Diary Entry:
Pleasant day. Drill in Bayonet exercise. Dress Parade. Regt. officially notified of the death of Gen. Sumner.

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The March 24, 1863, edition of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman ran the following notice about the death of General E. V. Sumner:

Major-General E.V. Sumner died at Syracuse, N.Y., on Saturday, of congestion of the lungs [pneumonia], after a very brief illness. General Sumner was born in Boston in 1796. He was not a graduate of West Point. No man in the army has seen more service than this gallant officer. He was attached to the army of the Potomac, and was in all the bloody battles fought by that army. Upon Gen. Hooker’s appointment to the chief command, Sumner was relieved at his own request, and had just been appointed to the command of the Missouri Department when his death occurred. He entered the regular army as Second Lieutenant in 1819. He served in the Indian war and also in Mexico. He was severely wounded at Corro Gordo, and for gallant conduct in that battle was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel. He was military Governor of New Mexico in 1852 and in 1836 commanded in Kansas. In 1859 he was appointed commander of the Department of the West, in 1861 he was selected and sent to California to relieve Gen. A.S. Johnson in that department, in consequence of the resignation of the latter. Gen. Sumner was ordered, at his own request, from California, for service in the east. Under Gen. McClellan his corps was one of the most active and reliable. He was selected by General Scott to accompany Mr. Lincoln from Springfield, Ill. to Washington, in February, 1861, and on March 16th was appointed Brigadier-General in the regular army, in place of General Twiggs.

Diary Entry:
Cool and cloudy in the morning. toward noon the sun shown warm. a Steeple Chase took place on the Division Parade Ground. got up by Gen. Meagher.

Hurdles were erected and Ditches dug.

several accidents occurred.

Col. Stricker thought he could jump his horse over one of the ditches. he tried it and was thrown into the ditch. his horse tumbled in after him.

One horse was killed and his rider injured.

At 3 P.M. heavy firing was heard which proved to be at Kellys Ford. all the men were ordered back to camp.

See the scanned diary pages 59 and 60.

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A steeplechase is a horse race. Typically between two and four miles, the race features obstacles like stone walls, water jumps, brush fences, and timber rails that the horses and their riders must clear. The event was part of a larger celebration organized in camp on St. Patrick’s Day, that included foot races, sack races, mule races, boxing matches, and plenty of food and drink.

The March 20, 1863 edition of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman reported that a cavalry fight on the Rappahannock near Kelly’s Ford took place on Tuesday, March 17. That “cavalry fight” became known as the Battle of Kelly’s Ford, one of the earlier large-scale cavalry fights in Virginia. 2100 Union cavalry troops under the command of Brig. Gen. William W. Averill of New York crossed the Rappahannock in Culpepper County, Virginia to attack the Confederate cavalry of about 800 men under the command of Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. The Federal attack was a result of General Hooker’s emphasis on cavalry training during the winter of 1863 following the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 and the “Mud March” January 1863. Although Averill withdrew his troops before completely destroying Lee’s forces, it was the first time the Union cavalry held their own against Confederate cavalry. The battle provided the troops with confidence for their summer campaigns.

Sources:
Delaware State Journal and Statesman, National Park Service Battle Summary: Kelly’s Ford, Virginia, Chancellorsville by Stephen W. Sears.

Diary Entry:
Pleasant day.

Lt. Tom Moore Co. G. returned to Regt. after absence without leave since Sep. 17th.

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On March 10, 1863, the Union government enacted a plan that granted amnesty to all soldiers who had deserted and who returned to camps by April 1. Although the plan was intended to bring the record number of soldiers who deserted following the Battle of Fredericksburg back to camps without fear of punishment or deadly consequences, other soldiers like Lieut. Tom Moore certainly also benefited.

The March 17, 1863 edition of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman included President Lincoln’s “Proclamation Respecting Soldiers Absent Without Leave”:

. . . I, Abraham Lincoln, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, do hereby order and command that all soldiers enlisted or drafted into the service of the United States, now absent from their regiments without leave, shall forthwith return to their respective regiments.

And I do hereby declare and proclaim that all soldiers now absent from their respective regiments without leave, who shall, on or before the first day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, report themselves at any rendezvous designated by the General Orders of the War Department number fifty-eight, hereto annexed, may be restored to their respective regiments without punishment, except the forfeiture of pay and allowances during their absence; and all who do not return within the time above specified shall be arrested as deserters, and punished as the law provides. . . .

Diary Entry:
Dull day. heavy rain last night. our Brigade now Pickets below Falmouth. previous to last week we Picketed above the town.

Since Gen. Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac, fresh bread four times a week, beef four times, and vegetables three times are issued to us. he makes it the duty of the Surgeons to report the number of times they are issued.

