1862 June 4 Lynchburg, Va.

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



Wednesday 4--Rain pretty constantly until
dinner time--At ten the boats with
the wounded of the 11 Regt and
Latham's battery, arrived--a large
concourse at the landing--Most of the
wounded were able to walk to the
carriages & omnibuses and some to
their homes--I got out  at last Robt
Berkeley, on a litter, which we slip
-ped into an ambulance and I got
in with him and brought him home
By the aid of some men from the hos-
pital and  [?] [?] we got him
upstairs--the first thing was to
wash him & put something clean
upon him--His clothes were bloody
and offensive in smell--It was a
wonderful transition [?] to him to be
glo clean and neat--His wound
is not dangerous--it is on the sid
inner front of his thigh.  the ball
ploughed almost 4 inches and was
cut out.  The escape was a narrow
one as it was near the femoral
artery--The River rose very high
and I fear had done & will do a
great deal of damage to the canal
--the suspension of the navigation of which
would be very injurious to our cause
--apprehension is felt also for the
obstructions in the James River at

Drewry's bluff.    The Rail Road too
is severely injured--our only con-
solation is that McClellans will
be forced to leave the marshes of
the Chickahominy if that stream is
swollen like the rest. The cars from
the West cam  due last night came
in about 6:PM.  with Ed. Tayloe
and Mr Wyndham Robertson on
their way to Richd.  The former had
suffered much from the vandals--23
of his negroes have joined them
went to take leave of Charles who
had determined to start to rejoin his
company tomorrow.  I did not think
him recovered sufficiently, and backed
by the professional opinion & advice
of Dr. Houston, succeeded in persua
ding him to defer his departure til
Monday--Coming home found Dr.
Owen had called to see Berkeely
He staid until 1/2 past 10 and made
himself very agreeable.


MSS 4763