The Civil War Diary of Benjamin H. Ellicott continued<\/h4>\n

As the weather heated up in the summer of 1863, so did the Civil War, with the siege of Vicksburg finally completed, and then the momentous Battle(s) at Gettysburg. Benjamin Ellicott, writing from his home in Baltimore, struggled to make sense of what was happening, in an age when communications were still quite primitive, compared to our instant access to events. Despite telegrams and the telegraph, news was hard to get, and reliable news even harder. Ellicott\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s journal shows us how different life is for civilians in a civil war compared to a war fought overseas, on someone else\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s territory.^{1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n}

I had hoped to publish his diary in monthly segments, but July turned out to be so eventful, I must divide it in two, and perhaps even three, parts. This part focuses primarily on the Battle of Gettysburg. I am not an historian of this event, so I will leave it to others to comment.\u00ac\u2020As a reminder, late in June, Martial Law was declared in the city of Baltimore, and was very much in effect in July. One other note–those of you who have followed the diary so far may have noticed the number of photographs of Civil War generals. I include them because the photographs are remarkable, the faces, the postures and uniforms so very unique.<\/p>\n

July 1st 1863 – Wednesday<\/u> – The weather is cloudy with occasional showers of rain damp and murky, like August weather – \u00ac\u2020The movements of the Rebs in Penna are not well defined – Ewell Corps seems to have marched towards Harrisburg whilst the main body of Longstreet\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s and Hill with Genl Lee are supposed to be proceeding down to some of the Fords or Ferrys below Columbia – and it is said that the large Cavalry force under Stuart Fitz Lee &c recently operating near to this City and Washington, have all gone off to York or in that direction \u201a\u00c4\u00ec<\/p>\n

The movement of the Fed Army being contraband information, we are in the dark relative thereto – The latest information from Penna would indicate that the Reb. Army was falling back from the Susquehanna, most probably owing to the advance of the Army of the Potomac, part of which was said to have reached York; and that Lee was massing his Troops in the Cumberland Valley, near to\u00ac\u2020 Chambersburg. Some skirmishes have occurred between the outposts of the Armies, and the Feds claim to have captured one of Lee\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Trains<\/p>\n

Martial Law appears to have worked quite smoothly to-day – excepting several cases of arrest of Parties on frivolous charges – who were kept in confinement until they took the Oath. – One Gentleman was taken in charge for wearing a red and a white rose in his buttonhole \u201a\u00c4\u00ec<\/p>\n

A Brigade of Volunteers from Genl Fosters Department arrived here to-day on their way home, their Term having expired – Maj Genl Tyler made a Speech to them in Monument Square for the purpose of inducing them “to give their services to the country for a few days longer in this hour of her greatest need where her soil is invaded and the Capitol threatened by a Rebel foe &c.” The response to this is said to have been unsatisfactory, only one of the Massachusetts Regiments having consented to serve for a short period. The N. York Troops demanding to be sent home.<\/p>\n

Thursday July 2nd<\/u> – The same Kind of Moist hot weather continues to-day with occasional sunshine \u201a\u00c4\u00ec Reports from Vicksburg are variant and we cannot yet ascertain to a certainty the position of matters there, or at Port Hudson; but the Rebs are holding out stoutly even should they have not succeeded as yet in repelling the Feds. \u00ac\u2020 The Reports from the Two great Armies so near to us in Md. and Penna are also conflicting, but a serious and extensive battle is believed to be in progress in the vicinity of Hagerstown or Gettysburg \u201a\u00c4\u00ec<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>Note: The map shows how right Ellicott was about the nearness of the major armies to the cities of Baltimore and Washington DC. The map comes from the Wikipedia article on the Battle of Gettysburg. Click on the map to get a better view.<\/em><\/p>\n

Under the Martial Law a search for Arms has been instituted within this City. All the Houses occupied by \u201a\u00c4\u00faSympathizers\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 are being searched to-day by Policemen, accompanied by Soldiers – and the Guns, Pistols, and Swords carried off in a wagon attached to each squad. The dwellings of Unionists have all escaped visit or search – [He does not say whether he lived in a “Unionist” dwelling.] Amongst other regulations under the Martial Law – No one (except Negroes) is allowed to leave the city without a Permit or Pass from the Provost Marshall, which can be obtained by men only by satisfying the interrogatories as to age, destination, and the fact of having taken the Oath of Allegiance previously, and, if not, taking the Oath then & there \u00ac\u2020The premium on Gold has fluctuated between 45 & 48 pr ct. for several days<\/p>\n

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