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After General Hooker took command of the Army of the Potomac in late-January 1863, he instituted a series of changes to improve the morale of troops. Changes included establishing an innovative intelligence system, instituting generous furloughs, making troops drill, and as Cyrus noted, improving rations, medical care, and living conditions of the soldiers. In General Order Number 9, issued on February 7, 1863, he ordered:

Flour or soft bread will be issued at the depots to commissaries for at least four issues to the troops. Fresh potatoes or onions, if practicable, for two issues per week. Desiccated mixed vegetables or potatoes for one issue per week.

Commanders of army corps, division, brigades and separate commands will require any commissary under their orders who fails to issue the above-named stores to the command to which he is attached, and as often as stated, to produce the written statement of the officer in charge of the dept from which he regularly draws his supplies to the effect that they were not on hand at the depot for issue to him, or otherwise to satisfactorily account for his failure.

by command of Major-General Hooker:
Jos. Dickinson,
Assistant Adjutant-General
General Orders, Headquartes Army of the Potomac

Sources: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation fo the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Vol XXV and “Intent of Major General Joseph Hooker during the Chancellorsville Campaign” by Major William M. Jurney.

Diary Entry:
Troops still passing to the let to return to their old positions, yesterday the Rebs across the river stuck up a board with the words “Burnside Stuck in Mud” in large letters. The storm that caused the mud prolonged the lives of many of them as well as many of our own men.

This afternoon our Paymaster Major Potter paid us two months pay from the 31st of August to the 31st of October 1862.

I received $34.00.

The mails have been very irregular. I have not received any letters since the 1st inst. and do not know whether the letters I have sent lately reached their destination or not and there being no other means of sending money home that I know of now, I do not think it will be safe to send it at all.

See the scanned diary pages 47 and 48.

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On January 17, 1863, President Lincoln signed a joint resolution to “provide for the immediate payment of the army and navy of the United States.” The joint resolution stated:

My approval is given in order that every possible facility may be afforded for the prompt discharge of all arrears of pay due to our soldiers and our sailors. While giving this approval, however, I think it is my duty to express my sincere regret that it has been found necessary so large an additional issue of United States notes, when the circulation, and that of the suspended banks together, have become already so redundant as to increase prices beyond real value, thereby augmenting the cost of living to the injury of labor and the cost of supplies to the injury of the whole country. . . . By such measures, in my opinion, will payment be most certainly secured, not only to the army and navy but to all honest creditors of the Government, and satisfactory provisions made for future demands on the Treasury.

The Delaware State Journal and Statesman printed the president’s message to Congress in its January 23 issue.

Diary Entry:
Day before yesterday a great many troops were moving to the right. An attack was to be made there, but at night a heavy rain set in which continued until to day.  so much rain has fallen and the roads have become so bad that the attack has had to be abandoned. The troops have been moving back to their old position in front of Fredericksburg. I am very thankful that we have been permitted to remain in Camp. There is a report afloat that Gen. Burnside has lost confidence in our Corps, that he says we are completely demoralized. On the other hand the Corps has but little confidence in him, yet if taken into battle it will not disgrace its old name and fame.

I sincerely hope that he may prove successful in the next attempt. If he is, confidence in him will be restored.

See the scanned diary pages 46 and 47.

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General Burnside planned to launch another attack on General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in late December. The rumor Cyrus referred to about Burnside losing confidence in the troops most likely started after Brig. Generals John Newton and John Cochrane traveled to Washington, D.C. in early January, and spoke with Secretary of War Seward and President Lincoln about their concerns relating to Burnside’s ability to successfully lead the Army of the Potomac. After that meeting, Lincoln met with General Burnside and told him that two of his officers had expressed concerns for Burnside’s plans for a winter attack and the deteriorating condition of the Army. Burnside suggested those officers be court-marshaled, but felt that if Lincoln agreed with them, perhaps he should resign from his position. Burnside returned to Fredericksburg still planning a winter campaign, albeit it a scaled-down one.

The new battle plan was for the troops to cross the Rappahannock upstream from the Confederates on January 20 and circle behind them, thus surprising them. Up until that point, January had been fairly mild, but a Nor’Easter moved up the coast January 20 and 21, 1863. Rain fell for over 30 hours of rain, dropping over 3 inches of rain in Washington, D.C. over those two days. Artillery and cavalry forces soon became so swamped in the mud that  Burnside ordered the troops back to their quarters, ending the campaign before it ever really began.

Winter Campaigning. The Army of the Potomac on the Move
Drawn by Alfred Waud. January 21, 1863
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Sources: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, “The Mud March Begins” on the Massachusetts 150 Sesquicentennial Commission of the American Civil War website, The Civil War by Bruce Catton, and The History of the First Regiment, Delaware Volunteers by William P. Seville

Diary Entry:
The ball opened this morning, the 57th and 66th were detailed to assist in building pontoon bridges. the work was commenced at 3 O’clock A.M. Our Regt. was under arms at an early hour. at 6 A.M. the Rebs opened fire and soon after our Regt. was moved down to a point opposite the lower portion of Fredericksburg. We left our knapsacks at the Division [sic], taking with us our blankets. We found a large force waiting the completion of the bridges, meantime our Artillery opened on the Rebs. 148 pieces kept up an incessant fire all day, making the whole country resound with their thunder. the 57th and 66th suffered severely in the morning. at night 100 of the 7th Michigan crossed the river in boats and drove the Reb sharpshooters away. then parts of Howards Division crossed and held the town all night. We bivouacked [sic] in a woods.

