Category Archives: Robinson Diary

January 9-15 1863

Henry S. Robinson Diary, January 9th-18th 1863
Henry S. Robinson Diary, January 9th-18th 1863

9th Jan. Opp. Fredbg.
During the day, one of the 45th Pen. + one of
The R. battery men went across the river
in a boat, exchanged papers with the
[ ]  picket + on this way back. The
boat upsetting(?) and they were drowned.
– LA. Rol. returned to camp sick
– Guns not loaded- nothing impt.
Balloon up –

10th Returned to camp through
the woods- A few boxes came to
our 6 0/1 – Rain com. About noon
Read letter from M. Sawyer of the
5th mist.(?). No drills in P.M. or dep. Par.
Drew day R.S.6.+ one of Pork – to 12th

11th Sunday- Pleasant but mud
-dy- (?)

12th Pleasant- ground
frozen during night is
very sticky- I Drilled the 60/11
in A.M.- No drills in P.M.
Drew 3ds. Rth. HB. S. 6 [ ]
5ds. Beams 2 of Pork –

12th Read. Letter from Ed. Minor
from Hospital in Balt. Asking me to
help him get this descriptive list. Handed
it to Lt. Merse for Capt. Goodell
weigh with bolts, without [ ] 142 ½
Beers tried to a [ ] ran away.

13th Drew 40 lbs. Dried Apples 2 galls.
molasses  – Lt. Rd. Being at (A…)
creek– I drilled 6 – A.M. in Skir
-mish  drill- Deploying forward.
P.M. in Manuel, in (P…?) in
Canter marching(?) to change front.
L. Hastings + Hanks in hospital
No (Dep?) Parade- Read #1 from Mary

14th– Ground pretty day- no frost
Drilled A.M. + P.M.- No Day Parade
-Drew 1 days ration Pork-
Windy in P.M. + night.
Sent #23 to Mary

15th– Strong wind all night + to day, – I drilled 60
in A.M.- Drilled them in stacking
arms- had every man make the slack
-So windy in P.M. that Lt.Rd. cut the drill(?)
chores

 

January 15-19 1863

Jan 15-19 1863 Robinson
Henry S. Robinson Diary, January 15th-19th 1863

 

 

15th Jan. Opp. Frdbg. (no sub. camps in sight
-After pull drilled went to R.R Station to see
if [ ] box had come- They are at
[ ]H.2. – went there- mine not come
(the 3 do….?)
Rain in night    Got sugar-

16th Rain ceased- wind still high
getting round to N. West- pretty cold
Orders to be ready to march a ton
early home tomorrow – Got 250 rounds
of Am. saved it out so each man has
60- Drew 1 days ration Fresh meat-
G.S. + H.B. also a little rice- 3 day Pork
making 3 ds. ration hand the 17th
Lyman H. Hastings died in hospital
7 PM. of fever- Sent letters to Capt Baily + Mother Maggie
G. Hubbard had [ ] parts.
Are #24 to Mary

17th– Buried L.H. Hastings under arms
-Lent #24 to Mary [ ], letter to Jr. G. Day
-Gold day- no drills- [ ] to go on
Picket tomorrow- Drew/ds rd. Pork. G.
[ ] and a few onions- Read #2 from Mary

18th Jan. Sunday- cold + frosty in morning
[ ] A.B+G formed line about 9 a.m.
1 sergt. + 30 of our men went with me to the
Reserve under Capt. Barker. – 6o(?) A with
us- the rest of 60(?) on the river-
4 of the 30 lbs. Rodman guns. Left during the
night- only a left- but there are (quaker?)
guns in there places of the ones sent away
-Rebs. throwing [ ] in the trench men + – on
the upper bbank of the river from the [ ]
we lay (13th [ ]) [ ] to the sun.
No camps in sight- Reb. preket(?) sent a Riche
paper of 17 [ ] on board. Phelps sent some
coffee across to them. Came up to camp + packed
[ ] chest- 60 Drew 2ds. Rtn. Salt Beef- one of Su.
G+HB+some potatoes + onions. –Everything quiet

19th Relieved 9 ½ a.m. Heard that our army
was going to commence R.L. this morn. + we were
to stay in front + act according to circumstances
-Didn’t drill. Went to Depot about Sunset
Planks + stringers for [ ] bridges are
being loaded from cars to army wagons-
60 Drew 1 ds. Rtn.

