Wednesday, July 4, 2012

1862 July 2 Staunton, Va.

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


Wednesday morning, July 2, 1862
Very heavy and rapid cannonading was kept 
up yesterday afternoon till long after dark. 
We heard it distinctly at our house. A dis-
patch between 9 + 10 o'clock last night stated 
that the enemy were defeated again on Monday, 
and that there was every prospect of capturing or 
routing the whole army. But the newspaper 
accounts never come up to the telegraphic re-
ports. The battle will probably be suspended 
to-day by the rain — It has been raging for 
a week to-day. The cars came through from 
Richmond yesterday. A dispatch from Char-
lottesville, last night, mentions a report that 
McClelland had been mortally wounded and that 
his army was demoralized; but it speaks of the 
enemy's receiving reinforcements which is not 
encouraging. We have no report yet in refer-
ence to the heavy firing of yesterday and 
last night.

[transcription by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

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