Albert Husted Diary, March 1, 1864-April 30, 1864
Wed. Mar. 2
Fine day. AM downtown. Tonight visit our last summer friends of Green Spring. No further news from the front.
Thurs. Mar. 3
Warm and Windy. Rumors of Kilpatrick's near approach to Richmond. 7 PM on RR, go to Warrenton --------- get back 5 AM, Friday.
Fri. Mar. 4
(No entry).
Sat. Mar. 5
Chilly. Read and write letters. Tonight with Capt. M. attend "Opera". Think I have seen enough of such trash.
Sun. Mar. 6
Cold. Reg't Inspection 9 AM. Attend Christ's Church begin to get tired of the forms. Good sermon. Tonight attend Methodist church, full house, regular Methodist sermon pretty strong and effective.
Mon, Mar. 7
Cool morning but fine day. PM downtown. A large number of ladies are out promenading and seem not to fear meeting the "Yanks."
Tue. Mar. 8
Rainy. 9 AM start for Washington, in steamer. Visit Congress, not much going on. 8 PM attend Levee [a reception held by the President or other high official] at the President's. Quite a crowd. Mr. L. looks quite well, for him. Gens. Grant, Sickles and Hayes are present. G .is ----- ------and his hand well shaken. [The White House in Washington echoed with cheers and handclaps as a rather squat man in a disheveled major general's uniform stood on a sofa in the East Room. U.S. Grant, Lieutenant General and soon to be General-in-Chief of the U.S. Armies, met President Lincoln for the first time. Both men appeared somewhat embarrassed, and little was said, but a working partnership was unobtrusively being forged.1]
Wed. Mar. 9
Splendid day. Lieut's Botchford, Munger and I visit Navy Yard, Capital Landing and Smithsonian Institute. 5 PM start for camp, well pleased with our trip.
Thurs. Mar. 10
Heavy rain. 11 AM. on railroad go only to Fairfax, get back before dark. Count myself lucky, for tonight is dark and unpleasant.
Fri. Mar. 11
Slight rain tonight, quite a thunder shower. I am Officer of the Day. Put a man in Guard House tonight for not putting out the light. Lt. Dempsey sick. Write to Capt. Nash for Inventory and Ins. Report.
Sat. Mar. 12
Fine day, warm. Kilpatrick's cavalry having come up the river in transports are going to the front. The Missus Woodruff and brother from Wash. drive with us... Tonight Botch. and I call on Mr. And Mrs. Shurer. Mrs. is a great woman.
Sun. Mar. 13
Splendid day, Warm. 11 AM on railroad, go to Nokesville, get back 5 PM. Find that pictures of the camp have been taken, guess I ain't in 'em. Tonight at Methodist Church, full house and good sermon.
Mon. Mar. 14
Pleasant. and cool. Study a little and read more. Evening attend circus performance. Quite good. Some surprising feats in Gymnastics and Equestrianship.
Tue. Mar. 15
Cold and windy. Layed around till evening then Botchford and I call at Mr. Birch's. Ruth is home. Mr. B. thinks the war will be the making of Va.
Wed. Mar. 16
Cold and windy. 11 AM start for Brandy. Have a cold ride. Take return train at Rap. Station, get in 9 PM. Great Ball at H'd Qu's 1st. Div. 5th. Corps tonight.
Thurs. Mar. 17
Clear and cool.
Fri. Mar. 18
Cold and windy AM start for Brandy, get back nearly on time. Some little excitement along the road because of an expected raid by Stuart's cavalry.
Sat. Mar. 19
Fine day. 7 PM Reg't receives orders to take a position to repel a cavalry attack we take and hold it but are not troubled except by the cold which is severe, especially as we are not allowed fires.
Sun. Mar. 20
Clear and cool. At daylight return to camp. 9 ½ AM the Reg't form line and repeat the picture. 11 attend church., 7 ½ PM at Methodist Church. A meeting for the benefit of the Orphan Asylum, not very interesting but good for the orphans.
Mon. Mar. 21
Clear and cold. Officer of the day. All quiet along the lines. Capt. Fox reads Shakespeare to us tonight.
Tue. Mar. 22
Very cold and Windy. 6 ½ a snow storm sets in before midnight, six inches have fallen this heaviest snow of the winter. 7 PM I start for Brandy, about the roughest trip I have made.
Wed. Mar. 23
Clears up but is cold, snow wastes slowly, a sleigh passes our camp for Alex. this morning. 10 AM I get in from train. PM sick head-ache which keeps me from Gottschalk's -------- tonight.
Thurs. Mar. 24
Cold AM, moderate PM. Snow wastes considerably. Gen. Grant visits the Army of the Potomac today. Evening call on Mr. and Mrs. Maj. Knox, find Mrs. indisposed.
Fri. Mar. 25
11 AM an RR. 4 PM a heavy rain storm with cold and east wind sets in, rains hard till midnight, about all the snow is gone when I get back to camp at 1 AM of
Sat. Mar. 26
Cold with wind. My Inspection reports having got back I sit about settling my accounts. Have them pretty well along tonight.
Sun. Mar. 27
AM attend Catholic Church. High Mass is performed. Music quite good, but the Latin unintelligible. Afternoon visit Seminary Hospital. Eve attend Episcopal church. Large numbers of troops, including 4th and 15th. N.Y. Artillery have gone to the front in cars today.
Mon. Mar. 28
Very fine. I am act. Adj. Troops continue to move to the front.
Tue. Mar. 29
Cold, east wind. 7 PM on RR, ride on a stock car, rains all the way out, get a little wet no cars to get into at Brandy. No box cars at 4. I sit up in an eating car the remainder of the night. Pretty rough for all of us.
