Sunday, April 8, 2012

1862 April 9 Lynchburg, Va.

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

wednesday 9 A more disagreeable day is not
often witnessed. A very cold day rain
nearly all the time. I thought something
of the discomforts of our men on bivouac
and more especially of those of my boys.
There was not a particle of news--not
a despatch from any quarter--more
than we had last evening. I am on the
tenter hooks of impatience as to the Merri
=mac, which went out Monday at
noon. We must infer that the thick
weather on the roads has prevented
operations. Never was a single ship
so important in a fight--It is hard
to realize all the advantages to occur
from her capturing the Monitor whilst
her capture or defeat would be pre-
judicial to our cause but not be fatal
I learn there is alarm in Richmond
and the women and children are go-
ing out of town--The fear on the Penin
sula doubtless, is [?] Magruder
and there is danger certainly of his being
forced back--Lewis in his letter says
it is thought the next design of the
enemy is to throw troops over to the
right bank of the James River at the
mouth of the Nansemond & to assail Suffolk
and thus take Norfolk. The Monitor
out of the way this would be a danger
=ous scheme--Recd a long letter from
Lanty dated 3'He was in bivouac
on the hill hear [?] [?] above
Rodes house, which I think is the
place Jackson will make a stand at. It
is the last ground I know near home
As he is forced up the Valley it will be
more & more difficult for him to
defend himself as the Valley grows
wider. Lanty says not a word of [?]
[?] reasoning marked him from
which I infer he has recd none yet
It seems the artillery were very near
being captured, on Monday 24', the mor-
ning after the battle of Kernstown, only
[?] neglect in giving orders for
him to move.

MSS 4763

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