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Very Rare and fascinating, original, 1863 Civil War Confederate Soldier\'s Manuscript Diary. This wonderful, original Diary was kept by Robert A. Bruce of the “B company” Virginia 52nd Infantry, and Details the Events Of The Gettysburg Campaign Leading Up To The Battle Of Gettysburg with some later entries.
This Handwritten manuscript diary dates only from April 29th, 1863 to February, 1864 with a single later entry dated May 4, 1864 that details a battle fought. During this time Bruce was enlisted in the 52nd Infantry Regiment, Company B of the Army of Northern Virginia.
52nd Virginia Infantry Regiment was organized at Staunton, Virginia, in August, 1861. Many of its members were from Augusta County. It fought at Greenbrier River and Camp Alleghany, and later in Jackson\'s Valley Campaign. The unit was then assigned to Early\'s, W. Smith\'s, Pegram\'s, and J.A. Walker\'s Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. It participated in various conflicts from the Seven Days\' Battles to Cold Harbor, marched with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and was active around Appomattox. This regiment lost 2 wounded and 6 missing at Camp Alleghany, had 7 killed and 46 wounded at McDowell, and suffered 14 killed and 87 wounded at Cross Keys and Port Republic. It reported 29 casualties at Gaines\' Mill, 61 at Second Manassas, 13 at Fredericksburg, and 12 at Chancellorsville. Of the 254 engaged at Gettysburg, six percent were disabled. On April 9, 1865, it surrendered with 7 officers and 53 men of which 14 were armed. The field officers were Colonels John B. Baldwin, John D. Lilley, John D.H. Ross, andThomas H. Watkins.
This fascinating, leather bound pocket Diary measures approx. 4\" x 6\" and contains 160 pages, of which approx. twenty have been used by Bruce to record his daily entries. Most of the entries are in pencil with the scattered entries written in ink. Almost every entry has either battle, skirmish or movement information – almost none of the “day to day life” as the 52nd Virginia Infantry was a VERY active Unit.
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. This diary describes the movements of the Second Corps (under the command of Lt. General Richard S. Ewell) as they make their way from Kelly\'s Ford to the Culpeper Courthouse and Brandy Station. The Corps then marches to Winchester. The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863 in Frederick County and Winchester, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War. As Confederate Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell moved down the Shenandoah Valley in the direction of Pennsylvania, his corps defeated the Union Army garrison commanded by Major General Robert H. Milroy, capturing Winchester and numerous Union prisoners, and Bruce describes this event in his diary. He also writes about General Milroy\'s escape and the capture of the majority of his troops.
On June 18th, 1863, the men march to within two miles of Shepardstown, and on the 23rd to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. On the 26th, the Regiment crosses the South Mountain, and on the 28th arrive at York. On the 1st of July Bruce tells us: \"...marched up the road leading to Gettysburg when...the fighting commenced at 11 o\'clock. General Gordon charged them on the right of the road and captured some prisoners and left the ground covered with their dead but slight loss on our side...\"
Robert A. Bruce enlisted on July 15,1861 at Waynesboro, VA as a Private and mustered into \"B\" Co. VA 52nd Infantry. He Re-enlisted on May 1,1862. He was Killed on May 30, 1864 at Bethesda Church, VA, and was buried at Old Waynesboro Cemetery , VA.
Bruce was listed as:
* On rolls 11/15/1861 (place not stated)
* On rolls 4/15/1862 (place not stated)
* Absent without leave 6/20/1862 (place not stated)
* Returned 10/26/1862 (place not stated)
* On rolls 12/15/1863 (place not stated)
This wonderful, Manuscript Civil War Confederate Soldier\'s Diary is in good to very good condition - the binding and the covers are intact but worn with some damage as would be expected from a Diary carried by a Civil War Soldier while serving in the field. The interior pages are complete although a bit shaken and with a few leaves loose. Bruce’s handwriting is poor but still readable. Please see the scans below for a good representation of the condition of this Civil War Diary.
This short but fascinating, Civil War Confederate Diary kept by a common, uneducated Private in the Virginia 52nd Infantry is offered here, as always, with and with the confidence that it will attract the serious attention that it justly deserves!!! Good Luck to all interested.
What follows is a sampling of the entries in the Diary:
\"April 29th, 1863 The yankees commenced crossing over the Rappahanock River @ Fredericksburg continued all day and on the 30th commenced fighting... About 4 o\'clock we opened on them with our cannon. So far we have the advantage... Early Div. the front line...
\"May 2 Came on Picket this morning before day. Fighting up @ Kelly\'s Ford again... We commenced on the right with our batteries...
\"6 o\'clock we marched up to reinforce General Lee..... The yankees flanked us about 1 o\'clock on our left opposite to Fredericksburg... took several pieces of cannon and infantry then we fell back to the second row of ditches.. no casualties in our Reg. to mention the boys in fine spirits...
\"May 4th We took position on the right off the____ House. stayed there until 10 o\'clock when we were moved to the left toward some heights and charged them but was stopped by Lieutenant Smith... about 1 mile from Fredericksburg a grand charge commenced at 4 1/2 by General Gordon & Hayes in the front... we completely routed them by 9 o\'c at night. There was another charge and routed them at 10 o\'c
\"May 10th Jack Ferrell and I went to Fredericksburg got there at 7 1/2 o\'clock AM and stayed until 8 1/2 o\'clock p.m. went to see some ladies...
\"June 7 We marched over on the Plank Road... to within 3 miles of Culpepper Court House... stayed there until 2 o\'clock a.m. the day of the 9th when we were called up in line of battle..
\"June 11th ...took up line of march toward Winchester. Early\'s Division holding the Valley Pike on the upper side of Winchester Johnson\'s Div holding the Front Royal Pike on the upper side of Winchester.. and General ____ holding the Berryville Turnpike and Gens Jones, Jenkins and Stewart are posted at the other roads and passes to prevent Milroy\'s escape...
\"June 13, 1863 All quiet on the line... Milroy still refusing to give up we send in a flag of truce demanding a surrender... Milroy refuses and threatens to burn the town and Gen. Ewell threatens death to him and his army if he burns the town
\"June 27 ...marched within two miles from the town of York... we stayed there until the morning of the 30th when we marched back and... camped 6 miles from Berlin... 7 o\'clock of the 1st July marched up the road leading to Gettysburg when there, was the fighting commenced at 10 o\'clock continued on until ___ at 5 o\'clock. General Gordon charged them on the right of the road and captured some prisoners and left the ground covered with their dead... slight loss on our side...
Next and Last Entry in this section reads:
\"Feb 5, 1864 I went home stayed fifteen days and returned on the 19th of February\"
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