1862 November 24 Lynchburg, Va.

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

Monday 24--Nothing from Fredericksburg
The town had not been shelled up to 10 oclock
last night.  I am hopeful now that it
will not be.--Some five hundred
women & children flung from their [?]
and homes arrived in Richmond Satur
day night-thrown I fear upon the
cold charity of the people there-
  I went with Dr. Green to Shepard's factory
or rather the state arsenal, where they
are manufacturing several of Williams
front loading cannon.  It strikes me
as far ahead of every thing I have seen
or read of--the guns were making out
of wrought iron - about 4 [?] feet long
and 1 1/2 in diameter.  They allege
that it can be fired twice a minute.  It
is very com[?] I am invited to a trial
of it to be made this week.  they are
intended for Floyds corps--I learned
an instance of Floyds ignorance of the
profession he has assumed--Gen Dimmock
sent him from here two mountain how
itzers--mounted on wheels three feet high
and three feet apart.  Of course the
gun is intended to be carried on one mule
or horse & the carriage on another-but
ignorant of this they hauled them over
the rough mountain roads & of course up
set them frequently
William arrived in the down train at
4 P.M. He brought news which we had
not before & now that his little boy
Landon was five weeks now-dreadfully
burnt by his clothes catching fire in
the morning.  He is likely to recover though
he has had a narrow escape--Wm brought
with him Major, or Rev. Dabney  Ball
first chaplain & then Qr master of
Stuarts Regt. a very fine fellow.
  Charles came over for super--Eugene
I omitted to mention arrived yesterday
-I had thus under one roof four of
my five sons--It has been a long time
-ten years I think-since such a thing
occurred before-Shall I ever have four
of them at once again with me?  God
knows--the chances are against it
Mr Ball in family prayer commended
them all to the special care of the Almighty
 -- I did not mention yesterday that
Rob Maye Marye came home to dine
with us-He is Qr [Mas?] & stationed at Farm
ville & that in the evng Rev Roy Scott
who preached in the morning, brought with
him to call on us Dr Payne a brother of
the Bishop who I regret I did not know
was stationed here at one of the Hospitals

MSS 4763