Harper’s Weekly – October 12, 1861

Harper's Weekly archives ^ | October 12, 1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous Harper’s Weekly thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4000763/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Brig.-Gen. S.D. Sturgis – 1-2
The Rebel General Price – 1-2
Operations in the Gulf – 1-2
The Lounger – 2-4
Our Army at Fort Pickens – 3, 8, 22
Humors of the Day – 4-5
Domestic Intelligence – 5
Stop Thief! – 5
Foreign News – 5-6
How to Deal with Female Traitors – 6
The War in Missouri – 7, 9-12, 19
The War in Kentucky – 12-13
Our Generals – 14
Terrible Accident on the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad – 15-16
Earth-Works near Leesburg, Virginia – 15
Pretty Mabel– 15
Cader Idris-The Chair of Idris – 15-17, 20
Grand Cavalry and Artillery Review at Washington on September 24, 1861 – 18, 20
The Darkest Hour – 20
A Strange Story, by sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Ch. XXV-XXVII – 20-22

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Inside Lincoln’s White House: The Complete War Diary of John Hay, edited by Michael Burlingame and John R. Turner Ettlinger

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan: Selected Correspondence 1860-1865, edited by Stephen W. Spears

[Homer_J_Simpson]

All for the Union: The Civil War Diary and Letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, edited by Robert Hunt Rhodes

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Brigadier General George G. Mead to John Sergeant Meade, October 12, 1861 (“Day before yesterday we were moved across the Potomac, and are now in position where Baldy Smith had his skirmish.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/brigadier-general-george-g-mead-to-john.html

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, October 12, 1861 (“They do not any of them, officers or men, seem to have the least idea of the solemn duty they have imposed upon themselves in becoming soldiers.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/brigadier-general-george-g-meade-to_5.html

Diary of Major Rutherford B. Hayes: October 12, 1861 (“A Union man [in WV] (like other Union men) wishing to move to Ohio, says he means to burn his house to keep it from falling into secession hands.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/diary-of-major-rutherford-b-hayes_10.html

Diary of Corporal David L. Day: October 12, 1861 (“The boys are settling down to the routine of military duty, and getting accustomed to camp life. They take kindly to discipline, and seem anxious to learn the drill.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/05/diary-of-corporal-david-l-day-october.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: October 12, 1861 (“Col. [Ambrose] Wright has had a race with the Yankees on the North Carolina coast.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/04/documents-and-speeches-1861.html

Diary of Judith W. McGuire: October 12, 1861 (“The papers mentioned the capture of a vessel called “The Fanny,” on the coast of North Carolina, laden with blankets, greatcoats, arms and ammunition. A most valuable prize.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/diary-of-judith-w-mcguire-october-11.html

General Robert E. Lee to Major W. H. Fitzhugh Lee (“We have only lived from day to day and on three-fourths rations at that. It is the want of supplies that has prevented our advancing”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/sewell-mt.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Today’s posts:

John Hay, reply #3
George B. McClellan, #4
Elisha Hunt Rhodes, #5
George Templeton Strong, #6
Links to 7 items at Civil War Notebook, #7

[BroJoeK]

"There was much talk of Daniel Webster in which the financial sanssouciism of the great man was strikingly prominent."

"sanssouciism"? -- that took some work to figure out.
It's actually "sans souci - ism", and sans souci is French for "without worry".
So apparently Daniel Webster was known for "no worries" about his finances.

Who knew?

[BroJoeK]

"Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, October 12, 1861 (“They do not any of them, officers or men, seem to have the least idea of the solemn duty they have imposed upon themselves in becoming soldiers.”)"

Union Gen. Meade's views of his own soldiers was perhaps reciprocated:

"Meade's short temper earned him notoriety, and while he was respected by most of his peers, he at times was not well loved by his army.
Some referred to him as "a damned old goggle-eyed snapping turtle."[19]

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan: Selected Correspondence 1860-1865, edited by Stephen W. Spears

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Major Wilder Dwight to Elizabeth White Dwight, October 13, 1861 (“Opie mixed his colors ‘with brains, sir,’ and with brains we have just done a clever thing near Hatteras.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/major-wilder-dwight-to-elizabeth-white_29.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: October 13, 1861 (“Gen. Anderson, of South Carolina, in the night crossed to Santa Rosa Island and cut up Billy Wilson’s regiment of New York cutthroats and thieves, under the very guns of Fort Pickens.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-october_20.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from August 19 (reply #17).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3985913/posts#17

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James Lee McDonough, William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country, A Life

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, October 14, 1861 (“The country is becoming impatient at the apparent inactivity of our troops, and I have no doubt, if the enemy afford McClellan any chance which he deems favorable, he will attack them.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/brigadier-general-george-g-meade-to_6.html

Diary of Major Rutherford B. Hayes: October 14, 1861 (Maj. Hayes thinks the Union should deal more harshly with army officers who went south.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/diary-of-major-rutherford-b-hayes_11.html

Major Wilder Dwight: October 14, 1861 (Maj. Dwight’s father sent him a buffalo robe.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/09/major-wilder-dwight-october-14-1861.html

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, October 14, 1861 (Jackson has been promoted to Major General.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/05/major-general-thomas-j-jackson-to-mary.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: October 14, 1861 (Further intrigue in the Confederate cabinet.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-october_23.html

[GreenLanternCorps]

“believed (wrongly) that the Confederates were...”

This sums up George McClellan’s military career...

[rxh4n1]

Unfortunately, General Meade was partly right. General McC rarely saw a favorable chance to attack.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

With Lincoln in the White House: Letters, Memoranda, and Other Writings of John G. Nicolay, 1860-1865, edited by Michael Burlingame

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Major Rutherford B. Hayes to Sardis Birchard, October 15, 1861 (“We are learning war. The teaching is expensive and the progress slow, but I see the advance.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/major-rutherford-b-hayes-to-sardis.html

Major Rutherford B. Hayes to Sophia Birchard Hayes, October 15, 1861 (Practicing law and enjoying the scenery in western Virginia.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/major-rutherford-b-hayes-to-sophia.html

Diary of Private Daniel L. Ambrose: October 15, 1861 (“To-day the line officers are formed into a company and drilled by Colonel Babcock in the company movements.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2020/03/diary-of-private-daniel-l-ambrose_74.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: October 15, 1861 (“I have been requested by Gen. Winder to-day to refuse a passport to Col. M–––r to leave the city in any direction.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-october_24.html

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, October 15, 1861 (“The enemy are gradually approaching us.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/05/major-general-thomas-j-jackson-to-mary_5.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

A reader on the Facebook group American Civil War suggested to me that there was a more complete version of Mary Chesnut’s “diary” than the one I have been posting from. That one is a 2011 reprint of the 1905 “A Diary from Dixie”. The new one, which I got a few days ago, is titled “Mary Chesnut’s Civil War” edited by C. Vann Woodward. The introduction explains in detail the manner in which Chesnut’s notes were compiled in the years following the war. It is a complicated story. I will sum it up here with an excerpt from the intro.

Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, edited by C. Vann Woodward

To give an idea of the difference between the 1905 version and the one I begin using today, recall the last entry we saw, September 19, 1861. Mary tells how a neighbor in South Carolina, Mrs. Witherspoon, was found dead in her bed. Died “of family sorrows” is given as the cause. After that the 1905 diary is not continued until 1862. But “Mary Chesnut’s Civil War” doesn’t stop there. Here is the rest of the story, so to speak, from the entry of September 21, 1861.

So now I will continue Mary Chesnut’s story from the new volume.

Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, edited by C. Vann Woodward