March 31

Peggy's comments:
A rare miss for Julia.  She did not record anything for today or tomorrow although she did record the dates and left space to write.

Sabbath, March 30, 1862

Pleasant weather but muddy roads.  Went to Sabbath School and meeting.  Mr. Scott preached a good sermon on the necessity of the "new birth."

Saturday, March 29, 1862

A rainy day.    

Friday, March 28, 1862

Still very pleasant.  The state of the roads has been so bad that for weeks it has been rare to see anyone passing.  Yesterday and today they have dried fast and riders are seen again.  Worked all day in the garden and am very tired.  Fixed up my tulip beds.  Kate has been transplanting to the new borders.  John has put seeds into the hot-bed, and sowed some lettuce, onions, &c, and planted a few potatoes.  A. S. Bailey called and left an Athens Messenger containing his criticisms of Mr. Horton's late speech in Congress.  I am sorry to learn that Cousin Mary Parker Bartlett has lost her eldest daughter, Mary B. Cooley.

Thursday, March 27, 1862

A pleasant day.  I have been working in my garden, pruning and raking off last year's growth.  The fine weather tempted Lizzie to visit this afternoon.  She and I went first to call at Mr. H. Cole's, then at Mr. Briggs', next at Mr. D. B. Calder's and finally to visit Mrs. McClure.  We found there Mrs. Harvey Deming, Mrs. Henry Cole, Miss Rebecca House and Miss Ripley.  We were tired with our walk ad came home on the cars.  Anxious to hear from the boys, dreamed of Ephe last night, wounded.

Wednesday, March 26, 1862

Kate went to see Maggie.  She found Mr. Burgess greatly excited over the mobbing of Wendell Phillips at Pike's Opera House.  It was a disgrace to Cincinnati and injures the miscreants themselves more than it does Phillips or the cause he advocates.  O that the wickedness of the wicked might come to an end!  This afternoon, Lizzie, Kate and the children went in the buggy and called on Mrs. Goff, Mrs. Blackinton and Miss Mary Jones who is till at her house, Mrs. and Miss Greenwood and Mrs. A. S. Bailey and her little babe.

Julia's journal

Peggy's comments:

Dyer Burgess was the step-father of Lizzie Cutler and lived nearby.  Rev. Burgess was outspoken in his  opposition to slavery and no doubt was greatly agitated by the mobbing of Wendell Phillips while giving a speech in Cincinnati.  Read the account given in the NY Times here, and an account in the Covington Journal on March 29.

Pike's Opera House in Cincinnati

Tuesday, March 25, 1862

This morning snow on the ground, spring very backward.  The grass just beginning to start.  I wrote to Annie L. Dean.  
We heard again from Rufus and Ephe.  After being marched and countermarched in the mud Rufus was still near Alexandria on the 22nd and a little impatient under the inglorious inaction in a belligerent point of view, of the army of the Potomac.  He says it will not do for him to say anything either in approval or condemnation of his commanding general but he has thought he was something of a Rip Van Winkle.  His brigade is now commanded by Col. Cutler and is called " Cutler's Brigade".  Rufus was offered a place on his staff but declined it.  He says "he enlisted to fight, not to act the gentleman."  The fleet up the Tennessee has now one hundred and five boats with a formidable army on board.  Ephe wrote on the 16th from Pittsburg on the Tennessee river.  Had just received orders to disembark prepared to march at a moment's notice, probably on Corinth, Mississippi.  He had been sent on an expedition to take possession of the Memphis and Charleston R. Road but was prevented by sudden rise in the streams from doing so.  Many of the soldiers are sick.  Great rise in all the rivers there from excessive rains.  Lizzie has been all day with Maggie who has had an attack of pleurisy.

