Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been
placed at the end of the book.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH.

MY DIARY

NORTH AND SOUTH.

BY
WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET.
1863.

[_The right of Translation is reserved._]

LONDON:
BRADBURY AND EVANS PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Down the Mississippi--Hotel at Vicksburg--Dinner--Public
meeting--News of the progress of the war--Slavery and
England--Jackson--Governor Pettus--Insecurity of life--Strong
Southern enthusiasm--Troops bound for the North--Approach to
Memphis--Slaves for sale--Memphis--General Pillow 1

CHAPTER II.

Camp Randolph--Cannon practice--Volunteers--“Dixie”--Forced
return from the South--Apathy of the North--General retrospect of
politics--Energy and earnestness of the South--Firearms--Position
of Great Britain towards the belligerents--Feeling towards the
Old Country 22

CHAPTER III.

Heavy Bill--Railway travelling--Introductions--Assassinations
--Tennessee--“Corinth”--“Troy”--“Humbolt”--“The Confederate
camp”--Return Northwards--Columbus--Cairo--The slavery question
--Prospects of the war--Coarse journalism 41

CHAPTER IV.

Camp at Cairo--The North and the South in respect to Europe--
Political reflections--Mr. Colonel Oglesby--My speech--Northern
and Southern soldiers compared--American country-walks--
Recklessness of life--Want of cavalry--Emeute in the camp--
Defects of army medical department--Horrors of war--Bad
discipline 63

CHAPTER V.

Impending battle--By railway to Chicago--Northern enlightenment
--Mound City--“Cotton is King”--Land in the States--Dead level of
American society--Return into the Union--American homes--Across
the prairie--White labourers--New pillager--Lake Michigan 77

CHAPTER VI.

Progress of events--Policy of Great Britain as regarded by
the North--The American Press and its comments--Privacy a
luxury--Chicago--Senator Douglas and his widow--American
ingratitude--Apathy in volunteering--Colonel Turchin’s camp 88

CHAPTER VII.

Niagara--Impression of the Falls--Battle scenes in the
neighbourhood--A village of Indians--General Scott--Hostile
movements on both sides--The Hudson--Military school at West
Point--Return to New York--Altered appearance of the city--
Misery and suffering--Altered state of public opinion as to
the Union and towards Great Britain 96

CHAPTER VIII.

Departure for Washington--A “servant”--The American Press on
the War--Military aspect of the States--Philadelphia--Baltimore
--Washington--Lord Lyons--Mr. Sumner--Irritation against Great
Britain--“Independence” day--Meeting of Congress--General
state of affairs 114

CHAPTER IX.

Interview with Mr. Seward--My passport--Mr. Seward’s views
as to the war--Illumination at Washington--My “servant”
absents himself--New York journalism--The Capitol--Interior of
Congress--The President’s Message--Speeches in Congress--Lord
Lyons--General M‘Dowell--Low standard in the army--Accident to
the “Stars and Stripes”--A street row--Mr. Bigelow--Mr. N.P.
Willis 124

CHAPTER X.

Arlington Heights and the Potomac--Washington--The Federal
camp--General M‘Dowell--Flying rumours--Newspaper correspondents
--General Fremont--Silencing the Press and Telegraph--A Loan
Bill--Interview with Mr. Cameron--Newspaper criticism on Lord
Lyons--Rumours about M‘Clellan--The Northern army as reported
and as it is--General M‘Clellan 142

CHAPTER XI.

Fortress Monroe--General Butler--Hospital accommodation--Wounded
soldiers--Aristocratic pedigrees--A great gun--Newport
News--Fraudulent contractors--General Butler--Artillery
practice--Contraband negroes--Confederate lines--Tombs of
American loyalists--Troops and contractors--Duryea’s New York
Zouaves--Military calculations--A voyage by steamer to
Annapolis 160

CHAPTER XII.

The “State House” at Annapolis--Washington--General Scott’s
quarters--Want of a staff--Rival camps--Demand for horses--Popular
excitement--Lord Lyons--General M‘Dowell’s movements--Retreat
from Fairfax Court House--General Scott’s quarters--General
Mansfield--Battle of Bull’s Run 186

CHAPTER XIII.

Skirmish at Bull’s Run--The crisis in Congress--Dearth of
horses--War prices at Washington--Estimate of the effects of
Bull’s Run--Password and countersign--Transatlantic view of
“The Times”--Difficulties of a newspaper correspondent in
the field 202

CHAPTER XIV.

To the scene of action--The Confederate camp--Centreville--
Action at Bull Run--Defeat of the Federals--Disorderly retreat
to Centreville--My ride back to Washington 214

CHAPTER XV.

