Raynor HCA 2014-04
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2014
A rare war-date Confederate soldier's 1861 diary belonging to Pvt. Lewis A. Adams, Co. G (Clack's), 3rd Tenn. Volunteers. The leather bound ledger style note book, measuring approximately 4" x 6", was not produced as a diary and is identified on the inside front cover "Louis L. Adams. Book, April 4, 1861. Bought of D. J. A. Heald, Pulaski, Tenn." Not confined to a regular diary's format, Adam's used the book, totaling 277 pages, to cover his military experiences for all of 1861 beginning on May 16th on the very day he left home to start training as a raw recruit of the Confederacy. Lewis L. Adams age 21, born Giles County, Tenn. enlisted on May 17, 1861 at Nashville to serve one year. He gives a detailed and insightful record of his time in the service. He talks in great detail about all aspects of that time ranging from the routine to the unusual. He is very observant and gives vivid accounts of marches, (including Buckner advance into Kentucky and the beginning contraction of Fort Donelson), the people (loyal and disloyal) and towns they encountered, his comrades, flag presentations, getting their uniforms, guns and accoutrements, drilling (including a many observations concerning the cavalry battalion attached associated with his regiment), spies, murders, elected officials, arrests for disloyalty and of course his commanders including their Colonel John C. Brown who became a noted general in the Army of the Tennessee until he was severely wounded at Franklin. All in all, Adams' diary will make a great addition to any Civil War collection, especially one dedicated to the Confederate soldier. The diary's detail can not be over emphasized and the following small transcription will have to do, reading, in very small part: "…[May 16, 1861]…got up early…and prepared to leave…arrived at Pulaski…the people were gathering to see us depart. We paraded (the Elkton Company) in the rear…there was about a thousand people there…elected our field officers, to wit, Capt. John C. Brown for colonel. Capt. T[homas] M. Gordon for Lt. Col. Capt. [ Nathaniel F.] Cheairs major…[May 17]…marched up through Nashville amid the cheering…received our arms…got aboard the cars and went to Springfield. We had to ride in the freight cars with planks…[May 19]…the name of the camp is Camp Cheatham and consist of 2500 men…[May 22]…I was detailed to…guard…the troops from attending to the calls of nature too near the camp…[May 24]…we shouldered our axes and marched into the drill field and cut down the brier and bushes…[June 1]…there was a crowd of young ladies from Nashville come out…to present a flag the first Regiment…it was a grand spectacle…coming back…I stopped where old Mr. Billing was selling books…an officer walked up and took him under guard…he has been distributing abolition documents. All his property will be taken…[June 5]… Wallace is captain of a company of cavalry that he raised in Giles…[June 7]…we [formed] into lines. Had a speech delivered to us from Col. Gardner of Springfield. It was very good. Col. Brown spoke some after he got through. He seems to have full confidence in his regiment…gaining victory and renown…[June 10]…we had the army regulations read to us by Col. Brown…[June 17]…a man of our regiment…died…he was buried…with military honors…fired nine rounds over his grave…[June 20]…my post was at the guard house but it is full of the sick instead of criminals. There is one I think will die from the appearance of his eyes…[July 1]…I [saw] a comet making its appearance in the north last night…there was a fellow by the name of Branch…that had to carry a big rail while we were on dress parade…for deserting…he will be under arrest for a week and do extra duty…[July 2]…our fifer and drummer came this night. The drummer is a little boy about 10 year old…[July 4]…the Northern Congress meets at Washington…there was eighty men detailed…to fire a salute to the colonel…they did in pairs and then the whole fired together…had a dance…some with white handkerchiefs around their arms to answer in the place of ladies…[July 7]…I had to nearly bayonet several drunken fellows that wanted to pass my lines…it is reported that four thousand troops were captured in Va…there are about 100 reports going through the camp all the time…[July 10]…Tom Jones, Fletch Oliver and Major Burch of the first…came over…and awoke every man in our company…they broke into John Phillips Marque and aroused him from a deep sleep which caused him to draw a bayonet on them and drove them out. They swore vengeance to him…[July 12]…a train of about twenty cars passed up to Camp Quarles…to take off another regiment…[July 16]…we drew over cartridge boxes, cap boxes, bayonet scabbards and gun slings after dinner…[July 29]…our guards were thrown out a good many times…by some unknown [?] causing to shoot off their guns…the 18th regiment formed to receive the enemy…they were horse