Saturday 15th The City is quite wild with Excitement today at the reported capture of Fort Donoldson with 15000 prisoners. It is not yet confirmed. We all hope & rejoice. Good news also from Genl Lander, he has made an important capture of rebel officers & Stores near Winchester V.A. Capt White of the 27th [...]

Friday Feb 14th Nothing of note has occured today in the City. Arrests are made of Secessionists almost every day and many more might be made with propriety. The roads are getting better and exciting news is expected all the time from almost every point of the Compass. Went down on to the Ave this [...]

Thursday Feb 13th 1862 A bright pleasant day. No particular news, but many rumors of fighting West. I have been in the office, am there every day filling out Patents or Deeds & recording them. Julia has Miss Hartly and two of the Miss Middletons here tonight. I have been down to the National. Called [...]

Wednesday 12th Great excitement in the City today at the news of the Battle of Roanoke Island. No great particulars yet, but it must have been a desperate fight. “Secesh” is now receiving nothing but hard knocks, many more are in reserved [sic] for her. Norfolk will soon be taken, it is expected. The boys [...]

Tuesday 11th Cloudy today and snow towards evening. Dispatch rcd today by the War Dept that Burnside had taken Roanoke Island with many prisoners, particulars perhaps tomorrow. Went up to the RR Depot after dinner and then up the Ave to Willards Hotel. Quite a crowd there, a great many army officers. The Statuelike Dragoons [...]

Monday Feb 10th 1862 Genl Chas P Stone was arrested yesterday for Treason and sent to Fort Lafayette. News through Norfolk that a Battle was going on at Roanoke Island, Genl Burnside having attacked it. No particular news from the West. It has been a beautiful bright day. Mercury this morning stood at 20. Lieut [...]

Sunday 9th Have been out to church all day with all the family but Holly, he has a very bad cold. The air has been cool and Bracing today and the sun has shown nearly all day. The sight of the sun again has been here quite reviveing. Ed Dick[erson] & Alex Tower called this [...]

Saturday 8th Nothing new at all today, a little skirmishing over the River. Some Rebels killed and sixteen prisoners taken and brought in here last night. I have not been out and have not been on Pa. Ave for some days past. ______ The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary [...]

Friday Feb 7th 1862 News rcd today of the capture of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River by Comodore Foot and his Gun Boat Squadron. The news created quite a Sensation in the City as it is considered an important point. Weather damp & chilly and the Roads & crossings awful. When the roads dry [...]

Thursday 6th No news yet. All quiet. Misty day, snow all gone, more mud. In the office as usual. Went down this evening and got the NY papers & Frank Leslie for the boys. Mailed some letters for wife & Julia. Have been reading all the evening. Have put some oyster shells into the coal [...]

Wednesday 5th This has been a bright and pleasant day, the first in a long time. M. this morning stood at 20. The snow has mostly thawed off in the streets. G W Prentice went home yesterday. Mr Bright was Expelled from the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 32 to14, a deserved disgrace [...]

Tuesday 4th Colder, but not much frost. M. stands 26 tonight. Chas got letter from Frank, he is now on a RRoad. I got a letter from Brother C R. Mat[ty] Hartly has been spending the day here. Less excitement in the City now about the small pox. I suppose people have got used to [...]

Monday Feb 3rd 1862 No particular news today. The streets are in a wo[e]ful condition but the boys who are anxious to gain a penny — keep the crossings in tolerable condition for footmen. The hundreds of army wagons which are constantly passing keep the road way mud well stirred up. ______ The three diary [...]

Sunday 2nd Froze a little last night but has thawed in the sun all day. Went out to church with wife and boys. Chaplin Booth of the 5th Regt Sickels Brigad[e] preached, a pretty smart man. A crazy man in the church made a disturbance by giving an Extra discourse. He was hustled out by [...]

Saturday January February 1st 1862 Nothing of any particular note has occured today. The ground was covered with Snow this morning, but it has thawed all day. Went down after dinner and with the three boys and got them all new boots with which they were highly pleased, paid $4.25 for the lot. Got “Bud” [...]

Friday 31st A cloudy damp day, in the office as usual. Engaged the Pat office Draughtsman to make drawings for my Door Fastener. I shall make application for a pat next week. Remained at home this evening except going to Mr Hartleys for Julia at 9 o’clock. I have been writing the specification for my [...]

Thursday 30th Rain again today. The Lyons friends left for home this evening. The boys have staid in the house and attended to their lessons better than usual. I Have not been out tonight, been drawing some and reading the “Star” aloud. No particular war news but a good deal expected soon. The Boys went [...]

Wednesday Jan’y 29th 1862 Rained half the day and the streets in a bad condition again. Nothing new today. This evening Mrs A B Williams, Mrs VanMaster and David Griffith came up and took tea with us and spent the evening, leaving about 10 o’clock. Chas & Sally were also here. We all had a [...]

Tuesday 28 Rain today and the streets again in a bad condition. Mr Fenwick and Lady, Miss Lucy Munson (Mrs Fenwicks Sister), and Mr Cobb spent the evening here. Mr VanMaster & Lady, Mis Williams and Ed Dickerson call[ed] in a carriage for Julia to go with them to the Presidents Levee, so she got [...]

Monday January 27th 1862 A pleasant day, a good air & cool. There has been no news afloat. I have been in the office all day as usual. Mrs Williams, Mrs VanMaster, D Griffiths & Ed Dick’n visited the Presidents with my wife, saw the President and the “White House.” This evening myself and Julia [...]

Sunday 26th Rather pleasant today. Went out to church in the morning with Julia & the Boys. Wife went in the afternoon. Met Ed Dickerson & took him to church. The two Lincoln boys were here after our boys to go up there to see their new poney. Our boys could not go on Sunday. [...]

Satturday Jan’y 25/62 Weather more favorable today, a cool fine air, but plenty of mud in the streets. No news worth mentioning. The news papers are dull for want of some new sensation. Got set of chairs, one bedstead, mattress & Rocker today. Cane seats are the best I can afford for my parlor. Went [...]

Friday Jan’y 24th 1862 Colder today but still freezes but little. Tonight the wind blows from the north bringing rain and sleet. It is a terrible bad night out, and I cannot but think of the hundreds of poor sentries on duty who have to stand and take it. No particular news today in the [...]

Thursday 23d 1862 In the office as usual. No rain today and a little cooler, but does not freeze. Geo W Prentice was an hour in our room today, quite sociable. Thinks Schoepf did the fighting at “Somerset” whether he gets the credit of it or not, and I think so too. I must call [...]