Monday, March 24, 1862

William sent us last Saturday a variety of garden seeds, vegetables and flowers, for ourselves for for distribution.
Today's Commercial says that the present week will be a most important one.  Movements are on foot calculated to crush the rebellion.  We may expect news of importance from Foote and Pope on the Mississippi, from Grant and Buell in Tennessee, Burnside in North Carolina and Sherman and Dupont in Georgia and perhaps from McClellan in Virginia.  May God bless these efforts to the furtherance of his own cause, and the establishment of the government.  May slavery be destroyed and peace be restored to our beloved country.  Yesterday a severe battle was fought near Winchester, Va., between the command of Gen. Shields (formerly Lauder's) 8000 strong and the rebels under Jackson, 15000 strong in which the Federals were victorious.  The Ohio seventh and one Pennsylvania regiment did the hardest of the fighting.  A late Baltimore Clipper has a notice of a pleasant railroad excursion to Harpers Ferry to see the bridge lately constructed there.  Among notices of speeches made on the return trip is one by William who gave "the Press" as a toast, and was responded to by N. P. Willis.  
Lizzie received a letter of thanks from the Sanitary Commission through their secretary Mr. Fosdick.  He says that they will send supplies up the Tennessee this week.  Thus our boxes may reach the 53" and 77".

Sabbath, March 23, 1862

I heard a black bird singing.  It sounded cheery though the day itself was "cold and dark and dreary."  Went to Sabbath School and meeting.  Mr. Scott read a sermon of Professor Tholuck.

Saturday, March 22, 1862

The air has been filled with snow nearly all day -- melting almost as soon as it reaches the ground.  A letter from William, he writes that Rufus has returned to his old camping ground at Arlington Heights, and is under orders to march into Washington city and go on board transports, probably destined to reinforce Burnside.  This however, is uncertain.  No doubt trying scenes await him  May God keep him from the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  May he have wisdom and courage to do do his whole duty and may God whose faithfulness our family has experienced through many generations, be to him and to Ephraim a present help in time of trouble.  Momentous events seem impending.  The army of the Potomac is in motion, and it is said that the rebels mean to take a new line of defence from Gordonsville to the Rappahannok where they are fortifying themselves.  These are the disciplined troops of Manassas and may be expected to fight.  If the army of the Potomac and that of Manassas meet, we may expect a fierce encounter.  But God giveth the victory, "He takes His cause in hand" not for our goodness for we are a sinful people, but for the sake of the poor and oppressed and for the glory of His great name.  Beauregard is mustering his forces in the southwest to meet Grant and Buell, and very soon we may hear of a bloody battle up the Tennessee or at Memphis.  Gen. Grant has taken command of the troops up the Tennessee.  He has been thus far very successful.

Friday, March 21, 1862

Started the boxes to the Sanitary Commission at Cincinnati by railroad.  Kate and Nancy went to town.  She brought down a letter from Ephraim who is "Up the Tennessee".  The expedition led by the gunboat Tyler consists of eighty steamers and must have from 50 to 80,000 troops aboard, -- a fine splendid fleet.  He is on board the Anglo Saxon, and in fine health and spirits.  There are only two brigades in front of him.  He is under Gen. W. T. Sherman of Ohio.  I have no partiality for this General and doubt both his competency and courage.  But God reigns and we must leave our dear ones in His hand.  
A letter also from Rufus.  His Colonel is now acting brigadier general and commands his brigade.  Rufus is at Centerville and says that those officers who have examined the rebel fortifications say that their strength and magnitude have not been over-estimated.  He sent a Secesh letter picked up in the old rebel quarters, evidently written by an intelligent traitor, which shows how they feel on several points. He is particularly bitter toward our German troops whom he calls "Lincoln's Hessian Allies," and says no quarter should be given them both before and after capture.  The letter has been partially burned but was written probably late in fall.  He deplores the loss of Hatteras inlet as being so necessary to their privateers.  Says he had been very solicitous to have European powers recognize them, but was now becoming indifferent.  He thought they would get on without it, &c.  It is a curious document.


Peggy's comments:
Ephraim Dawes, Julia's nephew, was serving with the 53rd Ohio.

General William Tecumsuh Sherman had not shown stellar accomplishments at this point.  He had been put in charge of troops in Kentucky and had complained that he could not defend Kentucky without many more troops.  The press picked up on his need for an "insane" number of troops and soon people started to doubt Sherman's sanity.  It was said that he had a nervous breakdown, but it was also said that he was of great help to U. S. Grant.

