April 27, 1861 (Saturday)

Spring bursting forth....

The narrative of the day -- Civil War Daily Gazette:  Lincoln Suspends Writ of Habeas Corpus, Jackson to the Valley


From A Diary of American Events, April 27, 1861 -- some notable entries:

"Our people must rest quiet upon the fact that the military preparations for our defence are under the direction of shrewd, skilful, indefatigable, experienced and patriotic officers.  Our commanding general, Robert E. Lee, has long been the pride of the service, and he is supported by subordinates of acknowledged capacity and large experience...out military boards keep their own counsels, as it is obviously proper they should do so."  --Virginia Sentinel

"Five men arrested at Navy-yard at Washington...filling bomb-shells with sand and sawdust."  N.Y. Times

"A number of residents of Virginia...en route for the North...have left every thing behind and are obliged to depend upon the charities of the people...a reign of terror exists in the interior of Virginia.  The mob appropriates to their own use whatever they may fancy...farmers are stopped on the road and their horses taken from them..granaries are searched and every thing convertible for food...carried off."  --N.Y. Tribune

"Lincoln extends blockade to ports of North Carolina and Virginia"  --Baltimore Sun

Diary of a Yankee in the Patent Office -- Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War

"...Troops from the North are pouring fast now.  There is now here about eighteen thousand men under arms...Pres Lincolns two boys were here today to see mine.  Juliet was at the Pres.  Got fine Boquet from the garden."

Letters from the N.Y. Seventy-First regiment, Daily Observations from the Civil War.   (an excerpt given..click on link to read all the details of the trip to Washington)

"We have just arrived at Washington after a week of very hard work and quite a scarcity of provisions on the way. I am writing in our quarters in the building erected for the Inauguration ball. On Sunday, the day of our departure, we stood in Bond street with our knapsacks about five hours; the march down Broadway was therefore excessively tiresome.  Our ship, R. R. Cuyler, was a sight to behold; she was very filthy, redolent of decayed meat, bilge-water, &c. The men in two or three hours became clamorous for their rations, which, when furnished, were found to consist of two sea-biscuits and a chunk of salt pork, and the rations continued so for the remainder of the voyage. Our beds were wooden bunks in the back part of the ship."