December 26th, 1864.—Christmas was truly delightful. The joy of the children, at sight of the beautiful tree and toys fully compensated us for the time spent in their manufacture. Such exclamations of delight; such squeals of joy; as they received the gifts and realized that the blockade had not kept old Santa out. I never [...]

Monday, 26th–Everything is quiet this morning, though for a while last night there was quite an excitement in town when a fire broke out. We are still lying in camp, with no particular duty to perform, though we are expecting orders every day to move down the river to Ft. Johnson, below Savannah. We are [...]

Sunday, December 25th. Christmas !–Clear and pleasant– white frost. All quiet below. But it is believed on the street that Savannah has been evacuated, some days ago. I have not yet seen any official admission of the fact. We have quite a merry Christmas in the family; and a compact that no unpleasant word shall [...]

December 25, 1864. Sadai jumped out of bed very early this morning to feel in her stocking. She could not believe but that there would be something in it. Finding nothing, she crept back into bed, pulled the cover over her face, and I soon heard her sobbing. The little negroes all came in: “Christmas [...]

December 25th. Christmas at Halltown. We hope this will be our last Christmas in the service, and that the war will soon be over. We write many letters and receive a large mail every day, coming from Harper’s Ferry. All our shacks have small stoves, so that we use much of our time cutting wood. [...]

25th. Sunday. A rather unpleasant day. Spent Christmas quietly. Ate dinner with Capt. Chester. Oysters. Wrote home.

Sunday, 25th.—Shoal Creek is about two hundred yards wide, two feet deep, and runs very swiftly. Brigade ordered to wade through. As it is extremely cold, and am sick, I did not care for such a Christmas trick. Going up to the ford, after many times asking, one little fellow, who was hauling decking plank, [...]

CAMP THREE MILES NORTH OF PETERSBURG, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, ’64. My Dear Mother: I intended to have written the day after getting here, but it rained all day and the coldest kind of a rain too. The next day we received orders to move. We had almost completed our winter quarters and the boys [...]

Dec 25th 1864 We get Shermans official Dispatch this morning. He has taken Savannah without a fight. The Rebel Army escaped. Large Stores of all kinds, near 200 Cannon and 25000 Bales of Cotton fell into our hands. Charleston and Willmington must follow soon, and then I think that Sherman will have to come and [...]

Sunday, 25th–This is a cloudy, cool day and a lonesome Christmas. We are on one-third rations now and poor prospects of getting more soon. We still have plenty of rice, although in the hull, so we can get along. Large foraging parties were sent up the Savannah river to obtain rice straw for our beds [...]

December 24th.–Christmas eve! Clear and cold. A dispatch from Hon. J. L. Orr and H. V. Johnson (on their way home) informs the Secretary that from the delay in the transportation of troops over the Piedmont Railroad, there must be either criminal neglect or treachery concerned in it. Again it is rumored that Savannah has [...]

December 24, 1864. This has usually been a very busy day with me, preparing for Christmas not only for my own tables, but for gifts for my servants. Now how changed! No confectionery, cakes, or pies can I have. We are all sad; no loud, jovial laugh from our boys is heard. Christmas Eve, which [...]

24th.—Savannah has been evacuated, without loss to us, except of some stores, which could not be removed. The city was surrendered by its mayor, Arnold by name, and he seems to be worthy of the traitorous name. Our troops marched towards Charleston. Savannah was of little use to us for a year past, it has [...]

24th. Saturday. In the morning helped Hillhouse fix up his ordnance papers. P. M. whiskey issued. Boys pretty jolly.

Saturday, 24th.—Tried all day to get my tooth pulled, but failed, as all instruments are behind. Camped near Shoal Creek. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Saturday, 24th–General Foster’s command is still in pursuit of the fleeing rebels through South Carolina. They had an encounter yesterday with them, in which the rebels were completely routed. General Foster was wounded in the fight and was brought into town this morning. General Sherman[1] reviewed the Fifteenth Army Corps this morning. We had company [...]

December 23d–Bright and very cold. A storm has driven off a portion of the enemy’s fleet before Wilmington. The raid toward Gordonsville and Charlottesville is not progressing rapidly. We shall have a force to meet it. Besides the demonstration against Savannah (from which place we have no recent tidings), it appears that an attempt on [...]

December 23, 1864. Just before night Mrs. Robert Rakestraw and Miss Mary drove up to spend the night with me. They had started down into Jasper County, hoping to get back their buggy, having heard that several buggies were left at Mr. Whitfield’s by the Yankees. Nothing new! It is confidently believed that Savannah has [...]

23rd. Friday. Application made to send Sergt. Laundon and myself to Ohio. Have enjoyed looking over the papers. Everything looks very bright indeed. The new call and the late successes are glorious.

Friday, 23d.—Detailed to go with Marshall’s Battery; had very easy time. Got to ride most of the time. (Note: picture is of an unidentified Confederate soldier.)

Friday, 23d–The citizens of Savannah have generally remained in their homes, only a few having left town. Four-fifths of the people are women and children, the rest being old men. They appear to be glad that our army has taken possession of the city, and most of them are willing to take the oath of [...]

December 22d.–Clear and cold. We have nothing from below. From Wilmington, we learn there is much commotion to resist the armada launched against that port. Gen. Lee is sending troops via the Danville Road in that direction. The wire has been cut between this and Gordonsville, by the scouts of the raiders launched in that [...]

December 22, 1864. Tuesday, the nineteenth of the month, I attended Floyd Glass’s wedding. She was married in the morning to Lieutenant Doroughty. She expected to have been married the week after the Yankees came, but her groom was not able to get here. Some of the Yankees found out in some way that she [...]

22nd. Marched at 5:30. The most uncomfortable day I ever passed. 45 2nd Ohio men with frozen feet. Much suffering throughout the division. Wind blew the snow right through us. Camped in rear of old infantry line, in awful place, with no wood. Boys went for fences about Hdqrs. Col. Pennington threatened to shoot some [...]