Wed. Mar. 30
7 ¾ leave Brandy, rain continues, mixed with snow. Steam very high but road all right. 2 PM reach camp, feeling rather dull. Get dinner then take a nap. Raw, cold wind tonight.
Thurs. Mar. 31
Clears up and dries off. Get my returns complete and my Co. Affairs all straightened up. A General Inspection at 3 PM. Tonight with Botchford call downtown at old friend Mr. Brick's.
Fri. Apr. 1
Splendid morning. Cloudy PM, rainy tonight. 7 PM start for Brandy.
Sat. Apr. 2
Rains and snows hard all day, streams very high again. Back to Camp at 11 A.M.
Sun. Apr. 3
Clears up and mud dries. Officer of the Day. Stay in Camp reading. Tonight write to Mother.
Mon. Apr 4
Damp and cold. PM rain, keeps it up all night. 7 PM start for Brandy, make quite a comfortable trip notwithstanding the rain and mud.
Tue. Apr. 5
Rains all day. Great freshet. 9 ½ AM get back to camp. Nothing doing.
Wed. Apr. 6
Clears up very pleasant. 12 M with Capt. Wood start for Washington. Visit Brady's, get photos of Camp. Evening attend lecture of ---------- Thompson, and English abolitionist. He is a strong "Unionist" but radical anti-slavery.
Thurs. Apr. 7
Fine, mud dries very fast. 11 AM start for Brandy, pleasant trip, get back midnight.
Fri. Apr. 8
Very fine day. 12 M with Botchford leave for Washington. Visit Senate, Constitutional amendment under consideration, it passes by 38 to 6. [The U.S. Senate passed a joint resolution 38 to 6 abolishing slavery and approving the Thirteenth Amendment. The resolution reflected the change in the attitude of Congress since the beginning of the war, and there was little real opposition to it. 1] Evening see Forest as King Lear. Performance very good. Get a good seat in a very full house.
Sat. Apr. 9
Rainy, a flood tonight. Stayed at Penna. Hotel, a cheap house but quite good. 8 AM start for. camp, reach it just in time to escape the rain.
Sun. Apr. 10
Very heavy rain last night, biggest freshet of the spring, carries away Bull Run Bridge. All attend Episcopal church. PM evening at Methodist. Text: Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth when the evil days come not, nor the days -----night.
Mon. Apr. 11
Variable. I am Act. Adj. Sign passes and play chess with Botchford.
Tue. Apr. 12
Pleasant. Make out return of Ordnance for part of 2nd. Quarter 1863. Have some doubt is to its being accepted. 7 PM on Train Guard.
Wed. Apr. 13
Fine. 10 AM return from Train Guard. Headache about all day. Tonight complete my Ordnance Return for part of 2nd. Quarter 1863.
Thurs. Apr. 14
Pleasant. Tent reading, etc.
Fri.. Apr. 15
Cloudy and rain tonight. Reg't paid for Jan. and February 1864. On Train Guard 7 PM.
Sat. Apr. 16
Quite rainy. 9 ½ AM back to camp. 4 PM start for Washington, evening attend lecture by Grace Greenwood, Mrs. Lipincott in Senate Chamber. She is neither young nor pretty but her lecture contained some very good things.
Sun. Apr. 17
Cool. I am Act. Adj. AM attend Methodist church. Tonight have so many passes to sign that I do not get to church.
Mon. Apr. 18
Fine day. Quite a number of troops going to the front.
Tue. Apr. 19
Pleasant but cool, ground getting dry and hard. 7 PM start for Brandy.
Wed. Apr. 20
No train at 4 so we wait till 7 3/4 train has 25 rebel prisoners and deserters on board. Today the sick were brought from the front. 3 PM reg't inspected by Capt. Tucker Ins. Gen'l 5th. Brigade.
Thurs. Apr. 21
Very fine, roads getting quite dusty. PM Botchford and I start for the Capital, to see the Misses W, they have gone to a concert, we go, spend too much time at their house when it is done and miss the cars home. Put up at Penna. House.
Fri. Apr. 22
8 AM start for Camp. Boats run free today.
Sat. Apr. 23
Windy, hot and dusty. 11 AM start for Brandy. A very pleasant trip. Preparations are very active at Brandy.
Sun. Apr. 24
Pleasant but very warm. All attend Episcopal church, no sermon. Tonight at Methodist. Text: It is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
Mon. Apr. 25
Fine rain last night, warm and spring-like today. Troops are gathering about us getting ready for a move somewhere.
Tue. Apr. 26
Cooler, windy. 11 AM start for Brandy, the army seems very quiet.
Wed. Apr. 27
Serg't. Newton died very unexpectedly this morning. His body is to be embalmed and sent home. We have noticed that we will soon be relieved. The 9th. Corps, in part, passes our camp today. They go towards the front.
Thurs. Apr. 28
Cold and windy. All hands busy breaking up and getting ready for the move tomorrow. I send home box by express. Tonight downtown, call at Mr. Epping's and Mr. Shurer's.
Fri. Apr. 29
Fine day. 11 AM Reg't leaves for the army 5th. P---. Res. and 11th. Inf. ----- same time. Quite a crowd to see us off. On way up pass some of Burnside's negroes who have relieved our 3rd. Div. PM reach Rap. Station. March to near Beverly Ford and bivouac.
Sat. Apr. 30
Fair AM, rainy PM. We remain in bivouac. Reg't is mustered for March and April. Our 3c Div. crossed the Rap, going south, at Rap. Station this morning. We expect to move tomorrow morning.