Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft.

Monday October 19^th 1863

Not much of pub[l]ic interest has occured for a week past in the field. There has been almost constant skirmishing over the River within from 30 to 60 miles of here. Our army is now near the old Bull Run Battle ground and another general Battle is expected there or near soon. The Election in the States of Penna, Ohio & Iowa came off on Tuesday last the 13^th Ins^t and resulted in great Union triumphs. The contest was betwen those who were in favor of putting down the Rebellion at all hazzards, for supporting the Administration and carrying on the war, and those who were in open sympathy with the Rebels or in favor of compromising with them and making peace at any rate. The opposition embraced a large share of the old Democratic party who were avowedly in favor of the War, but were willing to embarrass the Administration at a very critical time and whose leaders were too ready to misrepresent the acts of the Gov^t, and give encouragement to the rebels. The Election in those States has effectualy squelched that party for the present.

19^th

We hear nothing from Charleston lately. Gen^l Gilmore I suppose is getting a good ready. The Armies at Chattanooga Tenn seem to be lying idle after their great fight at Chickamauga. The events of this War have draged along much in the same track for the past year, but we have been making constant progress and the present limits of the “C.S.A.” are greatly circumscribed, but the Rebels are still powerful in the field and even now or during the past week the cannonade has been frequently heard in and near the City being not more than thirty or forty miles distant. The “Guerrilla^s” have made their “raids” to within three miles of Alexandria the past week, capturing horses, Sutlers stores &c. It is not expected that this state of things is to last long. Gold is up again to 150, has been recently 155, in the summer it was down to 125. The President has just called for 300,000 Volunteers for three years or the War. The recent Draft for 600,000 has proved I think rather a failure. Not more than 100,000 I believe have been obtained by it or will be for it has not yet been put in force in all the States, but it has done one good thing. It has shown that the Gov^t is Strong enough to enforce it anywhere.