July 4th 1864 (Monday)
No organized Celebration of the Day has taken place here, but all seem to [have] celebrated more or less on their “own hook.” There were orations delivered by gentlemen residing here at some of the Hospitals and the inmates had extra fare &c. I met Capt Sebastian Holmes of Lyons in the morning and we went together to the Capitol. Congress was still in session but adjourned at half past twelve today. I was at the Carver Hospital yesterday. Saw a Wayne Co boy there badly wounded by the name of Page. He is a brave and plucky fellow but will probably die, his mother is with him. I was at the Stanton and Douglass Hospitals today. The cases in all the Hospitals here now are very bad ones, all those able to travel having been sent north. I think that at least one third now in Hospital here will die. The hot weather is very unfavorable, from fifty to seventy deaths are reported pr day. No important army movements have taken place. A large force of Cavalry under Genl Wilson have succeeded in destroying Thirty or forty miles of the Danville & Richmond R Road, but got roughly treated on their return by the rebels looseing a good many men and some eight or ten “guns” besides their train. There has been no serious fighting before Petersburgh very recently. Genl Grant has probably concluded to cut off the supplies from Richmond and conquer the City in that way. He is posted now with his whole Army in the vicinity of the James River, his lines extending to the southern R. Road south of Petersburgh. He has Batteries planted which throw Shells into the City daily, one in every ten minutes. The soldiers call it the “Petersburgh Express” which runs regularly to the City. I heard from Maj (now Lieut Col) E P Taft the other day. He was on duty at the “front.”