1862 Sepember 20 Lynchburg, Va.

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate Army]

Saturday 20  We never had so small
an offering--not a single new piece
of paper and in all not more
than 6000$  Money is redundant
every where--The official account
of the capture of Harpers Ferry
gives greater proportion to the
success than the first reports--More
than 11,000 prisoners.  the same number
of small arms, 70 cannon and  im
mense quantities of ammunition[?] &
ordnance stores & wagons Our
loss only 4 killed & 40 wounded
No one killed in  he 11 Regt at
Boonesborough. Major Clements sup-
-posed to be mortally wounded--Ad
-jutant John Daniel wounded in
the hand.  The Home Guard went
into action 16 strong & had 8 wounded
-we have renewed assurances that
we whipped the enemy thoroughly on
Wednesday--Nashville & Cumberland
Gap evacuated.  Loring has had
another victory capturing 500
prisoners at Buffalo--30 miles
below Charlotte
Among the letters in my box was
one directed in a disguised hand
to my care for Mr. Kinckle--the char
acter of which I at once divined
on his opening it, he read a very hand
somely expressed note begging him
to accept the enclosed money as a
"thank offering" for God's mercies to
our country & to the [?] , and
leaving it to his discretion to apply
it to the proposed orphan asylum
or to the wants of the poor. The
note contained $100. I have no sus
picion whence it comes.  I wrote to
Philip Williams to day to thank him
& Mrs. W. & Barton & his wife for
their exceeding kindness to Lanty
on all  [?]  I am glad to have
now an occasion of holding commu
nication with a friend of near half
a centurys standing


MSS 4763