Monday January 20th 1862
Another wet mudy day. The Govt Teams are in constant motion and the streets are a complete bed of mortar three or four inches deep over the roadway and two or three inches over the crossings. News rcd today of a Victory of my old friend Schoepf over Zollicoffer in Kentucky. Will get more news in reference to it tomorrow (probably) if true. The citizens are much alarmed now on account of the prevalence of the Small pox in the City. It is in fact all over the City. Betwen my house and the patent office, down 9th street which I travel every day, there are five cases. The Small Pox Ambulance with the Yellow flage carrying Soldier patients is seen every day in the streets. It is generaly given a wide berth. Called with wife this evening at Mr Pecks and Mr Bartletts. Wife got a letter today from Mrs Brownson which was quite gratifying with its photograph of Willie Brownson as Midshipman at the Naval School at Newport R.I.
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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.
