1863 January 3 Staunton, Va.

 

[from the diary of Joseph Addison Waddell, clerk in the Quartermaster Dept.]

Saturday night, January 3, 1863.

The Richmond papers of to-day publish a dispatch from Gen Bragg, saying: "The enemy hasyielded his strong point, and is falling back. We now occupy the whole field, and shall follow." The "Dispatch" newspaper says: "We learn from another source that the enemy is completely routed, and their communication with Nashville completely cut off." It was reported this morning, by telegraph, that we had captured 5000 more prisoners. There seems to be no reason to doubt that we have gained great advantages. Gen Bragg says in his last dispatch, "God has granted us a happy New Year." May He give us all hearts to praise and serve Him! The movements down the Valley have attracted much attention — The public, of course, do not know the plan of operations. All the soldiers that could be raised about here have gone down. Some of the Post Officials, surgeons, +c, seem to regard the enterprise as a frolic. I hope it may not prove a farce. The commander of the Post went down to-day in a buggy! The remains of H. J. Crawford, who died in Petersburg on the 1^st arrived this evening. His wife got to him in time to see him die, and returned with the corpse. The funeral takes place to-morrow. I have been attending to the arrangements.

[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow Project]

MSS 38-258