Sabbath July 28

God grant that War may cease in the land for this holy day at least.  A very heavy thunderstorm this morning.  After it Lizzie and I went to meeting.  Bennet C. Bailey read the sermon from the text "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come".  Mr. Heath came up to bring home the plates in which Lizzie sent pies and cakes yesterday, and to tell us goodbye and to thank us in the name of this squad for our kindness.  They expect to go in the morning.  We do not know who are to take their places.  I hope William will get home this week.  Congress talks of adjourning, but still holds on.

Saturday July 27

It is said that a dispatch from Rosecrans reached Marietta this morning stating that Gen. Cox was occupying Charleston.  I hope it is true.  Later, today's Gazette says Wise retreated without giving battle.   His conduct in the Kanawha Valley has been atrocious, not calculated to win friends to secession but to strengthen union feeling.  The traitors are now driven back from Western Virginia but I fear they will not stay whipped.  They have little cause to glory in the Manassas fight.  In a position they had been fortifying for weeks, their troops numbering three to one of ours, fighting behind their defences, masked batteries and rifle pits with cavalry &c. were boldly attacked by our troops & driven back two miles.  Our troops always in a fair fight and open field proving their superiority, performing deeds of wondrous valor under circumstances almost hopeless.  No men could excell Ellsworth's Zouaves in daring.  So of the 69" N. Y. and many other regiments, our own Ohio boys did good service, losing 35 killed and wounded in the Ohio 2" and 146 missing, probably prisoners, some perhaps dead.  No doubt the rebel loss has been too severe to leave much room for rejoicing.  Gen. Bartow of Georgia and Gen. Bee of S. Carolina are killed.  The Lynchburg regiments were cut to pieces.  Wade Hampton's South Carolina regiment and two others from that State and Bartow's fine regiment of Georgians nearly annihilated.  The Georgia, Oglethrop L. F. regiments suffered severely, a large number of officers killed.  Of our troops, the New York 69" (Irish) the fire Zouaves N. Y. & 71
 N. Y. suffered severely.  the 1", 2" & 3" Connecticut, 1s Regulars composed of the 2", 3" and 8" Companies, 250 Marines and the 8" and 14" N. Y. Militia, 1" & 2" Rhode Island 2" New Hampshire, 5" Massachusetts, 1s Minnesota 1s & 2s Michigan, 11", 12", 38" N. York, 2", 4" & 5" Maine and 2" Vermont, 1" & 2" Ohio &c. were engaged in this bloody battle.  How many lives were actually lost on either side we shall never know.  Our own loss has been estimated so variously that we can only guess the truth.  The statements vary from 5000 to 300.  I have no doubt the loss was large.  God forgive us that we have seemed to forget the He is King, that we have failed to honor him and obey his laws.  I have felt like crying out as Joshua did after the defeat at Ai "O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!"  I am more afraid of God's displeasure than of all the hosts of the South.

Peggy's comments:
The Battle at Manassas Junction/Bull Run was clearly a loss for the Union.  Casualty numbers vary with the source, but it appears that on the Union side, 460 were killed, 1,124 wounded, and 1,312 captured or missing.  For the South, 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, and 13 captured or missing.

Friday July 26

Mr. Burgess and William Erwin here to dinner.  
This morning the Ohio 19" regiment passed up returning from the War.  This regiment under Col. Beattie was at the Rich Mountain fight and acted admirably, strictly obeying orders.  They poured into the enemy two well directed volleys doing great execution.  Some of the captured rebels said "They did not much mind the charge of the Indianians but they could not stand before the regular troops", referring to the Ohio 19" who from the steadiness and precision with which they fired were mistaken for a corps of the regular army.
The Washington county regiment it is believed will be raised.  Eight companies have already signified a wish to belong to it.  Esq. Moore from the Tunnel is getting up a company.  Col. Barnett's Cleveland Artillery are now at Camp Chase, Columbus.  They will reenlist for the war.
From all the accounts of both parties I am convinced that there was no lack of bravery in our soldiers, at Manassas.  The charges they made were most brilliant, scarcely ever surpassed.  Thank God, our countrymen are not cowards. When sure they are right, they go ahead.  The effect upon the public mind of the retreat of our men has been to stir up the military ardor to the highest pitch.  Lt. Gen. Scott will have as many men as he wants.

