Tuesday, 27th.—Gunboat came up above Florence to try to break pontoon bridge, but batteries soon made it withdraw without doing any damage.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

December 27th.–Oh, why did we go to Camden? The very dismalest Christmas overtook us there. Miss Rhett went with us–a brilliant woman and very agreeable. “The world, you know, is composed,” said she, “of men, women, and Rhetts” (see Lady Montagu). Now, we feel that if we are to lose our negroes, we would as soon see Sherman free them as the Confederate Government; freeing negroes is the last Confederate Government craze. We are a little too slow about it; that is all.

Sold fifteen bales of cotton and took a sad farewell look at Mulberry. It is a magnificent old country-seat, with old oaks, green lawns and all. So I took that last farewell of Mulberry, once so hated, now so beloved.

Tuesday, 27th–All is quiet. There is no news of any importance.^[1] The Fourteenth Army Corps was reviewed at 9 a. m. by General Sherman. The troops looked fine. The Fourteenth is a good corps. I sent in my subscriptions today for three papers: the Missouri Democrat at $2.00 per year, the Theological Journal, $2.00, and Harper’s Weekly, $4.00. I think I shall have enough reading matter now for 1865, if I succeed in getting all my papers.

[1] The foragers or bummers, as they came to be called, presented at times some odd and amusing situations. Starting out early in advance of the command, they would do their pillaging, return to the main road to await the arrival of the command, and along in the afternoon we would find them, often loaded down with good things for their comrades to eat. They sometimes came upon rich plantations where the owners had about everything they wanted, including a well-filled larder. When there was no wagon at hand, they would look the premises over and, finding the family carriage and horse, they would load it down and start for the main line of march. I have often seen them with a fine family carriage filled with smoked meat, and on the outside were tied chickens, turkeys and geese, or ducks. Then, to cap the climax, one fellow would be seated in the carriage dressed in the planter’s swallowtail coat, white vest and plug hat, while another one would be astride a mule and dressed in similar fashion.—A. G. D.

December 26th –Raining–rained all night. The dark and dismal weather, together with our sad reverses, have made the countenances of croakers in the streets and in the offices more gloomy and somber than ever, foreboding evil in the future. No one doubts the evacuation of Savannah, and I suppose it must be so. Hardee had but 8000 reliable men. The Georgians in Lee’s army are more or less demoralized, and a reward of a sixty days’ furlough is given for shooting any deserter from our ranks.

An old black chest, containing mostly scraps and odds and ends of housekeeping, yet brought on by my family from Burlington, has remained four years unopened, the key being lost. We have felt an irrepressible anxiety to see its contents, for even rubbish is now valuable. T got a locksmith to send a man to pick the lock, last week, but he failed to find the house, and subsequently was sent to the trenches. I borrowed twenty-five keys, and none of them would fit. I got wire, and tried to pick the lock, but failed. Yesterday, however, when all were at church, I made another effort, prizing at the same time with the poker, when the screws of the hasp came out and the top flew up, revealing only “odds and ends” so far as I could see. I closed it, replaced the striped cover, and put the cage with the parrot on it, where it usually remains. The day, and the expressed objection of my wife to have the lock broken or injured, have, until to-day, restrained me from revealing to the family what I had done. But now I shall assemble them, and by a sort of Christmas story, endeavor to mollify my wife’s anticipated displeasure. The examination of the contents will be a delightful diversion for the children, old and young. [continue reading…]

26th.—The sad Christmas has passed away. J. and C. were with us, and very cheerful. We exerted ourselves to be so too. The Church services in the morning were sweet and comforting. St. Paul’s was dressed most elaborately and beautifully with evergreens; all looked as usual; but there is much sadness on account of the failure of the South to keep Sherman back. When we got home our family circle was small, but pleasant. The Christmas turkey and ham were not. We had aspired to a turkey, but finding the prices range from $50 to $100 in the market on Saturday, we contented ourselves with roast-beef and the various little dishes which Confederate times have made us believe are tolerable substitutes for the viands of better days. At night I treated our little party to tea and ginger cakes—two very rare indulgences; and but for the sorghum, grown in our own fields, the cakes would be an impossible indulgence. Nothing but the well-ascertained fact that Christmas comes but once a year would make such extravagance at all excusable. We propose to have a family gathering when the girls come home, on the day before or after New Year’s day, (as that day will come on Sunday,) to enjoy together, and with one or two refugee friends, the contents of a box sent the girls by a young officer who captured it from the enemy, consisting of white sugar, raisins, preserves, pickles, spices, etc. They threaten to give us a plum-cake, and I hope they will carry it out, particularly if we have any of our army friends with us. Poor fellows, how they enjoy our plain dinners when they come, and how we love to see them enjoy them! Two meals a day has become the universal system among refugees, and many citizens, from necessity. The want of our accustomed tea or coffee is very much felt by the elders. The rule with us is only to have tea when sickness makes it necessary, and the headaches gotten up about dark have become the joke of the family. A country lady, from one of the few spots in all Virginia where the enemy has never been, and consequently where they retain their comforts, asked me gravely why we did not substitute milk for tea. She could scarcely believe me when I told her that we had not had milk more than twice in eighteen months, and then it was sent by a country friend. It is now $4 a quart.