thieves after the officer's horses…[Aug. 6]…Major Tom James…came up to night. He is on his way to Richmond to the Confederate Congress…he was elected without opposition…[Aug. 12]…there was a spy taken…he is in the guard house now (Wolf den). At twelve o'clock the alarm drum sounded…the regiment was out in ten minutes…marched at the double quick…formed us in line of battle…the cavalry companies act as scouts…the Col. informed us that it was a false alarm…[Aug. 16]…Lt. Evans…was shoot in the back of the head, killing him immediately…it was accidentally and from his own company…that is the fruits of disobeying orders…[Aug. 19]…Old Fed (the negro that has been cooking for us) is sick. It was hard to greet something to eat…[Aug. 23]…at 1 o'clock the signal was given for us to go out to the drill field…marched out under Col. Gardner (Col. Brown…is General of the Brigade)…the regiments that the flags were to be presented to formed in front and rear of the platform…the flags presented were very nice…the ladies of Nashville presented them. The motto of one was Victory or Death…there was a home made flag made by a lady of Nashville presented to the cavalry battalion…[Aug. 24]…there was considerable excitement about the report of some 40 or 50 Lincolnites being near here late this evening…[Sept. 1]…Capt. Clack has got back, he has been in ky. making Southern speeches…we went on dress parade at 6 in full uniform…[Sept. 3]…Lester & Briston started to Bowling Green Ky. this evening to get a negro boy that run away from them sometime back…[Sept. 12]…Billy Everly was turned out of the Wolf den…this morning he looked somewhat humbled. I heard him utter an oath today which is uncommon…there was a good many people out looking at us drill this evening…[Sept. 13]…the cavalry were out drilling…they went through all the maneuvers such as cutting with their swords and shooting their pistols…[Sept. 18]…most of the people waved their handkerchiefs…arrived at Bowling Green about 12. There was a Kentucky regiment there from the lower part of the state. They shot an old U. S. flag that was on the engine…[Sept. 17]…17 of us went up in town under Lieut. Martin to get breakfast. We eat at [an] old gentleman's tavern that was a Unionist…[Sept. 26]…saw the blood of some Unionist that was killed…two of Capt. Woodards men wanted some corn. He wouldn't sell it and they took it. He then took some rocks and knocked one down and hit the other when he [was] shot with his double barrel gun in the breast and head…[Sept. 26]…we marched Col. [?] in advance, the artillery in the middle and us in the rear…I noticed every house was locked up…we arrived at Rochester about 4…all the enemy had left…we took the town of 300 inhabitants without a single shot…Gen. Buckner arrived at 5…[Sept. 27]…I went…to a negroe's house to try and get some bread cooked but failed…Capt. Clack marched us up in town and took possession of an old office for our quarters…[Sept. 29]…there are about 5000here under Gen./ Buckner…the men broke ranks and got apples until the Genl. ordered them to quit under the penalty…of arrest…we resumed our march on a westerly course…[Sept. 30]…four companies from Col. Brown's regiment were put in advance to act as skirmishers…there was two cavalry men…shot this evening…by the enemy's pickets. They…captured one of the rascals. All the Lincolnites have scattered…[Oct. 1]…passed by some nice dwellings…the ladies waved the Confederate flag as we passed through Hopkinsville that made the troops raise yell…[Oct. 2]…at Caclauck…the ladies waved their flags and handkerchiefs…and hallowed for Jeff Davis even the little negroes would [?] for Massa Jeff…[Oct. 9]…had my coat washed…by a negro woman that lives in town…by paying ten cents…[Nov. 11]…a man of the 7th Miss…died…it made me feel sorrowful for him…[Nov. 15]…to day is Thanksgiving set apart by…Jeff Davis…[Nov. 23]…stopped at a little house and got some apples and chestnuts. She had got two worthless five dollar bills from some soldiers and when informed…she burst into tears…she detached a man that was there…he swore that he didn't know him…[Nov. 25]…we had to work on Barker's Hill…[building the fortifications of Fort Donelson, Dec. 10]…we were marched up to Calledge Hill, Col. Gardner [?] into squads of 20 and were marched to the woods to cut palisades for the fort…[Dec. 27]…marched up there at 8 o'clock. Thirty of us under Capt. Clack had to mount thirty [?] rifled cannon…the balance of the company under Martin built the log wall that is on the sides…". Records indicate that Adams later served in the 1st Tennessee Cavalry, was captured in late 1863 and subsequently confined at Fort Delaware military prison. A file of Adams' military research documents (modern) are included. The covers and binding are intact with minor loss effecting the edges of both. Expected wear and soiling, but NO pages are loose or detached. Overall very good condition
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