Rufus was in Centreville, Virginia, a place of strategic importance because of its railroads.

There were several regiments of German immigrants who fought for the Union.  Many were from Cincinnati.

Thursday, March 20, 1862

Mrs. Joel Deming called with some canned fruit and some bandages, &c., to be sent in the box.  We finished all and packed a large box with clothing and bedding, and a smaller one with canned fruits and jellies.  May they be a blessing to the sick and wounded and be attended by healing influences.  The box had in it two quilts, one comfort, one blanket, three pairs of sheets, seven pairs of pillow cases, six feather pillows, twelve dressing gowns, twelve pairs carpet slippers, nine shirts, four pairs drawers, four dozen napkins and several bundles of cloths for dressing wounds, etc.
There is a severe and protracted fight going on at Island No. 10 in the Mississippi River.  Mrs. A. S. Bailey has another daughter born yesterday.


Peggy's Comments:
Women contributed many items including quilts for use by soldiers.  The Sanitary Commission collected and distributed items to Union soldiers, frequently stamping the following insignia on the backs of quilts.

Wednesday, March 19, 1862

Not so pleasant, cloudy.  Mrs. Eliza Fullerton and Miss Martha Colville visited us today.  Gen. Burnside for whom so much anxiety was felt after the evacuation of Manassas, is safe and on the 14th of this month achieved a splendid victory with his New England troops.  They took by storm the enemies' works near Newbern defended by 10,000 rebels.  He captured three batteries of field artillery, forty-six siege guns, large stores of ammunitions, 3000 stand of small arms and 200 prisoners.  The city of Newbern is in our possession.  There has been also another victory in Arkansas, at Salem by Col. Wood of the Federal Army.


Peggy's comments:
To read about the battle at New Bern, North Carolina, go here.

Tuesday, March 18, 1862

Miss Mary Ainsworth came in the forenoon and helped all day finishing off the hospital clothing.  Mrs. Calder and Emeline McClure came in the afternoon and busily plied their needles in the same good work.  A pleasant sunny day.  
After a protracted siege of nearly a week New Madrid on the Mississippi has fallen into our hands.  During a terrific storm on Thursday night the rebels fled by means of their transports probably to Island No. 10.  Gen. Pope, with his Ohioans and Indianians, is now in possession.  The 63rd Ohio from Marietta with the 39th one third of whom are Washington County boys were in this fight and acted gallantly.

Monday, March 17, 1862

Lucy went home this morning and Marion came on the evening train.  She will stay and help finish the contents of the box.
One of the most desparate battles of the war was fought at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, between our troops under Gen. Curtis and the combined rebel forces of Rice, McCullouch, McIntosh and Pike, and commanded by Van Dorn.  The fight continued three days.  On Saturday March 8th the rebels fled and were pursued by Gen. Sigel and are now beyond Boston (?) Mountains.  Our loss is 1400, killed and wounded.  The rebel loss is greater.  Among the killed are McCulloch and McIntosh.  We suppose Andrew McClure was in this battle and wait anxiously to hear of his safety.  Pike's Indians scalped and mangled our dead soldiers.  Mr. Cone's folks have just heard of the death of Ellen Peck.


Peggy's notes:
The battle at Pea Ridge, Arkansas involved 10,500 Union troops and 16,000 Confederates.  Read an account of the battle here.  About 100 Cherokee had been persuaded to fight on the side of the Confederates.  Read more about them here.

Sunday, March 16, 1862

Kate is quite exhausted by the excitement and labor of the last week and unable to go to meeting.  The day is cloudy, with some rain.  Mr. Scott did not come down.  Mr. B. C. Bailey read a good printed sermon from the text "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace."

Saturday, March 15, 1862

Our lost bundle was received this morning.  It was found in the Parkersburg Depot by the baggage master.  Today we invited some of our neighbors to come to help us sew for the hospitals.  It has proved a rainy day; but Mrs. B. C. Bailey and daughter, Mrs. Chas. Dickey, Mrs. Reid, Misses E. Deming and Mary Deming, Mrs. Burgess, Maggie Voris, Miss Betsey Bailey, Mrs. W. D. Bailey were here.  They sewed very industriously and accomplished a great deal.  They are making neat dressing gowns, shirts and drawers.  Bedding has also been contributed.  There has been a very severe battle in New Mexico near Fort Craig.  Our men fought with desparate bravery.