A runaway crowd at Washington--The army of the Potomac in
retreat--Mail-day--Want of order and authority--Newspaper
lies--Alarm at Washington--Confederate prisoners--General
M‘Clellan--M. Mercier--Effects of the defeat on Mr. Seward and
the President--M‘Dowell--General Patterson 250

CHAPTER XVI.

Attack of illness--General M‘Clellan--Reception at the White
House--Drunkenness among the Volunteers--Visit from Mr.
Olmsted--Georgetown--Intense heat--M‘Clellan and the Newspapers
--Reception at Mr. Seward’s--Alexandria--A storm--Sudden death
of an English officer--The Maryland Club--A Prayer and Fast
Day--Financial difficulties 267

CHAPTER XVII.

Return to Baltimore--Colonel Carroll--A priest’s view of the
abolition of Slavery--Slavery in Maryland--Harper’s Ferry--John
Brown--Back by train to Washington--Further accounts of Bull
Run--American vanity--My own unpopularity for speaking the
truth--Killing a “Nigger” no murder--Navy Department 284

CHAPTER XVIII.

A tour of inspection round the camp--A troublesome
horse--M‘Dowell and the President--My opinion of Bull Run
indorsed by American officers--Influence of the Press--Newspaper
correspondents--Dr. Bray--My letters--Captain Meagher--Military
adventures--Probable duration of the war--Lord A. Vane
Tempest--The American journalist--Threats of assassination 304

CHAPTER XIX.

Personal unpopularity--American naval officers--A gun levelled
at me in fun--Increase of odium against me--Success of the
Hatteras expedition--General Scott and M‘Clellan--M‘Clellan on
his camp-bed--General Scott’s pass refused--Prospect of an
attack on Washington--Skirmishing--Anonymous letters--General
Halleck--General M‘Clellan and the Sabbath--Rumoured death of
Jefferson Davis--Spread of my unpopularity--An offer for my
horse--Dinner at the Legation--Discussion on Slavery 320

CHAPTER XX.

A Crimean acquaintance--Personal abuse of myself--Close
firing--A reconnaissance--Major-General Bell--The Prince de
Joinville and his nephews--American estimate of Louis Napoleon
--Arrest of members of the Maryland Legislature--Life at
Washington--War cries--News from the Far West--Journey to the
Western States--Along the Susquehannah and Juniata--Chicago--
Sport in the prairie--Arrested for shooting on Sunday--The
town of Dwight--Return to Washington--Mr. Seward and myself 341

CHAPTER XXI.

Another Crimean acquaintance--Summary dismissal of a newspaper
correspondent--Dinner at Lord Lyons’--Review of artillery--
“Habeas Corpus”--The President’s duties--M‘Clellan’s policy--The
Union army--Soldiers and the patrol--Public men in America--Mr.
Seward and Lord Lyons--A judge placed under arrest--Death and
funeral of Senator Baker--Disorderly troops and officers--
Official fibs--Duck-shooting at Baltimore 366

CHAPTER XXII.

General Scott’s resignation--Mrs. A. Lincoln--Unofficial mission
to Europe--Uneasy feeling with regard to France--Ball given
by the United States cavalry--The United States army--Success
at Beaufort--Arrests--Dinner at Mr. Seward’s--News of Captain
Wilkes and the Trent--Messrs. Mason and Slidell--Discussion
as to Wilkes--Prince de Joinville--The American press on the
Trent affair--Absence of thieves in Washington--“Thanksgiving
Day”--Success thus far in favour of the North 392

CHAPTER XXIII.

A Captain under arrest--Opening of Congress--Colonel Dutassy--An
ex-pugilist turned Senator--Mr. Cameron--Ball in the officers’
huts--Presentation of standards at Arlington--Dinner at
Lord Lyons’--Paper currency--A polyglot dinner--Visit to
Washington’s Tomb--Mr. Chase’s Report--Colonel Seaton--Unanimity
of the South--The Potomac blockade--A Dutch-American Crimean
acquaintance--The American Lawyers on the Trent affair--Mr.
Sumner--M‘Clellan’s Army--Impressions produced in America by
the English Press on the affair of the Trent--Mr. Sumner on the
crisis--Mutual feelings between the two nations--Rumours of war
with Great Britain 410

CHAPTER XXIV.

News of the death of the Prince Consort--Mr. Sumner and
the Trent Affair--His dispatch to Lord Russell--The Southern
Commissioners given up--Effects on the friends of the South--My
own unpopularity at New York--Attack of fever--My tour in
Canada--My return to New York in February--Successes of the
Western States--Mr. Stanton succeeds Mr. Cameron as Secretary
of War--Reverse and retreat of M‘Clellan--My free pass--The
Merrimac and Monitor--My arrangement to accompany M‘Clellan’s
head-quarters--Mr. Stanton refuses his sanction--National vanity
wounded by my truthfulness--My retirement and my return to
Europe 426

MY DIARY NORTH AND SOUTH.