Volume 1

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It is a long time since
I wrote anything here during
which time much has trans-
pired of interest and im-
portance both personal and
national.
But before everything
else let me place the late
conversion of my dearly beloved
friend and brother E. W. Hall
to the religion of Christ. This
impresses me more than anything
else.
Our troops have occupied
Nashville long since and tonight
good news come (sic) from Butler.

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But what must be the
feeling throughout the South?
This was to be the day of
their Presidential inauguration.
Jefferson Davis! What can be
the feelings of this Arch Traitor?
who has so long and so fatally
resisted the government and
Constitution of our fathers?
but who, thank God, is soon to
reap the just, the merited reward
of a traitor. What a day is
this for patriot loyal Americans!
What a day for vile and
ungrateful rebels!
This day at the capitol
will be presented to congress
the flags that have been recently
captured in the South west
by our gallant troops.

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Guns are booming all
around us and every little
while cheers go up from
neighboring camps. Hail to
the Stars Stripes! All honor
to the brave Illinoisians!
This day will ever be remem-
bered in the annals of
American history.
The “Baltimore Clipper”
brings us still further
good news. The rebels are
evacuating Manassas. In
Richmond there is a league
of Unionists, many thousands
in number, and they are
looking anxiously for our
advance on that city which
they think can be easily
captured. They are ready to
take up arms for the Stars

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and Stripes. Johnston is ready
to give up Nashville if private
property suffers no injury. Price
defeated. Things look well.
Our cause is more than
triumphant.
The 22nd Feb’y 1862, is a
gala-day!!!

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great men who had figured at
Washington, delighted in an
execution or a duel, thought John
Brown hung “most beautifully”
professionally speaking, and would
have liked to have seen him
taken down and hung again
and the operation repeated –
would have gone a thousand
miles and walked, too, to see
it. Knew O. Jennings Wise [?], Pryor,
and all that clique at Richmond,
they were cold blooded and
“rashly [?] game” as he termed it.
He knew all about the duel
in which Cilley was killed—
and had been engaged himself
in several personal affairs.
Strange old man! Such
sentiments are very well
for Feudal times—But for this
age how sadly behind hand! [?]

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Today having arisen about 11 AM
we visited several establishments
on Pennsylvania Avenue, Willard,
and the Sanitary Commission. Finally
I went to the capitol alone, and there
after admiring the beautiful paintings
that have recently been added to
the original collection in the Rotunda
we passed on to the splendid
apartment where the members of
congress were in session.
Grow was in the chair
perfectly at home directly by
his side that Prince of young
parliamentarians Morris. The speaker
was guiding the house with
masterly skill and the tide of
business swept it on. Bill after
bill was presented, and hardly
had the gentleman from Wisconsin
with feeble voice pronounced its

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object before seized by the page
it was placed in the speakers
hand;- then we hear the
Stentorian Voice of the clerk
as with hurried speech he
names again its title and
object.
When this very uninteresting
business was going on Suddenly
up rose Mr. Crittendon [sic] of Kentucky
and asks leave to interrupt
the gentleman but for a moment
this was readily granted. He
wanted to communicate to the
House a message which he
had just received from Gen’l. McClellan
informing him of the capture of
Gen’l Price and his staff. This
was received with loud and
long applause. What clapping
of hands!

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Shortly afterward Hickman of
Pennsylvania introduced a resolution
of inquiry relative to a paragraph
in one of the Baltimore papers which
reflected on the loyalty of Mr.
Vallandigham of Ohio. The latter
replied at once and with considerable
spirit. Then followed one of these
Congressional affairs of which I
have frequently read. The members
left their seats filled the aisles and
stood upon the floor in front of
the speakers desk. The excitement
grew more and more intense, and
finally the sharp slap of the
speakers hammer accompanied
by his not less sharp voice ordering
the gentlemen to retake their seats
put an end to the altercation.
Finally the resolution was withdrawn.
A short time afterward I withdrew
also. The Senate I did not visit,

Page 41

but I stepped into the court room
of the U.S. Supreme Court. There
all was quiet and thoughtful.
Judge Black was at the bar
talking to the judges in a very
low voice. His whole tone and
manner was thoroughly conver-
sational. Judge Tawny was all
attention and seemed to be well
versed in his duties as Chief
Justice. Clifford looked younger
than any other one, and much
more active. How interesting a
place this is! Here the brightest
intellects the bar has ever furnished
have been gathered and here
have they won their brightest
their freshest laurels. The
immortal Webster, Clay, Calhoun,
Jay, Marshall, Wist [?] and
Choate! Before I went out an
interesting and able speaker

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began to address the bar. It was
Reverdy Johnson- one of the first
lawyers in America.
Having seen this much of the
Capitol wended our way to
Gautiers where an excellent dinner
was in waiting for us. We
tried to do it full justice, and
I think we succeeded.
While there we overheard
gentlemen talking of an armistice
and a speedy termination of the
war. So soon? Well I care not
how soon it is done only that
it be done well.
Giving Charlie parting instructions
and a hearty good bye I get on
board of the Omnibus we soon
reach the boat and in three
quarters of an hour I am walking
the streets of Alexandria.