 

June 7-9, 1862

Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 7th to June 9th 1862
Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 7th to June 9th 1862

7th June 1862 – Clinton

Paid fare to Lawrence    $1.40
on business for J.R.R-
Arrd at L.11 1/2 A.M
Boarded with V.O. Baleon(?)
94 Essex St-
Mill is below the Spicket-
2-boilers-(Lowell?) J.R. $3.00

Mirror(?) has been burning 2,000
lbs coal to dry 3,000 lbs.Paper

8th Sunday –

(Heard?) Ru       of (Lasserie?)
st. Church in A.M.
Dea.          in Sabbath school
Rev.  (Mrs.?) (Jenny?) at Central chch.(church)
in P.M. + at concert –
New American Encyclopedia pre
– sented by the L. School –

9th   3 masons at work on the
setting – several tenders
worked all day

June 10-14, 1862

june 10-14
Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 10th-14th 1862

10th Jun 1862- Lawrence (May?)
& masons at work on setting
also several tenders
worked all day –
I

 

11th Tested [M…?] boiler
to 85 lbs. – leaked a little
on top – in two seams –
Went into boiler + found
it scaled badly – old rivets
remained from the patching
several years ago –
Masons finished
Got the grates in
Worked 1 ½ days

 

12th– Started [fire?] about
8 P.M. Head to build
wood fire in blue to start
smoke up chimney –
worked 1 day 2 hours –

 

13th June Lawrence
Run [M…?] boiler enough
to dry the clay on top –

Packed lower head of heater
+ commenced attaching pipes
to it – worked all day-

 

14th– Got heater connected
+ let steam into it.
Got Wilders grates in +
water running in –
His boiler was not so dirty
as [M…?]
Left mill for house at 3 ¼
P.M. got started from Lawrence
about- 3 – 35 and in Lowell
5 minutes too late for train
Paid fare to Boston 75

Went to Old Harbor wharf
to Boston

June 15-21, 1862

June 15-21
Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 15th – 21st 1862

 

15th June Boston – Sunday
Attended church A.M + P.M
at Springfield st. chapel
S.S. Concert in evening at 7¼
Ms. Mellen spoke to children
– a poor sailor who goes about
doing good.

16th Went to So Boston to
all the building lots –
also to old entrenchments
at the extreme end –
Old Harbor wharf best.

Sent application for [?]
of 2500 dollars life insurance
Saw Hibbard who wants me
to apply an Indicator to a
(Cerlip?) Engine for him

Paid fare to Berlin 100

17th June Clinton
Hoed garden + put down parlor
carpet-

18th

18th Put down sitting room carpet
– got 2 bundles straw 16

19th Finished sitting room
Paid for 3 [ds?] (backing?)3.75
– “ little chain 1.10
“ for horse to N. (Berlish?) 1.30

20th worked in garden + on
my Navy papers –

21st Paid for fencing stuff 13
“ “ “ nail + hinges 12
“ “ Toothbrush 15
“ “ Cord + [?] 15

June 22-27,1862

Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 15th-21st 1862
Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 15th-21st 1862

 

1862

22nd June, Clinton
Rv. Ms.               of Princeton [J…?]
– A.M. on the Rebellion + the (hopes?)
of good on its act.  S.S. in Vestry
+ on Green St. at A Rll.

 

23d   Left Clinton 3½ A.M with
Whitcomb fare to Boston 18/20
+ 20 cts. for last monday
Saw J.R. + also Ms. Hibbard
who isn’t ready to begin
Stayed at J.R.(s?) 218 (N…?)st.

