1862 January 23 Staunton, Va.

[from the diary of Joseph A. Waddell, civilian clerk in the QuarterMaster Dept., Staunton, Va.]

Va is staying at Alick’s tonight. Both of the
little children, Addy and Mary, are very sick,
to all appearance they are suffering from that
terrible [word lined out] scourge dyptheria. Alick has al-
most entirely given them up, and seems crushed
to the earth. Mary looks very ill to-night. In ad-
dition to this affliction, they have had “old uncle
Bob”, a free blackman, there, dying by inches
from gangrene. Alick took him in as an act
of charity, but his room being in the basement,
a most offensive odor was diffused through
the house, which became intolerable. He was there-
fore removed to the army hospital to-night. I feel
so greatly depressed that I can hardly allude to
other matters. It would seem that the Federal-
ists were about to move from all points, with
overwhelming numbers, with the expectation of
crushing out “the rebellion” in a short time.
Nothing definite in reference to the Burnside
expedition. It’s object is, probably, to get possession
of the Weldon & Wilmington Railroad, N. C.

MSS 38-258