1862 September 10 Staunton, Va.

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

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1862.

A telegraphic dispatch received last night states that
Cincinnati has capitulated. Every body greatly elated;
many think the war will soon terminate. There are
certainly some hopeful signs. The tone of the Northern
papers, so far as we have heard from there, is depressed.
The Federal army retired before ours to their entrench-
ments, and then Lee slipped a part of his force
into Maryland. What is to be done there is a mystery.
The new [illeg.] at the North must feel discouraged. In one
neighborhood in Pennsylvania the people have forcibly
resisted the enrolment of the militia, preparatory to a
draft, driving off the officer. What a change since six
months or less ago or less! Then the enemy had many
of our towns and cities and seemed irresistible. Now
our army is in Maryland, Cincinnati threatened, if not
taken, and the Yankees beaten at every point. Their
army at Nashville must retire soon or be taken.

The women of this region have been plat making
really beautiful hats of wheat straw. Below
is a specimen of the writing paper now manufac-
tured in the Confederate states!
 I received a letter from Arthur
Spitzer yesterday. He sent me a newspaper cut captured from
the Yankees, representing a gal-
lant cock standing under the U. S. flag, and a wretched
Shanghai, plucked of his feathers, with the Confederate flag
above it. Like nearly all the rest Arthur is very anx-
ious to get out of the army.

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow Project]

MSS 38-258