1862 May 24 Staunton, Va.

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former newspaper editor and civilian employee of the Quartermaster Dept.]

Saturday night, May 24, 1862.

I came home this evening, before the mail was opened, and sent 

Wright for the papers. He came back, telling that there was some 

news of a battle down the Valley. After supper I went down 

street to ascertain what intelligence had come. I encountered 

H. J. Crawford, J. P. Eskridge, and H. B. Michie — One said a Louis-

iana regiment ^{belonging to Ewell's division} had routed a Federal regiment; another, 

that the enemy had retired and we had possession of their position; 

and the third, that the whole Federal army was routed. At last 

I found, at the Q.Ms office, Gen. Jackson's dispatch to Gen. 

Jos. E. Johnston — It is dated Front Royal, this 

morning, and says that the Federal regiment at that place 

was routed yesterday, many of them captured with a piece 

of cannon + military stores. The telegraph wire near 

Richmond has been cut, by the Yankees, it is presumed. The Cen-

tral R. R. cars now run from the Junction to Richmond 

on the Richd + Fredericksburg Road. The papers intimate 

that a great battle very near Richmond will take place soon.   

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258