Category Archives: Robinson Diary

February 12-16 1863

Henry S. Robinson Diary, February 12th-16th 1863
Henry S. Robinson Diary, February 12th-16th 1863

Chesapeake Bay

12th Feb. On board Str. S. America
see a mile or more.
Came to anchor in the Roads after
dark ­–

13th Got underway about 9 AM
steamed(?) around nearly to the
landing in front of the Fort.
passed, near the [R… ], +
[ ] Point, passed the Firegate(?)
Minnesota which hailed us, IronClad Nahart(?)
+  several other Gunboats to the
Wharf at Newport News
Halted 2 or 3 hours in the intrench
-ments, then marched up the
James River 2 miles, past the
brick building intrenched, +
camped a quarter of a mile or
so from the river, on a Sandy
plain ­– Cut logs for a
house + had part of them [ ]
to Camp

14th Camp Nior Newport News
– Got our logs placed for house
the same as the one used on the
Rappahammock – Got on A lent + [ ] it
– Got letter from May
written the 8th

15th Sunday – rainy + warm
Went on Picket in rear of Camp –
– Pretty wet towards night + in first of
night. Read letter from Mrs. Peggy
+ R.H. Heywood.

16th Relieved by Camp Guards
Drew 2ds. rations meat, Bread. S + C
1ds. ration Rice, Potatoes + Onions
Candles                     Dep  Parade
Went down to the wharf + got a lot
of Equip. boxes for [R… ]. I got the one
sent by Kilbern the 20th Jan. shower
2 ½ long can 1 large + 3 small cans To. 2 bottle
ketchup 3 of Huckl. 2 cans Peppers 1can Jam
1 Pot Jam – 1 glass Jelly – Pickles + apples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 16-21 1863

Feb 16-21 1863 Robinson
Henry S. Robinson Diary, February 16th-21st 1863

 

16th Feb. camp was(?) Newport News Va.
Wrote + sent #30 to Mary

17th North Easterly storm –
“Capt Bailey” came back – bring
-ing Lt. Rd’s trunk + a pkg. for
me – also letter of 12th from Mary

18th – Rain continues –
Wrote to Mrs. P. + #31 to Mary –
Drew 3ds. Ration S. + C. 60 16 potatoes ,
20 of Drd. apples, 1 ds. ration
Softbread –  2 ds. ration meat –
– 15 long candles – soap – + beans

19th – Rain in night – alone
off sunny day –
Drew soft bread –
Sent letter to Mrs. Perry
+ D.W.K. – recd. only
from Mrs. P. –
for [] A. tents + [] them
went to the wharf – got had (30?)

20th – Pleasant day – made
Bc shed – [] our A tent on
the stockade – Read letter from
Mary written 16th
Had Dep parade – Captain. out.
got them to go to Fort Mirror
for green – paid boot. Boynton $3.00

21st– pleasant- started for the land
by 7:20am Boat left wharf 8- 4
Fort Munroe (Gen Washington)
Went into the []- saw two-geo
Gounder Parrot guns- they are get
-ting ready to mount the union +
Lincoln guns- got some acorns
from the live oak trees- artisan
well [] abandoned- they had
an apparatus capable of making 2
galls water in  8 hours.-1000 in the part
Str. leaves Newport 8+1- leaves the
fort 10+4-leaves or Norfolk 10 1/2
4- [] office outside the fort

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