This Week in Georgia Civil War History

 

Apr. 20, 1862

Apr. 21, 1862

Apr. 22, 1862

Apr. 23, 1862

Apr. 24, 1862

Apr. 25, 1862

Apr. 26, 1862

 

Apr. 20, 1862: A Georgia soldier in South Carolina wrote a letter home to his aunt, hoping the war would settle the questions between the North and South forever.

"...You may tell Uncle that when the war ends if I live I intend to come back to old Dahlonega and stay 'till another war commences, which I hope may never be between the North and South. I want them to settle this question and settle it forever before they end it. If they have to sacrifice the lives of many of our best and most dear friends and countrymen, let them do it. It is better to die free man than live slaves and if man goes in with this determination we are bound to bring this war to a favorable determination. A great many of us would like to hear of peace and be at home with our friends. But it is impossible at the present time and under the present circumstances. ..." Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: Don't grieve about me. If I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), p. 116.

More soldiers died from disease and sickness in the Civil War than from battle. Two examples of this can been in entries for this day for Company D of the 28th Georgia Infantry; they were not involved in action, but lost two men:

Pendley, Thomas J. - Private - February 27, 1862. Died of disease at Rappahannock, Virginia, April 20, 1862.
Tapp, T.J. - Private - August 27, 1861. Appointed Corporal. Died April 20, 1862.

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Apr. 21, 1862: The previous week the Confederate Congress had enacted a conscription law, which required military service for all men between the ages of 18 and 35. It did allow buying substitutes, but had no other exemptions except for physical disability. On this day other exemptions were added. Also excused from military service were boat pilots, druggists, educators, hospital employees, miners and foundrymen, ministers, and government officials.

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Apr. 22, 1862: The Southern Recorder of Milledgeville printed an editorial on the conscription law; they were willing to support it for the present as a military necessity, but hoped for a "bill of rights" at some later point.

The Southern Federal Union expressed a similar sentiment.

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Apr. 23, 1862: A woman expressed her feelings on her husband going off to war to her journal:

"This I suppose will be the last day of our stay in Atlanta. Mr. Thomas expected to have left for Virginia via Augusta last night but the cars could not be procured for the transportation of the troop . . . . Leaving Atlanta entails a separation from Mr. Thomas and how I dread it the 'Searcher of all Hearts' alone knoweth. My dear Husband, my own darling - how I shrink from parting with him again . . . ." Source: Virginia Ingraham Burr (ed.), The Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848-1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 204.

The Southern Watchman of Athens devoted its entire front page to the Great Locomotive Chase.

The same newspaper printed a brief item showing how the blockade was affecting the availability of paper.

Another piece from The Southern Watchman - the previous week on April 16 they had editorialized that there was no need for a conscription law; on this day they had softened their stance.

The Southern Confederacy of Atlanta printed a poetic tribute to General Albert Sidney Johnston, who had been killed at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6.

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Apr. 24, 1862: As mentioned earlier (see April 20), more soldiers died from disease or illness than from battle. On this day a Georgia soldier had to inform the parents of one of his fellow soldiers who had succumbed to typhoid fever:

"It is with sadness I inform you of the death of your dear son Samuel. He was taken violently sick three days ago. All thought it was measles but from the malignity of the disease I think it was typhus fever. I wrote you the day he was taken sick, and on yesterday I sent you a dispatch stating he was quite sick with measles. But then I thought he was some better. After that a scorching fever came on him, which lasted until 6 o'clock this morning, when he died. He was conscious all the time and expressed a willingness to die. If I was well, I would write you fully about his character and sickness. I can safety say I never knew a better boy than Samuel Lovelace, a Christian and gentleman in all his intercourse with everyone. he had not been with us but a few days until he got the title of 'the best boy in the world.' Everything that could be done for him was done. I will send his books to you. I mourn with you in this terrible bereavement. As soon as I get able [I] will write you fully." Source: Mills Lane (ed.), "Dear Mother: Don't grieve about me. If I get killed, I'll only be dead.": Letters from Georgia Soldiers in the Civil War (Savannah: Beehive Press, 1990), p. 116.

The Southern Confederacy printed a letter which indicated suspicions of Northern spies, or at least Southern men not true to the cause, was prevalent in Atlanta and other cities.

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Apr. 25, 1862: The Southern Confederacy indicated that the salt shortage was still a problem, and suggested what had to be invested to address it.

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Apr. 26, 1862: The Southern Confederacy printed a report from Catoosa County in northwest Georgia, detailing what they were doing to prepare for a Northern invasion of their section of Georgia. They turned out to be right in that Georgia would be invaded from that direction, although it would not happen until late 1863.

This week's edition of Harper's Weekly printed a drawing from the Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing).

Image Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library / University of Georgia Libraries

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