1862 May 12 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Monday 12
Went to the Island Depot to see
Mary R., Kate & the children off in the
cars; [?] [?] at Judge Robertsons with
additional particulars of Jackson's fight
which seems to have been quite a decisive
victory--heard of the evacuation of Nor-
folk and destruction of the Navyyard
--also that the Merrimac was blown
up on James River.  This is almost in-
credible and yet so fatuous has been
the course of our policy that it may
be true. Letter from Eugene dated yes-
terday--20 miles below Richmond, in New
Kent Co.  His company was the very
last to leave the redoubt--From Saturday
night to Tuesday they suffered immensely
He was greatly mortified that he had no
chance of taking an active part of in
the battle of Monday.  He says the loss on
both sides is far greater than is sup-
posed--he owns at least 2000 and the
enemys double that--he says when the
great fight takes place we shall w;hip
them certainly  He lost one of his men
in the trenches and one taken prisoner
on the retreat--If defeated Monday
he says we should have lost the bag-
gage of the whole army and our
field artillery --owing to the roads.
Eugene has endured as much hard-
ship as any officer in the army.

MSS 4763