Troops pour into Richmond.--Beginning of hostilities.--Gen. Lee made a
full general.--Major-Gen. Polk.--A battle expected at Manassas.
JUNE 1ST.--In the absence of the Secretary, I arranged the furniture as
well as I could, and took possession of the five offices I had selected.
But no business, of course, could be done before his arrival. Yet an
immense mass of business was accumulating--letters by the hundreds were
demanding attention.
And I soon found, as the other Secretaries came in, that some
dissatisfaction was likely to grow out of the appropriation by the
Secretary of War of the best offices. Mr. Toombs said the "war office"
might do in any ordinary building; but that the Treasury should
appropriately occupy the custom-house, which was fireproof. For his own
department, he said he should be satisfied with a room or two anywhere.
But my arrangement was not countermanded by the President, to whom I
referred all objectors. His decision was to be final--and he did not
decide against it. I had given him excellent quarters; and I knew he was
in the habit of having frequent interviews both with the Secretary of
War and the Adjutant-General, and this would be inconvenient if they
were in different buildings.
JUNE 2D.--My wife had a little gold among her straightened finances; and
having occasion to purchase some article of dress, she obtained seven
and a half per cent. premium. The goods began to go up in price, as
paper money fell in value. At Montgomery I bought a pair of fine French
boots for $10 in gold--but packed my old ones in the top of my trunk. I
was under the necessity, likewise, of buying a linen coat, which cost
only $3.50. What will be the price of such commodities a year hence if
the blockade continues? It is fearful to contemplate! And yet it ought
to be considered. Boarding is rising rapidly, and so are the
blood-thirsty insects at the Carleton House.
JUNE 3D.--The Secretary arrived to-day, sick; and was accompanied by
Major Tyler, himself unwell. And troops are beginning to arrive in
considerable numbers. The precincts of the city will soon be a series of
encampments. The regiments are drilled here, and these mostly forwarded
to Manassas, where a battle must soon occur, if the enemy, now in
overwhelming numbers, should advance. The Northern papers say the Yankee
army will celebrate the 4th of July in Richmond. _Nous verrons._ But no
doubt hostilities have commenced. We have accounts of frightful
massacres in Missouri, by German mercenaries. Hampton has been occupied
by the enemy, a detachment having been sent from Fortress Monroe for
that purpose. They also hold Newport News on the Peninsula. There are
rumors of a fight at Philippi. One Col. Potterfield was _surprised_. If
this be so, there is no excuse for him. I think the President will make
short work of incompetent commanders. Now a blunder is worse than a
crime.
JUNE 4TH.--The Secretary is still sick. Having nothing better to do, and
seeing that eight-tenths of the letters received are merely applications
for commissions in the regular army--an organization without men--and
none being granted from civil life, I employed myself writing certain
articles for the press, hoping by this means to relieve the Secretary of
the useless and painful labor of dictating negative replies to
numberless communications. This had the sanction of both the President
and the Secretary, and produced, in some measure, the desired relief.
JUNE 5TH.--There are rumors of a fight down at Pig's Point to-day; and
it is said our battery has torn the farthingale of the Harriet Lane
pretty extensively. The cannon was heard by persons not many miles east
of the city. These are the mutterings of the storm. It will burst some
of these days.
JUNE 6TH.--We have hard work at the War Department, and some confusion
owing to the loss of a box of papers in transitu from Montgomery. I am
not a betting man, but I would wager a trifle that the contents of the
box are in the hands of some correspondent of the New York _Herald_ or
_Tribune_. Our careless people think that valor alone will win the day.
The Yankees desire, above all things, _information_ of our condition and
movements, of which they will take advantage. We must learn by
dear-bought experience.
JUNE 7TH.--We have a Chief of the Bureau of War, a special favorite, it
is said, of Mr. Davis. I went into the Secretary's room (I now occupy
one adjoining), and found a portly gentleman in a white vest sitting
alone. The Secretary was out, and had not instructed the new officer
what to do. He introduced himself to me, and admitted that the Secretary
had not assigned him to duty. I saw at a glance how the land lay. It was
Col. A. T. Bledsoe, lately of the University of Virginia; and he had
been appointed by the President, _not_ upon the recommendation of the
Secretary. Here was a muss not larger than a mustard-seed; but it might
_grow_, for I knew well how sensitive was the nature of the Secretary;
and he had not been consulted. And so I took it upon myself to be
cicerone to the stranger. He was very grateful,--for a long time. Col. B.
had graduated at West Point in the same class with the President and
Bishop Polk, and subsequently, after following various pursuits, being
once, I believe, a preacher, became settled as a teacher of mathematics
at the University of Virginia. The colonel stayed near me, aiding in the
work of answering letters; but after sitting an hour, and groaning
repeatedly when gazing at the mass of papers constantly accumulating
before us, he said he believed he would take a number of them to his
lodging and answer them there. I saw nothing more of him during the day.
