1862 February 16 [Staunton, Va.]

[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, civilian working in the quartermaster dept.]

Sunday night, Feb. 16, 1862.

Every face is bright and cheerful to- night. Pas
sengers from Richmond repeat that Gen. Sid-
ney Johnson telegraphed last night that
our troops at and near Fort Donelson had a-
chieved the most decisive victory of the war.
At Charlottesville, the cars met rumors, said
to have been received by telegraph, giving ex-
travagant accounts of the victory. — that the
enemy were 50,000, and we 20,000 in number,
that we took 10,000 prisoners and captured
100 cannon! These stories are not credited, but
there seems to be no reason to doubt the report
as to Gen. Johnson's dispatch. Gen's Floyd
and Buckner are said to have been in the fight
which lasted for three days. They were at Rus-
sellville when last heard of before. The cars
arrived this afternoon at a quarter past 4 o'-
clock, while I was walking in the yard in
the snow. Va was at the colored Sunday School
and I hoped she would bring some news when
she returned. She entered the dining room, where
Kate + I were, about 5 o'clock, looking gloomy,
I thought, from which I infered that the news
was bad. But she had heard nothing! I then went
out to see if any were passing could tell me any-
thing. A young man, whom I hastened to inter-
cept at our stable, had been at the American
Hotel, after the arrival of the cars, but had heard
no news! Surely, I thought, the man is stupid
not to have inquired. Albert Garber and Col. Lilly
passed along the McAdamized street — too far
off for me to speak to them. They looked gloomy
too! At last Tom Bledsoe appeared in view,
coming towards his house — the Academy. I ran
to ask what he had heard, and from him re-
ceived the intelligence brought by the Railroad pas-
sengers. At church, to- night, before preaching,
we had it in full. To God the praise of our
success.

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow]

MSS 38-258