Thursday July 25

A letter from William speaks of the battle of Bulls Run on Saturday.  Secretary Cameron had given him a pass into Virginia to see the fight, but he observes in a letter subsequent that he was too busy to go though many of the members went.  I am sorry to see that Sec. Cameron lost a brother in the fight at Manassas.  Colonel Cameron.  His body has not been found.  Every heart is sad over the catastrophe, sorry for the dead and wounded, sorry for the mourner, sorry that God's holy day was thus desecrated, sorry for the dishonor of our troops in their head-long fight.  God permits us to be thus humbled that we may realize more fully our dependence on Him and our own unworthiness.  Painful particulars are today published.
A storm is brewing on the Great Kanawha.  Gov. Wise is being largely reinforced and a battle near Charleston may soon be expected.  A number of our regiments and those of Indiana are now going home.  I trust, however, that Gen'ls Cox & Rosecrans will receive such reinforcements as will enable them to keep the enemy at bay.  Gen. M'Clellan has gone to Washington.  May God make him as successful there as he has been in western Virginia.  The Ohio 14" under Col. Steadman has now gone home, their time being out.  This regiment from the north west corner of the state has done good service and won laurels for itself.  They bore the brunt of the battle at Carricks Ford on Cheat river.  It is said that two thirds of all our regiments will re-inlist.  Col Norton has been released on parole.  He is severely wounded, but is now among friends.
We feel anxious to hear more from Charlestown.  A defeat of our forces there would probably precipitate the enemy upon Parkersburg and perhaps upon the Ohio border.  
Ephe got home from Amesville today.  Spent last night in Marietta.  He says William has procured the acceptance of a Washington Co. regiment if they can be raised in fifteen days.  
A letter from Annie Dean says the Mr. & Mrs. Munsell have gone back to Illinois and will go in the fall to Kansas where he has bought a small farm near Baldwin City.




Peggy's comments:
It amazes me that passes were issued by the Secretary of War so that Congressmen could view a battle!  Citizens did, however, used to view Revolutionary War battles.

The upcoming battle in the Kanawha valley in Virginia was worrisome to Julia.  Gov. Wise had been the governor of Virginia, had resigned when Virginia seceded and then joined the Confederate Army as a General.

Annie Dean was Julia's niece (the daughter of Julia's half-sister Mary Cutler).  Mrs. Munsell, also a niece, was Mary, Annie's sister.

Wednesday July 24

This is little Annie's birthday, eight years old, just the age my Father was at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  He retained to the day of his death a vivid recollection of many things connected with those stirring events.  So probably will she of these times of strife and trouble.  
I spent most of the day with Maggie.  Mr. Heath, the sergeant at Camp Cole, came up to see Mr. Chatfield, and staid to dinner.  Eliza Coons & Fanny Wicks were also here.
Today's papers put a better face on the Manassas fight.  Our troops fought bravely and well, until the panic began, occasioned by a rush of the teamsters, civilians &c. and by an unexpected attack of rebel cavalry.  Our loss, killed outright is less than first stated.  It is thought not to exceed 600.  The rebels themselves suffered as severely as we, perhaps more so.  Dispatches from Richmond say 2000 killed.  It was one of the severest battles ever fought in America.  The whole country is aroused.  Already reinforcements are on the way to Washington.  Gen. McClellan is summoned to the Capitol to take command of the Grand Army.
Kate received a letter from Rufus full of ardent patriotism.  He says he knows he has the love and confidence of his men.  They are resolved to stand by each other.  Each one of them would die for him as he would cheerfully for them.  They will see servie soon as the government will order forward all the regiments already equipped immediately, to repair the disastrous retreat from Manassas.


Peggy's comments:

Sarah & Annie Cutler

Little Annie was Julia's niece, the daughter of William & Lizzie Cutler.  Her grandfather, Ephraim Cutler, (Julia's father), was born in Connecticut and raised by his grandfather.  Julia and her brother William later collected the journals and letters of Ephraim Cutler which were published in 1890

Ephraim Cutler

I am most interested in the political and social history of the Civil War and not so keen on learning a great deal about the battles.  Much has been written about the battles, however, and is easily discovered by a google search.  Here is a brief synopsis of the Battle of Bull Run (as the Union referred to it or the Battle at Manassas Junction as the Confederates refer to it).  The number of Union troops killed, wounded or missing was 2,950 and the number of Southern troops was estimated to be 1,750-2,000.  The following quote is from the National Park Service:

General Irvin McDowell's army of 35,000 Union troops marched from Washington, D.C. toward the railroad junction at Manassas. Here the Orange & Alexandria Railroad met the Manassas Gap Railroad, which led west to the Shenandoah Valley. Twenty-two thousand Southern soldiers under the command of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard guarded the area, waiting for an attack. On July 21, 1861, the two armies met on the fields overlooking a small stream named Bull Run. Meanwhile, on July 20th and 21st, 10,000 additional Southern troops arrived via the Manassas Gap Railroad. After hours of battle, the newly arrived southern units forced the exhausted and discouraged Union soldiers to withdraw back to Washington, D.C.

