1862 July 17 Staunton, Va.

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

Thursday morning, July 17, 1862.

The town as quiet all this week as if no war were rag-

ing in the land. No Railroad train yet, and no news 

from any quarter. I have been very busy with the Quar-

terly Returns. Fear that my character as an honest man will 

suffer from my connection with the business. —

 Feel persuaded that p[illeg.]lation is carried on to a large amount.  

The proceedings of the Northern Old School Gen-

eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, lately in ses-

sion at Columbus, Ohio, fill me with astonishment. 

D^r R. J. Breckenridge was the head devil in the coun-

cil, although his son and nephew have been indicted 

in Kentucky for "treason." The "deliverance" of the 

Assembly on the state of the country, takes the most 

ultra ground against the South, throws the whole 

blame upon us, urges the prosecution of the war, 

and with the most arrogant, if not blasphemous, as-

surance assumes to speak in the name of Jesus 

Christ. The utter madness and folly of the men is as-

tounding. The vote upon the resolutions was 199 yeas 

and 20 nays. Brown sugar is selling in Staun-

ton at seventy-five (75) cents per pound. No coffee

here, but selling elsewhere at two dollars ($2) a 

pound. Many articles heretofore deemed essential 

cannot be obtained at any price. Most of our people have been 

doing without sugar and coffee for a long time. There 

is, however, no murmuring. Every body seems prepared to 

have any privation necessary to get rid of Yankee dom-

ination 

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258