1862 August 29 Staunton, Va.

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

Friday, August 29, 1862.

A letter to Mary Stuart from her mother, says that Addy 

is preparing to go with the army. Col. Edmundson's com-

mand, as Brigade dispatch bearer. The boy has been nearly 

cracked since the beginning of the war. His father is trying to get 

a situation as Chaplain or on some staff, and if he suc-

ceeds, the family will probably come to Staunton. Under 

recent orders from Richmond, doing away with all 

previous discharges + exemptions, Legh has had to report 

himself again. Reports came yesterday of a 

battle the day before at a place called Waterloo, 

in Fauquier Co., Jackson wishing to cross the Rap-

pahannock, and being opposed by the enemy on 

the other side, sent a portion of his up the river 

where they crossed and assailed the Federalists in flank. The 

result was, according to report, that the enemy was 

entirely routed. Eleven hundred prisoners and fifty-

two cannon being captured. As usual I do not 

rely implicitly upon these statements.

  Mrs. Fisk, wife of the engineer, came to our house yes-

terday to see Mrs. M^cClung, and returned in the evening to 

supper. Mr. Fisk came for her about 9 o'clock. They made 

their escape from Washington in April, 1860. Hearing of 

sickness in her father's family at Washington, she is 

trying to get back there, and was to start to Winchester, 

with her children, this morning. We hear of vigorous 

movements in the N. W. Va. on the part of our rangers +c. 

J. D. Imboden has 800 men now, + Jenkins more than two 

thousand. They have been joined by large numbers, in 

consequence of the Federal draft. Goff, a refugee from 

Beverly, Randolph co., tells me that 100 men came out 

from Harrison co. recently. 

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258