1862 April 5 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Saturday 5 Rain in the morning--April
showers during the day with clear
cool evening--Noting of interest in
Bank--learned through Sanford the
Telegraph operator that the enemy
had advanced up the Peninsula and
that fighting was going on near York
town-I have not much confidence
is such rumors, though I feel confi
dent the enemy are advancing and that
a battle must take place this week
coming week upon which may de-
pend the fate of our cause--We have
more trustworthy accounts of the en-
emy advancing up the Valley and of
[?] between them and Ash
by's cavalry in Woodstock. Something
of How strange it seems that scenes
so familiar to one from my boyhood
and deemed once so secluded should
be the seat of war, & that I should
have a son in one of the armies. How
many times have I thought, in seeing
it, what a fine place the "narrow pas
sage" would be to resist an invader
army. I had part of Laney's letter
copied and given to Glass for publica
tion in the Republican. Letter from
cousin Betty. Yesterday we had a
meeting of the vestry and it was una-
nimously resolved to authorise the
wardens to tender the Bell to the Con
federate government, whenever it
should be wanted. Constant excite
ment of mind begins to tell on me
I can see that I look several years
older than I did twelve months since
Still suffering from a bad cold--Learn
that Eugenes Regt is in Richd.

MSS 4763