In
school. Evening, down the street. Saw [Ed] Sauter [who] took me up to the 43d
Illinois
[and] introduced me to some Captain. Had whiskey [and] got drunk. Came back.
Sauter to supper with me. Down the street. Got oysters. Pretty boozy – both of
us.
Fay
and Lee Hempstead came today. Up to Mrs. Fulton’s. Paid rent for January. Saw
Egan. Nothing new. I will give up having Mick [Egan] do anything for me. He is a
low dog, big-headed, afflicted terribly & infidel & all. He has made too
many promises to me to let me have any confidence in him. I shall not trust him
any more. When I get my money back, he may slide & go where he pleases.
In
school. Down the street. Bid Mary Dodge goodbye. She is going with her father to
Vermont
tomorrow to school. At Dodge’s [drug] store with Delano. Mick Egan came round & we went to Mr. Wassell’s studying anatomy a
little. Mrs. Randolph,
Wassell’s daughter, is a fine woman, I vow she is. Mick saw Capt. [Albert]
Potthoff, the Quartermaster [of the 43d Illinois Infantry]. He does not want me
for a clerk. I have given the thing up. I will take boarders if I can.
In
school. saw Egan. At [George H.] Gibbs’ book store. Said he thought I could
get a clerkship in the Treasury office at three dollars per day. I am going to
see. Had a flare up with Mary tonight. She says she is going to get a place
somewhere else & leave her mother here & the rest of them. Go it then.
In
school. Down the street. [George] Gibbs laughed at me when I said that I was
going to keep a boarding house. In evening, Sauter came up. We went down the
street, got some beer, at theatre, got acquainted with Capt. Manning. Sauter
came up [the street] with me about twelve o’clock. Got to bed about one.
Saturday.
Cold. At Dodge’s [drug] store nearly all day.
Sunday.
At church in morning. Afternoon, Egan here. Evening, Sauter & Flower [here].
In
school. Mrs. Lange came with her nephew to school this morning. Evening, Yoest
here. Nothing new. Yoest gave me a book – a medical one on fevers.
In
school. Saw Egan at shop. He uses great languages like this, “She has utter
confidence in him.” Nearly eight
o’clock and no one came [to school] yet. I am so glad. It has been a bore to
have so many visitors. As soon as I get the negroes in here to teach, someone
will be sure to pop in. Julius Bridges
went down the street & was complaining amongst some soldiers how the feds
acted out in the country & that he was going to get up a company to put a
stop to it. They fell upon him & beat him soundly. A bone in his arm is
broken. Let him attend to his own business then.
In
school. Nothing new. Down the street. Yoest here in the evening. It is really a
nuisance. He is an ugly fellow, one-eyed, but he thinks he is awful on women,
that they all are in love with him & that there is some electrical influence
about him which draws them to him. Fudge.
In
school. Turned Charles Drennan out [of my school]. Got two quarts whiskey from
Flower.
Delano
[Dodge] here in the evening.
In
school. Nothing new. Sauter here in the evening.
Saturday.
Got a letter from home.
Sunday.
Morning, at church. Rainy last night. Sauter here drunk as could be. [He] went
to bed here, got up at two [in the morning] & went home. About noon [today,
he] came here & went to bed. Egan came. Bill, the black boy, says [when]
Mary was in my room one evening & the door at the Bridge’s rooms were
open, he saw them looking through the key hole into my room & laughing. I
wonder if they have seen me in my capers with Mary. Tonight the Bridges have
kept up a rumpus all the evening. Some buzzards there with them.
In
school. Nothing new. Down the street. Mad tonight as blazes.
In
school. cold. Down the street. Nothing new. Yoest & Flower here in evening.
Cold.
In school. Nothing new. Down the street. Yoest here in the evening & brought
a vaginal syringe for me. He says that he will try to get medicine for a woman
to take when with child in order to destroy the fetus.
In
school. Cold. Down the street at Delano
[Dodge’s]. Flower here. Did not succeed in getting medicine. I got some aloes
for Mary.
In
school. Cold. Had a fuss with Harry Drennen. Sent for Mr. Scott. Told me to whip
him well. Down the street. [Ernest] Wiedemann & [his] wife came up from
Washington
[Arkansas]. He has a buggy & two ponies. Took me a ride. Evening, Yoest & Flower
here till nearly eleven o’clock.
Saturday.
Fixing windows. Emily & Mary mad as hell. Mary said she was going off. Well
let her if she wants to. I will get one negro girl & then keep off doing of
niggers that are wont to hover round here.
Went
down & took the Oath of Allegiance to U. S.
I wish I was out of the country.
Sunday.
At church.
In
school. Down the street. Treated Dell Dodge to lager. Egan here in the evening.
In
school. Down the street. Mick Egan has heard that his brother Frank is dead.
Epstein came to board with me today. He sleeps here & takes breakfast &
supper [for which he] pays me twenty dollars a month. Nothing new.
In
school. Nothing new. Down the street at Delano Dodge’s. Saw Sauter. Egan here.
He feels badly about his brother being dead. I feel sorry for Mrs. Egan. Epstein
here. Cobb has left town. I do not think I will ever get the money for the
cotton.
In
school. Sick with cold. Nothing new. Egan & Yoest here in the evening. Egan
said he spoke to Mereck who is in the Treasurer’s Office to get me a place –
said he would try. I hope he will see, but I have no expectations now for
anything. I have been disappointed so often that I do not care. It seems as if I
was not intended to make money. Well, so be it if I can’t.
In
school. Nothing new. Down the street. Evening, Yoest here.
Saturday.
At Post Office. Got letter from [Willoughby] Babcock.
Wants me to get a commission in Engineer’s Corps D’ Afrique. Sent me an
order. Got letter from [Wheeler] Bristol. Says he can get me a situation in Cincinnati. Got letter from [my cousin] Lucy Stratton. Saw Sauter & Cobb. [We] all got
beer. Cobb made up friends [and got] drunk. We had to carry him to bed. [We] had
high times in the evening. Answered letters to Babcock and Bristol.
Sunday.
Rainy & cold. At home in the morning. At church in evening. Sent letter off
to Babcock today. I wish I could make up my mind which to do [when I] think of
going to
Cincinnati
and to New Orleans
– a Lieutenant’s commission in the Engineer’s Corp is not to be despised.
In
school. Cold & sleeting. Few boys there [at school]. Down the street.
Nothing new.
January
29, 1864
New Orleans, Louisiana
R.
L. Goodrich, Esq.
Little Rock, Arkansas
My
Dear Sir. I received your favor of January 7th a few days ago, & today
your former letter has come to hand. The former letter was delayed by reason
of its having been directed to me as Major of the 76th
New York
Volunteers whereas I write myself Lieut.-Colonel of 75th New York
Volunteers. The only mode which occurs to me to aid you is the one I have
adopted which has resulted in making the order which I enclose to you.
Should you come, I would recommend you to endeavor to go into the Engineers.
I enclose in relation to it. I think the Quarter Master Department at Little Rock
will give you transportation to New Orleans
on the order you have. You would be delayed in New Orleans
perhaps two or three weeks before you could be commissioned and assigned to
duty. If you object to the color of the Corps d’ Afrique, I will
only assure you that we do not sneer it down here, & that many better
men than you and I have gone into it as officers in all grades. In haste,
your friend, --
Willoughby
Babcock
