1862 April 16 Camp Rawle, Va.

[from the diary of Daniel D. Logan, younger brother of General Thomas M. Logan and a Sgt., Co. B, 1st Special Battalion (Rightor's), Louisiana Infantry.]


     Camp Rawle     Wednesday – April 16th 1862
This is the eventful day in the history
of the 1st La or Dreux Battalion – A
year yesterday since we left home –
     Our term of Enlistment Expired, our
Contract with the CoS ended – But our
Country needs Every man – The dastard foe
are in our front   the booming of their guns
is heard at Every hour of the day within
two miles of our Camp - & we are nightly
serenaded by the music ^ ‘from the bands’ of the grand
Army of the Potomac – “Yankee Doodle
& other tunes come clearly on the still
air of night & early morn – Today
our comrades of this Army had a
bloody fight at Dam No 2   only 1 ½
miles from us – The Enemy charged &
drove our men from the dam – charging
across a morass – They made two
attempts to hold their position, but
were driven back by the 5th No Ca regt
& charged by the 8th & 7th Ga regts of Cobbs
legion – Our loss is said to be thirty –(30) Killed
& (75) seventy five wounded – Col Marigny [deMarigny] thinks
that we must have Killed & wounded 300 of
the Enemy – we also took 15 prisoners –
The fight lasted two hours, between 3 ½ & 5 ½ o’c
from our camp we could distinctly hear the rattle
of musketry & the roar of Artilery – The Enemy
left their dead upon the Dam & on the morass
which they had to cross in making the charge –
They also left a stand of Colors in the mire,
which our boys intend to get tonight – they made
the  attempt today, but the Enemy sharp-shooters
made it too hot an undertaking – they Killed &
wounded several men who made the effort –
The mal-contents were very noisy today until
12 o’c when Capt. Dickinson came to camp &
mustered out Co. “A”. the “Cadets” “Grivots”, & our
Company.  Genl Magruder sent word to us through
Captain Dickinson that he wanted us to stay until
the 1st May – that he would pledge us his honor
that he would stand between us & any law which
would bind us here.  That he left us, freely
mustering us out – to act as gentlemen & patriots –
he knew we would not leave him, with the sound
& sight of the Enemy in our front – Col Rightor read
us a highly flattering order from Genl Magruder & made
a very feeling appeal to the men to stand to their
posts until the 1st of May.  Professor Dimitry also
made an eloquent appeal to us, as the First La Batt
as Louisianans , &c – these speeches to me seem an
insult, that any of us should for a moment need
any appeal, with the Enemy guns & music
saluting us daily - & the life blood of our Comrades
flowing daily around us, who can leave.- Yet
it is my Ind [individual -?] duty to record (under date of 15th Apl) the names
of 26 Crescent rifles, who marched to the rear at the
very [-] of the fight which they heard at Dam No 2 - As
many Grivots & 19 Cadets did the same – the rest of us have
volunteered to stay till 1st May – only honor bound to do duty as
soldiers – We are under arms this afternoon in hopes

[The following five lines are written perpendicularly across the above page.]
of being ordered to the scene of action but didn’t
march.  Col McKinney of the 5th No.Ca. regt killed
was [?] Jno Didlake found.  Capt. Smith went to
Williamsburg to get the discharged (disagreed!)  went
to get them their papers of transportation.

  [undecipherable word]
were driven back by the 5th NoCa
regt & charged on by the 7th & 8th Ga
regt of Cobbs Legion, our loss 30
Killed & 75 wounded – We Killed
& crippled 250 of the Enemy & took
some prisoners – abt 15 – The fight
lasted abt 2 hours from ½ past 3 to
5 ½ o’c – We could hear the roar of
their 8 guns & the Constant rattle of
Musketry distinctly – The mal-contents
were very noisy until twelve o’c today
(They have not been doing duty or
even answering roll-calls since reveille
yesterday – when Capt [Andrew G.] Dickinson Came  
to Camp & formally mustered Co A the
Cadets, Grivots, & Crescents out of
the service – Genl Magruder sent us a    
very flattering address


[Col. Robert E. McKinney, 15th N. C. KIA at Lee’s Mill, Va. 16 April 1862.]


[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards; comments by Robert K. Krick]

MSS  6154