Friday, March 14, 1862

Kate went to town this morning to make inquiries about the missing bundle.  Mr. Crawford telegraphed to Parkersburg and promised to try and find it.  She came home on an engine before dinner.  Ephraim's regiment has left Paducah and gone up the Tennessee River.  Several other regiments now at Paducah are to follow immediately.  Whether they are to operate in Alabama or against Memphis I do not know.  They are likely to see service soon.  May they be valiant and victorious.  Lucy came on the evening train.  Mrs. G. W. Bailey and Bertie spent the afternoon and evening here.  Mrs. B. sewed on the hospital supplies.

Thursday, March 13, 1862

The goods for the hospital clothing did not come last night as we expected.  We sent George out to the station to inquire about them.  Mr. Tuttle said he sent them by train as directed.  There has been some mistake.  I hope they are not lost.  We are anxious to get them as some of the neighbors are coming Saturday to assist in making up the articles.  
The rebels after leaving Manassas are rendezvousing at Gordonville where there is a junction of the Orange and Alexandria with the Virginia Central Railroad.  Some fears are expressed lest Burnside be overpowered but if  [smudged out and unreadable] by himself [unreadable] it now is the time of [unreadable] in God's [unreadable] he is safe but if as he himself [unreadable].


The United States army has been divided into three distinct departments, the Department of the Potomac, under Gen. M'Clellan, the Department of the Mississippi, under Gen. Halleck, and a Department lying between that of the Potomac and the Mississippi, sometimes called the Department of the Mountains which is under Fremont.  If war visits we must look to Fremont as our defender.  There has been a great clamor against McClellan on account of the "masterly inactivity" of the Army of the Potomac upon which millions have been expended in drilling and equipping, while the raw recruits of the west do the fighting and gain the victories.  But I must believe that Lincoln and Stanton have faith in him or he would be removed from the very important command he holds.


Peggy's comments:
This entry is a fascinating because it combines Julia's comments about her everyday concerns, information about the war news, a passage that has been partially erased, and her speculation about the reconfiguration of the war departments.
In regard to the three distinct war departments, Lincoln along with many others, was frustrated by General McClellan's constant drilling.  McClellan planned to have one major battle and wanted to be completely prepared.  He did have a plan in mind, but had been ill and had also been overly cautious.  Lincoln wrote the President's Special War Order Number 3 and sent it to his General-in-Chief McClellan by way of Governor Dennison of Ohio. Unfortunately, the contents of the order were leaked to the press and printed.   Colleagues of McClellan read them and reported to McClellan before the Governor arrived.

Wednesday, March 12, 1862

Kate has gone to Tunnel station to purchase materials for making a box of clothing to be sent to the Sanitary Commission at Cincinnati.  Nancy rode out Dolly to attend a school examination near Tunnel station.  Kate is coming home on horse back and Nancy will come in the evening train bringing the purchases.  Mrs. Terril here ironing.  No Gazette tonight.  We can scarcely do without it.  We want to hear what has been done on the Potomac, and what is doing out west.  War is a terrible reality to those whose dearest friends are in the army.  God pity us and send peace and prosperity.

Tuesday, March 11

I have sore throat, pain in my head and limbs, with chillness.  I suppose it is a touch of diphtheria.  Kate has been working with the sewing machine.  It does very well.  Lizzie came home tonight bringing word that a dispatch received in town announces the occupation of Winchester by our troops, and the evacuation of Manassas by the rebels.  I hope it is true.  There is said to be a great deal of sickness at Paducah.  I feel anxious about Ephraim and very anxious to hear more from  the army of the Potomac where Rufus is.  God keep them both.  Sister Sarah has just heard that Jane in Persia is the mother of a little son.  George received [unreadable] Cutler at Boothbys & Blues [unreadable] today.