And once or twice, when the Secretary came in, he looked around for him,
but said nothing. Finally I informed him what I had done; and, without
signifying an assent, he merely remarked that there was no room in his
office for him.
JUNE 8TH.--This morning Col. Bledsoe came in with his letters, some
fifty in number, looking haggard and worn. It was, indeed, a vast
number. But with one of his humorous smiles, he said they were short. He
asked me to look over them, and I found them mainly appropriate
responses to the letters marked for answer, and pretty closely in
accordance with the Secretary's dictation. In one or two instances,
however, he had been unable to decipher the Secretary's most difficult
chirography--for he had no idea of punctuation. In these instances he
had wholly misconceived the meaning, and the replies were exactly the
reverse of what they were intended to be. These he tore up, and wrote
others before submitting any to the Secretary.
I had only written some thirty letters; but mine were longer--longer
than there was any necessity for. I told the colonel that the Secretary
had a partiality for "full" letters, especially when addressing any of
his friends; and that Major Tyler, who had returned, and was then
sitting with the Secretary, rarely dismissed one from his pen under less
than three pages. The colonel smiled, and said when there was nothing
further to say, it was economy to say nothing. He then carried his
letters into the Secretary's office, clearing his throat according to
custom on passing a door. I trembled for him; for I knew Mr. Walker had
an aversion to signing his name to letters of merely two or three lines.
He returned again immediately, saying the Secretary was busy. He left
the letters, however.
Presently Major Tyler came out of the Secretary's room with several
voluminous letters in his own handwriting, duly signed. The major
greeted the colonel most cordially; and in truth his manners of a
gentleman are so innate that I believe it would be utterly impossible
for him to be clownish or rude in his address, if he were to make a
serious effort to be so.
The major soon left us and re-entered the Secretary's office; but
returned immediately bearing the colonel's fifty letters, which he
placed before him and then retired. The very first one the colonel's eye
rested upon, brought the color to his face. Every line in it had been
effaced, and quite a different answer substituted in pencil marks
between the lines! "I wrote that," said the colonel, "according to his
own dictation." And as every letter carried in its fold the one to which
it was a reply, he exhibited the Secretary's words in pencil marks. The
colonel was right. The Secretary had omitted the little word "not"; and
hence the colonel had written to the Georgian: "Your company of cavalry
is accepted." The Secretary refused almost uniformly to accept cavalry,
and particularly Georgia cavalry. I took blame to myself for not
discovering this blunder previously. But the colonel, with his rapid
pen, soon wrote another answer. About one-half the letters had to be
written over again; and the colonel, smiling, and groaning, and
perspiring so extravagantly that he threw off his coat, and occupied
himself several hours in preparing the answers in accordance with the
Secretary's corrections. And when they were done, Mr. S. S. Scott, who
was to copy them in the letter-book, complimented the colonel on their
brevity. In response to this, the colonel said, unfortunately, he wished
he, Scott, were the secretary. Scott abused every one who wrote a long
letter.
JUNE 9TH.--To-day the Secretary refused to sign the colonel's letters,
telling him to sign them himself--"by order of the Secretary of War."
JUNE 10TH.--Yesterday the colonel did not take so many letters to
answer; and to-day he looked about him for other duties more congenial
to his nature.
JUNE 11TH.--It is coming in earnest! The supposed thunder, heard down
the river yesterday, turns out to have been artillery. A fight has
occurred at Bethel, and blood--Yankee blood--has flowed pretty freely.
Magruder was assailed by some five thousand Yankees at Bethel, on the
Peninsula. His force was about nine hundred; but he was behind
intrenchments. We lost but one man killed and five wounded. The enemy's
loss is several hundred. That road to Richmond is a hard one to travel!
But I learn there is a panic about Williamsburg. Several young men from
that vicinity have shouldered their _pens_ and are applying for
clerkships in the departments. But most of the men of proper age in the
literary institutions are volunteering in defense of their native land.
JUNE 12TH.--Gen. Lee has been or is to be created a full general in the
Confederate army, and will be assigned to duty here. He is third on the
list, Sydney Johnston being second. From all I can see and infer, we
shall make no attempt this year to invade the enemy's country. Our
policy is to be defensive, and it will be severely criticised, for a
vast majority of our people are for "carrying the war into Africa"
without a moment's delay. The sequel will show which is right, the
government or the people. At all events, the government will rule.
JUNE 13TH.--Only one of the Williamsburg volunteers came into the
department proper; and he will make his way, for he is a flatterer. He
told me he had read my "Wild Western Scenes" twice, and never was so
much entertained by any other book. He went to work with hearty
good-will.
