Sunday, May 11, 2008

Diary of Betty Herndon Maury - April 8, 1862

Tuesday, 8th [April 1862]

We have had a grand a[nd] glorious victory in Tennessee but our commander in chief Gen’ A. S. Johns[t]on was killed, Gen’ Beauregard’s official dispatch says.

Battle of Shiloh Sunday 6th [April 1862]

We this morning attacked the enemy in front of Pittsburg, and after a severe battle of ten hours, thanks be to the Almighty, gained a complete victory, driving the enemy from every position.

This has been a most exciting day. From breakfast time until dark there has been one continuous stream of soldiers, four abreast, on the march to Yorktown.

Poor fellows. I felt so sorry for them. It has been raining hard all day, and they were wet to the skin but they all looked bright and cheerful, kept looking to us and calling out “good-bye ladies, far well, ladies”. Mama gave them all the bread she had in the house. This evening we had a pot of coffee made and gave some of them a can of hot coffee as they passed along. They seemed to enjoy it so much. We gave a few some dinner. More than ten thousand left to day. God bless them and make them successful.

We hear that McClellan and most of his Potomac army are in the Peninsula and that the grand battle is to be there.

We have but a small force in this vicinity, two brigades not full, and they have gone over to the other side of the river.

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