1862 January 7

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian clerk in the Quartermaster Dept, Staunton, Va.]

It is reported to-day that Gen. Loring has possession
of Romney, the Federalists having fled before him,
and that Gen. Jackson has gone on to Bath,
in Morgan county. There is a rumor also of a
fight near the latter place, in which our arms
were successful. There has undoubtedly been
some skirmishing in that quarter, but we have
no authentic or detailed account of it. My old
friend James D. Armstrong, of Romney, who
came up with me to Supper, discredits the report
as to Loring’s whereabouts. He gives a sad ac-
count of the depredations and oppressions prac-
ticed by the Yankees in Hampton county, but
says the outrages are having a good effect upon
the people, in ridding them people of all remains
of sympathy for the Yankee government. A
letter from Lewisburg says the people of that
region are in arms against the invaders, and
intend to resist them to the last. The militia came
out, waiting for the arrival of the 22nd Regiment,
when they contemplated a movement against the
Federal troops in an adjoining county. The South-
ern rights men of Braxton Co. have rallied &
burnt Sutton, the county seat, where the Fed-
eralists had located themselves. – After
Armstrong left to-night, Arch Alexander
came up, and is spending the night here. He
is on his way to Richmond. I saw a beauty-
ful pair of gloves to-day knit from the wool
of rabbits! They were as smooth as fine lamb’s
wool, and undied [sic]– a dove, or lead, color.

MSS 38-258