Jan. 13, 1862

Jan. 13, 1862: To replace Simon Cameron as Secretary of War, Pres. Lincoln nominates Edwin Stanton, a Washington lawyer who had served in Buchanan’s cabinet. Stanton will prove to be one of the most influential figures in the Federal war effort.

--David L. Day, a soldier in the 25^th Massachusetts Infantry, on board the ship New York in the Goldsborough-Burnside expedition, records in his journal:
Going on deck this morning, I found we were riding at anchor in sight of Hatteras light. Not knowing the meaning of this, I inquired of Mr. Mulligan if people went out to sea and anchored nights? He laughed and said the shoals and the lights being down alongshore, made navigation in these waters rather dangerous, and they thought they had better anchor. I went forward to take in the situation. The wind was blowing fresh from the southeast, with heavy swells running. As they weighed anchor, the boat rose and fell with the swells. I rather enjoyed this and thought it very nice. After a few moments I began to experience a peculiar sensation around the waistbands; and it occurred to me that I had better go and lie down. After a half hour I was all right again, and went on deck. Mr. Mulligan said, "We are going to have a great storm and Hatteras is a bad place to be caught in a storm." But by way of encouragement he tells us we are safer with him aboard the New York than we should be at home in bed.–Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas, a Virginian in the Union Army, advances with a small force eastward in Kentucky towards the Cumberland Gap area, in answer to Lincoln’s request that Gen. Buell do something to relieve the suffering of the mostly pro-Union people of East Tennessee. Heavy rains and bad roads make Thomas’s movement slow going.