1862 December 6 Lynchburg, Va.

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, former diplomat of Lynchburg, Va., with five sons in the Confederate Army]


Saturday 6  Colder than any mor
ning this season.  Ice in abundance
on the streets.  Weather clear & bright
with some wind--No news except
an abstract of Lincoln's extraordinary
message--could any decent Amer-
ican read it without blushing
It would disgrace a school boy
so far as compositions concerned
--very laborious days work--Lt
Col. Payne, the former commander
of the famous Black Horse troop
presents a letter of introduction
from Garlick Kean.  He was desper-
ately wounded at Williamsburg
through the face, but has recovered
though not fit for field duty.  He
is Lt.Col. of the 4thh (Wickham's) Regt
of Va Cavalry and has been appointed
commandant of the post.  He is a
gentleman A fine intelligence and
interesting character.   He told me
many curious things while a pri
-soner in [?], in Fauquier.  he
saw a good deal of Gen McDowell
and had frequent talks with him
In one of them McD asked him how
many men Johnson had at Centreville

last winter.  Payne  did not know
exactly, & McD asked if he had more
than 100,000-to which P. replied he
could safely say he had not. .  The Gen
then said that on 8th Jany McClellan
reviewed his army, stretched from
Lemonville to Woodlawn to the num
ber ot 230,000 men, well equipped

& that he, McD. had urged him to
advance--that he was strong enough
to sweep all before him--Payne
related this to Gen Johnston in Richd
who said that on the 8th Jan he had
less than 25,000 men under his command
and they dispirited and demoralized
by the Regulation of the State and
Confederate Government--I saw at
station at the time-that the review
of that  number had been held on 8th
Jan.  [And?] believed it a gross exag-
geration--What an escape we made
   all accounts agree that the
Federal forces are greatly demoralized
--parties exist in the army--The
soldiers have no confidence in their
Generals And the Generals no confidence
in them--McClellan's friends & admirers
among them officers & men, and he had many,

are not disposed to hazard their lives
to protect the fame of his [?]
Burnside has made already a clear
failure-and I doubt not will have
to give over to some new commander.
Payne also told me of the accounts
which Jas Witcher the Irish patient
give of the admiration of the South
entertained by the  people of France &
England--They think us the most gal-
-lant people in the world, and that
our generals are unsurpassed--That
the names of Lee & Jackson & Stuart
and others are as well known across
the water & excite as much enthusiasm
as  the here---
  At night, unabled to read, worked
on a Leyden jar and succeeded in coat
ing an a 12 oz bottle with a small
[hole?] with zinc on the inside--quite
a feat--Dr. Minor & Chas. Trueheart
called about 8.  Later, D. B. Payne
came with a package containing two
hundred thousand dollars Confederate Bills
which he brought for me from Richmd
He brought a letter from Charles
to me, which was given to him at
the Junction.

MSS 4763