Saturday, May 12, 2012

1862 May 13 Staunton, Va.

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]


Giles C.H. by our General Heth.

Tuesday night, May 13, 1862.
A report from Jackson's army states that the enemy 
had met reinforcements at Franklin and were making 
a stand — that they had set the woods on fire all around, 
which caused the smoky atmosphere observed here. The 
smoke, however, (if it be smoke) prevailed several days 
before the enemy raised their conflagration. Some body 
started a report to-day that Jackson's army had been 
 captured. From Richmond we hear of the destruction 
of the famous steamer "Virginia," by our authorities, 
and the complete evacuation of Norfolk + Portsmouth. — 
Va has been at the Hospital again to-day. Yester-
day she and all hands were busy making pillow 
cases to be filled with straw. Nanny + Matty have been 
scraping. Phil Trout, who went out to Wilson's after 
 the battle, relates an incident of striking interest. He 
found a wounded man from this county, and told 
him he would bring him to Staunton in an ambu-
lance, if he desired to come. The man replied that he 
wished very much to come, but he could sit up, and 
that some one who would have to lie down had better be 
brought. This had never heard of the saying and act of Sir 
Philip Sidney, when mortally wounded on the field of 
Zutphen, which have immortalized his name. It was 
the same spirit — "Thy necessity is yet greater than mine."
Finding two boxes of proper size at Evans' for making bee 
hives, I bought them this evening.   

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS  38-258            

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.