Union occupation: “the Zouaves swarmed in like Devils, yelling, whooping, & screaming.” #civilwar150

November 9, 1862 [part 2]

Our first destination was the plantation, there to attend to the welfare of our negroes, & next to father’s to give what aid & assistance lay in our power.  I packed up our clothing, books—that is our most valuable ones–& made such disposition of them as I deemed proper, getting some things ready to send to Raleigh & Hillsboro, others to remain with us.  I was mortified to find that anxiety or sleeplessness had made me really sick, so that if was with difficulty I could eat.  This I forced myself to do & with many reproaches to my own weakness went on with my packing.  About eleven Mr E went to our neighbor’s Mr Hill’s & found that he had already sent off his family & servants & was preparing to leave for his plantation himself!  I packed up Rachel’s things & a bundle for James E, having a good opportunity of sending it on to him; & about two we left Hascosea perhaps forever—as being on the high road between Hill’s Ferry & Weldon (their probable destination), there is little doubt that should they penetrate so far it will fall a victim to their love of plunder & destructions.

I do not tell all I did, for time would fail me, & besides I can never forget it, so will not need this to remind me.  Suffice it to say that at Looking Glass we made the best dispositions we could, telling the negroes how to comport themselves & what to do in case of the enemy’s occupation, promising not to leave them, & came here to father, who was most happy to see us.

This was on Wednesday the 5^th.  Our dispatches, of which we received two every day, have varied from hopeful to despondant ever since.  It is needless to record them all.  On Thursday Mr E went to Clarksville to attempt to organize a Co for local defence but failed, there being but few there willing to join him.  Capt Clements read him a ltter from his siter, Mrs Kinchin Taylor, telling him of the outrages they committed at her house.  She said the Zouaves swarmed in like Devils, yelling, whooping, & screaming.  Her negro servant, Ness, drew a knife & took his station by her telling them that he would kill the first man who laid a finger upon her.  Noble conduct, as all who know how timid the race is generally will admit.  They sacked the house, threw everything out of it, breaking every thing that could break & chopping the furniture to pieces!  They built a fire out of doors, cut up the corn crop & threw it on it, killed all the fattening Hogs, sheep, cattle, & cows & threw them also into it.  They took her carriage & every horse on the premises, telling her that they would have burned the house but that she was in it.  She went herself on foot to their headquarters, saw General Foster, the officer in command, & requested that her horses might be returned to her.  He looked & spoke so cross that she feared him, but his Aid, to his praise be it spoken, Capt George Anderson of Boston interceded & obtained one horse for her.  Her carriage was also returned with the harness cut into bits.  He (Capt A), when he saw the desolation & destruction wrought in her house, actually wept!  His tears did him credit.  I did not think a Yankee capable of it!  Let him now only resign the service of such a Government & he may yet do well.

At Mr John Williams they burned his  Gin, Screw, & all his cotton and leather.  Mr E had this from Mrs Williams herself.  What fiends!  & what useless barbarity, a barbarity which God will punish!  We have been thus anxious ever since, one account encouraging, the next discouraging us, accordingly as they reported favourably or otherwise of their advance.

On Friday the 7^th we opened our eyes upon a heavy fall of snow!—the earliest ever known in this climate.  I could not enjoy the unusual & brilliant spectacle of the autumn leaves, crimson, yellow, & orange covered with a fleecy Veil.  I was too uneasy & fearful lest the snow should raise the River & allow the Gunboats which we heard were aground on Williams bar to get off.  On Friday came brother, less despondant at first, it appeared, than usual, but we soon found his calmness partook of the nature of despair.  Mr E & himself arranged to go & offer their services to the Comdg-Gen & the Gov as Volunteer Aids & today they left for the head quarters of our Army, now said to number thirteen Regts, but we do not credit it.  We suppose an advance is to be made simultaneously with this from Suffolk & look anxiously for news, but as yet none seems to be threatened.  Brother has sent to Richmond for Annie, fearing our R R communication may be cut off.  I am so sleepy that I will go to bed now & leave the outside news, i.e., news from all but this corner of the Confederacy until tomorrow.  Mr E keeps me in better order when he is at home.  Were he here I should have been asleep long ago.  I am not half done yet.

Source: Edmondston, Catherine Ann Devereux, 1823-1875, Journal of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston 1860-1866. Crabtree, Beth G and Patton, James W., (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979). http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/478.html

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How I pity the families in the garden spot of Virginia! Suddenly driven outcasts from their happy homes #cw150

July 7, 1862

The enemy in the fork of Chickahominy & James, a strong natural position, which he is strengthening.  We must either attack at great disadvantage or fall back.  Westover and Berkely are the scene of their ravages now.  Their tents dot the river for miles & there is a desolate wilderness behind them.  How I pity the families in the garden spot of Va!  Hitherto War has not come near them.  One week ago and their crops were smiling with plenteousness, the Wheat Harvest had commenced & secure in their remote situation with impossible swamps, without roads, too, between them and the enemy, they dwelt at home & viewed from far the horrors of war.  Suddenly with one swoop they found themselves environed with blood & carnage, their houses pillaged, their crops destroyed, their stock killed, their fences gone, & they driven outcasts from their happy homes.  God be with them & support them in this time of trial!  Ah! for the Virginia.  Were she still afloat McClellan would have capitulated in the Swamp of the Chickahominy instead of entrenching himself, a new thorn in our side.

