1862 May 9 Pearisburg, Va.

[from the diary of Charles Hay of the 23rd Ohio]



                                       Giles (or Pearisburg) May 9th; 8 P.M.
     Have just arrived here, after a weary
horseback ride of 28 miles.  Was furnished
a horse this morning at Princeton, &
jogged through today, thermometer pretty
well up.  In this trip, I found myself
in a much better country, & better
cultivated than I have yet seen in
Virginia.  After striking New River,
some 12 miles below here, we find
rich bottomd  [land], well adapted for raising
corn.  Farmers were at work planting
corn, as though their neighborhood
was not the theatre of active warfare.
Find the town in a state of feverish
anxiety, consequent upon one small
force, no reinforcements at hand, &
the enemy in large force, but a few
miles out, making anything like friendly
demonstrations.  The truth is, we are in an
unpleasant locality, only 21 miles from
the Rail Road having direct communi=
=cation with Richmond, from which


                                                                             
they could bring a large force in a short
time against us, & which they have
undoubtedly done.  As I compose myself
to sleep tonight, it is with the conviction
fully impressed upon my mind, that if
an attack is not made tonight, it will
not be deferred 24 hours.  All I ask is,
that in my present wearied condition,
I may be allowed a full night’s rest,
& my breakfast in the morning, & then,
if fighting must be done, I can relish
it better.
     From what little I have seen of Giles,
I can say it is really a pretty town,
and substantially built.  The style of
architecture is better than we usually
find in this country.  The people are
wealthier, much more intelligent, and
not given to the use of such idioms
as ‘thar’, ‘whar’, somewhar’, ‘right smart
sprinkle’, &c, so peculiar to most of
these Western Virginians.  But most are
unquestionably ‘secesh’ all over.




[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925