1862 November 29 Staunton, Va.

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, former newspaper publisher and civilian employee in the Quartermaster Dept.]

Saturday night, Nov. 29, 1862.

Still no war news. All quiet at Fredericksburg. Great complaints through the newspapers of outrages by the enemy upon our people in various parts of the country, and calls upon the Government for retaliation — The Richmond Enquirer — generally very cautious — advises our soldiers to shoot down every "Zouave" they may capture. One of these captures, wearing red breeches and red cap has been walking our streets for more than a week past, with other prisoners of war. Why they are detained here, I cannot tell. The shooting of ten citizens in Mississippi, by order of a Yankee General, caused a general outcry for revenge. Yesterday a report came from Winchester that M^cClellan and Seymour (Gov- elect of N. Y.) had been arrested and sent to Fort Lafayette. Not believed. More horses sold to-day. The sales of horses, wagons +c amount to about $13,000. Virginia told me to-night that we had been drinking rye, without any mixture of coffee, for several weeks, our supply of the latter having given out! I had not detected it. Miss Agnes brought a pound                   or two of coffee as a present from D^r Wills to Va. Linsey for servants' dresses now sells at $2.50 per yard. The people are obliged to give the Factory prices, whatever they are, and the proprietors seem determined to exact the last cent. The extortion practised by those who have anything to sell,                   adds greatly to the hardship of the times. As a consequence, theft and robbery are becoming common. Port is selling at $20 per hundred. I learn that persons have been hauling off my wood, on the road near Legh's, which I had cut for our own use — I have not been able to get it all brought in. Wood sells at $7.00 a cord.

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

MSS 38-258