26th. Monday. News of the fall of Savannah. Monthly inspection. Detailed for picket.

December 26th, 1864.—Christmas was truly delightful. The joy of the children, at sight of the beautiful tree and toys fully compensated us for the time spent in their manufacture. Such exclamations of delight; such squeals of joy; as they received the gifts and realized that the blockade had not kept old Santa out. I never saw a happier set of youngsters in my life. We, who are grown old in service, do not expect gifts any more but this morning I have two letters, one from the Army of Northern Virginia and one from General Forrest’s Command in the West. Do diaries ever feel curious? I shall not tell you who these letters are from.

Susan Bradford is 18 years old when this entry was made.

Monday, 26th–Everything is quiet this morning, though for a while last night there was quite an excitement in town when a fire broke out. We are still lying in camp, with no particular duty to perform, though we are expecting orders every day to move down the river to Ft. Johnson, below Savannah. We are on half rations now, but today got large quantities of fresh oysters, all we can make use of. They were in the shell and were hauled into our camps by the wagon load, and sold to the boys by the peck or bushel. Governor Stone of Iowa arrived in camp today from Morehead City, North Carolina. He came to issue commissions to the officers of veteran regiments, and also to see that the sick and wounded Iowa soldiers in the field hospitals of the South were receiving good care.

Sunday, December 25th. Christmas !–Clear and pleasant– white frost.

All quiet below. But it is believed on the street that Savannah has been evacuated, some days ago. I have not yet seen any official admission of the fact.

We have quite a merry Christmas in the family; and a compact that no unpleasant word shall be uttered, and no scramble for anything. The family were baking cakes and pies until late last night, and to-day we shall have full rations. I have found enough celery in the little garden for dinner.

Last night and this morning the boys have been firing Christmas guns incessantly–no doubt pilfering from their fathers’ cartridge-boxes. There is much jollity and some drunkenness in the streets, notwithstanding the enemy’s pickets are within an hour’s march of the city.

A large number of the croaking inhabitants censure the President for our many misfortunes, and openly declare in favor of Lee as Dictator. Another month, and he may be unfortunate or unpopular. His son, Gen. Custis Lee, has mortally offended the clerks by putting them in the trenches yesterday, and some of them may desert. [continue reading…]

December 25, 1864.

Sadai jumped out of bed very early this morning to feel in her stocking. She could not believe but that there would be something in it. Finding nothing, she crept back into bed, pulled the cover over her face, and I soon heard her sobbing. The little negroes all came in: “Christmas gift, mist’ess! Christmas gift, mist’ess!”

I pulled the cover over my face and was soon mingling my tears with Sadai’s.

December 25th. Christmas at Halltown. We hope this will be our last Christmas in the service, and that the war will soon be over. We write many letters and receive a large mail every day, coming from Harper’s Ferry. All our shacks have small stoves, so that we use much of our time cutting wood. When off duty we visit the farmhouses, buy eggs and butter, vegetables. We are living well, passing the time very pleasantly for camp life. We are dressed warm, as we can have things sent from home, coming by Adams Express to Harper’s Ferry.

25th. Sunday. A rather unpleasant day. Spent Christmas quietly. Ate dinner with Capt. Chester. Oysters. Wrote home.

Sunday, 25th.—Shoal Creek is about two hundred yards wide, two feet deep, and runs very swiftly. Brigade ordered to wade through. As it is extremely cold, and am sick, I did not care for such a Christmas trick. Going up to the ford, after many times asking, one little fellow, who was hauling decking plank, allowed me to ride on one of his mules that was hauling the wagon. Found brigade crossing Tennessee River at Bainbridge Ferry, in pontoon boats. Crossed over at 3 P. M., and was ordered to go three miles to a Mr. Kellocks’ to press wagon and haul plank to floor pontoon bridge. The mud was simply awful and we got there some time in the night, and asked the man if we could not have an out-house that had a chimney, to stay in until morning. He gave us permission, and we soon had a roaring fire, by which we dried our clothes and warmed while we slept. The best night’s rest we have had for some time. Next morning we got his team and about a dozen short plank and started down to the river, all of us riding on the wagon. Got back to river about 9 a. m. Army had been crossing over all morning; so our plank was not needed, and we told the fellow that he might take them back home if he wanted to.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

CAMP THREE MILES NORTH OF PETERSBURG,
Christmas Day, Dec. 25, ’64.

