Our foragers all went across the river this morning and got plenty of flour, meal and meat. They were out 11 miles and saw a few Rebels. The Rebels left seven cannon on the other side of the river, and burned a very large amount of commissary and ordnance stores.

Post image for Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

Reminiscences of the Civil War by William and Adelia Lyon.

March 5, 2015

Reminiscences of the Civil War, William and Adelia Lyon

Colonel Lyon’s Letters.

Huntsville, Ala., March 5, 1865.—I hope the war is drawing to a close; I believe it is. One victory like Thomas’ over Hood is worth more to our cause, does more to put down the rebellion, than the evacuation of twenty cities. It uses up their armies, while the evacuation of these places concentrates their armies and makes them actually stronger. The war will continue until we succeed in dispersing and breaking up their armies. I hope, and almost believe, that Grant and Sherman will do this in the East, as Thomas has in the West; but the people must be patient. It can not be done in a day or a month.

The most hopeful sign of the times is the activity North in raising troops. I am glad that the Governor gave George Ginty a regiment. He is worthy and capable. I rejoice at his success. I hear that he is ordered to Nashville, and shall be pleased to get him down this way; but the new regiments are being sent towards Chattanooga and Knoxville, and very likely Colonel Ginty’s will go in the same direction.

Post image for An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

March 5, 2015

An Artilleryman's Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones, 6th Battery, Wisconsin Artillery.

Chattanooga, Sunday, March 5. A most beautiful day, too good to lay in camp. Attended church. Joined the Bible class in chapel of Christian Commission, where we had a spirited discussion as to whether we are ever justifiable in disobeying the divine law in order to conform with the law of the land. Most took the old Abolitionist view of it. After class listened to good sermon. Text, “What is Man”, by one of the agents. Met Lieutenant Silsby, very sociably inclined. Returned to camp to enjoy a soldier’s dinner. Wrote to John and read a sermon of H. W. Beecher, much better than the delivered one.

Post image for Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

March 5, 2015

Diary of Alexander G. Downing; Company E, Eleventh Iowa Infantry

Sunday, 5th—The First Division of the Seventeenth Corps crossed the river last evening after dark and drove the rebels back. Our engineers then laid the pontoons and the troops began crossing at once. Our brigade passed through the town and crossed the river at noon and then continued our march for seven miles, when we went into bivouac for the night. Cheraw was nearly all burned to the ground before our men left it. The rebels burned the bridge across the river and upon evacuating the town set fire to it, and our men burned what remained. We are in a rich country again and forage is plentiful.

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