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This transcription has not been verified by Special Collections Research Staff. Please also consult images of the document.

        1
      Behind this stone is laif, for a
season, alert Sydney Johnson, a general
in the army of the Confederate States, who fell
at Shiloh, Tennessee on the 6 day of April
AD 1862, a man tried in many high offices
and critical enterprises, + found faithful
in all. His life was one long, on a woeful
Sabbath. Did he [] as a holocaust to his
country's need. Not wholly understood was he
while he lived; but in his death, his greatness stands
confessed in a [] team. Resolute mode-
rate, clear of envy, yet not wanting in that fine
ambition, which makes men great & pure.
  In his honor impregnable, in his simplicity
sublime, no country e'er had a truer
son- no cause a nobler champion, no people
a bolder defender- no principle a purer victim
than the dead soldier, who sleeps here!
The cause for which he perished is lost-
the people for whom he fought []

        Diary
        1861~Vol I to April 1st 1862
June 7 Major Ewell sent to borrow forage from
        the Asylum, for the use of the cavalry houser.
                        A messenger from one of
        the Army officers, came to the Asylum, expecting
        to find there the Principal of the Academy: it
        seems that a hospital for soldiers is located
        at the Academy, which explains the mistake.
                Mrs J. [Millanson?] writes word, that
        the bodies in Richmond make up one thousand
        uniforms her day.
                     Mrs M. Clapton writes to Miss [L. M.?] Galt,
        saying that Mr Flynn a workman from []
        Monroe, removed to Richmond, and in good
        business there, is exceedingly anxious to hear from
        his wife still in Elizabeth City, his efforts to
        do so having heretofore proved [].
                   Miss M. Copland is finely employed,
        in making sixty borelocks for the Lee Artillery
        Company?
      8 Mr. Douglas was informed by "[] & []",
        that since the commencement of hostilities, they
        have sold twenty thousand dollars worth of
        medicines to the Southern Troops.
      9 Capt. Garrett and his company & others, throwing
        up field works of the Grove & at Kings-mill:
        troopsunder Col. August parade on the
        Court-House Green.
                 David [] and his assistants
        [Gaines?] & [Brinford?] arrive at my residence, en
        route for Jamestown: on a superior officer's saying
        that he should forthright provide a number approved
        by him impossible, of wagons, he returned
        that "he could do a great many things, but
        that he could not make a horse & wagon"
                    Many of the troops of York had
        to employ tents constructed of birch.
     10 And hence this was said by some one,
        to render "York a finished place". Their tents not
        only let in water during rain, but drip
        unpleasantly after the rain has ceased.
                       Saw William [Lively?], who reports
        himself as an express to Richmond, in connection
        with the affair at Phillip's; he states that the
        Confederate troops retreated to Beverly.
                   I understand that William Christian
        started last night with dispatches to Richmond.
     11 Mr [Gaines?] wished a room for the transaction
        of business, at the Asylum- because of the greater
        quietude; it was allowed the [].
             On yesterday no soldiers brought a companion
        who was then under an attack of []; they
        were from the Emmett Guards, and I pre-
        sume, a mistake had been made, by confounding
        the hospital at the Academy with the Asylum.
                    Last night we had a serenade from
        some of the German company from Richmond.
           There are daily rumors of skirmishes on a small
        scale in the peninsula below us. There was a short
        engagement, described to me by one of its participants
        Col. Mallory, which occured on yesterday near
        Bethel Church, between a North Carolina Regiment chiefly
        & a much larger force of the enemy. The latter fled
        precipitately, after many of them being killed and
        wounded; one of our men was killed & several wounded
June 12 On the request of Professor [], pickaxes
        and spades were furnished to the troops, by
        myself and the Asylum.
                 Military discipline would seem
        hereabouts, in certain particulars, rather in
        ill-odour with some of the []: thus
        a lady is reported to have remonstrated
        with a sentinel. And again three ladies passing
        the Guard-House of the encampment, and
        an acquaintance amongst the soldiery, []
        that a mechanical arrangement there was for
        the purpose of keeping time, the fair questioner
        exclaimed "I'll be dogged if I would agree to
        any such thing, I'd sooner kill anybody that
        ordered me to do so".
     13 Being the day set apart for fasting and
        prayer, her [] preached an excellent dis-
        course. He said amongst other things that he
        had often read with much interest, of the
        most important events in the past, but that
        now those of equal importance to any that had
        taken place heretofore, were about occur in our
        immediate neighborhood; indeed he asserted the
        late battle at Bethel Church, as fully on a par
        with the Battle of Bunker's Hill.
     14 Last night at one o'clock, Capt. Henderson
        knocked loudly and long at the Asylum gate-
        coming to Williamsburg, to procure a crew for
        his barge.
               I was informed by a [] trooper, that
        this Country had furnished his companies of cavalry
        & fifteen of infantry.
                       Col. Stewart arrived at my residence.
June 14 Capt. Henderson borrowed the map of the
        Battle of Yorktown.
                     Col. Stewart spoke of the []
        likeability of the Powers and other gentlemen in
        York, in loaning to the army houses, servants, etc,
        but condemned the apathy of others. He also expressed
        surprise at the absence of vegetables & fruits. An old
        gentleman expressed regret that he could not offer
        him some fine old Peach brandy of his own
        preparations, but he had buried some barrels of
        it to prevent the enemy from getting at it;
        in this regard the old gentleman remarked
        very justly, that if they were to get a hold of this
        the enemy would become intoxicated & would
        then be likely to do all sorts of mischief to him.
