August 3, 1862

August 3, 1862:  Gen. Hooker returns to Harrison’s Landing from his attempt to re-take Malvern Hill and probe the defenses of Richmond, since both of his guides got lost on the roads, and his division still was not out of camp yet. 

---Gen. Halleck sends orders to McClellan finally revealing that the Army of the Potomac will pull out of the Peninsula area and go north to Aquia Creek.

---Jesse Bailey, a Confederate soldier posted at Vicksburg writes home to his parents about the difficulty of finding sufficient food:

. . . I have missed the fever five days, I feel very well this morning.

I haven’t got much news to write you. The health of the company is very bad at this time. It is very hard times here we don’t get much to eat. I will tell you what we have to live on. We get one pound of meal and a half pound of beef for one day’s lunch (?) to the man, and the beef is so poor till it stinks. When we don’t get beef we get a half pint of molasses a day to the man. You know that ain’t for sick men to eat. I went out yesterday evening and stole some roshenears (young corn) and some watermelons. We take every thing we can lay our hands on that will do to eat. Crop is very sorry here, there is some good corn in the bottom lands. The Yankees have all left here and gone. Father I am sorry to hear that you ain’t a making no corn. Corn is a going to be hard to get.

I want you to write how you air a getting a long. . . . Father, I want you to kiss the children for me. I want to see you all very bad but I don’t know when I will see you. If we never meet in this world let us all try to meet in the better one. I hope that we will meet again. I must come to a close, I want you to write as soon as you get this letter. You must excuse my bad hand for I wrote this on my knee. So nothing more.

Jesse Bailey

---Jerry Flint, a young Union soldier with Gen. Williams’ troops in Baton Rouge, writes home to his brother in Illinois:

You have probably heard through the papers of the feat performed by this ram [CSS Arkansas]. I stood right on the bank of the river and saw the whole performance. The fleet, all except the Tyler was laying at anchor or they would easily have stopped it. It will probably do no more harm for if it ventures over from under the guns of Vicksburg it will be captured.

We have daily rumors of a large force approaching this place but as yet we have not been molested.

I suppose that by this time you are right in the midst of harvesting. I would like to be with you for I think I have not forgotten how to tie up bundles yet. There was a time when I thought perhaps I might be home by the time grain was ripe but since our defeat at Richmond the prospect is not quite so bright and the war bids fair to last another year.

If I am doomed to stay another year in this sultry climate there is but one thing I desire, and that is good health. With my health as good as it has been, or is now I am good for heat or anything else but with sickness there is but little show for a man. . . . Unless your health is better than it was the last year before I came away, a soldier’s life would use you up in three months. I know you could not stand it, although you may feel first-rate while around home. Besides as long as White and I are both in the service I think the family is pretty fully represented being only three of us any way.