1862 February 22 [Lynchburg, Va.]

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

Wakened early by the noise of heavy rain.
It continued to fall almost unceasingly during the
day and night. Nothing can be more gloomy than
the auspices under which the first President of the
Confederate States is inaugurated--whether we refer
to the weather or the state of public affairs, as the
telegraph brings us news that the disasters of in
Tennessee of the last week have culminated in the
evacuation by our troops of Nashville--a more
serious calamity could not now[?] have befallen as
my heart sinks within me at the prospect before us
I am sanguine generally--and do not now despair of our
ultimate success--but I forsee years of blood, strife
and great suffering--. The first days of the regular
Congress are characterised by a tremendous onslaught on
the administration by Foote (now of Tennessee, formerly U.S. Senator
from Miss) and Bryan of S.C. The Whigs too have come out in
a tremendous article against the conduct of the war &
imbecility of the cabinet--I am not sorry to see the oppo
sition. The President must change his cabinet. I hope
he will turn out all--This is the 130th anniversary
of Washingtons birth. It was to be celebrated with
universal pomp in the US. --wrote at Button's re-
quest--he having gone to Richd--an editorial for Mondays
Virginian---ventilating some thoughts I have entertained
for some time about the exclusion of high military
merit from appointment in the army, unless the
possessor has been at West Point--Wrote to D Hern-
don about the printings. I am estimat[ing?] they have
not yet been sent--wrote also to Mary Caroline [Leeper]--sending
her some money & settling our accounts--on the whole
have a laborious day

Charles William Button, 1822-1894, owner and publisher of the Lynchburg Daily Virginian, a Whig newspaper.

MSS 4763