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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterFinding Aid Authors: Anne T. Johnson, Special Collections Assistant.
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Rufus S. Read Civil War Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Purchase.
Rufus S. Read was born about 1840 in Pennsylvania. A Union Soldier from Pennsylvania who on 5/27/1861 mustered into "K" Company, Pennsylvania 31st Infantry as a musician, discharged for promotion on 12/21/1862 and mustered into "Batty M" Co. U.S. Army 2nd Light Artillery Regiment Regular Army.
Military:
2 Pennsylvania Res. Inf. (31 Pennsylvania Vols.)
2nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry (31st Volunteers)
Rank in: Fifer
Rank out: Musician
Diary, 1861-1864 of Rufus S. Read (b. 1840) a Union soldier of Pennsylvania. He mustered into Company "K", Pennsylvania 31st Infantry on 5/27/1861 as a musician, and into 2nd Company, U.S. Light Artillery in 1862. For a preliminary description, provided by the seller, see finding aid link below.
Chronological.
1861 May 27 Musters with the Consolidation Guards, formed out of the Southwark Literary Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. May-June Camp Washington in Easton, Pennsylvania. July Regiment joins with 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves. Still with Company D. Marches from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Baltimore, Maryland, then to Sandy Hook where his company put into General Bank's Division. Some men did not want to take the oath to the United States Service and sent to Philadelphia. Some officers lost their commissions. August – December Moves from camp to camp, eventually staying near Drainsville. Appears to mainly participate in reviews by officers and foraging for supplies. 1862 January-March William Conner, a deserter, captured, sentenced to six months in prison, then a dishonorable discharge. Travels on the Leesburg and Alexandria Turnpikes, never camping too far from Alexandria, Virginia. April and May Rides train to Manassas and then marches to and camps near Fredericksburg, Virginia. June June 8-11 Takes steamboat to West Point, Virginia. June 12 Camps 12 miles from Richmond, Virginia. June 20 Camps near Mechanicsville, Virginia. Supports battery on the picket lines. "Balloon sent up today and was fired at by the enemy and it came down double quick time." June 26 Marches along road to Hanover Courthouse, retreats, turns and battles. Brings prisoners back to camp. June 27 Battle. Takes wounded friend over the Chickahominy Bridge to hospital where wounded laid out in a field. General Reynolds is a prisoner. June 30 Big battle where many from his regiment are captured, killed and wounded. Gets lost and sleeps in a field near the battleground. July Finds his regiment, but so sick he goes into the hospital. Returns to his regiment, but not on duty again until late in the month. Few tents, sleeps on ground. August "…quite a disturbance was created last night in our camp, by enemy throwing shells into us from the other side of the James River…" Sees 150 negroes working on a fort across the river. Soldiers in Richmond exchanged and returned to camp. "Our Generals McCall and Reynolds came back from Richmond this afternoon…" Returns to his regiment by first taking a schooner to Aquia Creek, then riding a train to Falmouth where he tries to find his division by first going to Manassas Station, then Centreville. Marches to Fairfax Courthouse. September Battle near Frederick, Maryland. Friends dead and wounded. Over 1000 wounded in hospital where he is helping. "The Bucktails went out skirmishing and our regt was ordered to support them and we soon came…encountered them and after hard fighting we drove them from off the mountain…" October "Our regiment now numbers 130 men…" "…three new regiments arrive…" Appears to be camped near Smoketown. Marches toward Harper's Ferry in hurricane force rain and wind. November Marches through Waterford and after a few days of rain and snow, camps near Warrenton, Virginia. "…after marching all day on fields and on byroads we fetched up, after throwing out skirmishers at Warrenton our brigade first troops in the place besides the cavalry…" Walks into Warrenton where he is arrested by the Provost Guard because he does not have a pass. Spends night in Guardhouse as a prisoner. Marches to a camp near Rappahannock Station. General Sigmore relieved of his command. Camps near Stafford, Virginia. December "Put a furnace in our tent." Snowy, muddy and cold much of the time. Marches to Bell Plains. "…I went out and saw the battle before Fredericksburg. Very hard fighting…" Visits friend in Hospital. Marches towards Stafford. Makes log buildings. "I have been detailed to the cookhouse…" 1864 Brief entries give weather, tell if he was in camp and describe his activities, such as cutting wood. January 31, "Went to church this morning, the first time in more than two years." February 9 "Chas, Scanlon, S. Buck and myself reenlisted for only three years more in the Battery." Last pages of diary include: a pencil drawing, "Winter Quarters, Tent and Brandy Station, Va.," a list of the men who were wounded, killed or missing, in order by date from June 26, 1862 to December 3, 1862. a list of the battles he participated in beginning with the Battle of Mechanicsville and ending with the Battle of Fredericksburg.