        On noticing an iron safe, he said to the Col. that
        he had only placed therein a few cents, and worthless
        papers, burying others of importance. In the battle nearly
        all these struck, had some red about them.
                      Several hundred troops came up this
        evening.
     15 Some of yesterday's arrived troops are encamped
        on the Court House Green.
     16 Most of the troops remaining in Williamsburg,
        ordered today to the grove.
                      A skirmish reported, between three
        or four of our men employed in scouting, and
        double that number of the foe- advantageous it is said
        to our party: Mr. Gergory was wounded.
     17 The men engaged at Bethel, seem to retain the
        white band around their caps, which they then
        placed thus in order to contradistinguish them from
        the opposing force, who had white around the arm.
June 18 The Louisiana Zouaves reported to have been
        stationed for the last few days at Bethel.
     19 The Ladies have been engaged during the
        last day or two, in covering the canteens
        of the soldiers- Dr. A. [Kinsley?] concurs with
        others, in representing the condition of the
        York Hospital as very defcient.
                   An alarming rumour of the landing
        of one or two bodies of hostile troops, in Warwick &
        in the vicinity of the Grove. No entrenchments have
        been thrown up, at either the Grove or Kings-Will.
        The rumour just opened to seems pretty much without
        foundation. But refugees in town reported as threaten-
        ing of again emmigrating; only some dozen or so
        of soldiers left in town, over four hundred being
        at the entrenchments (a mile and a half from
        town); and about [] companies passed through
        town from Spratleys. Seven cannons are at this
        beast-work; there have been lately received by
        the way of Jamestown.
                     Miss Rebecca Ewell said she heard
        Mr. [Faunders?] observe, the the ladies and others
        of Williamsburg, had evinced a great deal of "pluck"-
        showing indeed a proper state of feeling- neither too
        much timidity, nor too great a degree of []
        as [] the enemy.
     20                    Last evening saw an extract from
        a letter of the galliant Col. Richard Ewell, to the
        effect that- "It is absurd to cast reflections upon
        Captian Ball, he is merely an unfortunate man".
                Mrs Washington said to have perfected an
        arrangement by which there would be a regular con-
        veyance to take suitable articles of dress, contributed by
June 20 the benevolent and patriotic in Williamsburg
        to the rich and convalescent amongst the Louisiana
        & other soldiery, who had been troubled with
        cases of mischief.
                        []! Folk speaking of the Yankees
        to Dr M C Cole, called  them scoundrels?
                         Dr M C Cole suffers Governor Yoricks
        of Maryland, to have been certainly liked.
                     Dr M C Cole, after the secession of Virginia,
        announced to his congregation that he could no longer
        read the prayer for the President.
                        Additional troops landed of York,
        from Richmond. The steamer broke down, thus
        carrying fewer than had been intended; it is
        rumoured that Col. [McGarden?] has made appli-
        cation for several thousands.
     21 They are still engaged in transferring the wooden
        tents from their original site, to the embarkment
        below hours.
               Mr Ewell, & I suppose Mr Taliaferro also,
        made applications for half a gallon of nitric acid
        to prepare percussion caps.
     22 Reasons heavily engaged in sending and preparing
        articles of bedding and food for the York
        Hospital.
     23 Dr M C Cole preached of the entrenchments below
        town- the "John Letcher grounds", numbering over
        900 armied at the entrenchments- from Georgia.
     24 I was told that in Col. August's Regiment, there
        were in the ranks, two or three clergymen.
     25 Informed by Mr [], that things were so un-
        certain, that his firm would not procure
        any fresh supply of sugar, tea, etc.
June 25 The militia were on yesterday noon to
        support the government of the Confederate
        (at York). Some assert that a portion
        of them took a similar oath a day or two
        since, to the Lincoln [].
                      Mr J. []. [Bonery?] says it is reported
        that in a few days there will be 5000 troops
        at the entrenchments below town, there now being
        1500; the Georgians have cotton tents; twelve are
        accommodated in each wooden hut. He looks
        badly, and says he has a touch of bilious fever.
                           A Hospital established at the
        College, with Georgia Surgeons; & Georgia patients
        amounting to thirty, chiefly cases of the Measles &
        Mumps not being able to procure medicine [] here,
        the writer furnished Dr Miller one of the staff first
        named above, with articles from the Asylum Miss
        S M. Gals likewise gave them some gallons of Sage
        Tea & other drinks; as also a number of candles, etc. Being
        []oliated by him! I visited this hospital with with
        Dr Miller. Only one or two of the sick bed mattresses,
        and there were analogous deficiences as to other
        things. There seeming no complication, I suggested
        that the cases of measles required no treatment,
        the chills & fevers immediate treatment, etc.
     26                 Miss I. M. Galt engaged in sending
        to the College Hospital, large quantities of Sage tea, and
        of pleasantly flavored Sage and Arrow-Root.
     27 The last of the tents removed from the original
        encampment to the south of townm, and the
        shot entirely deserted by troops.
     28 A very sultry day, then at 11 up to 87[degrees], the ground
        parched & the grass withered, the slight rains lately
        being of no consequence. [] just finished along here and
June 28 reported as good.
     29 Then down to 71[degrees]; heavy rain from 7 o'clock
        yesterday evening, off and on through the night.
     30 Hay is now stored by the troops, I notice, in
        the two outbuildings on Miss Martha Christian's
        land. They have also occupied for some time
        with []s, etc, the lot adjoining Horace []'s.