My Dear Mother:
I intended to have written the day after getting here, but it rained all day and the coldest kind of a rain too. The next day we received orders to move. We had almost completed our winter quarters and the boys hated to leave very much. We did not think at the time we should ever come back again, though some men from each company was left in camp to take care of the things. I was the one from our company left.

Last Thursday about sunset the division left and camped in a mile or two of Drury’s Bluff, some ten miles from here. Last night about 9 o’clock they returned. We shall complete our quarters in two or three days now. To-day being Sunday and Xmas too, the boys think we should rest. It is the gloomiest Xmas that I ever saw. We not only miss the extras which we have had heretofore, but we have not got as much meat or bread as we can eat. The Xmas dinner promised to Lee’s army, I see in the papers, has been postponed until New Year’s day. I doubt then whether we get any as we are not in the intrenchments, though I think we deserve it as much as they do. We have done as much hard fighting and as for the marching we have done all. The boys were all very glad to see us. Gen. Grimes happened to ride by as I arrived and was pulling my things off. He stopped and had quite a long chat, he seemed right glad to see me back. Col. Venable, one of Gen. Lee’s staff, told Gen. Grimes, who is in command of the division now, to make his men as comfortable as possible, that we would in all probability remain here all the winter, unless something turned up unforeseen at present. I am in hopes it may be so, for I think our division needs rest if any troops in the army do. I understand we came here to relieve some of the troops in the fortification, but as they had made themselves comfortable, they would not be relieved. They preferred to remain in the works on the front line. I think they are sensible too, for I expect they will have us running all around, just as we did the past two or three days, all winter. I almost wish we had been sent South instead of Hoke’s division. In passing through Raleigh I staid all night at the “Way-Side-Inn.” Next morning in rolling up my blankets I forgot to put my socks in and came off and left them. I never hated anything so bad in my life. Just think they were the only extra pieces of clothing I took along, and then should lose them. If McBride has not left before you receive this please send me another pair. If you have any extra butter at the time just wrap a rag around a small ball and get him to bring that along. It is the best way to send it in cold weather. He will have to walk about a mile from where the cars stop to our camp. The cars stop two miles this side of Petersburg, for fear of being shelled. Blake has gone to Petersburg today on a pass. He is looking very well. I called to see uncle Richard while in Raleigh, the only relative I saw. Raleigh has sadly changed in four years. Give my love to all the family.

Your affectionate son,
WALTER.

Letters from two brothers who served in the 4th North Carolina Infantry during the Civil War are available in a number of sources online.  Unfortunately, the brothers are misidentified in some places as Walter Lee and George Lee when their names were actually Walter Battle and George Battle. See The Battle Brothers for more information on the misidentification.

Dec 25^th 1864

We get Shermans official Dispatch this morning. He has taken Savannah without a fight. The Rebel Army escaped. Large Stores of all kinds, near 200 Cannon and 25000 Bales of Cotton fell into our hands. Charleston and Willmington must follow soon, and then I think that Sherman will have to come and take Richmond if we take it very soon. Gen^l Grant is dogged and stuborn and persistent and uses “brute force” to do all that he does. He looses too many men. He does not posess the Military talent, the comprehensive brain of Sherman, the “Great Flanker.” When Grant took Vicksburgh and won his most important victori[e]s He had Sherman with him. How much his success was owing to that fact time may yet determine. Sherman stands far above Grant now in the estimation of the Country and the World.

Sunday, 25th–This is a cloudy, cool day and a lonesome Christmas. We are on one-third rations now and poor prospects of getting more soon. We still have plenty of rice, although in the hull, so we can get along. Large foraging parties were sent up the Savannah river to obtain rice straw for our beds and they brought in large quantities of rice still in the sheaf to feed the horses and mules. There are some very large rice plantations along the river and there is a great deal of rice not yet threshed. We had company inspection this evening. All is quiet.

December 24th.–Christmas eve! Clear and cold.

A dispatch from Hon. J. L. Orr and H. V. Johnson (on their way home) informs the Secretary that from the delay in the transportation of troops over the Piedmont Railroad, there must be either criminal neglect or treachery concerned in it.

Again it is rumored that Savannah has been evacuated. There is something in the air that causes agitation in official circles. Mr. Secretary Seddon’s room was locked nearly all day yesterday.

If troops cannot be transported expeditiously over the Piedmont Road, fears may be entertained for Wilmington, when, the gale subsiding, the enemy’s fleet has reappeared.

There is a rumor on the street that the government is to be removed to Lynchburg. [continue reading…]

December 24, 1864.