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An hour afterward I set out for
the camp. A drunken sentinel
levels his piece at me and
cocks it. I was unarmed and
so had to turn back upon him. I
finally got him to the Provost Martials
office and another put on in his
stead entering charges against him.
The captain and Major- The
“counterfeit”-“$118.” -“$132.”- the 2nd
Lieut- “Right into line wheel- left
companies on the right into line-
And a hundred other little incidents
of varied nature.

Shall I not remember this
trip to Washington?

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that we have three cheers “for the
last of the week”. These were given
with a will. Three more cheers and
then the band play “Yankee Doodle”.
Everyone felt cheerful and many
were the congratulations that officers
showered upon their brothers. This
morning we have heard nothing
but firing of cannon in every
direction. They will have grand
times in Washington tonight. Am
going to try and be there. Have
sent up for a pass to General
Franklin, and am hoping to get
it.
It is now thought that an
end has virtually been put
to the war.

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This forenoon it is raining hard.
I have cutting extracts from
papers to put in my “Patent Scrap
book”. Am going to read a little
this forenoon and write. Many letters
yet remain unanswered and I
must attend to them at once.
I don’t think it could very well
have been helped. Naturally I take
great delight in correspondence. The
fact is I have been so situated
that letter writing during the past
fortnight has been a thing almost
wholly impracticable. Charles’ presence
has taken up my attention continually,
and my quarters and companions
are not such as I would select
if left to my own choice.
Still these are small things
to murmur against comparatively,
and I will strive the harder.

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The recent intelligences inspire
us all with renewed courage.
Everything looks cheering enough.
The Union Sentiment throughout
Tennessee is manifesting itself
continually and even in Memphis
advocates for the old flag are
beginning to be heard again.
What American heart does not
leap for joy at this glad news.
How sublime the age in which
we are now living! How grandly
this page of American history
will look! How splendidly it
will read! Our youthful imag-
ination has often pictured the
Revolutionary age and many
times have we involuntarily uttered
the wish that we might have
lived then. But how far in
advance of that age is this
one in which we live!

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In the evening we attended a
Union meeting at Alexandria and
enjoyed it exceedingly. They were
discussing the resolutions com-
mendatory of the course of those
officers who on a previous Sabbath
removed from his desk the Rev.
Mr. Stewart for omitting certain
portions of the service; i.e. the
prayer for the President and that
all “treason and rebellion might
be purged from our midst.” This
he had been doing repeatedly
Sabbath after Sabbath. Besides
this public deriliction [sic] of duty
he has in his private life given
frequent and unmistakable testi-
monies of strong personal sympathies
for the rebels. Many pithy sayings
were uttered against the reverend
gentleman and his treasonable
course.

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While at Mount Vernon I
took notes as usual. I always
get some new view on fall in
with some fresh item of interest
every time I visit this sacred
spot.
Over the iron grated entrance
to the tomb there are engraved
these words:-
“Within this enclosure
rest the remains of
Genl. Geo. Washington.”
And as you look
within you notice on the opposite
wall engraved on a marble
slab, these noble and lofty words
of St. John:
I am the resurrection and
the life: he that believeth in me
though he were dead yet shall
he live. And whosoever liveth and

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believeth in me shall never die.”
(11 cap:25.26)[sic]

Around the tomb of
Washington there are erected
several monuments commem-
orative of the decease of relatives.
I was so interested with the
inscriptions upon them that
I copied several portions.
As the visitor passes
down the walk after reaching
the tomb he turns to the left.
On the left are two monuments
within an iron fenced enclosure.
One of these bears the following
inscription:-
“To x x x x x Mrs. M. E. A. Conrad
wife of Chas M. Conrad of N. O.
daughter Lawe & Eleanor C. Lewis and
Grand niece of General Geo Washington”-

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On the other is written:-
“Tox x x x Eleanor Parke Lewis
Grand daughter of Mrs. and
adopted daughter of General W.
Reared under the roof of the
father of his country this lady
was not more remarkable
for the beauty of her person
than for the superiority of her
mind.”
On the first of these
monuments there was also this
additional inscription:-
If the possession of every virtue
that adorns or dignifies her sex
could have warded off the stroke
of death she would have been im-
mortal; and those who mourn
her untimely and are consoled
by the reflection that those virtues
seemed better to fit her for the

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abode to which her spirit has
fled than for that which it
has abandoned.”

[Written in margin sideways: Evidently this space was filled afterwards with other matter relating to the visit to mount Vernon; -but which, for want of time, or inclination was never done.

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I am more impressed with what is omitted from this Diary than what is inserted in it. I recall many interesting [?] incidents that are even mentioned here.
RC Shannon
Brockport N.Y.
February 1, 1905

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