1862 March 7 Lynchburg, Va,

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat, bank officer and editor, of Lynchburg, Va., with five sons in the Confederate Army]

Friday 7 Cold bright day. News reached us that
Columbus had been evacuated-- every thing of
value saved--Where the stand is to be made
i do not know--We have another report, not alto
gether authentic I fear, that Price has repuls
-sed the enemy at Boston Mountain, with
a loss to them of 8000 killed and many prison
ers according to the St. Louis Republican. If this
be so, it will be shat the battle of Trenton was
in the Revolution --Heard that the Bill establish
-ing the office of Commanding General has passed
Congress & that Ro. E. Lee is to be the man.
He is undoubtedly the best man that could be
selected. Articles in the Whig exceedingly severe
on Davis and hint very significantly at despotism.
He has disappointed every body--His health is
bad-his Temper ditto--One of the most mortify
-ing things in a retrospect of the campaign is
that the fact cannot be denied we have been
out generaled every where--in spite of our West
Point commanders. I read at night, or rather
heard read, a most trenchant article from Balt
-more Blackwood's Magazine ostensibly against
the Yankees but really attacking all democra-
tic institutions. it is admirably written and
the Yankees--government & people-- have recei-
ved so tremendous a castigation. It is true in
all its main positions. Wonder whether the
Am. republishers will reprint this number
of Blackwoods. I doubt it--among Mr. Jno
Minor's papers, i found some two or three
dozen letters written by Edmund Pendleton
to Gen Woodford[?] bearing date from 1775 to
1779--We have been reading them and find
them very interesting. It is curious to find him
indulging in tirades against speculators and
extortioners, and against the supineness of the
people in volunteering. With the date and names
altered you might suppose them to have
arrived by the last mail.

MSS 4763