This has usually been a very busy day with me, preparing for Christmas not only for my own tables, but for gifts for my servants. Now how changed! No confectionery, cakes, or pies can I have. We are all sad; no loud, jovial laugh from our boys is heard. Christmas Eve, which has ever been gaily celebrated here, which has witnessed the popping of fire-crackers [the Southern custom of celebrating Christmas with fireworks] and the hanging up of stockings, is an occasion now of sadness and gloom. I have nothing even to put in Sadai’s stocking, which hangs so invitingly for Santa Claus. How disappointed she will be in the morning, though I have explained to her why he cannot come. Poor children! Why must the innocent suffer with the guilty?

24th.—Savannah has been evacuated, without loss to us, except of some stores, which could not be removed. The city was surrendered by its mayor, Arnold by name, and he seems to be worthy of the traitorous name. Our troops marched towards Charleston. Savannah was of little use to us for a year past, it has been so closely blockaded, and its surrender relieves troops which were there for its defence, which may be more useful elsewhere; but the moral effect of its fall is dreadful. The enemy are encouraged, and our people depressed. I never saw them more so.

On the 22d General Rosser beat a division of the enemy near Harrisonburg, and on the 23d General Lomax repulsed and severely punished another, near Gordonsville.

To-morrow is Christmas-day. Our girls and B. have gone to Cedar Hill to spend a week. Our office has suspended its labours, and I am anticipating very quiet holidays. A Christmas present has just been handed me from my sweet young friend S. W.—a box filled with all manner of working materials, which are now so scarce and expensive, with a beautiful mat for my toilet at the bottom of it. Christmas will come on the Sabbath. The “Colonel” is gone, but J. and C. will take their usual Sunday dinner, and I have gotten up a little dessert, because Christmas would not be Christmas without something better than usual; but it is a sad season to me. On last Christmas-day our dear R. T. C. was buried; and yesterday I saw my sweet young cousin E. M. die, and to-morrow expect to attend her funeral. Full of brightness and animation, full of Christian hope and charity, she was the life of her father’s house, the solace and comfort of her already afflicted mother, one of the many mothers whose first-born has fallen a sacrifice to the war. This interesting girl, with scarcely a warning, has passed into heaven, leaving a blank in the hearts of her family never to be filled.

24th. Saturday. In the morning helped Hillhouse fix up his ordnance papers. P. M. whiskey issued. Boys pretty jolly.

Saturday, 24th.—Tried all day to get my tooth pulled, but failed, as all instruments are behind. Camped near Shoal Creek.

(Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Saturday, 24th–General Foster’s command is still in pursuit of the fleeing rebels through South Carolina. They had an encounter yesterday with them, in which the rebels were completely routed. General Foster was wounded in the fight and was brought into town this morning. General Sherman^[1] reviewed the Fifteenth Army Corps this morning. We had company drill this afternoon.

[1] While on our march through Georgia, all the men had a chance to see Sherman at close range, as he rode with the different corps, changing from one to another. As we approached Savannah, going in on the main road, which was rather narrow he was with our corps, the Seventeenth, which had most of the fighting to do. I noticed that when he wished to get ahead to the front of the corps, he never would crowd the infantry aside, but instead rode alongside himself, leaving the good road for them. I have seen him ride this way, his horse on an ordinary walk, with his staff officers riding in single file behind him. Some of the boys would ask him questions, or make some joking remarks as to where we were going, and the general would seldom reply, but would always have a pleasant smile in recognition of the question asked. He won the respect of the boys, and they all had confidence in him. —A. G. D.

December 23d–Bright and very cold.

A storm has driven off a portion of the enemy’s fleet before Wilmington.

The raid toward Gordonsville and Charlottesville is not progressing rapidly. We shall have a force to meet it.

Besides the demonstration against Savannah (from which place we have no recent tidings), it appears that an attempt on Mobile is in progress. Too many attempts–some of them must fail, I hope.

From the last accounts, I doubted whether Hood’s army has been so badly shattered as was apprehended yesterday.

Gen. Price (trans-Mississippi) has brought out a large number of recruits from Missouri.

I dined out yesterday, and sumptuously; the first time for two years.

Congress has done but little, so far. They are at work on the Currency bill!

Mr. Enders, broker, and exempted as one of the Ambulance Committee, I am informed paid some $8000 yesterday to Mitchell & Tyler for a few articles of jewelry for his daughter. And R. Hill, who has [continue reading…]

December 23, 1864.

Just before night Mrs. Robert Rakestraw and Miss Mary drove up to spend the night with me. They had started down into Jasper County, hoping to get back their buggy, having heard that several buggies were left at Mr. Whitfield’s by the Yankees.

Nothing new! It is confidently believed that Savannah has been evacuated. I hear nothing from my boys. Poor fellows, how I miss them!