 

24th Went to Harvard pl. opp.
Old S. church at 10 A.M. – saw
Mr P. Hobart – who has 27 tenants
has a 12” cyl x 36” Coslip Engine 44 rev.
50 to 8 lbs. steam – takes full stroke
if below 60 – (occasionally) use
213 lbs. of coal an hour – dust @ 2
2 boilers 24ft. x 36” – 2-( finish?)
see next page

1862

24th June Boston
Spent 2 hours on PP Engine
HS. in the boilers 420 ft – 213 lbs. coal dust
a 2 dols = 71 lbs cool
25th – Engine is doing from 35 to 40
Indicator PP =
Rev. Daniel Lenny was (instated?)
pastor of Springfield St. Church
Rev. Mr. Webb read scripture + prayed
D(?) Swain of (Rev Jesachell?) on faith
D(?) (B…?)prayed + charged the
Pastor – yet to preach politics
D (?) Thompson Rev.  gave right hand
of fellowship. Rev. A L. Stone charged
the people – D Adams prayed

 

26th

 

27th

June 28- July 2, 1862

Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 28th-July 2nd 1862
Henry S. Robinson Diary, June 28th-July 2nd 1862

1862
28th June Boston
Went to South Boston, E.( B…?)
Chelsea + Charles town
– The Old Harbor wharf seems
to be the best for the business
of which J.R. is intending to do-

29th Sunday Rev. Mr. Lenny
preached (S…?) St. chapel.
I went to S. School – + (?) (?)

30th News of the battles of
27th + 28th came –

Saw. Com. Sartori + Mr.
Stowt. Com. S. told me to
state in my letter to the Depart-
ment – that he did order
me not to have a watch at first
on acct of the report made to
him by Chf. Eng. + others.

1862
1st July Boston
Went to see Com. Sartori + Mr.
Green the Eng. who is going out in
the Genisee – he remembers that I
was going out in the Curlew –
Saw the Niagara –
Went aboard the Saxon –
(blg?) –                  variable cut off –

Went to E. Boston – saw them
about the Indicator
Saw the “Battery” Reel laid
Worked 3 hours on the EP Engine

2nd Settled with J.R.
Gave him (reel?) in full of all
demand to date $581.32
he giving me a note for $6.40 to balance
my act. as my act was that
much greater than his – This is
a settlement of all act since the
9th Nov. 1860 –

July 2-9, 1862

july 2-9
Henry S. Robinson Diary, July 2nd – 9th 1862

1862
2nd July Boston –
Started for home 3½ PM.
Sent my letter of explanation to
Navy Department, to be ans-
wered at 20 State St.
Fare both ways 240 + 260 = $5.00
total amt. spent –

3d Clinton
Paid for fire works.      .25

4th Fire department paraded

5th Made a cart for Josie
Paid for screws + c.      .20
“ Pew  rent
“ (Bre?)  “         .13.

6th Sunday – Rev. Mr. (Larboe?) preached
– communion – had clap
in S. School

Clinton
7th July – Hoed garden –
Started for Boston 12 M.         1.35

Paid fare to E. Boston + back. 14
“      Sweet oil for Indicator           .33
“      for supper                                 15
H.R.R.                                           10
Worked till 11 P.M. got the Ind.
attached to Shaft. End
Worked on the PP Engine 8 hours
spent – 62 cts. on the job.

8th Took Diagrams all day
Paid for breakfast + dinner                 34
“              “    Paper for  cards    6
“              “    (Pipefitting?)        20
Worked on PP. Engine 10 hours
Paid out                                               60 cts.

9th Taking Diagrams all day
Paid for breakfast dinner + supper                  46
“              “     Paper for cards                   6
.52
Worked on PP Engine 10 hours pd out .52
Saw the balloon Star Spangled banner