Wednesday 26th
Cloudy morning and rain before noon again. The roads were getting quite passable yesterday. There was a stir among the Military. Genl Banks crossed the River (above) it is said, and some Regts & Batteries were sent over from here. Julia was at Genl McClellans. Mrs M told her that the Genl had gone to parts unknown over the River. There is a good deal of excitement in the City in consequence of the reported Advance. There has been some skirmishing among the Pickets today. Mr David of N.H. with his son, Edward from Dubuque, called on me at the office today with a letter from the Dr, of introduction. He left this afternoon for home. I was at the National tonight to see E, he has a brother in the Army who is now here.
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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.