1862 October 26 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Sunday 26  To my great surprise it
was raining when I wakened.  I
went to bed very much knocked
up with a cold, & did not rise
until near ten--I forgot to men
tion that I was round by the fire
both yesterday morg at 3 and
found a nest of wooden buildings
on Main Street near the market
House in full blaze--[Four?] [temements?]
were destroyed.  No one regrets the
destruction of them.  they had long
been eyesores.
   In spite of the weather there
was a respectable congregation to
ear Bishop Johns --His sermon
was a fine one--I have now heard
him preach for 40 yrs and must
say that in spite of his marvellous
command of language & his studied
graces of elocution & manner there
are few preachers who make so little

impression upon me. I am persuaded
a man may be too fluent to be an
orator.  His daughter Johanna came
home with us and dined.  she is a
very pleasing woman, but has not
a particle of her mothers beauty
It has been announced that the Con
firmation would be held at night
but in consequence of the rain it was
thought best to have the services
1/2 past 3--Just at that time it
ceased to rain and there was
a large congregation. The gas was
lighted and soon the rain commenced
and by the noise on the roof somewhat
drowned the Bishops voice--some
thirty odd were confirmed--some
who intended to offer did not
know of the change of hour.  It
was dark and raining hard when
the service was over.  We had [?]
ten a young Doctor Davis Thomps
-son of Maryland, now  [?] Surgeon in
the army.  He is the grandson of
Jno. P. Thompson--formerly editor of
the Frederick town Herald and
afterwards President of the Bank in
Fredk.--Near the beginning of this

century, the federal party in
Frederick county wanted to establish
a paper in the town--my father
then an active man in politics
recommended a young man whom
he knew in [Carlisle?], I think, &
became one of a certain number
to guarantee a sufficient subscrip
tion to the paper to induce him to make
the effort--the paper succeeded be-
yond all expectations--took a high
stand and laid the foundation
of a fortune to the proprietor--I am
now here entertaining the grandson
of my fathers protegee [?]  I had at
supper two South Carolinians, one
Georgian & one Marylander.  How
this was jumbles us all together.

MSS 4763