JUNE 14TH.--Col. Bledsoe has given up writing almost entirely, but he
groans as much as ever. He is like a fish out of water, and unfit for
office.
JUNE 15TH.--Another clerk has been appointed; a sedate one, by the name
of Shepherd, and a former pupil of the colonel's.
I received several hints that the Chief of the Bureau was not at all a
favorite with the Secretary, who considered him utterly unfit for the
position; and that it could hardly be _good policy_ for me to be on
terms of such intimacy with him. Policy! A word I never appreciated, a
thing I never knew. All I know is that Col. Bledsoe has been appointed
by the President to fill an important position; and the same power
appoints the secretaries, and can unmake them. Under these circumstances
I find him permitted to sit for hours and days in the department with no
one to inform him of the condition of the business or to facilitate him
in the performance of his official duties. Not for any partiality in his
behalf, or prejudice against the Secretary, I step forward and endeavor
to discharge my own duty. I strive to serve the cause, whatsoever may be
the consequences to my personal interests.
JUNE 16TH.--To-day, receiving dispatches from General Floyd, in Western
Virginia, that ten thousand Yankees were advancing through Fayette
County, and might intercept railroad communication between Richmond and
Chattanooga--the Secretary got me to send a telegraphic dispatch to his
family to repair hither without delay, for _military_ reasons. About
this time the Secretary's health gave way again, and Major Tyler had
another fit of indisposition totally disqualifying him for business.
Hence I have nearly all the correspondence of the department on my
hands, since Col. Bledsoe has ceased to write.
JUNE 17TH.--To-day there was a rumor in the streets that Harper's Ferry
had been evacuated by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and, for the first time,
I heard murmurs against the government. So far, perhaps, no Executive
had ever such cordial and unanimous support of the people as President
Davis. I knew the motive of the evacuation, and prepared a short
editorial for one of the papers, suggesting good reasons for the
retrograde movement; and instancing the fact that when Napoleon's
capital was surrounded and taken, he had nearly 200,000 men in garrison
in the countries he had conquered, which would have been ample for the
defense of France. This I carried to the Secretary at his lodgings, and
he was so well pleased with it he wanted me to accompany him to the
lodgings of the President, in the same hotel, and show it to him. This
I declined, alleging it might be too late for the press. He laughed at
my diffidence, and disinclination on such occasions to approach the
President. I told him my desire was to serve the _cause_, and not
myself. I suppose he was incredulous.
JUNE 18TH.--The city is content at the evacuation. The people have
unbounded confidence in the wisdom of the administration, and the
ability of our generals. Beauregard is the especial favorite. The
soldiers, now arming daily, are eager for the fray; and it is understood
a great battle must come off before many weeks; as it is the
determination of the enemy to advance from the vicinity of Washington,
where they are rapidly concentrating. But our people must curb their
impatience. And yet we dare not make known the condition of the
army,--the awful fact which may be stated here--and will not be known
until after-years,--that we have not enough ammunition at Manassas to
fight a battle. _There are not percussion caps enough in our army for a
serious skirmish._ It will be obviated in a few weeks; and until then I
pray there may be no battle. But if the enemy advance, our brave men
will give them the cold steel. We _must_ win the first battle at all
hazards, and at any cost; and, after that,--how long after?--we must win
the last!
JUNE 19TH.--Yesterday I saw Colonel Bartow, still accompanied by young
Lamar, his aid. I wish all our officers were inspired by the same zeal
and determination that they are. And are they not?
JUNE 20TH.--Gov. Wise has been appointed brigadier-general, of a
subsequent date to General Floyd's commission. He goes to the West,
where laurels grow; but I think it will be difficult to win them by any
one acting in a subordinate capacity, and especially by generals
appointed from civil life. They are the aversion of the West Pointers at
the heads of bureaus.
JUNE 21ST.--A large, well-proportioned gentleman with florid complexion
and intellectual face, who has been whispering with Col. Bledsoe several
times during the last week, attracted my attention to-day. And when he
retired, Colonel B. informed me it was Bishop Polk, a classmate of his
and the President's at West Point. He had just been appointed a
_major_-general, and assigned to duty in the West, where he would rank
Gen. Pillow, who was exceedingly unpopular in Adjutant-Gen. Cooper's
office. I presume this arose solely from mistrust of his military
abilities; for he had certainly manifested much enthusiasm in the cause,
and was constantly urging the propriety of aggressive movements with his
command. All his purposed advances were countermanded. The policy of the
government is to be economical of the men. We have but a limited, the
enemy an inexhaustible number.
JUNE 22D.--The Convention has appointed ten additional members to the
Provisional Congress--President Tyler among them. It will be observed
that my Diary goes on, including every day. Fighting for our homes and
holy altars, there is no intermission on Sunday. It is true, Mr.
