The Clio messenger., 1917-04-20
INTERESTING EXTRACTS
FROM SOLDIERS DIARY
SLOSlNG INCIDENTS OF CIVIL WAR
RECOUNTED
Private Ezra o. Cleveland Wrote OF
Historic Events From Close
Viewpoint


events by one who witnessed them or
knew of them from intimate associa-
ton. No historian can give tins IN
teresting personal touch to has writ
incs unless he participates In the
events he records, which is rarely the
case. For this reason the stories OF
old soldiers, while they may not have
the literary polish of the professional
historian, are vastly more interesting
to those who may hifve the privilege
of listening to them. The following
brief extracts from the diary Of
soldier stationed in Washington when
the great civil struggle was drawing
to a close and almost every day was
marked by some decisive or tragic
event, are, therefore, Of peculiar in
terest because the soldier saw or knew
of the matters he recorded person
allvv. and because we know him, be-
ing our fellow townsman, r. S. Cleye-
land. The entries which we have
thought to be of especial interest viii
be given chronologically as Mr.. Cleve-
land set them down, and without fur
ther elucidation, as follows:
Sept. /, 1S64-Enlisted.
Sept. 3-In barracks at Flint, mus
tered.
The dates from the 7th to the 10Th
Of the same month were occupied ~
the Grip from Flint to Washington, at
which point the soldier arrived on the
last named date and went to Camp
Distribution.
Nov. S-Presidential election; 20
Republican majority in 18th Michi-
gan Battery for President Lincoln.
Dec. 20-(Showing that the gov
eminent did not know how near the
end Of the great struggle might bo)
call was issued for 100000 men.
Jan. "a, 1S65-Smithsonian Insti-
tute burned.
Feb. 5-Peacc commissioners, can
not agree.
Feb. 22-National salutes fred ct
all u. S. forts and arsenals in honor
of the restoration Of our flag on Fort
Sumpter. (Under the same date Mr..
Cleveland notes the fact that gold
had gone to $1.96 in New York. 1t
will, perhaps, be informing to some
to state that through cornering the
supply of gold money, during the lat
ter years of the war, certain finan-
ciers were enabled to get about twice
as much for it, dollar for dollar, as
the greenbacks in which the soldiers
were paid off were worth. This in
famous speculation had its culmina.
ton in certain "Black Friday" in
Wall street, when the government
put stop to it..
Mar. 4-Incuguration of President
Lincoln.
Apr. 3-Tsichmond, Va, captured
at $3.50 o'clock; great rejoicing; sa-
lutes fired from forts and navy yard
at Washington.
April 9-Surrender of General R..
E. Lee and the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia to General U. S. Grant, COM
mander of the armies of the u. S.
Apr. 1O-Great rejoicing over the
above results; 500 guns fred; rebel
armies surrendering; 500 rebel de-
serters at the Soldiers Rest.
Apr. 13-General Grant arrives at
Washington; great celebration and
illumination at night; no more fight
ing; recruiting stopped.
Apr. 14-hssassination of Abra-
ham Lincoln, president of the United
States, at Ford's Theatre, Washing
ton, at 10 o'clock p. M; assassina-
ton of Secretary Seward at his resi-
dence in Washington. Great excite
ment throughout the north. Ut af-
terward transpired that Secretary
Seward was not killed, although a
serious attempt was made on his life.)
Apr. 15-On picket in charge of
Post 13. President Lincoln expires
at 1880 a. m. President Andrew
Johnson inaugurated.
Apr. 19-President's funeral; busi-
ness suspended; minute guns fired
from noon until p. M, with SO guns
at sunset.
Apr. 26-John Wilkes Booth, as
~ sassin of President Lincoln, shot and
killed by Sergeant Boston Corbett,
near Port Royal.
May Presidents proclamation
offering rewards for jeff Davis and
others.
May 12-Jeff Davis captured by
Fourth Michigan Cavalry, Lieut.. Col
Pritchard, commanding. Cool. Prit-
chard lived in Allegan for many years
after the war, engaging in the bank
ing business with his part of the
bounty money secured through the
capture of the rebel president. For
many years, also, we believe, he
served as Grand Treasurer of the
Michigan Grand Lodge of Oddfel-
lows.)
May 23-First day Of the grand
review. (The greatest military pa
geant ever seen in this country, at
which time hundreds of thousands of
the veterans of the war, of all
branches of the service, led by officers