Feburary 7, 1864

February 7, 1864


—Sherman’s troops push eastward from Jackson, skirmishing with Rebel forces from several directions, but still pushing on eastward at a rapid pace.


—In East Tennessee, the intensity of fighting around Knoxville has cooled down. The 51^st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry leaves Knoxville, with new orders to join up with the reconstituted IX Corps in Virginia. Major William J. Bolton of this regiment notes in his journal about the treatment his men receive as they take a rest stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

Change cars at Crestline, too supper at Alliance and reached Pittsburg at 10 o’clokc P.M. Disembarked from the cars, formed line and marched to the Union Refreshment Saloon and had our suppers, provided for by the citizens, and after satisfying the inner man, marched back to the depot and embarked again on the cars, and rested ourselves the best we could.

—Captain Charles Wright Wills of the Union Army, writes in his journal concerning a disturbing letter from home and reputation as a soldier:

Frank Post was in my tent to-day, and informed me that in her last letter, Laura told him that some horrible stories of my cruelty to women and children while in command of the mounted detachment, were in circulation at home. He wanted me to trace the author of them, but I respectfully begged to be excused. The person who told such stuff, falsifies; for I never killed a fly, or stepped on a worm, or kicked a dog, or threw a stone at a cat, and know I wouldn’t treat a woman or child worse, if they were Rebels. I do take a little private satisfaction in knowing that I have never said a word, except respectfully, to any woman in the Confederacy, that I have ever touched a cent’s worth of private property for my own use. We, with 600 more of our brigade, had to take horses and rations from a poor set of people, but that was no more our fault than the war is.
---Federal troops land and occupy Jacksonville, Florida.