1862 February 11 [Staunton, Va.]

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

Tuesday night, Feb. 11, 1862
Another dreary day! The intelligence of yester-
day is fully confirmed, with the addition that
the Federalists have certainly ascended the Tennessee
river as far as Florence, Alabama. Just before the
cars arrived the news flew through town that a
dispatch had come, stating that only 100 of our men
were captured at Roanoke Island, and the cars imme-
diately brought word that England and France had
acknowledged our independence. But alas! the
dispatch was soon corrected at Richmond, and only
100 had escaped. The other item is not sufficiently au-
thenticated to be fully credited. Several young men
from Staunton were with Wise’s Legion at Roan-
oke, and their friends are suffering great solicitude
on their account. The military bill passed the Le-
gislature yesterday.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 38-258