This Week in Georgia Civil War History
Dec. 27, 1863: Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston officially took command of the Army of Tennessee in Dalton, Georgia, replacing temporary commander and native Georgian William J. Hardee.
General Joseph E. Johnston
Dec. 28, 1863: A Georgia soldier then with the Army of Northern Virginia applied for a leave of absence, but not just to visit home; he had plans to help the Confederacy from his home in Roswell.
"...I have the honor to make application for Thirty days Leave of absence to visit my home in Georgia. It is over one year since I was last at home.
I have during the past summer with the consent & approbation of the War Dpt had imported from England machinery of an important character for the purpose of manufacturing 'card clothing' for Cotton & woolen mills, of which all the mills of the Confederacy are much in need. The machines are not in operation, my personal attention being necessary to put them in full & successful operation, thereby advancing the interest of our whole country, as well as personal. By the Act of Congress, I could be exempted from all military duty, to remain at home & superintend said machines. But my first & greatest duty is for my country, and all I ask, is to allowed the above time now that I may be able to serve my own interest as well as my country's. ...
Source: T.H. Galloway (ed.), Dear Old Roswell: Civil War Letters of the King Family of Roswell, Georgia (Mercer University Press, Macon, Georgia, 2003), pp. 51-52.
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Below is a unique pay record for a Georgia soldier, only $3.30 in pay, but a $41.53 commutation for clothing.
Courtesy of the Georgia Archives
The Richmond Times Dispatch reprinted an item from a London newspaper, commenting on the fruitless victory at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Dec. 29, 1863: The Southern Recorder of Milledgeville printed a letter calling on everyone to hasten to the defense of Georgia, with "The Enemy at Our Gates."
The Confederate Union of Milledgeville published the text of an Act passed by the Georgia General Assembly, along with a proclamation from Governor Joseph E. Brown, ordering punishment for anyone who harbored a military deserter.
The Confederate Union also had high praise (reprinted from an Augusta newspaper) for the new commander of the Confederate army in Georgia - General Joseph E. Johnston.
Dec. 30, 1863: A Georgia soldier then stationed in Florida wrote home to his wife, telling her they were about to move, and how he experienced a dreary Christmas Day.
My Dear Wife
Yours of Dec. 20th came safe to hand. It gave me the extreme pleasure of hearing wonce more that you was all well and doing well. This leaves me in good health with the exception of the toothache occasionally which troubles me a goodeal at knight. I recd the paper that you sent me in your letter.
We have recd orders to cook 3 days rations to be ready to move sume whare at a minutes warning but we know not whare it will be. Col. Evans thinks however we will go to Savannah the first place and from there we may go to Charleston. You can direct your letters as you hav been doing here to fore. If we do move I will inform you as soon as we arrive to hour place of destination. I written to George a few days ago.
We had a vary dull Christmas here in camps. It was raining all most incesantly and the wind blew vary hard for a bowt 12 hours or more. If you can se any chance to send my comforter to Collumbus do so. Send it to Greenwood & Gray, office in care of Lieutenant Russel who belongs to hour company and he will bring it to me. You may rap me up a little red pepper and sume sage in the same bundle as I know you have plenty of each. Send it thare by the 7th or 8th of January as Lt. Russel will start to the Redgement about the 10th of January. He told me he would bring it if you would send it to Greenwood & Gray office. Rap it well and have it markt to me. Get whoever carrys it to town to get them to mark it as they will understand how better than you would. If they could se Russel and give it to him it would be safe as he would mark it himself. Peddy will not get to come home as we expected he would in January as they hav quit granting furloughs here for the preasant. You can se by that if I fail to get my comforter by Russel that I may not get it attawl or at least not soon. I must close for this time as I am in a hurry to mail my letter in time to go on dress parade. Kiss the children for me and give my love to all enquiring friends. I remain yours as ever until death.
Source: The Letters of Edmond Hardy Jones, Private, 64th Georgia
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The Richmond Times Dispatch reprinted an item from a Charleston newspaper on the large number of soldiers without shoes in General James Longstreet's army, then in Tennessee.
Dec. 31, 1863: Below are pay records for what appears to be brothers; they were in the same company and received the same pay.
Courtesy of the Georgia Archives
Courtesy of the Georgia Archives
Jan. 1, 1864: A woman in Covington, Georgia recorded the first entry in her diary; it mentioned both the emotional and economic ravages of the Civil War.
"A new year is ushered in, but peace comes not with it. Scarcely a family but has given some of its members to the bloody war that is still decimating our nation. Oh, that its ravages may soon be stopped! Will another year find us among carnage and bloodshed? Shall we be a nation or shall we be annihilated? . . . The prices of everything are very high. Corn seven dollars a bushel, calico ten dollars a yard, salt, sixty dollars a hundred, cotton from sixty to eighty cents a pound, everything in like ratio."
Source: Dolly Sumner Lunt, A Woman's Wartime Journal (New York: The Century Co., 1918), p. 3.
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Another woman, this one in Camden County, wrote in her diary of her family's first direct experience with the war.
Last night we retired in peace and quietude, feeling that we had been wonderfully preserved from the ravages during the past year. We had been so long unmolested that we almost ceased to fear for the future and to settle down in quiet indifference. All our neighbors had fled into the interior with one exception. Kate Lang had remained although ready to flee at the first approach of danger. We were startled from a sound sleep by Sybil and Gussie coming in to tell us that a shell had just been fired on our Bluff, and that the Yankees were probably at the wharf. Mr. Fisher very incredulous went out to explore, but soon returned laughing at the lively imagination of the household, nothing was to be seen or heard. Gussie caught his gun and ran down to the mill. We went to bed again and to sleep. Soon Gussie returned with the information that the old mill was on fire and the yankees had taken to their boats and gone down the river. So they had come at last and caught us napping. The pickets were roused from their slumbers by the firing of the shell and ran to the woods leaving horses and guns behind. The shell went through the warehouse bursting inside, destroying some nice machinery and throwing the door from its hinges. They then fired small arms, one shot raised a splinter on Mr. Brazil's House.
Source: Julia Johnson Fisher, 1814-1885 Diary, 1864
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The Richmond Times Dispatch reported on the foodstuffs Georgia had contributed to the war effort the preceding year.
Jan. 2, 1864: This week's edition of Harper's Weekly printed a brief report on the situations of the armies in Georgia and Tennessee.
Image Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library / University of Georgia Libraries
Harper's Weekly also printed another sketch of the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Image Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library / University of Georgia Libraries
Harper's Weekly printed some poignant images contrasting New Year's Day in the North and the South.
Images Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library / University of Georgia Libraries
Back to Dec. 20-26, 1863
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This Week in Georgia Civil War History Table of Contents
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