Memminger came in the other day with a proposition to cease from labor
on Sunday, but our Secretary made war on it. The President, however,
goes to church very regularly--St. Paul's.
On last Sunday the President surprised me. It was before church time,
and I was working alone. No one else was in the large room, and the
Secretary himself had gone home, quite ill. I thought I heard some one
approaching lightly from behind, but wrote on without looking up; even
when he had been standing some time at the back of my chair. At length I
turned my head, and beheld the President not three feet from me. He
smiled, and said he was looking for a certain letter referred by him to
the Secretary. I asked the name of the writer, which he told me. I said
I had a distinct recollection of it, and had taken it into the Secretary
with other papers that morning. But the Secretary was gone. We then
proceeded into the Secretary's office in search of it. The Secretary's
habit was to take the papers from his table, and after marking on them
with his pencil the disposition he wished made of them, he threw them
helter-skelter into a large arm-chair. This chair now contained half a
bushel; and the President and I set to work in quest of the letter. We
removed them one by one; and as we progressed, he said with an impatient
smile, "it is always sure to be the last one." And so it was. Having
found it, he departed immediately; and soon after I saw him on his way
to church.
JUNE 23D.--Every day as soon as the first press of business is over, the
Secretary comes out of his office and taps me on the shoulder, and
invites me to ride with him in quest of a house. We go to those offered
for rent; but he cannot be suited.
JUNE 24TH.--To-day I was startled by the announcement from Col. Bledsoe
that he would resign soon, and that it was his purpose to ask the
President to appoint _me_ chief of the bureau in his place. I said I
preferred a less conspicuous position--and less labor--but thanked him.
He said he had no influence with the Secretary--an incontrovertible
fact; and that he thought he should return to the University. While we
were speaking, the President's messenger came in with a note to the
colonel; I did not learn the purport of it, but it put the colonel in a
good humor. He showed me the two first words: "Dear Bledsoe." He said
nothing more about resigning.
I must get more lucrative employment, or find something for my son to
do. The boarding of my family, alone, comes to more than my salary; and
the cost of everything is increasing.
JUNE 25TH.--More accounts of battles and massacres in Missouri and
Kansas. I never thought the Yankees would be permitted to ascend the
Missouri River. What has become of the marksmen and deer hunters of
Missouri? There has been also a fight at Leesburg, and one near Romney,
Va. Blood has been shed in all of them. These are the pattering drops
that must inevitably be succeeded by a torrent of blood!
JUNE 26TH.--The President revised one of my articles for the press
to-day, suggesting some slight modifications, which, perhaps, improved
it. It was not a political article; but designed exclusively to advance
the cause by inciting the people of Virginia and elsewhere to volunteer
_for the war_. Such volunteers are accepted, and ordered into active
service at once; whereas six and twelve months' men, unless they furnish
their own arms, are not accepted.
It is certain the United States intend to raise a grand army, to serve
for three years or the war. Short enlistments constituted the bane of
Washington's army; and this fact is reiterated a thousand times in his
extant letters.
There are a great many applications for clerkships in the departments by
teachers who have not _followed_ their _pupils_ to the army. Army and
naval officers, coming over at this late day, are commissioned in our
service. In regard to this matter, the President is supposed to know
best.
JUNE 27TH.--We have, I think, some 40,000 pretty well armed men in
Virginia, sent hither from other States. Virginia has--I know not how
many; but she should have at least 40,000 in the field. This will enable
us to cope with the Federal army of 70,000 volunteers, and the regular
forces they may hurl against us. But so far as this department is aware,
Virginia has not yet _two_ regiments in the service for three years, or
the war. And here the war will be sure to rage till the end!
JUNE 28TH.--We have a flaming comet in the sky. It comes unannounced,
and takes a northwestern course. I dreamed last night that I saw a great
black ball moving in the heavens, and it obscured the moon. The stars
were in motion, visibly, and for a time afforded the only light. Then a
brilliant halo illuminated the zenith like the quick-shooting
irradiations of the aurora borealis. And men ran in different
directions, uttering cries of agony. These cries, I remember distinctly,
came from _men_. As I gazed upon the fading and dissolving moon, I
thought of the war brought upon us, and the end of the United States
Government. My family were near, all of them, and none seemed alarmed or
distressed. I experienced no perturbation; but I awoke. I felt curious
to prolong the vision, but sleep had fled. I was gratified, however, to
be conscious of the fact that in this illusory view of the end of all
things sublunary, I endured no pangs of remorse or misgivings of the new
existence it seemed we were about to enter upon.
JUNE 29TH.--I cannot support my family here, on the salary I receive
from the government; and so they leave me in a few days to accept the
tendered hospitality of Dr. Custis, of Newbern, N. C., my wife's cousin.
JUNE 30TH.--My family engaged packing trunks. They leave immediately.