Rufus Dawes, Julia's nephew, had been working for his father in Wisconsin and had organized a company of troops, who then elected him Captain.  This company was officially mustered into the service of the United States on July 16.  Rufus' company proceeded towards Washington by way of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Rufus R. Dawes, 1861

Tuesday July 23

Eph. has gone to Amesville to look after matters there.  The telegraphic reports from M'Dowell's column at Manassas Junction today are very disheartening.  We hope that they are not true.  It is said that our troops are driven back in great disorder and their artillery fallen into the hands of the rebels.  The fire Zouaves of New York cut to pieces, Col. Farnham and Lt. Col. killed.  Also 69' Regiment from New York suffered greatly.  Though cast down, I am not dismayed.  I still believe God is for us.   He it is that shall tread down our enemies.  He is teaching us not to put our trust in an arm of flesh, but to look upward to the hills whence our help cometh.  It cannot be that God by his almighty power will uphold the slave power, that "sum of all villainies".  His truth and honor it seems to me are engaged to save "the right".  "Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him".
A letter from Clara.  How my heart aches for her.  She mourns for her darling Lucy as mothers only mourn, yet with Christian submission.  There are four letters from William today.  He longs to be at home again.
Prof. E. B. Andrews came here to tea.  We all attended his lecture on the military movements of Gen. M'Clellan at Rich Mountain, Laurel Hill &c., and were very much interested, 40 or so soldiers were present, house well filled.
The train loads of returned soldiers passed up during the evening, said to be the Ohio 15" Col. G. W. Andrews.  Their time is out.


Peggy's comments:
Throughout history, various groups have believed God was on their side in war.  Julia seems to be struggling with the news of the Union army's losses at Bull Run and her conviction that the God she believed in could not possibly be on the side of slavery.  In writing that slavery is "the sum of all villainies", Julia quotes the founder of the Methodist Church, Englishman John Wesley.  Wesley had traveled to the colony of Georgia in 1735 to bring Christianity to the Indians.  He was not very successful in that pursuit, but while in Georgia he witnessed brutality to slaves.  In 1775, he published his reasoned discussion "Thoughts on Slavery"  and continued to write and speak against slavery all of his life.  His last letter was to John Wilberforce a member of Parliament, in which he refers to slavery as "execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature."    In 1807, England banned slave trade.  Wesley's tracts were widely read and quoted.

Clara is Julia's younger sister whose only daughter Lucy had died the previous month at the age of 4.  William, Julia's brother, is in D.C. serving in Congress.

The soldiers whose "time is out" were some of the early volunteers who signed up for three months of service.

Monday July 22

Exciting rumors are afloat today about the action at Manassas Junction.  A heavy loss of life but nothing very positive.  Our troops are said to have driven the rebels two miles and have taken their batteries, so far, but with a loss of 3000 killed and wounded.  The loss of the enemy unknown but thought to be severe.  We can only pray that "God himself will be with us for our Captain" and fight for us and save us.
Ephe came down from town this morning bringing with him Mr. Chatfield a member of the Michigan Coldwater Artillery, who has been very sick in hospital with typhoid fever, but is now slowly recovering.  We hope that a week in the country will benefit him.  He spent last week at Mrs. Dawes'.  Lucy went home this morning having spent last night with Maggie.  She & Kate went this morning to the graveyard to see the stone lately put up at Henry M. Dawes' grave, at Lucy's expense.


Peggy's comments:
Julia's use of the word "exciting" shows how word meanings change over the years.  While we now think of exciting news or excitement as something positive, 150 years ago the word was generally used to mean chaotic or causing mental or emotional agitation.

News travelled by telegraph dispatch and by newspaper but was not instantaneous.  Early reports were frequently incorrect.  The battle at Manassas Junction (Bull Run) occurred the day before this journal entry on July 21 so news was just beginning to reach Julia.

Henry M. Dawes was Julia's nephew, the older brother of Kate, Lucy, Jane, Rufus, and Ephe Dawes.  A lawyer in Marietta, Henry became ill and died the previous August at the age of 28.

Henry Manasseh Dawes