May 13, 1863

May 13, 1863:

—Captain Charles Wright Wills, a young officer in the 103^rd Illinois Infantry Regiment, writes in his journal of court-martial duty, of the progress of the war, and of Union successes:
Camp 103d Illinois Infantry, Lagrange, Tenn.,
May 13, 1863.

I have been on a General Court Martial for the last ten days, and we will not, in all probability, adjourn for some weeks yet. We tried Governor Yates’ brother. He is Adjutant of the 6th Illinois Cavalry. Another little reverse on the Rappahannock. All right! My faith is still large—in the army, but the commanders and citizens can be improved. We think that Grant is going to beat them all yet. But his army is more responsible for his good fortune than himself. Do you notice that one of our "raids" missed fire? Straight into Georgia, I mean. Grierson’s and Stoneman’s make up for all the rest though. We are constantly active here, in fact our troops move so much that I am unable to keep the run of even our brigade.
　
—George Templeton Strong writes in his journal about the death of the Southern hero Stonewall Jackson:
Today’s only news is a seemingly trustworthy report that that very salient rebel Stonewall Jackson died last Sunday of pneumonia, which attacked him while weakened by a recent amputation. He seems to have been a brave, capable, earnest man, good and religious according to his Presbyterian formulas, but misguided into treason by that deluding dogma of state allegiance.