Saturday, January 18th 1862
Weather still soft and the crossings horrible. For the first time in Washington I saw boys cleaning off the crossing on [our?] street, and taxing the passers bye. Mr Short of Buffalo (the “Greek fire Bomb” inventor) called upon me today. He married my cousin (long ago). Expect him to go to church with us tomorrow. I had quite a lengthy conversation with Geo W Prentice in the office today. He questions a great deal, listens attentively to all that is said, but rarely expresses an opinion in conversation. No particular news in the City, did not go on to the Ave tonight, staid at home. “Bud” came from the Presidents about dark. Young “Bob” Lincoln has just got home from Cambridge to spend the vacation.
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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.
