Civil War Blog

June 24, 1863

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Wrote home, pack’d box &c., started for F[airfax] S[tation]. Went with Mr. Alexander of PomphretCon[n]. to F[airfax] C[ourthouse] to distribute some boxes for his people.  How grateful the soldiers are!  Distributed many books to Cavalry.

Eve[ning].  Sick men came in from hospitals.  Fed & cared for some 213 men.  Was up all night.  Got the men off at 4 a.m.

All day the sick came in.  We fed & cheer’d & helped.  Had many very good conversations, found the men well disposed & serious.  At 4 p.m. signs of a move.  At six all pack’d.  A grand march forward.  We came to head quarters.  Station was entered by Rebs. During night. … Call’d at Armory Hosp[ital] to see Capt. Mott.  His bro[ther] & sister came in answer to telegraph.  He knew me, smiled, thank’d me again & said he was a sinner & needed X[i.e., Christ].

Diary of Jonathan Edwards Adams [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

June 21, 1863

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26Sunday.  Turned out about 1 o’clock A.M. & got into line.  We supposed that we were to make another Sunday attack but after moving out by Gen. Banks; Headquarters to the road leading into the place of last Sunday’s battle we filed to the left instead of the right, & pursued the main road to the east till 9 o’clock, when we halted at a little stream some six or eight miles out on the road to Jackson.  Here the provision trains came up bringing cooked rations.  Stopped & ate a hearty meal, probably for breakfast & dinner together.  We have with us the 12th Me., 90th, 91st, & 131st N.Y. & 1st Louisiana with several field pieces & a small cavalry force.  Where we are bound we know not. Supposed to keep off reinforcements for the enemy in Port Hudson.

Our mail reached us while halted for dinner.  Got a letter of June 1st from Pamelia..  All well at home at that date.  I thank my Heavenly Father for all his mercies.  After eating moved up a hill beyond the stream, & filed into a field on the right of the road, 7 stacked arms.  The men lay down & some of them got asleep, when in about an hour the order came suddenly to “fall in.”  [Read more…] about June 21, 1863

June 19, 1863

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Portland

My dear Frank

I suppose that if the Capitol is threatened  and the Govt. request your regiment  to remain for a short time, they will not refuse to do so. If, as the papers tell us, other Regts. when time is out, are volunteering, and still others are mustering from all quarters to the rescue, it would not look well for any to leave at such a crisis, and wish to see you, I could not wish that your Regiment, and [illegible] should be an exception. […]

With entire love, Your father

William Pitt Fessenden to his son, Francis Fessenden [Fessenden Collection]

June 18, 1863

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23Thursday.  I omitted to record above that a flag of truce was sent in yesterday, asking leave to bring off the dead & wounded that were left in the field Sunday.  The Ambulance Corps was engaged in it all the afternoon.  The number  brought out is set by them at from 120 to 240.  None of them appear to have counted them—only two were found alive.  The rebs. came out & assisted in collecting the bodies.  God grant that we may not be called into another Sabbath fight.  When will our Generals learn to observe God’s day?  Col. P. said this morning that no regiment of our Brigade volunteered last night.  Very quiet about camp all day.  Wrote a letter to Pamelia this P.M. giving a short account of our two scenes of peril, the night’s skirmish in the brush, & last Sunday’s battle.  Carried the letter out to the Col.’s quarters & it is going to the landing tomorrow.  A mail leaves N. Orleans June 21st, & I hope my letters will get there in season for it.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]

June 17, 1863

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Dear Lizzie,

It strikes me we might be a little more sisterly in the way of corresponding and yet I know it takes a good deal of time to write letters and you especially have very little to spare with your little family and your letters to Otis. For my own part, I don’t know but it is as much laziness as anything else that keeps me from writing for I have been intending to send you my love and congratulations ever since the deal little baby came. But you have them now and will you please kiss the little fellow for his Auntie. I  want very much to see him. I wish it wasn’t such a journey between Augusta and Farmington – and such an almost impossible journey with little children. I do wish you could come up and bring all four of them this summer. Is it quite out of the question? I should so love to have you. […]

Mary Ellen Patten [Ella] to her sister-in-law Elizabeth Ann Waite [Oliver Otis Howard Papers]

June 15, 1863

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Monday.  Thus was passed the most terrible Sabbath of my life.  The dead & wounded lay everywhere, & the stretchers were carrying them all day.  I can form no estimate of the loss, but it must have been very large, several hundred.  Sergeant Allen of Co. “E” was instantly killed on the charge, & several in other companies wounded, but God in mercy spared all my company, for which I desire to render him the highest gratitude of which my heart is capable.  We can account for every man except F. Holbrook, who has not yet come in, but I think he is safe, as he fell out before we reached the most dangerous spot.  Have not paper to record a tenth part of the incidents of the day, but they will live in my memory while I live.  God forbid that we should be called to such another day’s experience.  I think by this time that the hope of carrying the place by a charge is abandoned—at any rate till more suitable place[] for it can be found.  Our Reg’t. behaved well through the day, & Col. Jerrard was as fearless as a man could be, exposing himself continually—no man could have done better.  No officer of the Reg’t. faltered for a moment, or or[!] showed the least disposition to shirk his duty.  Holbrook reached camp about noon unharmed.  Haskell has been sent to Baton Rouge with other wounded.  He is not very badly hurt, I think.  Col. J. was notified this P.M. that he is “under arrest”—supposed to be for disobeying an order to charge over the breastworks yesterday P.M.  Had he made the charge at the time & place, & led it himself, (as he certainly would) I presume every man of us would at this time have been either dead or a prisoner.  Old[!] Regiments had tried it in the morning, & failed, & every one of our Reg’t. officers & men feels that the Col. was right, and not one doubts his courage.  The officers held a meeting, & chose a committee of three (Capts. Case, Bolton & Gilman) to assure Col. J. of the approval of his officers of his course yesterday, & that they will sustain him.

Diary of Isaac Winslow Case [Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection]