Item description: Diary entry, 25 January 1864, written by Samuel Andrew Agnew. Agnew grew up and attended college and seminary in Due West, S.C. In 1852, he moved to Mississippi, and thereafter lived in the northeastern part of the state, chiefly in Tippah and Lee counties, where he was an Associate Reformed Presbyterian minister, teacher, farmer, and prominent local citizen. Although Agnew did not actively serve in the Civil War, he resided in the area of operations of both armies.

Item citation: From folder 9 of the Samuel A. Agnew Diary #923, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

January 25 After breakfast rode over home. Uncle Young preached at Bethany yesterday. Saw Capt. White passing the road. He told me that the Yankees had landed 12 miles from Mobile and yesterday he was told by a Maj. Parker the Yankees were shelling the city. The non-combattants had been sent out of the city and it is feared that the Federals will succeed in taking the place. White also told me that Ham and Lowry had started westward, but turned back at Pontotoc. This does not agree with what I heard yesterday.

After dinner I rode up on Tallahatchie to Mr. McAllister’s to get him to do some repairing on my watch. Met Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Hodges above Berry’s. As McAllister could not do my work this evening I rode back to Berry’s and spent a very pleasant night with the Colonel and his family. He is a very friendly man. Sat up late talking in various subjects but mostly of a religious nature. The Yankees were at Ripley thursday and friday. 2 Regiments passed through friday from Corinth going westward.

[An encounter with some conscriptors]

Sherman commands the large cavalry force which has gone down the Central Road after Forrest. He has had all the shops in Memphis pressed to shoe their horses preparitory to the raid. Col. Berry returned last week from a visit to Macon & Enterprise. He reports the M & C R R as being certainly rebuilt. He was told that in 8 work days it would be complete to Saltillo.