DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | George C. Burmeister diary, 1864

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1864-03-23

Wednesday 23.  At seven o’clock this morning we again commenced our march with our prisoners &cet.  A few miles from the city Capt. Spencer, whose company captured the rebel colors, tied it under our guidon and thus bore it along to the great humiliation of the rebels. Some of the prisoners are Irishmen and I had a talk with them, I asked them why they left their homes? Was it not because they desired to escape oppression and enjoy liberty? Why then fight for slavery here?  They acknowledged the propriety of my remarks, and said they were anxious to take the oath of allegiance to our government, and never would they again fight for the planters of the South.  We marched our prisoners and other captured property in good style through the city of Alexandria, where hundreds of people friend and relatives of the captives stood in astonishment to behold them.  Several ladies gave expression to their feelings towards the prisoners as they passed them, to our disgust and the prisoners' joy.  They waited a few minutes at the court house before they were confined in it, and during that time, several regiments of black soldiers passed by them in fine style, whom the rebels viewed with contempt, and said "we might do anything with them but for heaven's sake not to permit Negro soldiers to guard them."  I had a conversation with Admiral D. Porter, who appears to be a fine man. About 70 union refugees, came in this evening.

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Wednesday 23. At seven o’clock this morning we again commenced our march with our prisoners &cet. A few miles from the city Capt. Spencer, whose company captured the rebel colors, tied it under our guidon and thus bore it along to the great humiliation of the rebels. Some of the prisoners are Irishmen and I had a talk with them, I asked them why they left their homes? Was it not because they desired to escape oppression and enjoy liberty? Why then fight for slavery here? They acknowledged the propriety of my remarks, and said they were anxious to take the oath of allegiance to our government, and never would they again fight for the planters of the South. We marched our prisoners and other captured property in good style through the city of Alexandria, where hundreds of people friend and relatives of the captives stood in astonishment to behold them. Several ladies gave expression to their feelings towards the prisoners as they passed them, to our disgust and the prisoners' joy. They waited a few minutes at the court house before they were confined in it, and during that time, several regiments of black soldiers passed by them in fine style, whom the rebels viewed with contempt, and said "we might do anything with them but for heaven's sake not to permit Negro soldiers to guard them." I had a conversation with Admiral D. Porter, who appears to be a fine man. About 70 union refugees, came in this evening.