Saturday, July 28, 2012

1862 July 29 Staunton, Va.



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

Tuesday, July 29.
Yesterday evening three wagon loads of Yankee pris-
oners were brought up from Harrisonburg, where they 
had been since the battles at Port Republic. They were 
left in the Hospital. One or two wore bandages and I 
observed a pair of crutches in one of the wagons. They 
were generally hale-looking fellows, and I experienced 
a stronger feeling of resentment towards them than usu-
al. They were guarded by three of our cavalrymen. 
 — a small guard for probably thirty or forty men. — 
We have no news from our armies. Enlistments seem 
to be going on briskly in the Federal States of the 
North, and the 300,000 men will no doubt be 
raised very soon. Towns and individuals are subscribing 
liberally to increase the pay of the soldiers, and en-
courage enlistments. It is evident that the feeling at 
the North is more vindictive than ever, and the war 
will be waged more ruthlessly. The Federal General 
Pope, commanding the army of Northern Virginia, has 
issued several savage orders recently, which indicate 
the present temper of the Yankee nation. Wherever 
the Federal troops penetrate the Southern country, 
the citizens are to be arrested and sent off who refuse 
to take the oath of allegiance, the army is to sub-
sist off the country, property is to be taken as far 
as necessary, the negroes employed for our subjuga-
tion (they do not say as soldiers), people living in their 
lines are to be held responsible for the acts of our 
guerillas, +c. +c. Wherever the Yankees go, therefore, the 
men will fly from their homes, thousands will 
take arms who otherwise would have remained qui-
et, and Gen. Pope will find the number of his 
enemies increased at every step.
Va had a visit yesterday, from one of the poor serv-
                                                                        the sufferings of
ing women of town. She gave a lively description of ^ that class 
of the community, occasioned by the war. Her dresses, she 
said, usually cost her $1.25 each, being made of cal-
ico. Owing to the high prices of goods at this time, she 
would have to work several weeks to make enough money to pur-
chase one dress. But the serving cannot be obtained, as 
people even in good circumstances cannot get the materials 
to work up. The woman wished to know if she could get 
an old dress and pay for it in work. She said the 
women of her class generally were suffering greatly, both 
on account of for want of the means of living and on 
from mental anxiety in regard to the war. — They read 
no papers and are without correct information, and 
are therefore exposed to all the thousand reports which 
fly through the community. Next winter is dreaded 
by many besides the very poor.  

 [transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.