The N Y Herald admits the fact of Intervention, but that is such a lying sheet that we do not trust it.  Probably he has some stocks which he either wishes to raise or depreciate & hence his admission. Vicksburg still holds out, but our eyes are so bent on Richmond that we see scarcely anything else.  The enemy have abandoned James Island, it is supposed to reinforce McClellan, so Charleston feels the first good effect of the repulse we have given him at Richmond. Lincoln calls for 300,000 more troops.  Will he get them?

Source: Edmondston, Catherine Ann Devereux, 1823-1875, Journal of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston 1860-1866. Crabtree, Beth G and Patton, James W., (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979). http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/478.html

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“Prisoners of Hope”! #civilwar150

May 10, 1862

“Prisoners of Hope”! yes we are indeed prisoners but to a most delightful tho delusive jailor.  We have become quid nuncs & watch the papers to see what more we can find to feed our hopes on, that is to rivet our chains with.

The skirmish nearWilliamsburgwas a most brilliant one.  The enemy admit a loss of 600 prisoners, killed wounded & yet claim a victory because they held the filed which we did not want & were retreating from when they attempted to arrest us.  Between West Point and New Kent Court House at Barhamsville in another skirmish we repulsed them three times & finally drove them to their gun boats, but the evacuation ofNorfolkis moer than we can understand.  It seems to us madness & folly.  The Captain of a Steamer sent from Norfolk to Seawell’s Point to bring off a Columbiad there, a Yankee named Byers, instead of obeying orders, turned traitor & steamed down to Fortress Monroe & gave information to Gen Wool of our intended &, in fact, half executed evacuation.  In consequence two Frigates, two Iron Clads, & some Gun boats came up and made an attack on the Batteries at Seawell’s Point; but the Merrimac, getting up steam, came out of the Harbour, but no sooner was she seen rounding the Point off Craney Island than Hey!  Presto!—the Yankee ships vanished & left her without an opponent.

Burnside it is rumoured is aiming at the R R at Wilson.  The Cotton in that section is fortunately all burnt and if Gen Holmes uses his troops well—we have nothing to fear in that quarter.

Intimations of recognition from France.  Suffering great in England for the want of Cotton.  Reversing the Divine will of one suffering for many, there many suffer for the fault of one!  Yours, my Lord Russel!

The [Thirteenth] N C Regt was terribly cut up at Williamsburg.  This is the Regt which thought of running Patrick for its Col on the Promotion of Pender & with whom he would not electioneer, despite his being urged to it, thinking it out of a Soldiers duty to be running after promotion.  How much suffering & anxiety have I been spared!—& this is not the only instance, for had the Sec of War placed him, as the Gov requested, in command of the remnant of the Hatteras Regt, he would have been in the disastrous fight at Roanoke Island.  And again, had the Governor’s wishes been carried out he would have been placed in command of Fort Macon on Bridgers retirement & the gallant & hopeless task of its defense would have fallen upon him & he now be, if he had escaped, chafing on his parole.  What short sighted mortals we are!  Can we never learn that God ordains every thing and that He alone knows what is best for us?  Let me learn the lesson now before the disappointment about the battalion comes and know that after he has done his utmost there should be no repining because God brings it to naught.

Source: Edmondston, Catherine Ann Devereux, 1823-1875, Journal of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston 1860-1866. Crabtree, Beth G and Patton, James W., (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979). http://nc-historical-publications.stores.yahoo.net/478.html

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Eastern NC: move your cotton, tobacco, and naval stores “otherwise they will be destroyed by the military authorities” #cw150

March 21, 1862

 DESTRUCTION OF CROPS IN NORTH CAROLINA

 We learn that our military commanders of the South are taking measures for the destruction of private property likely to fall into the hands of the enemy.  It is proposed in all cases that admit of such warning to give notification to the planters to remove their crops within a specified time to place of security.  General orders are said to have been signed by the Secretary of War for the removal within the military department of North Carolina of all cotton, tobacco and naval stores east of the Wilmington and Weldon railroad.  Such of the above-mentioned products as are in exposed position are required to be removed at once or secured by the 25th inst., otherwise they will be destroyed by the military authorities.

 Richmond Examiner

Source: Suffolk Christian Sun, March 21, 1862, as found in Confederate Newspaper Project

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