Monday, March 10, 1862

Lizzie went up to Marietta with Lucy.  Not a very pleasant day, raining some.  Kate is sick with headache.  I read the Gazette through to Mr. Burgess.   Mrs. Terril here washing.  Nancy is complaining of her feet which having been frozen some years ago and always troubles in cold weather.  The rebel ship, Merrimack, attacked and sunk the Cumberland, U. S. ship.  George got back today.

Sabbath, March 9, 1862

The first robin I have heard this spring sang its merry song in the locust tree this morning.  The air is springlike and delightful.  Mr. Scott preached today.  The croaking of frogs seems to indicate the departure of winter.

Saturday, March 8, 1862

Lucy has been painting a beautiful piece in water colors from one belonging to Miss. S. Mills, painted by Mrs. Creel.  Lizzie and Kate today finished a rug they have been working today.  George went home this morning.

Friday, March 7, 1862

This afternoon we had Mrs. Knowles, Mrs. Reid, Mrs. W. D. Bailey and Maggie here to tea.  Lucy came down on the evening train.

Thursday, March 6, 1862

Sarah came down on the morning train.  Columbus, Ky., has been evacuated.  The position was a very strong one and the rebels boasted that it could not be taken; but when our gun boats came in sight, the last of the rebels were leaving.  Twenty or thirty confederate cannon were left in the fort.  The place has been evacuated by advice of Beauregard who visited the position last week.  It is said they will make a stand at Island No. 10.  The rebels called Columbus the Gibralter of the West.

Wednesday, March 5, 1862

Kate came home from Marietta.  Gen. Banks has Charleston, Va., where John Brown was hung.  Is he cognizant of these events?  How small a matter was his "treason" compared with that of Wise who hung him.  He who sitteth in the heavens judging right will give to each his reward.

Tuesday, March 4, 1862

Last night was a disagreeable, stormy night.  I could not sleep listening to the cold wind and thinking of the soldiers exposed to the inclement weather.  If indeed they are fighting at Manassas what will become of the poor wounded ones.  A year ago Lincoln was inaugurated, -- what an eventful year!

Monday, March 3, 1862

Mr. Scott went on the cars this morning.  A very disagreeable day, raining and snowing.  Mr. Briggs called and said it was reported in town that there was fighting at Manasas, Saturday.  Sarah went through the mud and rain to W. D. Bailey's to find out more about it.  Nothing could be ascertained but that such a rumor was current in Marietta.  Firing of cannon at Parkersburg said to be for a victory at Winchester.  
Gen. Lander is dead.  He was wounded at Edwards Ferry some months ago but has been almost constantly engaged since not giving himself time to get well.  He was the bravest of the brave, perfectly reckless of personal danger.  His patriotism was the leading impulse of his life.  All true men will mourn his loss.


Peggy's comments:
Here is an article which appeared in Harper's Weekly about General Lander after his death.

Sabbath, March 2, 1862

Very stormy.  The whole earth covered with a coating of ice, every branch and twig is encased in the same which with the innumerable little icicles pendant therefrom give to tree and shrub a strange appearance.  The rain freezes as fast as it falls.  
Mr. Scott who spent last night at Mr. Briggs' came here and the storm continuing so as to prevent assembling at the meeting house, he spent the day here.  He is very anti-slavery.  I told him that I thought that the time had come when the honor of God's name required that He should show whether He was for slavery or against it, and I believed He would do it.  Mr. Scott thought that was saying a little too much.  I told him I could understand why God for two centuries should not interfere while the church and all Christian people when they spoke at all said it was a sin.  Our own Presbyterian church in 1818 said it was a sin and should be abolished.  But now the Southern Church claim that it is a Bible institution, ordained of God and we are to regard the slave trade abhorred by civilized man as a great missionary operation, and slavery as a school to bring Africans under the influence of the Gospel.  They say that God has placed slavery among them and they are doing the best they can with it, indeed are serving God with it.  If that is Christian doctrine then I have read my Bible in vain. The Southern Church has apostatized from the faith.

Saturday, March 1, 1862

Pleasant but cold.  Lizzie here.