1862 August 1 Staunton, Va.

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

August 1862

Friday evening, August 1, 1862.

This morning I heard from my office a sound

of lamentation in the street or neighboring home. 

Going out I found the noise proceeded from an 

upper room in the Court-house. A negro woman 

informed me that it was a soldier crying because 

he had to go to war! He is from the lower part 

of the county, and was brought up under the con-

script act passed by Congress. Poor fellow! there 

was something ludicrous in his wailings, although I 

pitied him. Several men and women stood in the 

street. Some laughing and others denouncing.

The Central Presbyterian, received this evening, takes 

that same view of D^r. Plumer's card that I did yesterday. 

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258