1862 June 5 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 5  Occasional rain---River
flooding[?] Long and interesting letter
from Eugene giving account of his share
of the battle.  He was in the hottest of
it--He lost 19 men killed and wounded

and had three balls to pass through
the collar of his coat whilst another
shot away his haversack--He gives
several touching incidents illustrating
the attachment of the men to him now
and his singular influence over them
On calling the roll every man, not
killed or wounded under his own
eye answered to his name--a thing
unprecedented, he says--I hear from
other sources that he behaved with
great gallantry--I never doubted
he would--I think he has all the
elements of heroism in his nature  &
if the war continues he will make
his mark--Nothing very interesting


MSS 4763