Sunday Jan’y 12 1862
A warm pleasant day. Julia is over her cold and went out to church. Chaplin Booth of NY preached all day. He is a Methodist. Young Thos Lincoln (“Tad”) came up this morning and went to Sunday school and to church with our boys. I was down to the Hotels this evening, saw Fred Sickels at the “National.” He informed me that the “Pensecola” War Steam[er] which left her anchorage at Alexandria yesterday had safely run the Blockade of the Potomac. The night was misty and she was not seen. Only two shots were fired at her or in the direction of the noise she made. No news afloat tonight but it is expected that this will be an eventful week in the history of the War. It is thought that at least 400,000 Men, good Union soldiers, will “move” this week, and that will leave a quarter of a Million more stationary. To what immense proportions has this war grown. Such a demonstration of power made in so short a time the world has never seen. The pecuniary affairs of the Country are just now in a critical state. Treasury Notes at a discount of from two to four pr cent and gold at a premium of 4 [pr ct?]. All parties are awaiting the action of Congress to authorize another issue and to make them a legal tender. It is said that the expenses of the Govt are now near two millions pr day. If the war lasts a year more we shall be a thousand Millions in Debt, but that is nothing compared to the Value of the Union and the integrity and preservation of the constitution inviolate.
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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.