Civil War Diary of P. L. Loufman

On August 25 th , Philip discusses a “a rout between the 12 th Regiment of Veterans Reserve Corps and the Provisional Corps” resulting in several injuries. I am assuming this Provisional Corps is the one he refers to as “being stationed in the rifle pits between Forts O’Rourke and Farnsworth.”  A Provisional Corps was a temporary unit often formed to serve a specific purpose. Although both the Union and Confederate armies used Provisional Corps, Philip does not specify exactly who the combatants were. However, I feel from his description of the events it was a scuffle between two groups of Union soldiers. Locations of Fort Farnsworth and Fort O'Rourke Source: Civil War Defenses of Washington At the start of the Civil War, military tactics reflected those of earlier wars such as the Revolutionary War with troops positioned in lines or columns marching against similarly positioned enemy troops. The Civil War saw soldiers using rifled guns with increased range over the previous muske...

In today’s excerpt from Philip’s Civil War Diary, he mentions being on the picket line, or rather slipping the picket line, and also visiting Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Picket lines were established to protect a military boundary around a camp or to establish the perimeter of the army’s direct control. One of the primary duties of a picket was to provide early warning of enemy infiltration or attack. “Slipping the picket” refers to an individual or group of soldiers temporarily abandoning their post on the picket line. An attempt to "slip the picket" could be an effort to gather intelligence, launch a surprise attack, facilitate desertion, or in the case of Philip, search for peaches and apples. If caught, a negligent soldier could be severely punished or even executed. Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia was established more than 250 years ago. George Washington helped fund the construction of the church and regularly worshipped here. Prior to the Civil War Rob...

The title of today’s post is a Civil War slang term for alcohol. In two of today’s diary entries, Philip mentions being sent out to search for whiskey. Although it is unclear why his men were searching for whiskey, the Union army often used it for medicinal purposes in camp. Whiskey, often made from corn instead of grain, was the most popular alcoholic drink in 1861. Hard cider and beer were popular non-distilled drinks. Cider, made from apples was more common, however beer was gaining in popularity with the influx of German immigrants. Colonel James H. Childs of the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry pours drinks for his officers and those visiting from the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry Source: www.Historynet.com Excessive drinking was a prevalent problem on both sides of the conflict. Both the Union and Confederate armies issued guidelines on the use of liquor, as an aid to combat fatigue and exposure. However, the availability of liquor rations often depended on the commanding officers. Camps with...

The Marshall House in Alexandria, Virginia Source: Library of Congress The Marshall House in Alexandria, Virginia, was the site of the first Union and Confederate deaths in the Civil War. The Marshall House was an inn located at 480 King Street in Alexandria, Virginia. Union troops had arrived in Alexandria and had begun removing Confederate flags from buildings around the city. The inn’s proprietor, James W. Jackson had a large Confederate flag on top of the inn which was visible from the White House. On May 24, 1861, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth removed the flag from the roof of the inn. As he was descending the stairs, Jackson shot Ellsworth in the chest at point-blank range. Jackson was immediately shot and bayonetted by Corporal Francis Brownell.                      Colonel Elmer Ellsworth (left) and James W. Jackson (right) Before the war, Ellsworth had worked as a patent agent in Rockford, Illinois. He also studied law in Chicago...

Recruitment Poster for the Invalid Corps In 1863, the Union was having difficulty recruiting soldiers. To alleviate the situation, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton authorized the formation of the Invalid Corps, later renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps. This new branch of the Army consisted of soldiers who had become “unfit for active field service on account of wounds or disease contracted in the line of duty.” Disability was documented by a physician’s inspection. Soldiers with relatively slight disability were assigned to man the defenses around Washington, D.C. and to guard Confederate prisoners of war held in northern camps. More seriously disabled soldiers served as cooks, orderlies and nurses, usually in hospitals. Though officially billed as a “Corps of Honor,” the Corps faced an “undertone of ridicule” and the light blue uniforms further segregated the Invalid Corps from their comrades in standard dark blue uniforms. By the end of the war, 60,000 soldiers served in this new branch...

Fort Stevens Source: National Park Service In June and July of 1864, Confederate Major General Jubal A. Early led his troops on a campaign through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland in an attempt to divert Union troops from their siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Union troops under the command of Major General Lew Wallace encountered Early’s troops at Monocacy Junction, Maryland close to Frederick. Wallace’s main objective at Monacacy was to delay Early’s march long enough to allow Union reinforcements to arrive at Washington where the defending fortifications were largely manned by clerks and convalescent troops. Union troops were outnumbered and Confederate troops ultimately forced them to retreat to Baltimore. Following a Confederate victory at Monocacy Junction, Early moved south toward Washington, D.C. On July 11, Early's troops tested the fortifications that encircled the city. On July 12, Early attacked Fort Stevens, located approximately five miles north of the White Hous...

Union troops firing on approaching Confederate lines during Pickett's Charge. Source:  Warfare History Network On July 3,1864 Philip briefly mentions it being the one-year anniversary of Gettysburg and losing two men in battle. One other man was wounded, Philip’s brother James. Philip’s only reference to his brother was in his very first diary entry and he did not mention him by name. During previous searches, I had come across references to a James Loufman being wounded at Gettysburg. After renewing my Ancestry.com subscription and digging a little deeper into my maternal grandfather’s family, I confirmed that Philip had a brother James. So much has been written about Gettysburg that I knew anything I might write would just be a lame summary of events. As I was searching for information specifically about the involvement of 1st West Virginia Light Artillery, Battery C in the battle, I miraculously stumbled across an amazing first-hand account told by William Janvey. The full story...