Tag Archives: women

18 July 1862: “I never the happiness of peace until I felt the bitterness, the weariness of war, now the peaceful seems to as a dream…”

Item description: Diary entry from Sarah Lois Wadley, dated 18 July 1862. In this entry, Wadley recounts seeing cavalry from Texas, and her personal emotional burdens dealing with the war. [Transcription available below images]  Item citation: From the Sarah Lois … Continue reading

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13 July 1862: “Noble Vicksburg, I am proud of her, she still holds out, though the large Yankee fleet before the city is constantly bombarding her”

Item description: From the diary of Sarah Lois Wadley, 13 July 1862. In this entry, Wadley talks about the battle of Vicksburg and about hearing reports of formerly enslaved African Americans in Union camps that want to return to their … Continue reading

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13 June 1862: “Mrs. Morris & Mrs. Greenhow have arrived here at last from their Wash’n Prison…”

Item description: Letter, 13 June 1862, from Edward Porter Alexander to his wife. The letter includes a brief mention of Rose Greenhow and Augusta Morris, Confederate women spies. [Transcription available below images.] Item citation: From folder 11 of the Edward … Continue reading

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8 June 1862: “that infamous proclamation of Gen. Butler’s was issued in consequence of the ladies of New Orleans have sent back the cards sent to them by Mrs. Butler!”

Item description: Entry, 8 June 1862, from the diary of Sarah Lois Wadley. She records news of the war and comments on Union Gen. Benjamin Butler’s infamous General Order No. 28 (the so-called “Woman’s Order”). Item citation: In the Sarah … Continue reading

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1 June 1862: “This is the first day of summer, a summer which promises to bring sadness to us, evils thicken around, and the clouds are no longer gathering, they seem about to burst…”

Item description: Entry, dated 1 June 1862, from the diary of Sarah Wadley. More about Sarah Lois Wadley: Sarah Lois Wadley was born in 1844 in New Hampshire, the daughter of railroad superintendent William Morrill Wadley (1813-1882) and Rebecca Barnard … Continue reading

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23 May 1862: “Men of the south! Shall our mothers, our wives, our daughters and sisters, be thus outraged by the ruffianly soldiers of the North, to whom is given the right to treat, at their pleasure, the ladies of the South as common harlots?”

Item description: The Wilmington Daily Journal of 23 May 1862 included this compilation of material related to General Benjamin F. Butler’s General Order No. 28. Declaring that “ladies of New Orleans” who “shall, by word, gesture or movement, insult or … Continue reading

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18 May 1862: “Horace came out of the skirmish safe, but was killed by a sentinel whom he, himself, had put upon guard and told to shoot any one who came near.”

Item description: Entry, dated 18 May 1862, from the diary of Sarah Wadley. More about Sarah Lois Wadley: Sarah Lois Wadley was born in 1844 in New Hampshire, the daughter of railroad superintendent William Morrill Wadley (1813-1882) and Rebecca Barnard … Continue reading

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4 May 1862: “…he knew still less how to surrender a city filled with women and children and unarmed citizens; the city was at their mercy…”

Item description: Entry, dated 4 May 1862, from the diary of Sarah Wadley. More about Sarah Lois Wadley: Sarah Lois Wadley was born in 1844 in New Hampshire, the daughter of railroad superintendent William Morrill Wadley (1813-1882) and Rebecca Barnard … Continue reading

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28 April 1862: “…it was going the rounds, that we were toasting the Federals, and had them for regular beaux.”

Item description: Entry, dated 28 April 1862, from the diary of Cora Alice Ready. More about Cora Alice Ready: Cora Alice Ready (1842-1890) was born and grew up in Tennessee.  Although her family lived in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Cora Alice, who … Continue reading

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20 April 1862: “This is Easter Sunday, at the commencement of Lent the Yankee papers said that in forty days the stars and stripes should float over New Orleans, their boast has not been verified.”

Item description: In this diary entry, Sarah Lois Wadley (1844-1920) describes the Battle of Shiloh and the Confederate loss of Ft. Pulaski. More about Sarah Lois Wadley: Sarah Lois Wadley was born in 1844 in New Hampshire, the daughter of … Continue reading

Posted in Southern Historical Collection | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on 20 April 1862: “This is Easter Sunday, at the commencement of Lent the Yankee papers said that in forty days the stars and stripes should float over New Orleans, their boast has not been verified.”