1862 August 3 Harrison's Landing, Va.

[from the diary of Samuel Johnson, 1st Massachusetts Independent Light Battery]
                   

           Aug 3^rd

Unlike the previous week this one has been

very quiet with but one or two exceptions.

Have had our usual drills every other

day.  The Army has received orders to be

in readiness to move.  we expect to evacuate

the peninsular and to reinforce Gen Pope

who is on the Rapidan.  During the night

of the 31^st we were suddenly awakened by

a rapid and heavy artillery fire on the

river.  The rebs had run some field

batteries down to the banks of the river,

and had opened on our shipping which

lay in the river.  They were soon silenced

however by our gun boats, but before

this could be done, they had killed and

wounded 17 men, and destroyed one of our

ordnance boats;  On the 1^st of Aug. Gen

Morrells div. was sent to occupy the south

bank of the river, to be prepared against

another night attack.  three houses were

burned by order of Gen Porter.  Our corps

is encamped on the plantation of the

celebrated Ruffin.  the one who fired the

first gun at fort Sumter.  On the 3^rd had

our usual inspection.  During the past week

there has been an average of two funerals

daily pass.  One man belonging to the 2^nd

Vt. regt. who had been unwell for nearly six

months, asked one morning to be excused from

fatigue duty,: his request was refused him, and

while at work he fell dead in his tracks, and

was buried with no ceremony or respect.  The

weather has been much the same, as the last

fortnight.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 8493