1862 March 25 Staunton, Va.

Tuesday night, March 25, 1862.



Soon after I got to the office this morning, Ally came
in and told me that he had met a Captain at the
breakfast table, who gave him an account of the "rising
in Maryland." Part of Baltimore and other towns
had been burnt by the Federalists, while the people had
destroyed Railroad bridges &c &c to retard the prog-
ress of Federal troops. A woman from Frederick City
had brought the news to Jackson's army, from which
the Captain had just come. I did not believe these
reports, but still could not help being somewhat ela-
ted by them. Shortly afterwards I encountered Judge
Thompson, who informed me that news had just come
by Express, that Jackson had received a serious repulse
near Winchester, nothing but the approach of night
saving his army from total rout. I insisted that it
could not be so, but soon found that such intelli-
gence had really come by letter, and was probably
true. Our loss in killed and wounded was said to be 200.
During the day, other reports were put out — one that
Jackson claimed to have come off best in the fight —
another that both parties withdrew — but it is useless to
relate all the rumors which are constantly circula-
ting. A tremendous battle will take place before long
near Memphis — For the first time for many months,
I worked a little in the yard to-day — cleaning the grass
from the grapevines &c. Not well to-day — have been
frequently ailing of late.

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258