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After waiting for several weeks outside of Fredericksburg for the pieces of pontoon bridges needed to cross the river to arrive, pieces were finally in place for the Army of Potomac to make preparations to attack General Lee and the Confederate troops in the city. To get the entire Army of the Potomac across the Rappahannock River, the engineers first had to build six pontoon bridges for the infantry and cavalry. A brigade of Mississippians anticipated this and opened fire on them from across the river. General Burnside ordered artillery to blast Fredericksburg and over the course of two hours, they shot at least 5,000 projectiles at the town. A report in the Delaware State Journal and Statesman described the barrage by saying the “shot and shell went crashing through the houses. In many cases setting them on fire, causing a dense smoke to gather, which, with the explosion of so large a quantity of powder, almost hid the city from view.”

Still, the Union artillery could not dislodge the snipers hidden in the town shooting at those soldiers building the bridges. One Michigan and two Massachusetts regiments were chosen to cross the river using some of the pontoons as boats. Once across the river they attempted to dislodge the snipers and engaged in street fighting with Confederates. This was the first time soldiers engaged in urban combat in the war, and it gave the Army of the Potomac time to finish building the bridges. The bridges were finally completed at about 4 p.m., when Union soldiers began to make their way into Fredericksburg. The remainder of the Army would cross in the following two days.

Building Pontoon Bridges at Fredericksburg, December 11th
Alfred R. Waud
Library of Congress Prints and Photograph Collection

Sources: Battle of Fredericksburg History-National Park Service, Fredericksburg: Confederate Victory, Union Story by George C. Rable, and December 16, 1862 edition of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman, Library of Congress Prints and Photograph Division

Diary Entry:
Last night was very cold, the coldest I have experienced since I joined the Army. Three men were frozen to death on Picket.

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A correspondent in the same Union camp outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia, as Cyrus also noted the cold temperatures in a letter to the editor of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman:

It has been cold, bitterly cold, and many have been longing for cheerful fires and extra clothing. The snow fell, and the tents looked like so many sharp-pointed show bands. . . The primary object with all of us has been to find a little warmth, and numerous have been the expedients resorted to in order to generate heat in our tents. The nights have been clear, and the sound of the bugle and drum to denote the hour of sleep, rang out with an icy resonance, while the moon with a pale and frigid face looked down upon the wintry camp scene. The stars seemed chilly, and the entire atmosphere appeared possessed of tangible, acute points of extreme coldness which were applied to us unmercifully. A fifteen months round of military duty in Virginia had rendered us unduly sensitive to these northern impressions, for we had been led to anticipate from our experience a more genial temperature.

Diary Entry:
We were recalled from Picket [duty] early this morning and at 8 O’c. the entire Corps was on the move, we passed Warrenton, which is a handsome little place, then through a barren country, halting, at 3 O’c P.M. in an old field. We are now on our way to Fredericksburg. The country from Harpers Ferry to Warrenton is fertile and well cultivated, but very hilly. This side of Warrenton, it is level, unproductive and poorly supplied with water.

See the scanned diary pages and a map of Cyrus’ progress through the war.

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After General Ambrose Burnside took command of the Army of the Potomac on November 7, 1862, he revised the plan to move the 120,000 troops towards Richmond. Rather than continuing McClellan’s slog through central Virginia towards Richmond, he proposed moving across country 40 miles to Fredericksburg, Virginia. The city was targeted because it was near the Rappahannock River and ideally positioned along the main road between Richmond and Washington, D.C.

Source: National Park Service Battle of Fredericksburg History

Diary Entry:
Rested. We had a severe snow storm (the first of the season). it covered the ground near six inches deep.

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The  November 11 edition of the Delaware State Journal and Statesman published General McClellan’s farewell address to troops gathered near Rectortown, Virginina, from November 7, 1862:

Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Potomac:

An order of the President devolves upon Major-General Burnside the command of this army. In parting from you I cannot express the love and gratitude I bear for you. As an army you have grown up under my care. In you I have never found doubt or coldness.

The battles you have fought under my command will proudly live in our national history. The glory you have achieved, our mutual peril and fatigue, the graves of our comrades fallen in battle and by disease, the broken forms of those whom wounds and sickness have disabled, are the strongest assertions which can exist among men, united still by an indissoluble tie, that we will ever be comrades in supporting the Constitution and the nationality of its people.

George B. McClellan
Major-General United States Army.